CUNA 2023 diamond award trophy icon

CUNA 2023 Diamond Award Winner

Financial Education

The Year of the Luxury Road Trip

Hands on classic car steering wheel, driving on forest road.
info dialog icon Traveling? Don't forget travel insurance! Click here to learn more.

Editor’s note: Quorum is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this article and derives no benefit from these businesses for placement in this article.

Nothing is as exhilarating as driving the open road, leaving work and stress behind. You have the freedom to stop wherever and whenever you want to visit cool restaurants, shops and other sites. Whether in your own classic car or a rented vintage model, there’s a road trip for every season of the year that bucks the trends and beats the usual crowds.

Add upscale accommodations to your favorite first-class wheels and these unexpected seasonal road trips can be as luxury-filled as you desire. All four are located near a major U.S. city, so you can even enjoy a bit of metropolitan flavor at the start or end of your journey.

Spring Beyond the Cherry Blossoms

Although beautiful, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival isn’t the only thing the Mid-Atlantic has to offer in springtime. Between 60- and 90-minutes west of Washington, D.C., you run into the unforgettable vistas and natural wonders of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Starting from Winchester or Fort Royal, you can work your way down to Lexington and then over to Charlottesville.

Depending on whether you want the luxury of a resort, boutique hotel or quaint bed and breakfast, you can easily explore the valley by day and return at night to upscale accommodations like the following, which are located at various points along the route:

Many road trippers visit the Shenandoah Valley in autumn to enjoy the fall foliage, but spring is just as perfect a time to enjoy these activities:

Summer South of Seattle

For something other than the traditional summer beach vacation, why not explore the northwest beauty of Washington and Oregon by car? If you start in Seattle, staying somewhere like the Four Seasons or Fairmont Olympic Hotel, you can comfortably spend a few days exploring sites such as the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum and the Museum of Flight. From this home base, you can also enjoy day trips to visit LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, to experience the wineries of Woodinville Wine Country and to check out the capital city of Olympia.

Next, you can head south into Oregon and check in at Portland accommodations like Kimpton River Place or The Nines, a Luxury Collection hotel. Once you’ve exhausted the sights and sounds of Portland, you can take day adventures back up to Vancouver, Washington or further south to McMinnville in the heart of Oregon wine country or to the state capital, Salem.

For the final leg of your trip, explore the Oregon coastline. Newport is a central location that allows you to drive north or south on the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway at your leisure. At night, you can rest at a more traditional hotel like Ocean House or you can enjoy the unique experience of staying in a luxury state room on the Newport Belle, a permanently moored paddleboat.

Autumn by the Bayou

Everyone flocks to fall foliage in the autumn, but an October or November tour along Louisiana’s famed River Road between New Orleans and Baton Rouge makes an unexpected choice that lets you start and end in charming southern cities, while exploring these and more historic antebellum homes that lie in between on the banks of the mighty Mississippi:

Unlike during Mardi Gras, in the fall months, you’ll have space to enjoy New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, Garden District, its many beautiful churches and spooky cemeteries while staying in five-star accommodations. If you prefer Baton Rouge for your home base, make sure to check out the new and old state capitols or maybe snag tickets for a home LSU football game.

Winter Along the Hudson

Rather than escape the cold of winter, embrace it with a journey through the idyllic Hudson River Valley with snow blanketing the landscape. About an hour outside of New York City, drive up the east side of the river on Interstate 87 and come back down the west side on Highway 9 or vice versa. Along the way, the possibilities include:

At night, you can rest in the lap of luxury in places like the Glenmere Mansion or Mohonk Mountain House before you head back home to plan next year’s road trips.

Because "Surprises" Should Be on Your Terms.  Remove the stress of travel delays, lost or stolen baggage, trip cancellation or interruption and emergency medical with travel insurance from our trusted partners.

Comments Section

Please note: Comments are not monitored for member servicing inquiries and will not be published. If you have a question or comment about a Quorum product or account, please visit quorumfcu.org to submit a query with our Member Service Team. Thank you.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
CUNA 2023 diamond award trophy icon

CUNA 2023 Diamond Award Winner

Financial Education

Quorum derives no benefit from businesses in return for placement in this blog.

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x