5 Great Spring Road Trips

Spring can give anyone wanderlust. The weather is warming up, the skies are clear and it's time to get out and see something new and exciting. So pack your bags, grab some maps and put gas in your car - because we've scoped out five fascinating road trips for you and your family.

1. Spring training. Visiting professional baseball camps in Florida and Arizona makes for a fun family outing. Men, women and children will feel like they're at summer camp as they bask in the sun at intimate stadiums throughout both states. You can choose to stay at one site (Vero Beach for the Dodgers, for instance) and enjoy the sand and surf in between games, or you can tour surrounding sites (Ft. Lauderdale for the Baltimore Orioles, Ft. Myers for both the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins or Tampa for the New York Yankees). Most Florida camps are within hours of each other and all have nearby family attractions like Busch Gardens in Tampa. For more spring training info, check out baseballroadtrips.com.

2. Kentucky horse country. Some the most picturesque land in America can be found in Kentucky. The beautiful bluegrass pastures around Lexington stretch on and on and touring some of the world's greatest horse farms - like Calumet, producer of multiple Kentucky Derby winners - costs nothing. Calumet offers free regularly scheduled tours. Other attractions in the area introduce you to a young Abe Lincoln, frontiersman Daniel Boone and composer Stephen Foster. The adventurous can hike deep into America's longest network of caves or go rafting on the Cumberland River.

3. Rocky Mountain Railroad. This amazing adventure is a luxurious ride through the Canadian Rockies including two to seven day tours that reach Vancouver, Calgary, Banff and Kamloops. The train has second floor seating in a car with a transparent roof so the soaring peaks, rushing rivers and teeming wildlife of the Canadian wilderness are stunningly available to the eye and camera lens. The journey is a bit pricey - from approximately $400 to $1200 per person for the two day trip, depending on accommodations - but it offers a lifetime's worth of memories. For information and videos, visit rockymountaineer.com.

4. The national parks of Southern Utah. Five of America’s most gorgeous national parks, full of breathtaking vistas and rugged hiking and biking paths, are packed into 690 miles of high desert in Utah. The most famous of these are Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, but the sandstone bridges in Arches National Park are just as majestic. Lesser known locations include Canyonlands National Park - nearly as impressive as the Grand Canyon - and Capitol Reef National Park. An aggressive traveler could tour all five parks in four or five days, starting with Arches National Park just outside of Moab, Utah.

5. Pacific Coast Highway. Made famous through books and cinema, the long stretch between Los Angeles and San Francisco is made for a slow, leisurely, awe-inspiring journey. The road often sways along the sides of rugged mountains with the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean just below. Dozens of fascinating, quaint towns dot the passage along the highway with each worthy of a stop for exploration. It's a romantic road trip that you'll want to make over and over.

You know you're ready for a road trip, but is your car? Make sure you're covered no matter what the road throws at you. NetQuote can connect you to qualified local agents who can get you the coverage you need at he price you want.

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