3 All-American Road Trips to Take This Summer — From Chasing the Stars to Living the Cowboycore Dream

Summer is road trip season in America!

With endless possible routes — Do you do a multi-day cruise down Highway 1 or a cross-country haul on Route 66? — the options can be overwhelming and the planning complex. To take the guess work out of this classic vacation and put the fun back in, we've curated three inspiring itineraries to kick off your next adventure.

Whether it's viewing bucket-list wonders, hitting the hottest concert tour of the season or indulging in a little summer movie nostalgia, there's something for every type of traveler across the country.

Montana Learning Center Photo

Star-Spangled Summer in the Mountain States

Montana, Idaho & Wyoming

Astrotourism is the biggest trend in travel right now, with folks trekking across the globe to catch the northern lights or see the Milky Way where the sky is darkest. It's even become a wellness trend with experts claiming "star bathing" (that's soaking in starlight in a natural setting) is good for your health.

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We're lucky to have a number of "dark sky" regions in the U.S. that are ideal for stargazing. including in Montana's Glacier National Park, where this road trip kicks off.

Time your trip to attend one of two summer Star Parties at Logan Pass (July 25 and August 22), where visitors are joined by park rangers and astronomers to use high-powered telescopes to view the cosmos. There are also nightly astronomy programs offered throughout the park.

Further south, the Big Sky Star Festival runs July 9-11 and gives visitors the chance to view celestial objects through a 32" telescope. The Montana Learning Center in Canyon Ferry Lake hosts special astronomer-led stargazing sessions one weekend a month for from June through September.

This summer is also the time to catch the Perseid meteor shower, which reaches its peak August 12-13. And later in the year, ongoing "solar maximum" conditions mean visitors have a good chance to catch the Northern Lights starting in October.

COURTESY GEM MOUNTAIN SAPPHIRE MINE

When you need a break from looking up, why not search for some sparklers underfoot?

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Visitors can seek out precious stones at Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine in Philipsburg, Mont., where 180 million carats have been discovered in its 130 years of operation. Tourists purchase a bucket of "sapphire gravel" mined on site and pan for gems, then have their finds evaluated and even turned into a piece of jewelry.

It's impossible to forego a visit to Yellowstone National Park when you're so close. While it's worth a dedicated trip of its own, the Artist's Point Trail is the perfect low-effort pit stop. It was recently named of the easiest hikes in America and offers spectacular views with minimal steps.

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Cross the border into Idaho for a different type of starry experience – the Hollywood variety. Jimmy Kimmel opened South Fork Lodge a hotel and restaurant in Swan Valley, where he famously welcomed a slew of A-listers including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Kristen Bell for dinner. Make a reservation and experience the elevated "fishing lodge fare" of celeb chefs Chris Bianco and Adam Perry Lang.

Another star-favorite spot, Jackson Hole, Wyo., a little over an hour east, is the perfect starry end point to this journey and has all the creature comforts and then some after a long trek.

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Cowboycore in the Southwest

Nevada & Arizona

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour has helped inspire an obsession with all things Wild West this year — and her stop in Las Vegas (July 25 - 26) is the perfect excuse to strap on your spurs, or at least purchase a cowboy hat. (Sales are up 300% according to one study.) Even if you can't score a last-minute ticket, Sin City is sure to be filled with pop-ups, special events and beyhive buzz for the occasion.

CONNIE ZHOU; Bill Milne

While in town, snag a reservation at steakhouse Don's Prime inside the new celeb-favorite Fontainebleau hotel (Tom Brady and Justin Timberlake are fans), for a cowboy-worthy cut of meat like the dry-aged bone-in ribeye from Pat LaFrieda.

Michele Sylvester

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Leave the bright lights behind and head southwest from the Strip toward the ghost town of Goodspring, home of the Pioneer Saloon, one of the oldest such establishments in Nevada with a colorful history including a poker match that ended in a shootout. It's also been a frequent filming location and appears in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and fittingly, several episodes of Ghost Adventures.

Steve Makowski/Sandy Valley Ranch

Get a real taste of life as a Cowboy for a Day just down the road at Sandy Valley Ranch, where visitors can take part in cattle handling training, trail rides, penning and sorting cattle and a cattle drive before ending the day with a campfire on the range. They also offer one-of-a-kind overnight accommodations including two covered wagons.

Michael Urmann / Alamy

The town of Oatman (pop. 130) just across the Arizona border is famous for its free-roaming burros — the descendants of the donkeys that once aided miners during the area's gold rush (and yes, there are more of them than people). Today they keep busy wandering alongside the town's wooden sidewalks and nudging visitors for snacks. Visitors can also catch a staged Old West shootout by the Ghost Rider Gunfighters in this kitschy destination and get a taste of Route 66 history. It runs right through the middle of town!

As you head east toward the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, there are plenty of roadside stops. One, the time warp town of Seligman, is said to have inspired Radiator Springs, the fictional setting of Cars. Another, Kanab, is known as “Little Hollywood” for the many Westerns filmed there, including The Lone Ranger and Pony Express.

Bailey Made

Under Canvas is the perfect place to check-in for the night and still feel surrounded by nature. They offer glamping accommodations — think a private, raised platform tent with a wood stove, but a short hike to shared showers — located near a number of national parks. Under Canvas Grand Canyon is well situated near the Mather Point and Grandview Point lookouts, while Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase is a great launch spot for those looking to take a pontoon boat tour through the breathtaking slot canyons.

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A street view of some of the shops in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard. Yes, there is a hostel on the island!AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R36ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R56ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

New England Nostalgia in Massachusetts

Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod

Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, and in Edgartown, Mass., aka the real-life Amity Island, a taste for the classic film comes with the territory. Located on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod that can be accessed by car ferry, the town looks much the same as it did on screen.

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Film fanatics can take a Jaws-themed walking tour — self-guided or hop-on-hop-off — and can even catch a ride on the infamous Chappy Ferry that appears in one of the most iconic scenes in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic.

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Martha's Vineyard is also famous for its beaches, quaint cedar-shingled cottages and famous frequent visitors, including the Obama family, Spike Lee and David Letterman.

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Back across the Vineyard Sound on Cape Cod, the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth is a delightfully kitschy stop. It's home to real pirate treasure recovered from an 18th-century shipwreck, the Whydah Gally, discovered off the Cape in 1984. A less authentic site outside also delights visitors: You can't leave without snapping a photo with the bearded pirate captain seated on the bench.

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For a taste of a classic New England's delicacy, head further out onto the peninsula to Ocean Edge Resort for an oyster bed tour. Guests can wade out into the water on a guided excursion of a working farm. Then head back to dry land for a shucking demo and tasting.

Peter Ptschelinzew/Getty Images Moonrise at Race Point Light house

A one of a kind experience awaits at the very last outpost on Cape Cod, Provincetown, where visitors can visit the Race Point Lighthouse, then spend the night in the quaint Keeper's House next door, where the stewards who maintained the rotating beacon until it was automated in 1972, resided. Overnight guests can even watch the sun set from the top of the lighthouse surrounded by the peaceful Cape National Seashore.

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