Scenic Drives for Free

Start anywhere you like, but Pismo Beach makes a nice departure point and provides immediate access to California 1. Don't expect to make good time. This 145-mile drive will take more than three hours if you make no stops. But you'll want to make a lot of stops. You'll pass through unique places like Morro Beach, the Hearst Castle and Big Sur Beaches en route to Carmel. There are scenic overlooks you won't want to miss, and curving, cliff-hugging stretches where you'll slow to a crawl. But there are no deadlines here and no toll booths. Spend at least a day enjoying one of the finest driving experiences in the world. Near Carmel, you'll encounter the famous 17-Mile-Drive, but it's a toll road.

Loch Ness is famous for "Nessie," the legendary monster that supposedly inhabits the deep waters of this lake south of Inverness. But the area has much more to offer than the possibility of a monster sighting. The picturesque villages of the Scottish Highlands, hiking opportunities and even the ruins of a castle await you. Travel south B862 road, which is also marked as Loch Ness Trail. At about 14 km., take the fork to the right, which becomes B852 and hugs the eastern shore of Loch Ness. At Ft. Augustus, you'll reach the southern tip of the lake. Turn north on A82, which goes back alongside the opposite shoreline. Uruquart Castle and Drumnadrochit are possible stops on the way back to Inverness.

U.S. 101 circumnavigates the mountainous, scenic Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle. Small sections pass through the national park of the same name, and if you decide to visit park sites such as Hurricane Ridge or Quinault rain forest (as you should), you will have to pay the park entrance fee. But it is also possible to travel U.S. 101 and simply enjoy the the sites and the sunsets over the Pacific. Hotel selections include the Kalaloch Lodge and Alderbrook Resort and Spa a few miles off 101 at Union, Wash.

Arriving and departing Monteverde, Costa Rica can be quite a challenge. Roads are narrow, unpaved and wind around some mountainous terrain. But thousands of tourists make the perilous trip each year so they can see the Monteverde National Park Cloud Forest. Visitor totals could go much higher if the government paved the roads, but there is a desire to keep the crowds manageable. When you travel between Juntas (near the junction with the Pan American Highway) and Santa Elena, you will see ox carts and cyclists negotiating the rough road. But if you pull over and enjoy some of the vistas, it's easy to forget about the pot holes. Views of the Gulf of Nicoya, plantations and green, cloud-topped mountains are your reward.

Some view the Foothills Parkway as a failed road project. Only about a third of the intended 71 mile drive has been completed after decades of planning. But two sections do exist, and they provide a "back door" view of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is America's most popular national park, and crowds can create traffic jams. Foothills Parkway gives access without the endless souvenir shops and theme parks you encounter in other places. The eastern section begins at exit 443 of I-40 and continues to Cosby, Tenn. The western section stretches from U.S. 129 along Chilhowee Lake to U.S. 321 at Walland, Tenn. Along the way, enjoy hiking and overlooks.

It doesn't have to be Fall foliage season to enjoy driving route 112 between the New Hampshire towns of Lincoln and Conway. About.com Guide to New England Kim Knox Beckius calls it "New England's most superb scenic drive." This 34-mile route runs through the White Mountain National Forest, and there are waterfalls, hiking trails and other natural wonders to explore. During the Fall, the drive itself will make you glad you sought out this highway with the strange, hard-to-pronounce name.

When tourists think of driving in Germany, they tend to think about racing across an Autobahn at 160 m.p.h. Bavaria's Romantic Road provides slightly less adventure, but perhaps a more memorable experience in the long run. This area of Germany was spared some of the war damage seen in other parts of the country during World War II. So there are medieval towns and architecture here that's hard to find in such concentrations anywhere else. The most popular stop is Rothenburg. This walled city provides a look at life in centuries past. Other cities worth a stop along the way include Dinkelsbuhl and Augsberg. Don't forget the old city sites in Munich.

From Fayetteville, head east on Arkansas 16. The hustle and bustle of Arkansas' second-largest metropolitan area quickly fades as you approach the Ozark National Forest. Pick up Arkansas 23 south at Brashears and you can still hit I-40 with its steady stream of semis. If you have more time, stay on 16 and wind through more wilderness and intersect Arkansas 7. This road connects the lake resorts in northern Arkansas with Hot Springs. It's a nice afternoon of driving that most passersby simply miss.

Those who stop in Canada's national parks must pay for the privilege. But the law allows you to pass through the parks without paying the fee. Don't miss the parks. You'll want to stop and enjoy the astounding scenery. But this particular stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden passes through only a part of Glacier National Park (British Columbia, not Montana) as it provides panoramas of the Canadian Rockies. Buy a picnic lunch in Revelstoke or Golden before you set out, because restaurants here are few. What you will find is towering, snow-capped peaks and several challenging mountain passes. It's a great stretch for spotting wildlife, too. (Check weather conditions during the winter months.)

There are plenty of well-traveled traffic lanes connecting Nashville with Natchez, Miss. But the most rewarding route is the Natchez Trace Parkway, which touches national forests and a variety of Native American historic sites. It would be best to pack a lunch for the swing through Mississippi. Restaurant choices are few, but picnic opportunities are plentiful around every corner. The Natchez Trace Parkway can be included in a Nashville or New Orleans itinerary. Watch your speed, because the 45 MPH limit is strictly enforced.