Have fun road tripping this summer

I've got two weddings to go to this summer and it's a long drive to both. Since I've got a little wiggle room in between when I leave and when I need to be there, I've been looking into pit stops to make along the way. There's a few sites I like to check before taking a drive in case I can add some fun into what would otherwise be a long and boring drive.

Roadtrippers is a phenomenal source for finding lesser-known things along your travel path. You can put in your departure and destination cities and find neat things to check out on the way. It also lets you change the number of miles out of your way you're willing to drive so if you'd like a more scenic route then you can up the number of miles away from the default route you'd like to go. I used this on my trip to the path of last year's solar eclipse and found things I didn't know existed like the Volkswagen Beetle Spider and a Monument to the First Train Robbery in the West.

Roadside America is pretty similar but instead of putting in your starting and ending locations, you can browse a state map and look for interesting places to visit.

Another site I like to check for quirky spots is Atlas Obscura. They have cool things to visit all over the world so no matter if you're flying or driving, you'll find things both at your destination and en route for you to visit. We also have the Atlas Obscura book if you'd like their top picks from around the world. Even if you're not going anywhere, you can browse their list of places in Iowa. The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery and the UoI Natural History Museum are both in the Iowa picks.

Prefer books? We've got lots to choose from:

• Road trip USA: Cross-country adventures on America's two-lane highways
• Off the beaten path: A travel guide to more than 1,000 scenic and interesting places still uncrowded and inviting
• The most scenic drives in America : 120 spectacular road trips
• Guide to scenic highways and byways
• Ramble: a field guide to the USA
• Route 66 adventure handbook
• The complete Civil War road trip guide: ten weekend tours and more than 400 sites, from Antietam to Zagonyi's Charge
• Lewis and Clark road trips: Exploring the trail across America

Maybe these will be helpful for any road trips you might be taking in the near future.

Bon voyage!