From kindergarten to senior year you have spent thousands of hours in the classroom preparing for graduation day. Now that you are an adult it is time to start thinking about spreading your wings a bit and feel that unrestricted parental freedom. At least before you make a large financial commitment to college. The repeated sights of cornfields and cold weather are not quite making the cut, and those who plan to stay in-state might as well treat themselves to a little out-of-state experience. This could be your last summer spent with your high school friends, treat yourself and save up to spend a week in a whole new environment. In this article, I will be addressing my top four vacation spots for senior trips in the U.S. from past experience (not in order).

Montana

For those of you who enjoy atmospheric scenery and travel, Montana provides anywhere from Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Montana is home to over 3000+ lakes and reservoirs. It also provides many tourist attractions such as multiple National Historic Landmarks, one of them being the Going-to-the-Sun Road which provides many hiking opportunities as well as spectacular views. Montana is also the state home to Glacier National Park, also known as the “Crown of the Continent,” because of its array of natural beauty. Montana is definitely a state of outdoor adventure and activities, with more of a visual remembrance for memory than a physical one. A trip to Montana is also cost-efficient as most of your experiences will take place in Montana’s outdoor beauty and wildlife.

Nevada

Home of the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada is mostly a state of desert and not too overwhelming but much hotter than the South Dakota type heat. The state is an attractive location for those who are willing to have more of a dramatic experience, definitely a location for those of an older age. Although you are not allowed to gamble in Las Vegas until you are 21, the 4.2 mile strip provides multiple attractions for tourists such as gourmet restaurants, architecturally complex shopping centers, the bellagio fountains, casinos, the linq, world renowned performances and much more. Not only is it a constantly lively city, but right outside of Las Vegas are multiple gorgeous locations for hiking and scenery. Las Vegas is much more of an “out all night” type of vacation spot and can be much more pricey than other locations due to most attractions requiring money, but it is definitely a bucket list item when it comes to an unforgettable experience.

Florida

Also known as the “Sunshine State,” Florida is an amazing place and is very family-friendly. Attracting thousands of people each year, Florida is a tourist hotspot. As well as it being home to Disney World, it has multiple opportunities for ocean cruising and exploring when on the coast. Florida is like South Dakota cranked up multiple notches with the addition of an ocean. Providing multiple opportunities of fine dining and shopping experience, Florida also provides luxurious access to the ocean, revealing many more memorable experiences such as parasailing, jet skiing, boat rides, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, scuba diving and so much more. Honestly even with a low budget you can get a well-deserved vacation in Florida and a good tan because almost every beach is free to access unless it is private.

California

One of the larger states in the U.S., California offers multiple attractions and gorgeous scenery. California has a wide range of landscape, by offering hot desert, the Redwood Forest, multiple oceanside views and stunning mountain ranges. California has family-friendly and age appropriate activities, such as The San Diego Zoo, Sea World, multiple brand profound shopping opportunities, fine dining, Disneyland and more. Although, there is quite a bit of crime and larger populations of homelessness in some parts. But that can be found anywhere. California can be seen as a spendier vacation by the money requirements for most attractions, but if you are going to want to spend more time outside California offers almost all of your desired terrains.