The college road trip ideas I’m about to lay out are kind of crazy. They’re largely based off of the road trip I embarked on this past summer, but I promise, despite the insanity that a few of these ideas may look like, they were all great fun. That’s why you should follow in my footsteps, should you desire, while also choosing your own path. Without further ado, here are my tips:

10 College Road Trip Ideas

1. Check In To A Hostel

People who stay in hostels are pretty awesome, that’s number one. Number two is that hostels are a great way to get out of your comfort zone. I met many college-aged kids during my stay at hostels in New Orleans and Austin, but that’s just the half of it.

There’s also older folk who like to check in at hostels.

My favorite hostel is the Firehouse Hostel in Austin, TX. It had a hidden lounge behind a bookshelf featuring a lot of classic drinks and what not. To me, no road trip would be complete with staying at a hostel.

2. Help Somebody Get Somewhere

Of all my college road trip ideas, this is probably the craziest. I helped a guy from London get to Phoenix during my trip. I met him in Austin.

Not only does it give you one extra person to hang out with, it can also form an incredible bond–not to mention they can pitch in for gas if they feel inclined. I’m not saying to pick up a hitchhiker, but sometimes you meet people who need get down the road. Oblige them.

3. Visit California

It’s the golden state. It’s where basically every college-aged kid wants to go, and you should to. Make your way out to California, visiting Los Angeles and San Franciso. Oh! And drive the Pacific Coast Highway, that’s the most important part!

4. Catch A Baseball Game

I went to a baseball game in San Francisco and I’ll never forget it. I actually got to see my home team, which was a surreal experience given that I’d only ever seen them in my hometown stadium. Check out your favorite team’s schedule beforehand and try to plan your trip around them.

5. Visit The Grand Canyon

If you’re going to visit California, you might as well stop by the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The whole state of Arizona is beautiful, even though it gets mega-hot during the summer. The GC is arguably the most iconic natural landmark in America, so make sure to see it.

6. Visit Coffeeshops in Every City

Do yourself a favor and google the best coffee shops in every city you visit. You’ll find some freakin’ awesome places which serve equally freakin’ awesome coffee. I found a coffee shop in Austin (which I’ll write about later) that had a theatre in the back of it. I actually went there to see one hour of a 48-hour improv event. It was awesome. Austin was just a great city, if you get the chance you should see that, too.

7. Go To Arches National Park

I went to Yellowstone, I went to Glacier, I’ve even been to Yosemite, but none of them compete with Arches National Park. You simply can’t see anything like Arches anywhere. Oh, and it’s just a five-hour drive from The Grand Canyon. Think about it!

8. Visit A Long-Distance Friend

Of all these college road trip ideas, this one is the most important. I’m serious! You’ll get the most meaning/enjoyment from seeing an old friend than any physical place you visit. Promise me you’ll think about it? Great.

9. See An American Bison

There are 10,000 things you could do on a college road trip, and seeing a Bison, in my opinion, has to be at the top of the list. When I first saw one, I was in shock. You’ve just never seen anything like it until you spot one. You’ll find these in troves up near Yellowstone National Park.

10. See The California Redwoods in Muir Woods

The California Redwoods are just north of San Francisco, which is another must-see city in my opinion. These trees are the tallest living things on planet earth, in case you didn’t know, and as such they demand to be seen.

If you can somehow pull all of these off, you have my respect and need to email me immediately to tell me how it was. This list of college road trip ideas don’t span everything, but they do give you a clear idea of the big things to do. I hope you get to do them all!