What’s the perfect way to celebrate summer vacation with your best friends? A road trip, of course! If you have time for more than just a weekend getaway and your motto is to “go big or go home,” then there is an entire incredible country waiting for you to explore. Her Campus has compiled the must-see places to stop and see while you road trip for the ultimate summer YOLO experience!
Nashville, TN
Unsurprisingly, the must-sees of “Music City USA” include an endless number of country music stops. One of the most notable of these is the Country Music Hall of Fame, where you can see everything from Taylor Swift’s latest tour costumes and instruments to Elvis’s gold Cadillac.
“Nashville is the perfect place to stop because there is a lot to discover and the people are very friendly and adventurous,” says Vanessa Pepin, a recent grad of Belmont University. “My favorite places are the Soulshine Pizza Factory for music, Loveless Cafe for a southern-style breakfast, and Las Paletas for delicious gourmet popsicles.”
The Bluebird Café is a popular haunt spotlighting the best aspiring musicians in the country and is where artists such as Garth Brooks performed before anyone knew their names. Music lovers should also check out the historic Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry. When the sun sets, boot scoot over to The Stage on Broadway, “Nashville’s most rockin’ country club.”
You can also pose in front of a life-size replica of the Parthenon in Centennial Park, cliff jump at Percy Priest Lake, and explore charismatic East Nashville to see historic homes such as The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark and former home of President Andrew Jackson. While you’re east of downtown, try a scoop of Jeni’s Ice Cream. “It’s a creamy and amazing Nashville favorite,” says Vanessa. “They have the coolest flavors, like lavender cheesecake!”
Natchez Trace Parkway to Tupelo, MS
From Nashville, drive along the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway to Tupelo, Mississippi. The scenic route follows a Native American footpath and is a relaxing drive full of history and the stories of important American figures. The parkway leads to Tupelo, a cute, little town in rural Mississippi.
“It’s the birthplace of Elvis and a great place to stop for some cultural immersion in American music, but also just to explore,” says Lily Herman, a collegiette from Wesleyan University. “There are tons of art and historic museums, not to mention a lot of places to eat great southern comfort food.”
Head to Romie’s Grocery for a taste of Tupelo’s southern soul food, which Lily gives “an A+.” If you’re in the mood for a lighter meal, check out Café 212 for the Elvis-inspired “Blue Suede Grill,” a delicious panini of bananas, peanut butter, and honey.
French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
The French Quarter of New Orleans isn’t just the best place to celebrate Mardi Gras or Cinco de Mayo—it’s also a cobblestone masterpiece of architecture. Ivy-draped French colonial townhouses and antebellum mansions weave around the historic city bounded by the Mississippi River. Go back in time to the Antebellum South on a plantation tour or take a tour of the city via streetcar for only $1.25. Music lovers shouldn’t miss Preservation Hall, a famous musical venue and favored performance hall of legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong.
“New Orleans is my absolute favorite city in the world,” says Alexa Harrison, a student at UMass Amherst. “The city’s signature beignets (fried dough treats) at the… Café Du Monde in Jackson Square are amazing and the line is always a mile long.” If you’re still hungry, stop by Central Grocery for a muffuletta, a traditional New Orleans deli sandwich consisting of a muffuletta loaf covered with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone cheese.
For souvenirs and a good time, look no further than the locally owned bar Pat O’Brien’s, where the motto is simply “Have Fun!” “They have the best Hurricanes that are served in logo souvenir glasses to take home,” says Alexa. “My friends and I always get an 8×10 photo taken of us when we go.”
Chicago, IL
While the Windy City may not always look like this scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, it is still a top city in America to visit. “One of the best places I have been to in Chicago is Navy Pier for its restaurants, rides, and firework shows,” says Ali Lamens, a collegiette at Northwestern University. “I also recommend going to the top of the Willis Tower (the old Sears Tower). Its really cool to see the city skyline from that level.”
