What is Wide Open Ride?​​

I call this travel series the “Road Trip as Art” where wide open skies and remarkable landscapes are the stars. Showcasing Earth’s most inspiring drives, these videos also chronicle lesser-known roads, introducing viewers to corners of the world they probably know little about.

Arizona's Saguaro National Park

​The saguaro is one of the most iconic symbols of the American West, and the only place to see them in their natural habitat is the Sonoran Desert. The saguaro is so admired that it has its own national park with an incredible drive through a cactus forest.

Colorado's Telluride Autumn

​This story follows the San Juan Skyway north of Dolores. The drive is magnificent year-round, but it's particularly impressive in the fall thanks to the large concentration of aspen. The destination is historic Telluride, nestled in one of Colorado’s prettiest valleys.

New Mexico's Salt Missions Trail

​Tucked away in central New Mexico is Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument where three distinct “salt missions” offer a glimpse into trade, conflict and struggle. These ancient compounds stand as reminders of Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ influence on the region.

Utah's Goosenecks State Park

​This drive is all about the jaw-dropping drops. It starts on the Moki Dugway, a dirt road literally dug into steep cliffs that descends 1,200 feet to the valley floor. Then, the now-paved highway reaches a canyon where the San Juan River meanders 1,000 feet below.

Washington's Tulip Tour

​One of the world’s great blooming tulip displays lies in the Pacific Northwest. Drive an hour north of Seattle and you’ll reach Mt. Vernon, the largest town in the Skagit Valley. In April, a rainbow of color lights up agricultural fields framed by the Puget Sound and Cascade Mountains.

Alaska's Glacier Highway

​No roads connect Alaska State 7 to the outside world, making it one of the planet’s most isolated routes. Sandwiched between ocean and mountains, the highway connects Juneau to the largest forest in the U.S., the massive Mendenhall Glacier and plenty of bald eagles.

Colorado's Flight of the Hummingbirds

​This story profiles a family of tiny world travelers who sometimes road trip thousands of miles on biannual migrations. It was pure joy when a nest appeared over my elderly mom’s patio garden. For several weeks we watched a mother hummingbird tirelessly rear her twins.

North Dakota & South Dakota's Sunflower Splendor

​There’s nothing quite like fields of blooming sunflowers. They're inspirational and exhilarating, and the Dakotas are two of the best states to see them. Because full bloom is relatively short, these fields of happiness aren’t that easy to catch in their prime, which makes them even more special.

Texas' Big Bend: El Camino del Rio

​With amazing overlooks, unique sites and rewarding hikes, this is one of my favorite scenic drives in North America. Also called River Road, it follows the U.S./Mexican border with the Rio Grande to one side and Big Bend Ranch State Park on the other.

Utah's Nine Mile Canyon

​Eastern Utah’s geological splendor is unmatched on a sunny day. But the area’s ancient artwork is perhaps its most impressive attribute. Nicknamed the “world’s longest art gallery,” Nine Mile Canyon’s walls are home to thousands of petroglyphs and pictographs.

Wyoming's Devils Tower

​Aliens weren’t the only stars in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Devils Tower played a major role, too, as the setting for the film’s dramatic climax. Today, many earthlings still get chills when making first contact with this imposing monolith.