Not sure which cross country road trip to take? Worry no more, we’ve taken the thinking out of the planning process for you. Browse trips by adventure, theme, or region.

1. The Giant Pub Crawl

These are the best places to party in the USA. The goal of this road trip is to meet people. You will experience the nightlife and social culture around the country. If you’re looking for cool small towns and roadside attractions, this probably is not the trip for you. This journey has one goal: making connections. Start where you want; end where you want. You can mix and match or ride the whole wave. Use our Vagabond Tripper to help you plan your adventure.

Nightlife Towns

By the way, this isn’t just about nightlife… it’s about the best places to meet anyone at any time of the day. The Pub crawl just had a nice ring to it…

1. Seattle
2. Portland
3. Eugene, Oregon
4. Lake Tahoe, California
5. Los Angeles – West Hollywood
6. San Diego – Gaslamp District
7. Tempe, Arizona
8. Flagstaff
9. Las Vegas – Freemont District
10. Boulder – Pearl Street
11. Santa Fe –
12. Downtown Austin
13. New Orleans – Bourbon Street
14. Destin, Florida
15. South Beach
16. Savannah, Georgia – River Street
17. Atlanta – East Atlanta Village
18. Asheville, North Carolina
19. Seaside Heights, New Jersey
20. Brooklyn – East Williamsburg
21. Montreal, Canada
22. Toronto, Canada
23. Nashville, Tennessee – Music Row
24. Memphis, Tennessee – Beale Street
25. Chicago
26. Minneapolis, Minnesota – Lake Street

2. Massage Your Soul

Need to calm yourself? Massage your soul? Get in your car and go to these spots. There’s nothing in the world that’ll relieve your tension like natural beauty without traffic. Enjoy a stress-free zone; they exist.

Relaxing Road Trip Stop-offs

1. McCall, Idaho
2. Sun Valley, Idaho
3. Twin Falls, Idaho
4. Salt Flats, Utah
5. Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota
6. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
7. Glacier National Park, Montana
8. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
9. North Cascades National Park, Washington
10. Thor’s Well – Yachats, Oregon
11. Crater Lake National Park – Oregon
12. Ashland, Oregon
13. Fly Geyser – Gerlach, Nevada
14. Grass Valley, California
15. Big Sur, California
16. Matador State Beach, Malibu, California
17. Sequoia National Park
18. Death Valley National Park
19. Marble Canyon – Arizona
20. Antelope Canyon – Arizona
21. Moab, Utah
22. Ouray, Colorado
23. Paint Mines Interpretive Park – Calhan, Colorado
24. Santa Fe, New Mexico
25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
26. Jerome, Arizona

3. The Instagram Shoot

These are some of the best Instagrammable stop-offs in the country. Every one of these places will provide a backdrop you can’t find on an Instagram filter. Some of these you know about, some of them you might not. Perfect for the amateur and professional photographer, travel blogger, or cool spot enthusiast.

Instagrammable Stop-offs

1. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
2. Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
3. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
4. Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone, Wyoming
5. Monument Valley, Arizona
6. Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona
7. Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, New Mexico
8. City Hall Station, New York City
9. The Wave Organ, San Francisco
10. Underground Tunnels of Los Angeles
11. Evolution Nature Store, New York City
12. Dream House, New York City
13. Secret Tiled Staircase, San Francisco
14. Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze, San Francisco
15. The Wave, Marble Canyon, Arizona
16. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
17. Thor’s Well, Oregon
18. Fly Geyser, Nevada
19. The Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas
20. New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
21. Please Don’t Tell, New York City
22. Hamilton Pool, Dripping Springs, Texas
23. House of Eternal Return, Santa Fe, New Mexico
24. Mapparium, Boston, Massachusetts
25. Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona
26. Bradbury Building, Downtown Los Angeles
27. Track 61, New York City
28. Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Calhan, Colorado
29. Witch House of Salem, Salem, Massachusetts
30. Havasupai Falls, Supai, Arizona
31. Synchronized Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
32. Multnomah Falls, Corbett, Oregon
33. Horsetail Fall’s Fire Fall, Yosemite National Park, California
34. Ra Paulette’s Hand-Carved Caves, La Madera, New Mexico
35. Dry Tortugas, Key West, Florida
36. Fremont Troll, Seattle, Washington
37. The Gum Wall (extinct), Seattle Washington
38. El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California
39. The Salt Flats, Utah
40. The Town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
41. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
42. Lost Sea, Sweetwater, Tennessee
43. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
44. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
45. The Prada Store, Marfa, Texas
46. Nine Mile Canyon, Carbon County, Utah
47. Hole N’ The Rock, Moab, Utah
48. Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes, California
49. The Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles
50. Paul Smith Wall, West Hollywood, California
51. Devil’s Tower, Devil’s Tower, Wyoming
52. Crazy Horse Memorial, Black Hills of South Dakota
53. Wall, South Dakota

4. The Hostel Route

My favorite route. What makes this adventure special is that you’re guaranteed to have a great time, make friends, and find yourself having crazy experiences. You’ll have bad days, good days, travel flings, wild nights, fun mornings, (sometimes) uncomfortable beds… literally, you get it all. If you’re looking for a quiet pilgrimage across the country full of solitude and creative inspiration, this probably isn’t for you. If you’re not a social creature, this is not your route. Every destination is a place for you to expand your network and meet other travelers. If you want to break out of your shell a bit, this is the perfect trip to get you there.