While experiencing the Chicago skyline on top of the third tallest building in the world, step out of your comfort zone and walk out onto the Willis Tower Skydeck ledge extending 4.3 feet out and 1,353 feet in the air. If you want to experience the view like a local, head to the John Hancock Center, where you can see the Chicago skyline from the bar and restaurant for free. If the window seats are already taken by patrons at the “Top of the ‘Cock,” insiders reveal that the women’s bathroom features the floor’s most private and expansive views.
In the city known for its deep dish pizza, skip the Pizza Uno chain and look no further than the authentic Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria and the famous original Gino’s East, where you can add your signature to the thousands of scribbles covering the graffitied interior walls. Chicago doesn’t only specialize in food, but also live blues bars, including the local favorite Kingston Mines.
“Millennium Park is a nice place to hang out and take pictures with ‘The Bean,’ a three-story steel sculpture,” says Ali. Located across town from the park, a stop in Chicago wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Wrigley Field to see the Chicago Cubs (or the “Lovable Losers”) play ball. Although most days there isn’t too much worth watching on the field, the fans bring an energy to Wrigley that is indescribable. Those who attend a Cubs game go for the atmosphere and a Chicago-style hot dog, not to win a game (although when the Cubs win, the fans sure know how to celebrate in the surrounding Wrigleyville).
San Antonio, TX
Historic and culturally-rich San Antonio is famous for Spanish missions and the San Antonio River Walk, two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops that wind under bridges and connect the major must-see destinations in the city. One of these places is the Alamo, an 18th-century mission church and site of the Battle of the Alamo. Hopeless romantics shouldn’t miss out on a photo op at the River Walk’s heart-shaped Marriage Island, a small island claimed to bring good luck to new marriages that is home to more than 360 weddings each year.
“I’m a huge San Antonio Spurs fan,” says Melissa Peale from James Madison University. “If you stop in San Antonio, you must go to Fiesta San Antonio (held every April), the San Antonio Zoo and, of course, a Spurs basketball game!” Following Melissa’s advice, don’t forget to stroll the beautiful Brackenridge Park, where you can visit the Zoo as well as the McNay Art Museum. The Market Square, or El Mercado, in downtown San Antonio is the perfect place to shop like a local for everything from clothing to art to furniture, all with a Mexican flair. If you shop up an appetite, Boudro’s is often overlooked by tourists, but is loved by locals for its outdoor dining on the River Walk and Southwestern specialities.
Another site you don’t want to miss is the San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest continually functioning cathedral in America. Located across the street is the adobe Spanish Governor’s Palace, the former seat of the Spanish government that the National Geographic Society has called “the most beautiful building in San Antonio.”
Durango, CO
Tucked away in the mountains, Durango is a hidden treasure. “Durango is a gorgeous mountain town where the majority of the population bikes everywhere,” says Lily. “The town support for local business is huge, and you’ll find street after street of locally owned restaurants, bike shops, ski stores, clothing boutiques, and anything else you can imagine.”
Durango is also one of the stops on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, one of the few railroads in the US to still operate on vintage steam locomotives. The 45-mile scenic train ride leads to Silverton, a quaint town set in the mountains.
If you’re feeling extra adventurous while in Durango, white water rafting on the Animas and Piedra Rivers will boost your adrenaline before returning to the road. If you’re in the mood for a more relaxing adventure, you can horseback ride or hike on the rivers’ variety of trails. No matter where you venture, from Mesa Verde National Park to the Colorado Trail, the scenery in and Durango is absolutely incredible. “Any way you turn, it looks like something out of National Geographic!” says Lily.
Yellowstone National Park; WY, MT, and ID
Yellowstone, the first national park in the world, holds the majority of the world’s geysers. “My favorite part of Yellowstone is definitely Old Faithful,” says Kirsten Ballard from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “The entire park is fantastic, but Old Faithful’s height and timeliness just takes the cake.” In addition to the geysers, the other must-see geothermal areas of the park include the vibrant hot springs. One of the best spots to see them is at Terrace Spring, where visitors can take a short boardwalk tour above the hot springs. Prepare to be amazed—the colors of the grand, prismatic springs are so vibrant that they almost look fake!
While hiking the multitude of trails, keep your eyes open, as the park is a mountainous wild land home to grizzly bears, wolves, and herds of bison and elk.
