Recreate some of the most famous American road trip movies for your next USA holiday!

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next holiday, look no further than your favourite films. Whether it be an intimate tale of friendship and self-growth, a high stakes police chase thriller, or even a silly American teen fest, for decades road trip movies have thrilled and inspired us with the endless possibilities that come with travelling on the open road.

Film critics and bloggers everywhere believe there’s an undeniable link between the concept of the road, movie and the spirit of the USA as a country. So if you’re booking flights to the States anytime soon, take a cue from some well-known flicks and get road tripping, big-screen style.

THE MOVIE: Thelma and Louise (1991)

This classic starring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and Brad Pitt sees two small town girls embark on the journey of their lives as their quiet weekend getaway turns into a gripping police chase across the south of America as they attempt the drive from their home town of Arkansas to Mexico.

DO IT YOURSELF:

Thelma and Louise travel from Arkansas to the Grand Canyon via Oklahoma – a journey of roughly 23 hours without stops, but there are plenty of reasons to take some breaks along the way. Oklahoma City and Albuquerque are perfectly placed to make overnight stops along the way, and there’ll be plenty to see while driving through changes in scenery, from vast desert plains, to mountains, to acres of trees and greenery.

Thelma & Louise (20th Anniversary)

THE MOVIE: Highway (2002)

Set in 1994, this independent cult film sees two friends played by Jared Leto and Jake Gyllenhaal flee their home town of Las Vegas after Jack (Leto) is caught sleeping with a Vegas thug’s wife. The pair hit the road and make their way to Seattle, encountering a plethora of wild characters and odd experiences along the way.

DO IT YOURSELF:

The real trip from Las Vegas to Seattle is a long but beautiful scenic drive through mountain passes and plenty of national parks. There are a few different routes to take, all of which offer plenty of things to do for the nature lover. If you opt to start off along the mighty Great Basin Highway, Route 93, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge offers fishing, hunting and miles of hiking trails, while Nesbitt lake is also a popular and fishing spot. The trip is approximately 20 hours of driving without stops.

Highway

THE MOVIE: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Another cult favourite starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Torro, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas follows the twisted drug-addled story of a wild journalist and his lawyer who trek from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race.

DO IT YOURSELF:

You don’t need a boot full of drugs to recreate this road trip (in fact, we’d advise strongly against any kind of illegal behaviour…)The journey from LA to Vegas is one of the most well-known and popular road trip routes in America so expect traffic on the way, especially if you’re making to the trip on a weekend. Although it’s a relatively short drive of around 5 hours, there’s no reason to go straight from A to B. Make sure you stop past Baker to see the World’s Largest Thermometer, and there are plenty of outlet shops just outside Vegas to keep you busy for a few hours. Once in Vegas, it’s also easy to find cheap airfares to anywhere else in the country.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Author bio: Start planning your American road trippin’ adventure and get yourself on cheap flights to the USA. www.cheapflights.com has all the best flight deals.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 25th, 2011 at 1:30 am and is filed under North America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.