Hostels

I LOVE hostels and I’ve bolded my favorites.

1. Green Tortoise Hostel Seattle
2. HI Portland
3. Green Tortoise San Francisco
4. USA Hostels Hollywood
5. USA Hostels San Diego
6. Hostel Cat, Las Vegas
7. Grand Canyon International Hostel, Flagstaff, Arizona
8. The Lazy Lizard Hostel, Moab, Utah
9. Hostel Fish, Denver
10. Santa Fe International Hostel
11. Firehouse Hostel, Austin
12. Deep Ellum Hostel, Dallas
13. India House Hostel, New Orleans
14. Miami Beach International Hostel
15. Bon Paul & Sharky’s Hostel, Ashville, North Carolina
16. The Crash Pad: An Uncommon Hostel, Chattanooga, Tennessee
17. Nashville Downtown Hostel
18. HI Chicago Hostel
19. Hostel Detroit
20. HI Richmond Hostel
21. Apple Hostels of Philadelphia
22. Freehand New York
23. HI Boston Hostel

5. The National Park Cross Country Road Trip

Not much to explain here. Go to all the National Parks in the Lower 48. Definitely buy the National Park pass because it’s not only good for national parks, but national forests and other recreational sites. It’ll save you a ton of money. Ask for a park map—you’re going to collect these! If you don’t have the park map, you weren’t really there.

Call ahead as far in advance as possible for camping reservations. Don’t count on availability showing up on the day of. There’s also a great book that I read when I was traveling to all these parks called: Your Guide to the National Parks: The Complete Guide to all 58 National Parks.

National Parks

1. Kings Canyon National Park, California
2. Joshua-Tree-National Park, California
3. Death Valley National Park, California
4. Sequoia-National Park, California
5. Yosemite National Park, California
6. Pinnacles National Park, California
7. Channel Islands National Park, California
8. Redwood National and State Parks, California
9. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
10. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
11. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
12. Olympic National Park, Washington
13. North Cascades National Park, Washington
14. Glacier National Park, Montana
15. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
16. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
17. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
18. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
19. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
20. Badlands National Park, South Dakota
21. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
22. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
23. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
25. Arches National Park, Utah
26. Canyonlands National Park, Utah
27. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
28. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
29. Great Basin National Park, Nevada
30. Zion National Park, Utah
31. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
32. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
33. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
34. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
35. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
36. Big Bend National Park, Texas
37. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
38. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
39. Congaree National Park, South Carolina
40. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
41. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
42. Acadia National Park, Maine
43. Everglades National Park
44. Dry Torgugas National Park

6. The Roadside Attraction Cross Country Road Trip

If you want to see the real America, there’s no better way than by traveling to all the great roadside attractions. See a giant blue ox in Bemidji, MN, sock house in High Point, NC, or say hi to the aliens at all the Area 51-themed joints in Nevada! This is a great trip if you just wanna be on the road and see cool shit.