When you reach the 84-foot Gibbon Falls, take in the sight of the magnificent waterfall, but save cooling off for the open swimming area at the nearby Firehole Falls. Biking the trails as well as fly-fishing for trout and whitefish in the Madison River are other extremely popular ways to enjoy the national park’s array of natural offerings.
Las Vegas, NV
Despite the stereotype that The Hangover has imprinted in all of our minds, Las Vegas also has a classier side. The most eye-catching attraction in “Sin City” is the signature fountain at Bellagio, a supersized and Americanized Italian villa that houses a hotel and casino. Bellagio is also home to a Cirque du Soleil show, O, an impressive performance composed of more than 70 swimmers, divers, aerialists, contortionists, and clowns performing acrobatic feats around a pool/stage containing 1.5 million gallons of water. ONE, a Michael Jackson-inspired Cirque show, will premiere at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Vegas soon.
For another jaw-dropping sight, make sure you explore Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium, where for $16 you can experience a half-outdoors, half-indoors aquarium with stingrays, sea turtles, crocodiles, sharks, and, as of recently, a komodo dragon. If Paris, France seems out of reach, visit Paris Las Vegas for a chance to take a picture underneath a half scale replica of the Eiffel Tower and a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe. To complete your sightseeing, drive by the Little White Wedding Chapel, where Frank Sinatra married Mia Farrow in 1966.
Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica, a beautiful beach town near Los Angeles, is the perfect oasis to relax after a cross-country haul. “The Santa Monica Pier is legendary, and the beaches do not disappoint,” says Lily. Featured in Forrest Gump, the Pier is home to Pacific Park, a small amusement park containing the Pier’s iconic Ferris wheel, as well as many restaurants, shops, entertainers, a carousel, an aquarium, and even a trapeze school. “Watching the sunset from the top of the Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier is amazing,” says Jessi Theofiledes, a student at the University of Florida. After the sun sets, stick around for the Pier’s Twilight Concert Series featuring free tunes on summer evenings.
After a mandatory splash in the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica Beach, head to Annenberg Community Beach House, the only public beach house in the US, and the historic location of many famed Hollywood parties in the 1930s. Relax to the soothing sounds of Jazz on the Lawn at Santa Monica City Hall and save time for a photo op at the historic Route 66 plaque, where the original famed US highway from Los Angeles to Chicago begins.
A block away from the beach is the eclectic Main Street, where Jessi claims the latte at organic coffee company Urth Caffé is “the best [she’s] ever had.” Amongst the chic boutiques on Main, you can enjoy authentic Spanish tapas at Manchego, French-Asian fusion at Chinois, or keep it simple at Joe’s Main Street Diner.
California State Route 1 to Hollywood and San Francisco, CA
One of the most famous scenic drives you can take in the US is the 135-mile stretch of California’s Pacific Highway 1 that runs from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Expect view after astonishing view of land meeting sea along the Pacific Ocean on this road that eventually crosses San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Stretching through San Francisco and Laguna Beach, this route offers incredible views of the ocean and the steepest cliff-drops in the country.
A road trip through California wouldn’t be complete without posing with the more than 2,400 celebrity handprints and bronze-engraved names in the pavement along Hollywood Boulevard. Don’t forget to look for the famous Hollywood Sign that doubled as a film location for Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis in Friends With Benefits!
San Francisco isn’t just the setting of Full House and Princess Diaries—it’s also a beautiful metropolis that is a must-see at the end of driving Highway 1. You can marvel at the Golden Gate Bridge, but save watching the sunrise and sunset at the Twin Peaks, which overlook the city. Alcatraz, one of the most infamous prisons in the world, is located on Alcatraz Island, a quick boat ride away. You can watch sea lions play while grabbing a bite to eat at Pier 39, or save your appetite for San Francisco’s Chinatown, the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. For dessert, head to the original Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop in Ghirardelli Square.
Exploring abroad may seem like an exciting way to spend the summer, but there is so much you can see without leaving the country. Did we miss any of your favorite road trip stops and sights? Share them in the comments below!