It’s not too late: 10 great Labor Day Weekend road trips
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The lowest gas prices by national average since 2004 plus a three-day weekend equals the perfect time to take a drive of discovery and exploration.
Travel Channel gathered input from editors and outside travel bloggers to come up with "Travel's Best: Road Trips 2015." Lucky for us, the 10 routes favor the West and its dramatic topography, from Utah to California and British Columbia, Canada.
In California, only 17-Mile Drive made the cut (sorry Highway 1), and the cheapest getaway would be the drive along Alabama's Gulf coast where a gallon of regular gas averages $2.06.
Here are the top 10 places to go and enjoy, and don't forget to make a lot of stops.
17-Mile Drive, Monterey Peninsula, California
(Joann Dost )
Where: The private loop ($10 please) along some of the most famous parts of the Monterey Peninsula, including Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove.
What to see: Pebble Beach Golf Links, the famed Lone Cypress tree, Del Monte Forest, the mesmerizing Pacific Coast.
Gallon of regular gas: $3.32
Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming
Beartooth Highway
Beartooth Pass on Beartooth Highway. (Phil Armitage / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: From Red Lodge, Mont., to Yellowstone National Park's northeast entrance.
What to see: Rugged high-elevation landscapes with plenty of switchbacks on this road; three national forests, the Northern Rockies.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.69
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Olympic Peninsula
The view from Hurricane Ridge. (Heather Dillon / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: Loop of about 300 miles on the Olympic Peninsula.
What to see: The lush Hoh Rain Forest; rivers, waterfalls and lakes of Olympic National Park; high point drive up to Hurricane Ridge.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.92
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Page, Ariz., to Lake Powell, Utah
Horseshoe Bend near Page, Ariz. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Where: From Page, Ariz., to Lake Powell
What to see: Jaw-dropping scenery like Horseshoe Bend, Antelope, Rainbow Bridge and the true-West red rock landscape.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.54 to $2.81
Extraterrestrial Highway, Nevada
(Laura Rauch / Associated Press)
Where: Nevada Highway 375, a few hours north of Las Vegas.
What to see: UFO sightings (if you're lucky)
Gallon of regular gas: $3.11
Great River Road in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota
Bridge over the Mississippi River on the Great River Road.
Bridge over the Mississippi River on Great River Road. (Frank Kovalchek / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: This road travels through 10 states along the Mississippi River.
What to see: Aquarium with Mississippi River fish inDubuque, Iowa; world's largest six-pack in La Crosse, Wis.; National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Wis.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.41 to $2.57
Gulf Coast, Alabama
Pelicans at Dauphin Island, Ala. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Where: Drive along the Gulf of Mexico on Alabama's coast.
What to see: White-sand beaches; foods like Murder Point Oysters and Ginny Lane's blackened shrimp and grits.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.06
Heritage Highway 89, Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park. (Luca Galuzzi / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: From the Sevier Valley to Kanab.
What to see: Ranch country, Butch Cassidy Museum in Richfield and Cassidy's childhood home in Circleville; red rock magic of Kanab and nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.81
Sea to Sky Highway, British Columbia, Canada
Gambier Island’s distinct shape seen from Porteau Cove along the Sea-to-Sky Highway through Howe Sound.
Gambier Island's distinct shape, seen from Porteau Cove along the Sea-to-Sky Highway through Howe Sound. (Kyle Pearce / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: From Vancouver to Whistler, British Columbia.
What to see: North Shore Mountains; islands in the Pacific; Squamish for a Sea to Sky Gondola to the top of Stawamus Chief (and don't forget to bring your passport).
Gallon of regular gas: $2.92
Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
(Philip N. Wheeler / Wikimedia Commons)
Where: The roadway leads through the national park.
What to see: Rolling landscape of a classic Eastern forest; Appalachian Trail hikes.
Gallon of regular gas: $2.18
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