Continuing our cross-country journey east, here are three short-and-scenic road treks as recommended by Sheila Resari of Gorp.com.

VERMONT HIGHWAY 100, VERMONT

For unrivaled fall foliage and good old-fashioned Yankee flavor, nothing beats the Green Mountains of Vermont. Route 100 runs the state from tip to tail, winding along this northern extension of the Appalachian Mountain system. The road skirts the New England village of Weston, which captures American life at the turn of the 19th century and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Further north, the drive passes by Gifford Woods Natural Area, where these seven acres combine the beauty of northern hardwoods bursting into autumn color and the rarity of old-growth trees. Between Stockbridge and Talcville, the road follows the western branch of the White River, a great place to fly fish for brook trout and rainbows. Route 100 continues to the Quebec border, but the mountain village of Stowe is a good terminus, even in the skiing off-season.

Route: North from Wilmington to Stowe along the Green Mountains.

Length: 138 miles (three and a half hours).

Season: June to mid-September.

Features and activities: Fall foliage (mid-September in the north, early October in the south), fishing along the Black River (Echo Lake, Lake Rescue, and Amherst Lakes), ice cream at Ben and Jerry's factory, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail at the junction near Gifford Woods.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA

The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts a two-lane ribbon of highway atop the rolling southern Appalachians of Virginia and North Carolina. The parkway runs almost uninterrupted — crossroads pass underneath the road or yield to parkway traffic — from the southern tip of Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Often riding the very crest of the Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers a unique vista: As great, foggy masses of weather move in from the west, the east retains a clear view of forest and wildlife. Most of the drive takes place high above human settlements — no fast-food oases or billboards to obstruct the scenery — but the land below the parkway is dotted with mountain villages and visitor centers.

Route: South from Rockfish Gap, Va., to Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, N.C.

Length: 469 miles (two days).

Season: Spring through fall.

Features and activities: Folk Art Center's traditional mountain crafts and music, biking along the parkway, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

SEA ISLANDS, GEORGIA

A nice alternative to hectic interstate driving, routes 520, 99 and 17 explore the nooks and crannies of the Atlantic coast, allowing travelers to get close to Georgia's fertile marshland, estuaries, and barrier islands. The drive passes by the Golden Isles — Jekyll Island, St. Simons, Little St. Simons, and Sea Island — four destinations popular with the jet set since the turn of the century.

Beyond the luxury of the Georgian Gold Coast, there are plenty of quaint communities offering cozy diners, bizarre tourist attractions, and Low Country boils: giant pots of soup brimming with the bounty of the Atlantic coast. To get even closer to the water that shapes this drive, shoreline sea kayaking will do the trick.

Route: North along the Atlantic coast, from Jekyll Island to Savannah.

Length: 81 miles (two hours).

Season: All year.

Features and activities: World's smallest church in South Newport, marsh-life viewing in the Marshes of Glyn, beachcombing on St. Simons Island, and winter whale watching.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 45-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.