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Route 66 has been topped probably the most scenic street journey in America in a brand new examine that measured how typically vacationers share their journeys on social media. The freeway, decommissioned practically 40 years in the past, nonetheless looms giant in American tradition, inspiring thousands and thousands to doc the drive.
The examine, carried out by car information web site 0-60 Specs, analyzed Tripadvisor’s Most Scenic Drives in the US listing and in contrast every route by the variety of Instagram posts. The outcomes supply a snapshot of how sure stretches of street, whether or not iconic or sudden, have change into a part of America’s shared journey creativeness.
A Street Journey Legend
At greater than 2.3 million posts, Route 66 took the highest spot by a large margin. Referred to as the “Mom Street,” it as soon as linked Chicago and Los Angeles, stretching 2,400 miles by means of eight states. Vacationers at present nonetheless flock to the route for its neon motels, roadside diners, classic gasoline stations, and cultural historical past.
Though Route 66 misplaced its official freeway designation in 1985, it by no means misplaced its identification. From Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath to Nat King Cole’s “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” the street has been immortalized in literature, music, and movie. Pixar even reintroduced it to a youthful viewers with its Vehicles franchise. For a lot of, the street is much less about getting from level A to B and extra about reliving a bit of Americana.
Blue Ridge Parkway and Oregon’s Wine Nation
In second place, the Blue Ridge Parkway amassed 728,000 Instagram posts. The 469-mile drive is a ribbon of asphalt winding by means of the Appalachian Highlands, linking Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park in North Carolina to Shenandoah Nationwide Park in Virginia. Its overlooks, climbing trails, and tunnels make it one of the visited items within the Nationwide Park System.
Third on the listing is Oregon’s Willamette Valley, with 500,253 posts. Referred to as one of many world’s premier wine areas, the valley is dotted with greater than 700 wineries and affords sweeping winery views. The 150-mile route offers a mixture of small-town attraction, lush forests, and agricultural surroundings that makes it a favourite for street trippers in search of one thing slower paced however equally photogenic.
California to Hawaii: A Examine in Contrasts
Fourth place went to California’s Pacific Coast Freeway (453,215 posts), a basic coastal drive that stretches for greater than 600 miles. From the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the seashores close to Los Angeles, the street is legendary for its cliffside views, Bixby Bridge, and stops in cities like Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Malibu.
Hawaii’s Hana Freeway, also referred to as the Street to Hana, got here in fifth with 409,870 posts. The 64-mile route on Maui is filled with hairpin turns and one-lane bridges, however the payoff is waterfalls, tropical rainforests, and sweeping ocean views. For a lot of guests, it’s a bucket-list drive that captures Hawaii’s rugged magnificence.
Surprises within the Prime 10
Not each entry suits the postcard picture of a scenic drive. Park Avenue in New York Metropolis ranked sixth with 334,000 posts. The boulevard runs by means of Manhattan and the Bronx, lined with luxurious house buildings and places of work. Its fame as a logo of wealth and status, together with appearances in numerous movies and TV reveals, helps clarify its social media presence.
The Street to Nowhere, a 1,885-mile stretch of U.S. 83 working by means of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, ranked seventh with 320,000 posts. The route doesn’t boast flashy vacationer sights, however its quiet farmland, small cities, and rural landscapes seize one other aspect of America. For some vacationers, the stark simplicity is a part of the enchantment.
Different routes within the high 10 embrace 17-Mile Drive on California’s Monterey Peninsula (189,187 posts), Crystal Seaside in Texas (166,000 posts), and Virginia’s Skyline Drive (141,216 posts), the one public street by means of Shenandoah Nationwide Park.
Past the Prime 10
A number of different drives additionally drew a whole bunch of hundreds of posts. Montana’s Going-to-the-Solar Street, with its dramatic glacier views, logged greater than 74,000. California’s Avenue of the Giants, which winds by means of towering redwoods, recorded 67,422. Even the Alaska Freeway, as soon as thought-about one of the rugged routes in North America, made the listing with 55,083 posts.
These drives mirror the variety of the American panorama: alpine passes, coastal stretches, rural byways, and concrete avenues all have their place within the rating.
Social Media’s Function in Street Journeys
Emir Bacic, proprietor of 0-60 Specs, stated the outcomes present how journey habits are more and more formed on-line.
“Route 66, with its legendary popular culture standing and wealthy historical past, tops the rating with over two million Instagram posts, demonstrating how fame can contribute to a drive’s social media reputation,” Bacic stated.
The findings additionally spotlight how completely different landscapes resonate in numerous methods. Coastal highways just like the Pacific Coast and 17-Mile Drive dominate feeds with sweeping vistas, whereas routes just like the Street to Nowhere show that wide-open plains and small cities are simply as shareable.
The Street Forward
Whether or not it’s a household sedan rolling by means of Virginia’s Skyline Drive in autumn or a basic convertible chasing sunsets on Route 66, street journeys stay a uniquely American pastime. The examine reveals that vacationers are nonetheless wanting to doc the expertise — not only for their very own scrapbooks, however for the thousands and thousands scrolling by means of their feeds.
Ultimately, the “most scenic” street could rely much less on the view and extra on the story every traveler brings residence.
