Red rock country in the American southwest has always been a draw for families wanting to take a road trip. While many choose to visit the Grand Canyon, very few take Route 12, a classic alternative through Utah that brings travelers to Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef.

Sure, you can't drive there, but if travelers visit Alaska they can rent a car and drive from Anchorage to Alaska, which "runs past prehistoric glaciers and into mountain ranges with so many 14,000-foot peaks a lot of them haven’t even been named," according to Travel + Leisure.

Mountain scenery is also found at Lemhi Pass, which winds through Montana and Idaho along the Continental Dive in the Rocky Mountains.

On the east coast, there's the short but absolutely stunning 10-mile Ocean Drive in Newport, Rhode Island. The road has many mansions and estates that overlook the Atlantic. These elegant and stately homes were originally built for families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors.

In New Hampshire, only a few hours from Rhode Island, is the Kancamangus Highway, which weaves through the majestic White Mountains. Come here during the fall and see some of the nation's most spectacular seasonal foliage.