myscenicdrives Blog

New update brings Garmin GPS, Printable Directions, Elevation, and more!

May 17th, 2011

In addition to bringing you the best scenic routes, we also bring you the tools to make hitting the road a cinch. Our latest round of features fall right into this category and we hope you enjoy them. Each feature is available by selecting the tab in the yellow bar before the Description of each drive.

Have GPS, Will Travel

One of the nice things about myscenicdrives.com is that we provide you with free, GPS files for your phone and GPS devices. Simply download a file for your favorite device and go!

Download GPS directions to your Garmin GPS on myscenicdrives.com If you own a Garmin GPS, we’ve just made this process even easier by integrating with the free Garmin Communicator Plugin. When you have this plugin installed, simply connect your GPS to your computer, select Garmin Communicator Plugin

from the GPS selection on any of our drives, and download the route directly to your device.

Depending on the Garmin GPS that you own, you will either receive the entire pre-planned route or you can reconstruct the route with the waypoints using the Trip Planner on the GPS itself.

Printable Directions

No matter how high-tech the world becomes, sometimes it is just easier to print out the directions on a piece of good old-fashioned paper and we are happy to provide this feature for you.

Under the Print Directions menu, enter in your current address (or use your browser’s GPS technology if available) and where you want to end up after the scenic drive and we’ll provide you with a full overview map, drive overview, and turn-by-turn directions, from which you can decide what you’d like to have printed from the print options at the top of the page.

To New Heights: Scenic Drive Elevation Information

Elevation Graph for Mount Rainier Scenic Drive on myscenicdrives.com Now included with each of our scenic drives is a graph that shows the elevation of each mile during the drive as described. Find out how high the scenic drive climbs, how high you will reach and how close to sea level you will get.

Try them now

So what are you waiting for? Find the perfect scenic drive now! There are several more features and services that we are planning, but of course, we want to hear from you about what tools you’d like to see and how we can improve our tools to make it easier for you to hit the road. Please let us know in the comments or e-mail us.

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One Year Birthday! Discover New Mexico!

March 30th, 2011

A different road trip awaits on myscenicdrives.com Happy Birthday! One year ago today, we launched myscenicdrives.com. Beginning with just over 25 drives in Oregon and Washington, we now feature more than 100 scenic drives spanning 10 states. A huge thank you for all your encouragement, suggestions and the passion to get out and explore our beautiful planet. Today, we’re celebrating by launching our 11^th, New Mexico.

Discover a landscape steeped in Native American and Spanish history, art and culture. Explore cliff dwellings and pueblos, museums and churches. Look back upon the Wild West and its many colorful characters including the infamous Billy the Kid. Immerse yourself in the sheer beauty of New Mexico’s rugged diverse scenery. Snow-capped mountains, dessert, hot springs, lava fields and gypsum white sand dunes are the stunning wonders of millions of years of geologic upheaval. Add in an endless variety of recreational opportunities for every season, and you have an adventure packed with a lifetime of memories.

Our first set of New Mexico Scenic Drives are:

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Southern California National Forest Fee-Free Days Announced!

March 28th, 2011

The Southern California National Forest Service has just announced their 5 fee-free days for 2011 and we’ve created this free Google Calendar to help you keep track of them.

Get Outdoors Day • June 11, 2011
National Public Lands Day • September 24, 2011
Veterans Day Weekend • November 11 through 13, 2011

The Southern California National Forests are:

Angeles National Forest
Cleveland National Forest
Los Padres National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest

If you’re visiting outside of these dates, you will need a Forest Adventure Pass. Purchase a Day-Use Pass for infrequent visits or if you are planning multiple visits, an Annual Pass with a Second Car Pass is an extraordinary value.

Will your road trip adventures span beyond Southern California this year? The America the Beautiful Annual Pass offers unlimited access for 12-months to over 2,000 parks managed by the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service (NPS), National Forests, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) across the United States. If you are older than 62 or have a qualifying disability, you may also be eligible for the Senior or Access Pass. Save time and money while you experience the splendor, passion, and history of the United States through the National Forests and Parks.

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Pacific Northwest Scenic Driving and Hiking

March 4th, 2011

From rugged ocean coast to lush, moss-draped forests to the snow-capped volcanic peaks of the Cascade Mountains the Pacific Northwest is a diverse scenic playground. Our Pacific Northwest Scenic Drives offer exhilarating adventures that hopefully tempt you out of the car and into nature. Whether you are a seasoned hiker up for a day-long trek or interested in a quiet leisurely stroll and picnic, certain areas of Pacific Northwest National Forests require day-use permits.

We are happy to announce that we are now an official reseller of the Pacific Northwest National Forest Passes. Save time by purchasing your passes online before you go. Our secure checkout is easy and orders are usually shipped same day!

