See the Natural Beauty of America on These 7 Winter Road Trips Around the US

The Colorado ski areas, from Telluride to Steamboat Springs, are sheer perfection in the wintertime. The easiest way to do a road trip in Colorado is to start in Denver, an easy hub to get to, and then branch out to a few of the mountains closest to the city. Spend a few days enjoying the wintery bliss of Denver at the newly opened Life House Hotel before heading out to Vail. Post up at Vail’s Austria Haus for an European-reminiscent alpine experience, explore Vail’s three main villages, and ski the 5,317 acres of Vail Ski Resort. From there, head to Aspen, where luxury reigns and you can explore four mountains: Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk. If your time is limited, loop back to Denver to head home. But if you’re looking for a road trip add-on, this is the place to spend extra time knee deep in powder. Ski Breckenridge, next to Vail, or head all the way down to Telluride; the trek will be worth it for a luxe stay at Madeline Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property and Telluride’s touted Nordic trails.  

If you’re looking for a quick wintery road trip close to New York City that has absolutely nothing to do with skiing, try this luxurious loop covering three New England states. From NYC head just outside the city to Connecticut, where you’ll find the Mayflower Inn & Spa, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property. Need a timely excuse to visit? THE WELL starts their partnership with Mayflower’s spa on December 8. Cut down the coast and drive past charming Connecticut towns like Mystic and Old Saybrook, right on the water, as you make your way to Newport, Rhode Island, where you’ll cozy up at The Chanler at Cliff Walk—which has perhaps the most inviting fireplace in New England. Finally, you’ll round out your loop with a Berkshires sojourn—the wellness resorts abound here, from Canyon Ranch Lenox to Miraval Berkshires, both American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts properties—before heading back to NYC.

Of course, the Big Sur road trip, from Hearst Castle up to Santa Cruz, is one of the most exceptional drives in the U.S. But if you’ve been saving your vacation days for an epic road trip, we would highly recommend the creme de la creme of U.S. road trips: Los Angeles to Portland. Start in Los Angeles, head along the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu and then Santa Barbara. Stay at Belmond El Encanto, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property in SB, and then make the trek all the way past Hearst Castle to Big Sur to stay at the luxe Ventana Big Sur, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property. After a few days at luxe glamping enclave Ventana, it’s just a few short hours to San Francisco. You can, of course, call it in SF, but for those keen on the Northern California coast (which some say is the most beautiful stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway), drive up through oyster country in Tomales Bay through unadulterated Pacific coast beauty up to Fort Bragg. You can then cut inland to Highway 5 and shoot up to Portland, or stay along the California and Oregon coasts for as much time as you can spare (because it’s the scenic route, it will inevitably add time). When you get to Portland, post up at The Hoxton, Portland before heading home.

Utah is a state made for road tripping, because you can easily start in either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. We recommend a Vegas start, because from Las Vegas, it’s four hours to Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the most gorgeous and underrated winter destinations in America. Bryce is quiet in the winter and the hiking and lookout points reveal hoodoos blanketed in fresh snow. When you’ve wrapped the hiking and National Park portion of your trip, hop in the car and drive the four hours north to Park City and Deer Valley. Ski both areas, the ultimate compare and contrast for skiers in the U.S., and stay in luxury at Montage Deer Valley, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property.

With Scottsdale surging as a private jet destination, a road trip to explore the idyllic desert resorts in the area seems only prudent. After a few days in Scottsdale—stay at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property that happens to be where Jay-Z and Beyonce honeymooned—you’ll head up to Carefree, Arizona to CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa. Stay for a stint of clean eating on chef Scott Winegard’s gorgeous vegetable-centric menu, find balance through the elements of earth, wind, and fire at the CIVANA Spa, and enjoy yoga, meditation, and nightly sound baths under the stars. From there, you’ll head about 70 miles northwest to Morristown, down a dirt road seemingly to the middle of nowhere, until you wind up at Castle Hot Springs, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property. Arguably the next Amangiri, Castle Hot Springs has al fresco massage areas, three gorgeous natural hot springs ranging from 85 F to 105 F, and the all-inclusive resort serves masterful five-course meals each night.

For those looking to hit two of the all-time great ski areas in one trip, the Montana-Wyoming road trip life is for you. Start in Big Sky, Montana, where you’ll ski Big Sky Resort by day, and luxuriate in a gorgeous cabin—which you can rent from Moonlight Basin—by night. After a few days immersed in the alpine powder of Montana, head to the intersection of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park: Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A sought-after luxury ski destination, a week in Jackson Hole, staying at Caldera House, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, and skiing Apres Vous and Rendezvous mountains is just what the cold-weather vacation gods ordered.

There are an endless number of good Southern road trips, from looping Nashville and Memphis into one Tennessee trip to driving from Georgia to Florida. But we’re partial to a coastal route in the winter—there’s something romantic about the Atlantic coast with a hazy sky and a salty breeze coming off the water. For our three Southern staples itinerary, you’ll hit three coastal cities that perfectly line up: start in Wilmington, North Carolina, drive along the coast to Charleston, South Carolina, and continue on to Savannah, Georgia. Wilmington and Charleston each have small city charms, from their gorgeous waterfronts to darling restaurants with patios that are still warm enough for outdoor dining. Savannah is where you’ll find the big city energy; stay in the Historic District at Perry Lane Hotel, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property with architectural charm and in-room spa treatments.