Looping more than 200 miles through some of the most beautiful mountains in Colorado, the San Juan Skyway is one of the most famous roads in America. It's rare for an area to have both historic attractions and stunning natural scenery, but the San Juan Skyway offers both.

The highway passes through mining towns like Ouray and Silverton, both of which have some truly beautiful buildings from the mining boom, according to Colorado.com. Some towns, like Telluride, have mixed historic architecture with modern aspects - in Telluride's case, ski resorts and film festivals.

Of course, much of the route also passes through the Rocky Mountains, so visitors will experience some truly jaw-dropping sights. Some areas, like the Mesa Verde National Park, blend nature with history. For Mesa Verde, this primarily means the Ancestral Pueblo dwellings carved into rock faces.

The San Juan Skyway is truly beautiful, but nobody wants to break down with a flat in the middle of a mountain range. Before you go, be sure to take your car in to an expert to be sure there are no auto maintenance issues, and it might be a good idea to invest in a set of new tires as well if you haven't changed yours in awhile.