Roadside Attractions

1. Seattle Gum Wall (Seattle, WA)
2. World’s Largest Pig Hairball (St. Benedict, OR)
3. Salvation Mountain (Calipatria, CA)
4. Area 51 Alien Travel Center and Alien Cathouse Brothel (Amargosa Valley, NV)
5. Hole N” The Rock (Moab, UT)
6. The Thing (Dragoon, AZ)
7. World’s Largest Pistachio (Alamogordo, NM)
8. Cano’s Castle (Antonito, CO)
9. World’s Largest Ball of Twine (Cawker City, KS)
10. The Blue Whale (Catoosa, OK)
11. Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, TX)
12. Kliebert’s Turtle and Alligator Farm (Ponchatoula, LA)
13. Peavy’s Monster Mart (Fouke, AR)
14. Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum (Weldon Spring, MO)
15. World’s Largest Baseball Bat (Louisville, KY)
16. World’s Largest Cedar Bucket (Murfreesboro, TN)
17. Mammy’s Cupboard (Natchez, MS)
18. World’s Largest Brick (Montgomery, AL)
19. World’s Largest Chicken Wing (Madeira Beach, FL)
20. Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue (Plains, GA)
21. Peachoid Water Tower (Gaffney, SC)
22. World’s Largest Chest of Drawers (High Point, NC)
23. Foamhenge (Centreville, VA)
24. Farnham Colossi-Land of Giants (Unger, WV)
25. Lawyer’s Farm Transformers (Thurmont, MD)
26. Fountain of Youth (Lewes, DE)
27. Lucy the Elephant (Margate City, NJ)
28. World’s Largest Jack-in-the-Box (Middletown, CT)
29. Fighting Seabee (North Kingstown, RI)
30. The Paper House (Rockport, MA)
31. Redstone Rocket (Warren, NH)
32. Lenny the Chocolate Moose (Scarborough, ME)
33. Giant Gorilla (Leicester, VT)
34. Cardiff Giant (Cooperstown, NY)
35. Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Bemidji, MN
36. The Largest Burger in the World (Clearfield, PA)
37. Giant Horseshoe Crab (Blanchester, OH)
38. The (Former) World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan (Charlevoix, MI)
39. Largest Ball of Paint (Alexandria, IN)
40. World’s Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville, IL)
41. UFO Landing Port (Poland, WI)
42. Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox (Bemidji, MN)
43. Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan (Brandon, IA)
44. World’s Largest Ball of Stamps (Boys Town, NE)
45. World’s Only Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)
46. Enchanted Highway (Regent, ND)
47. Talking Penguin Statue (Cut Bank, MT)
48. America’s Smallest Town (PhinDeli Town Buford, WY)
49. Idaho Potato Museum (Blackfoot, ID)

7. Cool Small Towns

Small towns are the heartbeat of every vagabond’s life. These are the towns that show you the cultural differences between cities and states. It’s a great way to see what life is like for our neighbors. I can assure you you’ll feel like you’ve crossed international borders going from Jerome, Arizona to Wiscasset, Maine.

Check These Towns Out

1. Pioneertown (California)
2. Jerome (Arizona)
3. Alpine (Texas)
4. Marfa (Texas)
5. Big Sur Towns (All the towns in Big Sur State Park in California)
6. Weed (California)
7. Grass Valley (California)
8. Ashland (Oregon)
9. Seaside (Oregon)
10. Forks (Washington)
11. Coeur d’Alene (Idaho)
12. Twin Falls (Idaho)
13. Sun Valley (Idaho)
14. Butte (Montana)
15. Black Hills Towns (All the towns in the Black Hills of South Dakota)
16. Wall (South Dakota)
17. Jackson Hole (Wyoming)
18. Ouray (Colorado)
19. Durango (Colorado)
20. Idaho Springs (Colorado)
21. Pigeon Forge (Tennessee)
22. Gatlinburg (Tennessee)
23. Biloxi (Mississippi)
24. Kingston (New York)
25. Beacon (New York)
26. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
27. Montpelier, Vermont
28. Biddeford, Maine
29. Wiscasset, Maine
30. Kingston (Ontario, Canada)

8. Ghost Towns of the US

Ghost Towns are awesome. They’re historically riveting and insanely adventurous. Get your dose of history and picturesque destinations with this Ghost Town road trip.

Beware…

Some of these towns are EXTREMELY hard to find. Attempt at your own risk.

1. Bayhorse, Idaho
2. Rhyolite, Nevada
3. Bodie, California
4. Terlingua, Texas
5. Thurmond, West Virginia
6. Santa Claus, Arizona
7. Flagstaff, Maine
8. Calico, California
9. Virginia City, Montana
10. Cahawba, Alabama
11. Dogtown, Massachusetts
12. Glenrio, Texas and New Mexico
13. Goldfield, Arizona
14. Gleeson, Courtland & Pearce, Arizona
15. Kennecott, Alaska
16. St. Elmo, Colorado
17. Swan Island, Maine
18. Texola, Oklahoma
19. South Pass City, Wyoming
20. Garnet, Montana
21. North Brother Island, New York
22. Animas Forks, Colorado

9. The Roadside Diner Trip

Wanna live the Anthony Bourdain life? This is how ya do it–starting in America. From roadside diners to lobster shacks to pizza joints to soup dumplings, these are must-eats around the country.

