Summer is coming… finally. Being the responsible Northwestern student that you are, you’ve probably already hooked yourself some high-powered internship somewhere, ready to work and achieve until that kid from high school who got into Harvard over you is jealous of your accomplishments.
Or you’re studying abroad in a foreign country, planning on coming back to school in the fall completely fluent in an exotic language, with accented English and way too many Facebook albums.
Or you have nothing planned. A summer on the couch sound boring to you? Looking for a great way to waste time, money and a lot of valuable gasoline during the summer months away from campus? Enjoy packing many people into a small car and driving for hours upon end through the vast farm fields of the U.S? Sounds like a road trip is exactly what you’re looking for.
Coastlines, beaches and any of the big U.S. cities make for great road trip destinations, but that’s all a bit overdone. Sure you might have fun on a trip to Manhattan, but it’s not the kind of road trip that’s going to stick out in your’s and other people’s minds as something cool, creative and memorable. You want to make people jealous. You want to make people ask, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” You want to make your parents question your motives and direction in life.
So, without further adieu, I bring you…
Music festivals
Concerts always make for a good final destination… especially when they’re at least 3 days long and feature more than 100 bands. Take the hint from these suggestions:
Bonnaroo (Manchester, Tenn.)
Taking place this year from June 14 to 17, the festival features a lineup of more than 100 bands and comedy acts. Some of the big name artists include The Police, The White Stripes, Wilco, The Decemberists and Franz Ferdinand. Tickets run for $184.50 to $214.50 for the three-day-long event.
Summerfest (Milwaukee, Wis.)
With 11 days of straight concerts, Summerfest features more bands than I could ever begin to list. The variety this year ranges from The Styx to Bon Jovi, The Fray to Def Leppard, The Goo Goo Dolls to OAR and Los Lonely Boys to Guster. Oh yes, John Mayer and Ben Folds will also be playing a set together. June 28 to July 8, tickets range in price for each event.
Lollapalooza (Chicago)
Happening right in the midst of the city at Chicago’s Grant Park, Lollapalooza is taking place August 3-5. A grand total of 130 bands will perform, featuring impressive acts like Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Modest Mouse, Interpol, Snow Patrol, The Roots, Regina Spektor, Jack’s Mannequin and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Tickets go for $195 for a three-day pass.
Austin City Limits (Austin, Texas)
Looking to squeeze in one last trip/huge event before school starts? Try Austin City Limits, Sept. 14 to 16. Another giant concert with 130 acts, a few of ACL’s main events include Bob Dylan, Bjork, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists and Ben Kweller. Tickets cost $145 apiece.
And some quirky destinations…
Break away from the concert scene and try something completely out of the ordinary.
Film festivals
Unfortunately the biggest film festivals in the US (a la Sundance, the New York Film Festival) happen in the non-summer months. But there are a couple summer festivals worth mentioning, including the San Francisco Indiefest, happening June 1 through 14. You can also catch the tail end of the Seattle International Film Festival if you head out right after finals. The Seattle festival runs from May 24 to June 17. For ideas of smaller film festivals, check out this site.
National Poetry Slam (Austin, Texas)
If you’re interested in writing and want to see poetry in it’s most interactive and competitive form, head out to Austin from Aug. 7 to 11. The event will host 75 performance poetry teams from across the US and Europe, battling head to head with their wits and words.
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Sturgis, S.D.)
A HUGE convention of motorcyclists from all across the country. Started in 1938, the festival attracted over 500,000 cyclists in 2006. This year it’s taking place Aug 6 to 12.
Pyrotechnics Guild International Annual Convention (West Fargo, N.D.)
Everyone is a little bit of a pyromaniac. I personally manifested my love for fire and brightly glowing objects by swiping strips of magnesium from my high school chemistry lab to light on fire at home. But the PGI Annual Convention offers a safer — and a hell of a lot more spectacular — way to enjoy dangerous exploding objects. A convention of the biggest fireworks companies in the world, it’s taking place Aug 4 through 10. The show on that Friday night is rumored to be the best show in the U.S., where one lucky company is chosen to show off their best products and new inventions. Basically you’ll get to see fireworks that are illegal under any other situation.
Badwater Ultramarathon (Death Valley, Calif.)
If you enjoy long distance running, extreme sports and physical torture, this event is for you. Starting in Death Valley and ending at Mt. Whitney, Calif., the ultramarathon covers 135 miles and three mountain ranges. Runners are potentially forced to withstand temperatures up to 130 degrees and ascend a total of 13,000 feet. Boy, sure sounds like fun to me! The dates are July 23 to 25.
X Games 13 (Los Angeles)
The X Games are the Olympics of extreme sports. Featuring events like BMX freestyle, skateboarding, moto x, rally car racing and surfing, this year’s summer X Games are taking place Aug 2 to 5.
EAA Airventure Oshkosh (Oshkosh, Wis.)
Largely recognized as the world’s best air show, EAA AirVenture will happen July 23-29 this summer. F-22 Raptors, U2 reconnaissance crafts, EAA Warbirds and hundreds of other planes will grace the sky. With over 800 exhibits, this is an event you don’t want to miss.
None of these sound interesting?
Be creative — and a little stalkerish.
Baseball
Follow your favorite baseball team across the country. Or, try to hit Fenway, Wrigley and all the other monumental ballparks. Attend as many big rival games as you can, like Cubs vs. White Sox, Yankees vs. Red Sox… but good luck finding tickets that won’t completely drain your bank account.
Your favorite band
Pick a band you like and follow them on tour. I would suggest a smaller band, since buying tickets for multiple RHCP or DMB concerts would probably leave you begging for more financial aid. But also, following a smaller band means that they’re more likely to notice you’re there — and you’ll therefore probably get a chance to meet them.
Or on the nerdy end…
Since we all know that no matter how hard we try to hide it, Northwestern kids are really just big nerds.
Follow the Oregon Trail
As a generation that grew up on the glories of the computer game, a modern day version of the trek could be a great experience. Start out in either St. Louis or Independence, Mo., and end in Oregon City, Ore. On the way, be sure to hit important landmarks like Chimney Rock (Bayard, Neb.), Fort Laramie (Wyo.), Independence Rock (Evansville, Wyo.), Soda Springs (Ind.), Fort Hall and Fort Boise (Idaho). Diagnose your friends with cholera and scarlet fever along the way. Attempt to barter for food. Just don’t try to ford rivers with your minivan.