Less driving, more exploring: How open-jaw travel can transform your road trip

USA Today

a day ago

Open-jaw travel -- flying into one location, driving to and flying out of another -- means less time behind the wheel and more time exploring. Try it on your next road trip.
The great American road trip is a summer travel staple. But for many, the lasting impression might be the seemingly endless serenade of 'Are we there yet?'
With efficiency borrowed from European travelers who've mastered open-jaw travel — flying into and exploring one city, driving to another and flying home from yet another — you can maximize your summer vacation. Yes, it adds cost, but you're exploring more while spending less time behind the wheel, which is bound to keep fidgety family members happy.
Here are two routes that keep the driving to about three hours while adding a fresh twist to a summer travel staple:
Southern Swing
We're starting a little ways off the trodden tourist path, but there's lots to do in Little Rock, Ark., beginning with a ranger-led interpretive tour at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (Tuesday-Saturday afternoons) and a visit to the Old State House Museum.
Outdoorsy types can rent mountain bikes and take in the local trails, including the 88-mile Arkansas River Trail, while those who appreciate art can spend hours in the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, which has free entry.
For a quick day trip, visit the spring-fed, Victorian-era bathhouses that make up Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park.
From Little Rock, it's a straight 140-mile drive through delta country to get to your next destination just across the Mississippi River. From barbecue to Beale Street, there's plenty to keep you busy in Memphis, and a stay at the Central Station hotel puts you within walking distance to most of it.
Memphis barbecue is a unique style, separate from Kansas City, Texas or the Carolinas, with a focus on pork. Make time to stop at Leonard's Pit Barbecue or Charlie Vergos's Rendezvous, which pioneered the dry rub style Memphis is known for. If you're traveling with kids, visit Beale Street during the day; if not, enjoy the bars and music clubs in the evening.
Speaking of music: No trip to Memphis is complete without stops at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio and Graceland.
Now it's time to get back on I-40 and head about 200 miles east to the Country Music Capital of the World.
No slouch in the culinary department, Nashville has long been famous for its hot chicken and, more recently, for its James Beard-nominated restaurants such as Bastion and Yolan.
After a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, make time to hear some live music at the Grand Ole Opry, which lends the cultural weight you'll need after visiting the touristy honky tonk bars along Broadway. And keep your eyes on the calendar: The Opry is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Westward Wandering
Fly into Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Mont., and get a taste of the Yellowstone lifestyle at the all-inclusive Flathead Lake Lodge.
Overlooking the largest freshwater lake in the west, it offers activities such as fishing and kayaking to the typical dude ranch pastimes of horseback riding and hiking. For a change of pace, check out the nearby towns of Bigfork or Kalispell.
The next stop, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is a 200-mile drive from Bigfork.Break it up by stopping at the St. Regis Travel Center in St. Regis, Montana, for a huckleberry milkshake.
A resort town, Coeur d'Alene is renowned for skiing, but the area is an outdoor playground all year, with Silverwood Theme Park nearby or the lure of relaxing days stand-up paddleboarding on Lake Coeur d'Alene.
After remote stops in Montana and Idaho, you might be ready for a slightly more urban experience. Spokane, Wash., delivers: As the smallest city to host a World's Fair, it's been punching above its weight for a while. Here you'll find interesting and eclectic eats, a thriving art scene, shopping, and views of the Spokane River from many perspectives.