10.Door County North, Wisconsin
PHOTO:DOORCOUNTY.COM/DOOR COUNTY VISITOR BUREAU
Starting point: Green Bay, Wisconsin
The route: 85 miles on Wisconsin Highway 57 from Green Bay to Gills Rock
What to expect: Door County North provides the Upper Midwest with its own Cape Cod experience: Think coastal towns, local shops, and family-owned restaurants that invite a heartwarming winter escape. The popular hour, 45-minute winter drive between Green Bay and Gills Rock ping-pongs between the eastern and western shores of the peninsula. After passing through a handful of small, historic towns, you'll land at the top.
Where to stop: Take every opportunity to stop and soak in the sites of Lake Michigan. On the eastern shore, you'll find the tallest dunes in Wisconsin at Whitefish Dunes State Park and some extraordinary cliffside ice formations at the nearby Cave Point County Park. At Newport State Park, on Lake Michigan near Gills Rock, you can cross-country ski on more than 26 miles of trails. Newport is also a designated Dark Sky Park, and long winter nights are great for stargazing.
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11.Lake Tahoe, Nevada
PHOTO:DON EIM/TRAVEL + LEISURE
Starting point: Incline Village, Nevada, or South Lake Tahoe, California
The route: 72 miles around the perimeter of Lake Tahoe on NV-28, U.S. 50, and CA-89
What to expect: The Sierra Nevada Mountains reflect off one of the deepest lakes in North America, casting breathtaking scenes on its glassy surface — an especially resplendent sight in winter. It takes about two hours to drive the perimeter of Lake Tahoe without stopping, but plan extra time for whatever beauty captures your attention along the way. The route on the eastern side of Lake Tahoe (in Nevada) is a National Scenic Byway, considered one of the most beautiful drives in the U.S.
Where to stop: Sand Harbor, part of the 14,300-acre Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, is an ideal place to dip your toes into the icy lake (it never freezes) before hitting the trails for a winter walk, snowshoe, or ski. Additionally, stop near the state line closest to South Lake Tahoe for a scenic gondola ride to Heavenly Ski Resort, home to a viewing platform offering epic bird's-eye views of the lake along with tubing and ice skating.