On the Road, Let America Be Your Movable Feast

“Do your homework” is advice that I often give fellow travelers. But last spring, on a drive through southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, I didn’t follow my own advice. As a result, I sped right past the turnoff to Clear Creek Falls, later learning that they are among Colorado’s most spectacular.

Such missed opportunities are bound to happen if you don’t put thoughtful planning into a summer drive of America’s byways.

Yes, planning can be tedious. And you would rather opt for spontaneity, just hopping into the car and heading out to see what there is to see. But spontaneity these days means a big “no vacancy” sign outside the national park lodge where you longed to spend the night, or missing the pretty lake, the thundering waterfall or the offbeat historical museum you didn’t realize was nearby.

By most informed accounts, driving trips are one of America’s favorite vacation choices. For proof, just count the recreational vehicles on the road ahead of you this summer. I count my sightseeing vacations behind the wheel as among my most memorable, and often the least expensive. The Oregon and California coasts, southern and northern New Mexico and Wyoming’s Wind River Range are among my favorite itineraries.

The following guidelines for driving vacations are mostly common-sense suggestions that might turn a routine vacation into one you remember as the best.

* Build the trip around your interests and those of your family or other traveling companions. Is it hiking, golf, wine-tasting, crafts shopping, the Civil War, bird-watching--or all of the above? If so, find out before you leave home where you can enjoy those things, and plan your itinerary accordingly. I favor scenic views, an opportunity to hike and historical sites. Depending on where I’m headed, I try to work all of them into a trip. My wife looks forward to fine dining, and I’m happy to share this interest with her.

* Buy or borrow a guidebook. Or at the very least, send for free material from the tourist information office at your destination. Time and again I’ve talked to people investing big money in a trip who have never bothered to consult a guidebook. “Do I need one?” they ask in all innocence. A good guide costs $15 or $20; look on the money as insurance that your investment won’t be wasted. A guidebook can point you to offbeat attractions you might never discover on your own. Recommended: “The Complete Guide to America’s National Parks,” a state-by-state resource published by the National Park Foundation. It lists the country’s 375 parklands, all worth a detour.

* Shun the interstates. Your pace slows, but sticking to back roads can make driving a pleasant experience. Traffic is thinner, and there are fewer big trucks. Who wants to repeat the daily commuter experience on vacation? Meanwhile, you are getting a close-up of rural America. My suggestion is to detour onto a lightly traveled country road, where you are apt to find lovely pastoral views. Useful driving guides include “National Forest Scenic Byways” and “Scenic Byways II” by Beverly Magley and “Bureau of Land Management Back Country Byways” by Stewart M. Green, all published by Falcon. They highlight America’s most scenic drives through federal lands.

* Choose interesting lodgings and make reservations in advance. Instead of motels, I seek out national and state park lodges, bed-and-breakfast inns, guest ranches, historic properties and other offbeat accommodations. What do I have against motels? Typically, they are located in the center of a paved parking lot with a dreary highway view--not my idea of a vacation setting. The “Best Places to Stay” series of guidebooks published by Houghton Mifflin has separate editions for California, Florida, the mid-Atlantic states, New England, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, the South and the Southwest.

* Limit the number of miles you cover daily, and plan a number of no-driving days. On my driving vacations, 200 miles in a day is the maximum because I want time to hike, explore a park or tour a museum. And driving every day can be numbing. At a particularly interesting destination, I’ll schedule a two- or three-day stop so that I can see it more fully.

* Schedule in recreation time and pursue it daily, if possible. On a circle tour of Northern California, my wife, the family wine expert, insisted on periodic stops for wine sampling. I’m always on the lookout for a hiking trail, and I have sometimes pulled up at a small-town swimming pool to put in some laps.

* Pack a picnic. On a sightseeing drive, you can almost always find a scenic spot to enjoy a picnic lunch. Typically, I’ll purchase a cheap, throw-away food cooler on the first day of my drive--I don’t want to tote one on the plane--and I fill it with cheese, crackers, fruit and juices on ice. And then I’m ready for a roadside snack whenever a view tempts me to stop.

* Use your imagination. Almost any part of America is worth a look.

Times Travel writer Christopher Reynolds is on assignment. Reynolds welcomes comments and suggestions, but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053 or e-mail chris.reynolds@latimes.com.