Good Food Joints

1. The Pantry Restaurant, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2. Harry’s Coffee Shop, La Jolla, California
3. El Tepeyac Café in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles
4. Otis Cafe, Otis, Oregon
5. Tel-Wink Grill, Houston, Texas
6. Travis Coffee Shop, St. Clair Shores, Michigan
7. Frank’s Diner, Kenosha, Wisconsin
8. Cozy Dog, Springfield, Illinois
9. Bluebird Diner, Iowa City, Iowa
10. Wagner’s Pharmacy, Louisville, Kentucky
11. Winstead’s, Kansas City, Missouri
12. Strawn’s Eat Shop, Shreveport, Louisiana
13. Cafe Du Monde, New Orleans, Louisiana
14. Brent’s Drugs, Jackson, Mississippi
15. The Breakfast Club, Tybee Island, Georgia
16. Howley’s Restaurant, West Palm Beach, Florida
17. Tastee Diner in Asheville, North Carolina
18. DeLuca’s Diner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
19. Gallery Diner, South Boston, Massachusetts
20. The Blue Benn, Bennington, Vermont
21. Palace Diner, Biddeford, Maine
22. The Dueling Lobster Roll Joints in Wiscasset, Maine
23. Pepe’s in New Haven, Connecticut
24. Sally’s Pizza in New Haven, Connecticut
25. Joe’s Shanghai, Chinatown, New York City
26. Tops Diner, East Newark, New Jersey

10. Snowball Adventure

Wanna roll around in the snow and ski or snowboard your way across America? These are the best mountains to stop at.

1. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, California
2. Diamond Peak, Nevada
3. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
4. Powder Mountain, Utah
5. Sundance Mountain Resort, Utah
6. Snowbird, Utah
7. Park City Mountain Resort, Utah
8. Snowbasin, Utah
9. Deer Valley, Utah
10. Sun Valley, Idaho
11. Big Sky, Montana
12. Winter Park, Colorado
13. Vail, Colorado
14. Breckenridge, Colorado
15. Beaver Creek, Colorado
16. Crested Butte, Colorado
17. Steamboat, Colorado
18. Aspen Mountain, Colorado
19. Buttermilk, Colorado
20. Aspen Highlands, Colorado
21. Snowmass, Colorado
22. Purgatory, Colorado
23. Telluride, Colorado
24. Durango, Colorado
25. Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico
26. Hunter Mountain, New York
27. Whiteface Lake Placid, New York
28. Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont
29. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

11. Summer Adventure

Looking for some amazing summer stop-offs to add to your road trip itinerary?

1. Snake River in Idaho
2. Big Sur in California
3. Pacific Coast Highway Drive
4. Verde Valley of Arizona
5. Beartooth Highway from Yellowstone to Montana
6. Interstate 70 in Colorado
7. Black Hills of South Dakota
8. Outer Banks of North Carolina
9. The Casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi
10. Hudson Valley of New York
11. The Montauk Highway in Long Island, New York
12. Drive to Acadia National Park in Maine from Anywhere

12. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

1. Gaslamp District, San Diego
2. Ocean Beach, San Diego
3. Laguna Beach, Orange County
4. Huntington Beach, Orange County
5. Long Beach, Los Angeles County
6. Venice, Los Angeles County
7. Santa Monica, Los Angeles County
8. West Hollywood, Los Angeles County
9. Hollywood, Los Angeles
10. Downtown Los Angeles
11. Los Feliz, Los Angeles
12. Studio City, Los Angeles
13. Malibu, Los Angeles County
14. Santa Barbara
15. Big Sur
16. Santa Cruz
17. San Francisco
18. Napa Valley
19. Mendocino
20. Eureka
21. Redwoods
22. Thor’s Well, Yachats, Oregon
23. Seaside, Oregon
24. Forks, Washington
25. Seattle, Washington

13. East Coast Road Trip

From Quebec to Key West, here are all the spots you should check out to get a good feel for the East Coast.

1. Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2. Burlington, Vermont
3. Bangor, Maine
4. Acadia National Park, Maine
5. Wiscasset, Maine
6. Portland, Maine
7. Biddeford, Maine
8. Portsmouth, New Hampshire
9. Boston, Massachusetts
10. Cape Cod, Massachusetts
11. Providence, Rhode Island
12. Newport, Rhode Island
13. New Haven, Connecticut
14. Beacon, New York
15. New York City
16. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
17. Wilmington, Delaware
18. Baltimore, Maryland
19. Washington DC
20. Charlottesville, Virginia
21. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
22. Asheville, North Carolina
23. Athens, Georgia
24. Atlanta, Georgia
25. Destin, Florida
26. Tampa, Florida
27. Sanibel, Florida
28. Everglades National Park, Florida
29. The Florida Keys
30. Miami, Florida
31. Orlando, Florida
32. Savannah, Georgia
33. Charleston, South Carolina
34. Wilmington, North Carolina
35. The Outer Banks, North Carolina
36. Atlantic City, New Jersey
37. Brooklyn, New York
38. Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York
39. Montauk, New York

Before you leave, get your car camping checklist here.

The post Cross Country Road Trip Ideas – Which Adventure is Best for You? appeared first on Vagabond Secrets.