There’s a particular kind of freedom that hits you the moment the last box leaves your kid’s old bedroom. No more school schedules. No more planning every trip around spring break prices or theme park lineups. Just you, the open road, and a whole country still waiting to be discovered.
An eye-opening survey found that a remarkable 93% of empty nesters say they genuinely enjoy road trips. That number isn’t surprising once you live it. With more flexibility, fewer school-year schedules to navigate, and a renewed appetite for meaningful experiences, empty nesters are embracing travel in a big way. The question is: where to actually go? The usual suspects, Florida beaches and Las Vegas, are fine, but there’s a whole country out there full of quieter, more surprising destinations that are practically tailor-made for this stage of life. Let’s dive in.
1. Asheville, North Carolina: The Blue Ridge Town That Has Everything
Honestly, if you haven’t heard of Asheville yet, that’s about to change. Tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, this small city punches well above its weight in art galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, craft breweries, and live music. It’s the kind of place where you can spend a full week and still feel like you only scratched the surface.
The drive to get there is half the attraction. NPS data shows that visitation is increasing in the more traditional off-seasons at many parks, with more visits in the spring and fall than seen in years past. Visiting in October means the Blue Ridge Parkway is draped in fiery autumn color, with almost none of the summer congestion. About roughly one in four seniors report changing their trips specifically to avoid crowded destinations, and Asheville in the shoulder season is a perfect example of why that strategy works beautifully.
2. Zion and Bryce Canyon, Utah: National Park Grandeur Without the Yellowstone Crowds
Here’s the thing about the national parks right now: they’re booming. In 2023, the National Park System received 325.5 million recreation visits, up 4% from 2022. That sounds like it might mean avoiding them altogether, but it actually means going smarter. Zion and Bryce Canyon in southern Utah offer dramatic, otherworldly scenery that rivals anything in the country.
With more flexible schedules, empty nesters are exploring America’s most iconic landscapes, and visiting Yellowstone, Bryce, Zion, Glacier, Acadia, and the Grand Canyon in the shoulder seasons avoids the biggest crowds while still showcasing the best vistas. A late September road trip through southern Utah, looping between these two parks on a multi-day drive, is something I’d put on any empty nester’s list without hesitation. The scale of those red canyon walls does something to the soul that no resort ever could.
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Art, History, and a Road Trip Route Unlike Any Other
Santa Fe is genuinely one of America’s most underrated road trip destinations for grown-ups, and it baffles me that more people aren’t talking about it. Santa Fe is a gem for those interested in art, history, and Native American culture, where travelers can find a unique combination of Pueblo, Spanish, and Anglo influences in everything from architecture to local cuisine.
The drives leading into and out of Santa Fe are equally compelling. New Mexico is home to 26 scenic byways, including eight national scenic byways, five federal agency byways, and 13 state scenic byways. The Turquoise Trail, for example, encompasses 15,000 square miles in the heart of central New Mexico, linking Albuquerque and Santa Fe, along approximately 50 miles of highway. Slow drives through golden-brown desert landscapes, past historic mining towns and ancient pueblos, are exactly the kind of immersive experience that mature travelers consistently crave.
4. The Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi to Tennessee: America’s Most Underrated Scenic Drive
You could ask a hundred Americans to name a famous scenic highway and almost none would mention the Natchez Trace Parkway. That’s a genuine shame. Stretching roughly 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, this federally protected road is completely free of commercial traffic and roadside billboards. It’s quiet, green, and deeply historical.
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. The Natchez Trace is one of the crown jewels of that program. For empty nesters who prize slower travel over rushing between tourist checkboxes, this drive through the Deep South is almost meditative. Stop in Natchez itself, one of the oldest cities on the Mississippi River, and the history runs incredibly deep.
5. The Oregon Coast: Wild, Windswept, and Wonderfully Affordable
The Oregon Coast is one of those destinations that simply does not disappoint. Among older travelers, roughly two thirds travel only domestically, and the Oregon Coast gives domestic travel a serious argument. From Astoria in the north all the way down to Brookings near the California border, US Highway 101 winds through sea stacks, old-growth forest, and fishing villages that feel genuinely frozen in time.
What makes this perfect for empty nesters specifically is the pace it demands. There’s no theme park to rush to. You stop when something catches your eye. According to AARP’s 2025 Travel Trends survey, 95% of older travelers believe travel is good for their mental health, and 85% agree it is good for their physical health. A week on the Oregon Coast, with salt air and crashing waves as your daily backdrop, tends to make that statistic feel very believable.
6. The Finger Lakes Region, New York: Wine Country Without the Napa Price Tag
Let’s be real: Napa Valley is spectacular, but it’s also expensive. The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York offers something genuinely comparable at a fraction of the cost. About a dozen elongated glacial lakes carve through rolling hills covered in vineyards, small towns, and hiking trails. It’s quietly beautiful in a way that sneaks up on you.
