Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) - Summer is the perfect time to hit the open road: School’s out, the weather’s warm, and the possibilities are endless. While travel was very limited last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has allowed states to open up a lot more this year.
This summer, over two-thirds of Americans plan to take a vacation, and 59% of U.S. families say they are more likely to drive than fly.
Deciding to take a trip is the easy part, though. Picking a destination and affording everything you want to pack into your itinerary is harder. Gas prices might be one thing to worry about, for example. They’ve been growing this year, with the national average at over $3 per gallon now. On top of that, you’ll need to consider accommodations, activities and dining. All of these certainly contribute to the more than $792 billion we spend on leisure travel each year.
With road warriors in mind, the financial website WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states based on 33 key metrics to find the most fun, scenic and wallet-friendly road-trip destinations — plus those that’ll have travelers pulling a quick U-turn.
WalletHub gave the Silver State mostly praise, ranking us 13th. Helping our ranking was a 2nd place finish in the “Lowest Price of Camping” category and a 6th place finish in “Activities.”
Killing Nevada was a third from the bottom finish in “Highest Gas Prices”, 4th worst in “Car Thefts”, and a 40th-place finish in the overall category of “Safety”
WalletHub put New York at the top of their “Best Road Trip” states, followed by Texas, Louisiana, Maine and North Carolina
WalletHub recommends taking a detour around the bottom five. In descending order: Arkansas, Hawaii, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island.
For a complete look at the study, click here.