Take a scenic drive through Utah’s 5 national parks

This spring, my wife and I traveled through Utah in our fifth wheel to see all five of the national parks. We had not previously seen any of them, so we were excited for this trip — especially with the current TV commercials advertising all the parks.

We started in southern Utah by first going to Zion. We stayed right outside the park in the town of Springdale. The weather was just great for March, but the crowds were large as spring break was in full force.  Go there...

Take me to the river: America's best waterside drives

Rivers make natural travel routes, and drivers can find great scenery by following their path through the countryside, says Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. "There are famous majestic rivers, and these have become iconic destinations throughout the United States," she says. Some routes are designated as scenic byways by states or the federal government, making it easy to stay on course. Banas shares favorite waterside roads with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.  Go there...