Best seaside drives

By Lauren Arieux
Coastal Living

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Coastal Living -- There's nothing quite as breathtaking as a scenic drive during the fall, when the air feels crisp and colors abound. But we urge you to drive a route Coastal Living--style. Skip the Blue Ridge Parkway and travel to places where reds, oranges, and golds border blue waters. Here are 10 of our favorites.

U.S. 1, Maine

A melting pot of geographical diversity, this stretch of Highway 1 has something for everyone. Begin in Brunswick and head down America's oldest highway (a.k.a. "Route 1") as it weaves through Maine's colorful southern coast. When you reach Camden, take the designated "auto road" to the top of Mount Battie at Camden Hills State Park. Here you'll see a stunning panoramic view of Penobscot Bay surrounded by fall foliage. End your trip in Bar Harbor take Route 3 in Ellsworth and head south to Mount Desert Island. Cruise the outskirts and beaches of the island by following Route 102 and then trek a bit inland to visit Acadia National Park, which features 100 miles of hiking trails, the only fjord in the continental United States, and Cadillac Mountain, which, at 1,530 feet, will provide another dramatic view of the Atlantic and surrounding harbors.

• Best time to go: Late September--early October

• Length: approximately 150 miles

• Visit: exploremaine.org/byways/acadia.html

Route 6A, Massachusetts

Alive with vivid New England fall colors, Route 6A (also known as Old King's Highway) skims the shores of picturesque Cape Cod Bay while threading through the communities of Bourne, Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, and Orleans. Believed to have begun as an American Indian trail that stretched from Plymouth to Provincetown, Old King's Highway snakes by hundreds of historic structures as well as views to scenic salt marshes, harbors, and open lands. Small towns along this eclectic stretch offer endless possibilities for amusement. And for those who want to brave the chilly beaches, all of the towns sport public access year-round. Barnstable's Sandy Neck Beach and its Great Marsh are particularly lovely in the off-season.

• Best time to go: September

• Length: 34 miles

• Visit: capecodcommission.org/byway.htm

U.S. 13, Virginia

Five minutes from the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Chesapeake Bay to the west, U.S. 13 bisects Virginia's eastern peninsula, nicknamed "The Land Between Two Waters." Extending from Maryland, the 70-mile peninsula delights drivers with historic, scenic, and natural sites. Begin (or end) your trip by crossing from mainland Virginia over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, located a few miles west of Virginia Beach. Cruising above the bay for a captivating 20 miles, you'll find yourself in the center of a stunning panorama fall foliage on the mainland, the calm Chesapeake below, and the endless Atlantic to the east. When you reach the peninsula, weave in and out of small towns along both coasts. You may get lost, but you can't go too far in the wrong direction; the peninsula is only 15 miles wide at its broadest point. Ask locals about the best catch on Saxis Fishing Pier, take a boat trip to Tangier Island from Onancock, or visit a wildlife refuge in Cape Charles.

• Best time to go: September through October

• Length: 90 miles including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

• Visit: easternshore.org/trail (for itinerary and maps)

Highway 1, California

The 50-mile stretch between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, California, is abundant with oranges and golds and distant ocean blues. To see fall colors, however, look to the land instead of the trees. The abundant fruits of more than 20 pumpkin farms line both sides of the highway. Ideal for the whole family, the Half Moon Bay area tempts kids with public beaches, petting zoos, and several hay mazes during the fall. And if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, just stop and ask the friendly locals. Don't wait too long to go much of the holiday-induced excitement fades before Halloween.

• Best time to go: September--October 31; Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, October 15--16

• Length: approximately 50 miles

• Visit: halfmoonbaychamber.org

Niagara River Parkway, Ontario

After a visit to the area in 1943, Sir Winston Churchill called the Niagara River Parkway "the prettiest Sunday drive in the world." Journey down this tiny two-lane parkway that borders the Niagara River and winds from Fort Erie to the romantic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Beautiful year-round, the parkway especially stuns vacationers in the fall, when the colors of the maple trees glimmer in river waters and Niagara Falls has yet to freeze. Better yet, September's grape harvest lures visitors to wine festivals and seasonal celebrations. And if you're curious about the logistics of the harvest, pull over and watch the massive machines work their way down row after row of loaded vines. But before you get to wine country, you'll pass the falls, worthy of a stop for even the most hurried traveler. Autumn cloaks the natural wonder in a mass of golden foliage. Begin your drive at Fort Erie (just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York) and follow the river.

• Best time to go: September

• Length: approximately 35 miles

• Visit: niagaraparks.com

Highway 61, Minnesota

Tour the numerous coastal towns of Minnesota and enjoy beautiful fall foliage as you follow Highway 61. It hugs the shore of Lake Superior for 154 miles between Duluth and Grand Portage State Park.

• Best time to go: Late September through mid- to late October

• Length: 154 miles

• Visit: exploreminnesota.com/north_shore_scenic_drive.html

The Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia

Meander along Highway 19 (a.k.a. The Cabot Trail) as it outlines the northern tip of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. Known for its Celtic heritage, the route rewards with scenic views and abundant wildlife. You may encounter a friendly moose as the roadway curves through Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

• Best time to go: September and October

• Length: 185 miles

• Visit: cabottrail.com

Chuckanut Drive, Washington

Called a "superhero of scenic byways" by locals, Scenic Route 11 in northern Washington is a slow-paced drive that yields all sorts of views: bay, country, island, mountain, and, of course, coastal. Overlooking Bellingham Bay, Chuckanut Drive boasts 30 miles of untainted natural splendor.

• Best time to go: Late September through mid-November

• Length: 30 miles

• Visit: chuckanutdrive.com

Seward Highway, Alaska

The first 50 miles of Seward Highway, south of Anchorage, skim the base of the Chugach Mountains and the shore of Turnagain Arm, a scenic inlet known for its plentiful wildlife, shimmering waterfalls, golden fall flora, and dazzling sunsets. The remainder of the 127-mile drive skirts through the dramatic Kenai Mountains and massive glaciers of the beautiful Alaskan frontier before returning to the seaside town of Seward on the Gulf of Alaska.

• Best time to go: September

• Length: 127 miles

• Visit: www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/scenic/byways-seward.shtml

Highway M-22, Michigan

Begin your tour in Traverse City and discover the natural beauty of Michigan's "Little Finger." As the small state highway circles the perimeter of Leelanau Peninsula, you'll explore quaint port towns with lovely views of Lake Michigan and the much smaller Lake Leelanau. End your journey in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

• Best time to go: October

• Length: approximately 33 miles

• Visit: leelanauchamber.com/map.php

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