Cross the river west into LouisianaвЂ™s French-inflected Cajun Country, then coast along the mile-wide Mississippi River, past plantation-era mansions, into New Orleans. The scrubby, rock-strewn route offers a taste of Civil War history (at Vicksburg battlefield), antebellum architecture (at Port Gibson and Natchez), and homely Southern hospitality (everywhere you go). Memphis itself (and Graceland) is worth a weekend then head south down the Mississippi Delta on Highway 61. The routeВ Setting out from Memphis, birthplace of the blues, this meandering week-long route takes you to the sultry heart of the Deep South. And visit the Alamo in San Antonio, the Spanish mission complex that was the scene of the eponymous battle. Absorb west TexasвЂ™s No Country for Old Men landscapes, midway between Big Bend National Park and the arty town of Marfa. The must stopsВ Dallas and Fort Worth are good for art: pull up at the Fort Worth Cultural District for вЂњWild West ArtвЂќ that could be stills from John Wayne movies. After winding through the sand-blasted national parks of Carlsbad Caverns and Big Bend, follow the Rio Grande along the Mexican border to historic San Antonio and music loving Austin. Start your weekвЂ™s drive in the Big D, taking small roads over rolling plains where youвЂ™ll find dusty Texas towns such as those depicted in The Last Picture Show and other books by local boy Larry McMurtry. The routeВ Cowboys, country and western, and President KennedyвЂ™s final stop - whatever you find in Dallas, itвЂ™s sure to be all-American. While Route 66 and Highway 1 grab all the road trip headlines, there are plenty of shorter drives to tackle across this monstrously big country, all offering a slice of AmericaвЂ™s distinctive breed of tourism: big-ticket national parks, zinging cities or surfy, palm-fringed beaches. AmericaвЂ™s big landscapes (and and even bigger distances) were made for road trips - ideally in an all-American muscle car.

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