This is the last carefree summer of your life. Don鈥檛 waste it. Hit听the pavement with these five road trips. Most can be done in about听11听or 12 days鈥攊f you're in a rush鈥攂ut are best enjoyed over two or three weeks.听
New Orleans, LA,听to Eau Claire, WI

Best For: Celebrating
Miles Covered: 1,215,听辞苍别听飞补测
Don鈥檛 Leave Home Without: Advil, eye mask, and earplugs
For graduates who prioritized study groups over keggers, start your party pilgrimage in New Orleans with legendary po鈥檅oys from Domilise鈥檚, live jazz at , and a few hurricanes on Bourbon Street (when in Rome). After a solid night鈥檚 sleep, cruise I-55 for three hours until you hit Jackson, Mississippi. Stretch your legs in the city鈥檚 retro-chic Fondren neighborhood and grab a milkshake at , a soda fountain that opened in 1946. Reenergized, continue 210 miles north to Memphis for barbecue听at , bar hopping and live blues on , and an endless supply of beer from the city鈥檚 growing list of craft breweries, like With you and your car refueled, continue northward through Illinois and spend the night in Rockford, where a long day鈥檚 drive has earned you a beer (or three) at , a riverside brewhouse perfect for summertime sipping. Once back on the road, travel four hours farther north to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to let loose at the inaugural music festival (July 17鈥18), with a buzzy lineup that reads like an indie-music fan鈥檚 fantasy come true.听
Austin, TX, to Aspen, CO

Best For: Getting active
Miles Covered: 1,173,听辞苍别听飞补测
Don鈥檛 Leave Home Without: A reliable backpack听
Ease into an ultra-active road trip by Austin鈥檚 Lady Bird Lake.听Core engaged, drive 738 miles through iconic American desertscapes (snag an alien souvenir and some sleep in Roswell) to mountain bike New Mexico鈥檚 famed 听Trails, an hour north of Albuquerque. For easier riding, check out Santa Fe's .听Next, cross into Colorado and head for , a pair of 14ers located 40 minutes south of Aspen (drive via听Independence Pass, one of America's most scenic byways). And stay for Conundrum鈥檚 hike-to hot springs at 11,200 feet, which can be conquered in one overnight trek. Back in Aspen, watch the third and fourth stages of the (August 19-20), and treat yourself like an听adult by splurging on a restorative full-body massage at 听and perusing the goods at , a cannabis dispensary that looks more like an upscale Brooklyn sneaker shop than a sketchy strip-mall storefront.听
Joshua Tree National Park, CA,听to Prairie Creek Redwood State Park, CA

Best For: Detoxifying
Miles Covered: 910,听one听way
Don鈥檛 Leave Home Without: Your sleeping bag
ABV, GPA鈥攕ame thing, right? Not quite. Start a detoxifying California road trip by sweating it out in , home to 794,000 acres of desert serenity. Make camp at , a 15-site campground known for its dark-sky stargazing. At sunrise, meditate on the summit of .听To cool off, head 227 miles northwest to Santa Barbara for an organic, vegan, gluten-free superfood smoothie and quinoa veggie burger at 听before continuing three hours up the coast to family-run , where ocean-view campsites, yurts, and an organic garden offer seriously laid-back vibes. If you ever decide to leave, travel 200 miles north, forgo electricity, and spend the night in a rustic听cliffside cabin at . Finally, continue six hours deeper into Northern California to hike though the morning fog and listen for the call of the resident Roosevelt elk at , a coastal redwood forest and real life Fern Gully.
Mount Rainier, WA, to Glacier National Park, MT

Best For: Peace and very quiet
Miles Covered: 613, one听way
Don鈥檛 Leave Home Without: A good book听or two
Start your solo search for silence at , a secluded cabin 50 feet up a 200-year old Western red cedar with views of nearby Mount Rainer. Pick up any last-minute provisions in Spokane, 297 miles east, then continue three hours into Idaho鈥檚 northern panhandle to partake in what is perhaps America鈥檚 most leave-me-alone experience鈥攁 stay in a remote听U.S. Forest Service fire lookout, such as Coeur D鈥橝lene National Forest鈥檚 . Back in your car and just five more hours to the northeast, Montana鈥檚 , with its 700 miles of trails, guarantees peace and quiet. Stay at , a 12-room听backcountry chalet built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway that can be reached only by foot. Before heading back, be sure to swing by to pick up a bottle of whiskey to share with your friends back home.
New York, NY, to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

Best For: Finally. Leaving. Home.
Miles Covered: 481, one听way
Don鈥檛 Leave Home Without: Your passport
Go to university in your hometown? Spend a week in New York City鈥攊t鈥檚 like going to every country all at once. From there, rent a car and take I-87 through the Hudson Valley and 288 miles north to Lake Placid. In the heart of the Adirondacks, summit the trail-less听4,427 foot , a nine-mile round-trip hike that鈥檒l take you about four to听six hours to complete (you'll be听going up about 2,200 feet in less than 4.5 miles). In the morning, grab a breakfast sandwich at and continue your journey 111 miles north to Montreal, Canada, acquiring your first passport stamp along the way. Stroll through Vieux-Montr茅al (Old Montreal) to feel like you鈥檙e on the other side of the Atlantic, not north of the border, before on the St. Lawrence River. Finally, head into the Mont-Tremblant wilderness, stopping for poutine along the way, like starting a fire, gathering safe drinking water, and building a shelter.听
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