There’s nothing quite like the collective buzz of summer road trip season. As the days stretch longer and the weather warms up, millions of us find ourselves staring at calendar windows, dreaming of packing up the trunk, loading up a playlist and chasing the open horizon. This summer, that classic American wanderlust feels even more potent as the entire country kicks off the official 100th anniversary of Route 66. Across eight states, car rallies, vintage festivals and centennial block parties are reminding us that the best travel memories are often made on the blacktop between points A and B.
But while the nostalgic spirit of the 1920s is fueling our travel inspiration, nobody actually wants to navigate their summer vacation with 1920s-era logistics. Scrambling to find a decent roadside motel at midnight, guessing which exit has an available EV charging port, or pulling up to a hotel lobby only to find out they have a strict “no pets allowed” policy can tank a vacation before you even finish your first tank of gas.
Fortunately, the ultimate modern hack for putting your summer travels on cruise control is a hidden-in-plain-sight feature tucked directly inside your smartphone.
If you’re an iOS user, the free Marriott Bonvoy mobile app includes a dedicated, highly intuitive feature called Road Trip Search. Instead of blindly searching for properties town by town, this tool allows you to plug in your complete start and end points to visualize an interactive map of hotel options directly along your specific driving route.
The coolest part, however, lies in how the tool lets you filter your route by highly specific travel needs. Rather than scrolling through endless property pages, you can instantly filter your path by exact amenities—letting you pinpoint spots with EV charging stations, properties with on-site dining or hotels that offer multi-room suites so large families can actually unwind together, for example. Here are three incredibly fun, under-the-radar regional itineraries designed for three distinct styles of travel:
Related: Route 66 Cheese Trail: A 2,400-Mile Road Trip for Cheese Lovers
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3 Under-the-Radar Summer Road Trip Itineraries
1. The Budget-Friendly Breakfast Trail: The Blue Ridge Foothills
- The Route: From Roanoke, Virginia, down through the stunning mountain gaps of Asheville, North Carolina.
- The Vibe: A gorgeous, winding drive through lush summer canopy, misty mountain views and historic bluegrass towns.
- The Hack: Map this route using the app’s free-breakfast brand filters. By booking stays at properties like the Fairfield Inn & Suites or SpringHill Suites along the foothills, a family can save hundreds of dollars on morning dining costs, leaving plenty of extra pocket change for afternoon mountain treats and local craft markets.
2. The Pet-Friendly Coastline: The Hidden Pacific Northwest
- The Route: From the tech hubs of Seattle down through the moody, dramatic cliffs of the Oregon Coast, ending in Florence, Oregon.
- The Vibe: Crashing waves, sweeping ocean vistas, massive tidepools and crisp sea breezes that both humans and four-legged copilots will love.
- The Hack: Turn on the app’s pet-friendly accommodation filters to completely eliminate the anxiety of traveling with a dog. You can seamlessly plot a path of boutique stays and coastal retreats that welcome pets with open arms, ensuring your dog has a comfortable place to rest after a long afternoon of exploring the sandbars.
Related: The Scenic ‘Secret’ Mountain Detours Between Denver and Salt Lake City Have Mineral Water Lakes, Cool Hikes, and Fun Fossils
3. The Multi-Gen History Loop: The Heart of the Mother Road
- The Route: From the classic neon-lit streets of Amarillo, Texas, through the historic centennial festivals of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- The Vibe: Deep-dive Americana, retro roadside architecture, world-class barbecue, and active Route 66 100th-anniversary celebrations perfect for grandparents, kids, and everyone in between.
- The Hack: When traveling with multiple generations, space is non-negotiable. Use the tool to filter for extended-stay brands like Residence Inn or TownePlace Suites along the historic highway. These properties offer spacious, multi-room suites with fully equipped kitchens, giving the kids room to play and the adults room to breathe after a day of retro sightseeing.
Related: This Is the Top Multigenerational Trip According to New Research—And It’s Not an All-Inclusive or Vacation Club