NY-BIG SUR 7D
Route: NYC→Hershey→Gettysburg Driving: ~4hr via I-78, I-81. Cross Appalachians.
Day 1 · Manhattan to Gettysburg
Highlight: Sunrise at Brooklyn Bridge. Note: Book Gettysburg B&B early.
Brooklyn Bridge
Sunrise walk across iconic cables
Hershey's Chocolate World
Free chocolate tour + tasting
Gettysburg Battlefield
Auto tour of Pickett's Charge site
Downtown Gettysburg
Historic square, dinner at Dobbin House
Day 2 · Gettysburg to Asheville
Highlight: Blue Ridge Parkway sunset. Note: Fill gas before parkway.
Lincoln Square
Morning coffee, departure prep
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah valley overlooks
Blue Ridge Parkway
Rhododendron tunnels, 360° views
Asheville River Arts
Warehouse galleries, local craft beer
Day 3 · Asheville to Nashville
Highlight: Biltmore Estate gardens. Note: Estate tickets $$$, buy online.
River Arts District
Early gallery stroll, breakfast
Biltmore Estate
Vanderbilt mansion + Italian garden
Great Smoky Mountains
Appalachian Trail crossing, 5046ft
Broadway Honky-Tonk
Live country, rooftop neon
Day 4 · Nashville to Memphis
Highlight: Sun Studio recording legacy. Note: Graceland closes 17:00.
Tootsies Orchid Lounge
Morning neon, coffee at Acme Feed
Country Music Hall of Fame
Hank Williams' Nudie suit, Elvis Cadillac
Sun Studio
Million Dollar Quartet room tour
Beale Street
Delta blues, dry goods since 1876
Day 5 · Memphis to Amarillo
Highlight: Cadillac Ranch spray paint. Note: 8hr drive, start 06:00.
A. Schwab's
Grab coffee, hit I-40 west
Ozark National Forest
Hairpin curves through hardwoods
Oklahoma City Memorial
Field of empty chairs, 1995
Cadillac Ranch
Spray paint buried tail fins
Day 6 · Amarillo to Flagstaff
Highlight: Meteor Crater rim walk. Note: 7000ft elevation, hydrate.
Cadillac Ranch
Morning light on fins, departure
Palo Duro Canyon
Grand Canyon of Texas, Lighthouse rock
Meteor Crater
50,000yr impact, 550ft deep
Historic Route 66
Pine forests, Lowell Observatory
Day 7 · Flagstaff to Big Sur
Highlight: McWay Falls golden hour. Note: Hwy 1 often foggy, check conditions.
Flagstaff Visitor Center
Pre-dawn coffee, I-40 west
Joshua Tree NP
Granite boulders, arch rock trail
Bixby Bridge
Concrete span, 260ft above surf
McWay Falls
80ft falls dropping to sand beach