I just read some great road trip inspiration from Lonely Planet about the less-romanticized North-South U.S. Highways. We’ve experienced a few of the ones they mention. Last spring our trip took us on a good section of Highway 89 (Nicknamed the National Park Highway) in Utah and Arizona and Nick and I have traveled Parts of U.S. 1 in Maine and U.S. 101 in California and Washington. I grew up near U.S. 61 in Iowa and U.S. 41 is Lake Shore Drive through our current city of Chicago. This list includes a nice geographic variety of American highways. Perhaps the most intriguing is U.S. 83 out there smack in the middle of nowhere. Road trip anyone? Check Out the complete list:
highkicktravel 
Do it! Take the 83 through Texas Hill Country. Then, because you’re close anyway, you can make a slight detour on the 290 to Austin (although not before stopping in Fredericksburg).
After that, if you’re up for a little bigger detour, Big Bend National Park is supposed to be pretty good!
Our list of potential road trips keeps getting bigger! That would have to be a spring or fall trip, Nick would melt in summer in TX.