As the weather improves (we hope ), explore the natural beauty that our National Forests and Parks preserve and protect. And remember, it’s the journey, not the destination.

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Explore Arizona with myscenicdrives.com

February 22nd, 2011

There’s a lot of excitement at myscenicdrives.com as we have added Arizona to our road trip roster and are approved to sell Tonto National Forest Passes online.

Each of our 11 new scenic drives offers a chance to revel in the beauty of Arizona where you are sure to see jaw-dropping scenery around every bend. Gasp at crimson desert hues, stand in awe as you peer at gravity-defying rocky outcrops and soak in the divine wonder of the Anasazi cliff dwellings, saguaro cactus forests, and spectacular canyons. Experience the Old West, trout-fish in pristine lakes, hike through millions of years of geology and witness the past and present of the Native American way of life. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing walk or a white-water rafting adventure along the Colorado River, Arizona has it all!

myscenicdrives.com now offers the time-saving opportunity to purchase Tonto National Forest Passes online. Our secure and easy checkout, and orders that typically ship the same day, makes hitting the road that much easier. Choose from annual or daily passes, watercraft stickers or take advantage of senior discount options.

We hope you enjoy these Arizona scenic drives. Have a favorite drive or place in Arizona? Let us know!

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Our newest scenic drives straight to your Inbox

February 14th, 2011

We’re always looking for ways to let you know about our latest scenic drives, hopefully inspiring ideas for your weekend or vacation plans. Subscribe now to have our latest drives sent to your email moments after being published!

Use the form below to receive all of our drives or use the button on our drive pages to select your preferred State.

Of course, we still post all of our latest routes on Facebook and Twitter.

If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know!

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Track your adventures

January 19th, 2011

Use your Facebook, Google, Yahoo, or OpenId account or create your free myscenicdrives.com account and take advantage of our new features:

Keep track of your drives. Did one of our drives catch your eye? Want to tag it to save or as an adventure completed? Just add it to My Drives.
Access My Drives from our mobile-friendly website, making it easier to hit the road from your IPhone, Android, or other smartphone.
Opt-in to store your address, making repeat purchases of forest passes and reservations of hotels, cars, and flights even simpler!
Track your orders and reservations just by logging into your account. You no longer need to find that confirmation number!

You can still enjoy all that myscenicdrives.com has to offer without an account and we assure you that we take our privacy policy very seriously.

We hope that you like our latest features and would love to hear your thoughts.

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Free entrance weekend to National Parks January 15-17

January 10th, 2011

In honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday, the National Park Service is offering free entrance to all national parks between January 15-17, 2011. One of 5 free periods for 2011, we’ve created this free Google Calendar to help you keep track of them.

If you’re visiting outside of these dates and your road trip plans for the next year include many National Parks, National Forests, or other federally managed parks across the United States, consider purchasing an annual pass.

The America The Beautiful Interagency Pass is an affordable option that offers unlimited access for an entire year from the date of purchase. If you are older than 62 or have a qualifying disability, you may also qualify for the Senior or Access Pass. Save time and money while you explore the beauty and magic the parks system has to offer.

Newest Drives

California: Paso Robles Wine Country
California: San Luis Obispo Wine Trail

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Introducing our Utah Scenic Drives

December 2nd, 2010

We have just added Utah to our growing roster of states. Touring Utah feels like you’ve been dropped into a land of long ago. Geologic features both solid and surreal scar and soar from the earth. Sun-kissed sandstone cliffs, mesas, buttes, rugged canyons and delicate arches create dramatic silhouettes against open skies. The landscape seems alive, changing color and shape as the light dances across. There are dramatic panoramic views and small details like moss growing on the inside of a cave that combine to create an unimaginable majestic beauty.

We hope you enjoy these latest scenic drives. Have a favorite drive or place in Utah? Let us know.

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myscenicdrives.com provides a single destination for all your road trip planning

October 12th, 2010

We now make planning your scenic road trips even easier with today’s launch of online bookings for hotels, car rentals and flights.

Whether you are looking for a day trip, weekend getaway, or family vacation, create your travel plan along our scenic routes with interactive maps, recommended stops, and now online bookings using the same site you love. Find hotels for your weekend getaway, fly across the US for that scenic drive you’ve always wanted to take, or rent a car for your next cross-country road trip.

Decide to extend your day trip with an overnight stay? Our mobile-friendly website will find accommodations with your GPS-enabled smartphone. No more figuring out what town you’re in, or stopping at each hotel to see what’s available (although admittedly, sometimes that’s fun too).

Our new online reservations is powered by the Expedia Affiliate Network, ensuring low rates and worry-free travel around the globe.

And for the first 3 users who book with us, we will send you a myscenicdrives.com cap absolutely free!

Have a suggestion? We’d love to hear it. Thanks for using myscenicdrives.com.

Posted in Development, Scenic Drives, Travel | 1 Comment »