A road trip is a special kind of holiday. It has a starting point and a destination, but the journey is where the real holiday fun happens. With a relaxed schedule, fascinating side trips and a versatile RV (like the fifth wheel trailer), you will never want it to end.

The United States has some spectacular scenery and delightful cities that are easy to visit with a fifth wheel trailer on selected road trips. Here are four cross-country RV trip suggestions that can be modified according to your personal interests and preferences. Each one has something unique to offer, and there are many possible side trips that will keep the RV adventure alive.

The Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Montana:

New Mexico has austere beauty with high deserts that attract artists from all over the world. Its charming cities reflect this artistic ambience. Start your trip in Albuquerque. The city, founded by the Spanish in 1706, still has a strong Spanish heritage and is near Petroglyph National Monument with hundreds of ancient archaeological sites. Santa Fe is just 63 miles north and is a good place to enjoy the cafes, galleries and shops. Taos is 70 miles further north with a Native American settlement that is over 1,000 years old, and still going. It is the oldest in the U.S.

The RV road trip can continue north to Colorado and the Buena Vista Plateau where there is a line of peaks, each of which is over 14,000 feet. Drive on to Leadville and the Tennessee Pass, which is over 10,424 feet. Continue northwest to Steamboat and on to Jackson, Wyoming to visit the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. This is where you will definitely want to take some side trips. Drive through Missoula, Montana and into Glacier National Park. You will be joined by the local wildlife as you leave the crowds behind.

The Gulf Coast to the Florida Keys

Start at South Padre Island, Texas just north of the Mexican border. There is a National Seashore with seemingly untouched beaches and great fishing. Drive to Corpus Christi for a break and visit the Art Museum of South Texas and the Texas State Aquarium.

Wend your way through the small Gulf Coast towns to Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Enjoy the Cajun lifestyle including fabulous food and live music. If the fancy takes you, park the fifth wheel at an RV campground and go deep-sea fishing out of the Biloxi, Mississippi port. Drive along the Alabama coast to Destin, Florida, which is a favorite beach holiday destination. No problem with accommodation for your fifth wheel trailer. Continue down the coast of Florida to Naples and Alligator Alley. The traffic is thick in the Ft. Lauderdale-Miami area, but beyond is the breath taking Florida Keys.

The Pacific Northwest to California

This road trip has a huge variety of scenery including rugged coastline, giant redwood forests, rainforests, charming small towns, 14,000-foot Mount Shasta and one of the best holiday lakes in the world. Start on Highway 101 and drive past Olympic National Park, Washington, Native American villages and oyster and salmon fisheries. Cross the Columbia River to the quaint towns in Oregon and continue south to the Redwood National Park. Get Route 96 to Mt. Shasta and some dramatic mountain scenery. Enjoy the snow in the middle of summer or go fly fishing. Route 89 goes through Lassen Volcanic National Park and south to Lake Tahoe.

New England

When you start in southern Connecticut, you can take several routes to the Atlantic Ocean. There are towns full of antique shops amid leafy lanes that you’ll never want to leave. Once you do leave, you’ll reach Hammonasset Beach State Park, Stonington and Mystic. The mansions on the beaches of Newport, Rhode Island are worth seeing, and the town has a great party scene. On to Cape Cod, where there are many charming towns with hilly coastlines and marsh grasses.

If possible, avoid the traffic in the city of Boston and head for New Hampshire and the White Mountains. After exploring the area, drive on to Burlington, Vermont and Lake Champlain.