Travel trends surveys show that roughly one in nine retirees specifically find North America’s wine regions appealing, including the Finger Lakes region in New York. The region is particularly stunning in early October when the foliage turns and the harvest season fills the tasting rooms. More than half of adults 50 and older rank travel and vacation as their number one priority for discretionary income, and the Finger Lakes shows you don’t need to empty the savings account to have a truly memorable trip.
7. Savannah, Georgia: A Living Museum You Can Drive Through
Savannah is one of America’s most beautiful cities. It’s also one that rewards slow exploration far more than rushing. The city’s famous grid of 22 historic squares, each one shaded by massive live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, was designed in 1733 and remains almost miraculously intact. Walking or slowly driving between them on a warm afternoon is one of those genuinely rare travel experiences.
One of the great benefits of travel at this stage of life is the ability to partake in cultural activities like history tours and other learning experiences. Savannah delivers that in abundance, with its antebellum architecture, Civil War history, and thriving art scene centered around the Savannah College of Art and Design. It’s also a natural stopping point on a larger Southeast road trip, connecting beautifully with Charleston, South Carolina, just two hours north. A road trip that threads these two coastal gems together is genuinely hard to beat.
8. Glacier National Park, Montana: Raw Wilderness Before It Changes Forever
Glacier National Park is honestly the destination that carries the most urgency on this list. Scientists have documented the significant retreat of the park’s glaciers over recent decades, meaning the landscape you visit today looks different from even a generation ago. There’s something both sobering and beautiful about that. Going-to-the-Sun Road, the park’s legendary 50-mile drive, is one of the most dramatic roads in the Western Hemisphere.
Along with the broader trend of lesser known parks attracting visitors, national park data shows more visits in the spring and fall than seen in years past. Visiting Glacier in late May or September means far fewer crowds on that iconic road and genuinely breathtaking conditions. AARP’s research notes that older respondents are more likely to want to travel by personal vehicle as opposed to a plane, and Montana is a destination where the drive itself, through wide-open prairies and mountain passes, is absolutely part of the reward.
9. The Texas Hill Country: Wildflowers, Wine, and Small-Town Warmth
Most people think of Texas as flat and featureless. The Hill Country, the region centered roughly around Fredericksburg and Kerrville west of Austin, completely shatters that assumption. Rolling cedar-covered hills, spring-fed rivers, and dozens of small towns with genuine character define this region. In spring, the roadsides explode with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush in a wildflower display that stops traffic.
Fredericksburg in particular has built a thriving wine and culinary scene over the past two decades, with well over a hundred wineries now operating within easy driving distance. Americans appear increasingly willing to visit unique or off-the-beaten-path destinations, with roughly a third of those aged 50 to 59 willing to seek out lesser-known spots. The Hill Country fits that appetite perfectly. It’s a destination that feels genuinely discovered rather than processed, which is a feeling that gets harder to find as tourism grows.
10. Coastal Maine: Lobster, Lighthouses, and the Most Beautiful Autumn in America
It’s hard to say for sure which state delivers the single best fall foliage road trip, but Maine makes an incredibly strong case. For charm, history, and ocean views, destinations like Maine, Cape Cod, and the Rhode Island coast offer the perfect mix of relaxation and activity, especially in late summer and early fall. The drive along Maine’s Route 1, threading through towns like Rockport, Camden, and Bar Harbor near Acadia National Park, is simply stunning in late September.
Acadia itself is a remarkable anchor for any Maine road trip. Visitors to national parks spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions in 2023, up 10% from the previous year, which reflects just how powerfully these parks drive regional economies. Staying in a small coastal inn, eating fresh lobster, and hiking Acadia’s carriage roads at a relaxed pace is the kind of experience that resonates deeply with older travelers, 95% of whom say travel is good for their mental health. It’s a destination that just feels right for this chapter of life.
The Open Road Is Calling Your Name
There’s a reason road trips keep rising in popularity among empty nesters. According to AARP’s 2025 Travel Trends survey, 70 percent of travelers age 50 and older say they plan to travel, up from 65 percent in 2024. The freedom of this life stage is real, and the open road is one of the best places to feel it.
None of these ten destinations require you to rush. That’s the whole point. Whether it’s standing at the edge of Bryce Canyon at sunrise, sipping a Finger Lakes Riesling in October sun, or driving the Natchez Trace with no particular agenda, each of these places rewards exactly the kind of traveler you’ve finally had the freedom to become.
Which of these destinations surprised you the most? Drop it in the comments, because chances are, someone else is already planning that exact trip.
