20 Awesome Destinations for a Perfect U.S. Trip

Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Laramie to Saratoga

Dubbed the “Great Skyroad” when it opened in 1926, the 95-mile alternative to I-80 (open late May to mid-November) is a sky-high feast for the eyes. The east-to-west drive provides the more scenic first glimpse of 12,013-foot Medicine Bow Peak rising above Lake Marie. Overnight at Saratoga’s historic Hotel Wolf, a former stagecoach stop, then go for a dip in the public hot springs.

Photograph by Drew Rush, National Geographic Creative