Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Most Spectacular Trips

Pack your suitcase, load up the car, and head for the open road In the tradition of "National Geographic Traveler "magazine's award-winning annual feature showcasing the world's best auto trips, National Geographic presents "Drives of a Lifetime: " "Where to Go, Why to Go, When to Go." This lavishly illustrated, hardcover travel planner and gift book gives you every bit of information you'll need to navigate 400 amazing driving routes in some of the world's most fascinating locales. This practical travel planner provides specific, in-depth descriptions of the sights each drive offers. A clear, detailed, easy-to-read map of each route. Useful information on the best time to travel. And insider tips to help you get the most out of every fabulous trip. Abundant sidebars call your attention to standout sights along the drive or entertaining background information on the region and its culture. While handy indeed as a planner, "Drives of a Lifetime "doubles as a full-color gift book with more than 200 dazzling, large-format photos and crisp, evocative text that will enchant armchair travelers. The book immerses you in the unique appeal and beauty of hundreds of inviting locales. Sample entries include the road to the spectacular ancient ruins in and around Angkor Wat in Cambodia; the Natchez Trace Parkway, along an ancient Native American trail through Mississippi; the scenic old coastal route from Dublin to Wexford in Ireland; an off-road dune drive in Dubai; the famous ocean views along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, Canada; the Winelands Route through South Africa's Western Cape; a drive among the incredible land formations in South Dakota's Badlands; and an archaeological tour through Syria. In addition, you'll find several fun Top Ten lists: skyscraping drives, Mediterranean island roads, African wildlife excursions, and more. Chapters organized by theme include Ultimate Road Trips, featuring famous drives such as Highway One down the California coast; Over Hill and Mountains; By Sea and Shore; The Road Less Traveled, highlighting unpaved and untamed routes and safaris; Village Byways through some of the world's most picturesque hamlets; and Historic Trails, tracing the paths of history's great builders and explorers. Whether you travel these storied routes by car or through the pages of the book—countless wonders await your discovery in "Drives of a Lifetime."

“"Our editors' pick as the top book of the year…Belongs on the bookshelf of every avid road tripper. It is sure to inspire automotive travelers of every sort to find their own roads less traveled." Automotive Traveler Magazine "It's a guide for the worldly road warrior…Even armchair travelers could get their fill in the pages of this beauty." San Jose Mercury News, Sunday Times (Central Contra Costa), Oakland Tribune "With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip. Even if you weren't planning to take the road less traveled, one look at some of the enticing photos that accompany the narratives…may persuade you otherwise." The Sunday Oregonian "National Geographic Traveler magazine's editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, provides an introduction to this beautiful, stirring guidebook that is a pean to hitting the open road; and what follows is an attractive and well-presented series of information (with maps) to some of the best road trips that anyone can experience." Booklist "Inspiring, photo-rich…" Chicago Tribune "For the worldly road-tripper…" Associated Press, Richmond Times-Dispatch, -Newsday, -The Sun (Baltimore), -Philadelphia Daily News "With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip…enticing photos accompany the narratives." Sunday Denver Post”

"Our editors' pick as the top book of the year...Belongs on the bookshelf of every avid road tripper. It is sure to inspire automotive travelers of every sort to find their own roads less traveled." -Automotive Traveler Magazine "It's a guide for the worldly road warrior...Even armchair travelers could get their fill in the pages of this beauty." -San Jose Mercury News, Sunday Times (Central Contra Costa), Oakland Tribune

"With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip. Even if you weren't planning to take the road less traveled, one look at some of the enticing photos that accompany the narratives...may persuade you otherwise." -The Sunday Oregonian

"National Geographic Traveler magazine's editor-in-chief, Keith Bellows, provides an introduction to this beautiful, stirring guidebook that is a pean to hitting the open road; and what follows is an attractive and well-presented series of information (with maps) to some of the best road trips that anyone can experience." -Booklist

"Inspiring, photo-rich..." -Chicago Tribune

"For the worldly road-tripper..." -Associated Press, -Richmond Times-Dispatch, -Newsday, -The Sun (Baltimore), -Philadelphia Daily News

"With choices from all over the world, this book has something for everyone ready to take a trip...enticing photos accompany the narratives." -Sunday Denver Post

National Geographic is a renowned authority in cartographic excellence. For 119 years the Society's maps have helped spread geographic knowledge around the globe. A vast database allows National Geographic to combine the latest data gained by space-age technology with innovative digital mapping techniques to create state-of-the-art political, physical, and thematic maps. The Society's meticulous research and attention to detail have established a standard of achievement that is unparalleled.

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