1 Unforgettable South Carolina Road Trip You Have To Try This Summer

Get your playlist ready and the car all tuned up. The experts say this is 1 unforgettable South Carolina road trip you have to try this summer. In all, realsimple.com lists 5 road trips to try this summer. But we will start with the one closest to Charlotte, North Carolina.

I have a confession to make. I will avoid flying at all costs. It's just not for me. But I do love to travel. Plus, there is a lot to miss when you fly over states. It's not just about the destination, it's about the journey. So much to see on the road and you might find little out of the way places that you never knew existed.

The travel experts at Real Simple did just that. They took the guess work out of the 5 best road trips you can take in America. If it's exceptionally fun and unique. And it's also beautiful with scenic routes and a great destination, it is most likely on their prestigious list. No need for a passport here. Let's start in the Palmetto State. This is 1 unforgettable South Carolina road trip you have to try this summer.

Our source, Real Simple calls this the "perfect Southern Sojourn". Yeah, I had to look that word up too. It means to stay somewhere temporarily. It looks like the perfect four day road trip with great destinations and a beautiful journey. Let's get started. The trip starts in South Carolina and ends up in sunny Florida.

Days one and two are in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. This is about a three and a half drive from Charlotte. There's plenty to do and see and eat in the Holy City. Charleston is steeped in history and gorgeous architecture and is quickly becoming quite the foodie town.

Day 3 of your 4 day trip begins in Savannah, Georgia. This is an easy drive from Charleston. Spanish moss is everywhere. Check out Forsyth Park. Stroll along the shops and pubs along the river front. And do it with a cold beverage. Savannah has an open container law.

On day 4 you are going to wind up in historic St. Augustine, Florida. Do not leave there without trying the shrimp and sausage. Real Simple suggests staying the night at the Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront. Check out all those hundreds of years of history. And I hear the ghost tour in St Augustine is to die for.

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I spent a lot of my childhood traveling to different National Parks in both the US and Canada on summer vacations.  And for the most part I can honestly say I did not appreciate it at the time. But now my world has started to come full circle and my friends are starting to choose to visit the places I went as a child. But what are the nation's best National Parks? The travel experts at Conde Nast Traveler ranked the 25 best National Parks and 3 of them are within driving distance of North Carolina.

And that is saying something considering many of the often thought of a "best" National Parks are out west. You immediately think of places like Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona), Yellowstone (Wyoming), Grand Teton (Wyoming), and Yosemite (California). On the east coast the first one that comes to my mind is Acadia National Park in Maine.

Each of those understandably made Conde Nast Traveler's list. And while all those are fantastic places to visit (many would call them must see parts of America), they are costly if visiting from NC. While I guess theoretically you could drive, it would require a significant time investment, one many of us just don't have to commit. Which is why it's great news that 3 of those top 25 National Parks are within driving distance of the great state of North Carolina.

While none of them are in either of the Carolinas all three of these destinations are a reasonable drive. You'll find each of those three below and learn a little more about them. Interested in reading the top 25? You can find that here via Conde Nast Traveler. Have you been? Perhaps 2024 is the year you'll check one or more of these off your bucket list!

The closest national park, Great Smoky Mountain sits on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. It's actually America's most visited national park! Great Smoky Mountain National Park is known for its diversity of plant and animal life, the stunning beauty of the mountains, and that Southern Appalachian mountain culture. Learn more here.

Virginia's Shenandoah National Park is about 75 miles outside of Washington, D.C. According to the National Park Service it features "cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows." Shenandoah National Park consists of more than 200,000 acres land that is home to animals such as  deer, songbirds, and black bears. Get more info here.

And finally we have southern West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park. It's highlighted by the whitewater river-the New River- that flows through the deep canyons that make up the park. The new river is one of the oldest rivers in North America. New River Gorge National Park is made up over over 70,000 acres with many scenic views and opportunities for recreation. Learn more here.