Willie Nelson was right — we just can’t wait to get on the road again. And now that summer is here and school is out, it’s time to decide which direction to point your vehicle.
To help you out, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states “to find the most fun, scenic and wallet-friendly road-trip destinations.”
To determine 2023′s best and worst road-trip destinations, the financial website compared the states across three key dimensions: costs, safety and activities.
It then evaluated those dimensions using 32 relevant metrics, each of which was graded on a 100 point scale, with a score of 100 being the best conditions for a summer road trip.
Should Georgians expect an influx of visitors? Maybe. The Peach State ranked No. 17, with an overall score of 52.31. We ranked No. 6 for costs, but only No. 35 for safety and No. 29 for activities.
So, where should you head? According to WalletHub’s analysis, you can stay in the South for four of the top 10 states: Texas (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 3), Louisiana (No. 6) and Florida (No. 7).
You can check out the full list here.
Robert M. O’Halloran, Ph.D., professor and director of the School of Hospitality Leadership at East Carolina University, recommends “creating a tourism inventory for yourself” before hitting the road, including:
“Natural attractions: Are there a mix of beaches, mountains, parkways, lakes, and attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities (fishing bird watching, etc.)?
“Wildlife tourism: Are there national and or state parks, and local wildlife, for example in western N.C. — the elk population?
“Historical attractions: Are there historical attractions in the area, historic sites, churches, monuments, and museums?
“Food tourism: What are the local food signature items? Are there signature and historic restaurants?
“Tourism and hospitality infrastructure: What are the local hotels, motels, cottages, and cabins to rent (vacation rentals), transportation (highways, ferries, access, etc.)”
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