If you live in Akron, Ohio, and have a 2016 Volkswagen Beetle parked in your driveway, no weekend will ever be the same. With an EPA-estimated 35 mpg, you can fill up the tank and avoid visiting a gas station for almost 500 miles. This allows for some surprising one-tank summer road trips. Whether you’re interested in sports, nature, music, or architecture, the Beetle puts great destinations within easy reach.
1. Detroit
Hop into the upscale cabin of the 2016 Beetle and point the iconic nose to the northwest to take in some great rock ‘n’ roll and Motown music at the source. It’s 191 miles to Detroit from Akron, beginning with a western run down Interstate 80. Pass by the birthplace of Thomas Edison in Milan and continue to Toledo. Stretch your legs at Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historical Site before heading north to Detroit to visit the Motown Museum before taking in the Motor City nightlife. Head back to Akron by reversing the course, and you won’t have to stop for gas.
2. Niagara Falls
If you prefer natural wonders to Motor City madness, you’ll be pleased to know one of the most dramatic waterfalls in the world is within the one-tank range. Niagara Falls is only 235 miles from Akron. Head north, skirting the eastern edge of the Cleveland metro area on Interstate 271, before picking up Interstate 90 East. Take a break at Conneaut to visit the acclaimed Historical Railroad Museum. Continue on I-90 to Buffalo, then follow the signs north to Niagara Falls by way of Interstate 90. There you can witness the cascading splendor of Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls, where water from the Niagara Gorge is channeled before plummeting southward toward Lake Erie. Follow the course of this waterway and parallel the lakeshore as you make the return trip to Akron.
3. Cincinnati
Another battlefield within a single fill-up’s reach of Akron is the famed Battle of Ohio, a fierce rivalry between the National Football Leagues’ Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. When the game is hosted by Cincinnati, hop in your Beetle and head west on Interstate 76 before turning south on Interstate 71 for the long run to Cincinnati. Take a break in Columbus and visit the State Capitol building before continuing on to the game. This rivalry has produced two of the eight highest scoring games ever played in NFL competition, so there should be plenty to discuss on the return trip.
4. Charleston, West Virginia
Another state capitol, complete with golden dome and famed architecture, is within the round-trip range of a single tank heading south on Interstate 77. Just over 200 miles away from Akron lies the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, whose Cass Gilbert-designed capitol building is resplendent with its famed golden dome. This building is renowned for its neoclassical architecture, framed by gentle hills and languid water, and serves as an unusual centerpiece for a great Beetle summer road trip.
Taking a summer road trip doesn’t have to break the bank when you own a VW Beetle. With numerous options for a one-tank road trip, you’ll have many left over for souvenirs.
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