Millennial wanderlust is stronger than ever.
Fresh out of quarantine, the generation — which spends more on travel than any other age group — is ready to pack its bags for summer vacation.
Since millennials aren't flying to Portugal or other European favorites this year, Business Insider rounded up 15 stateside weekend getaways millennials will love that are accessible by car from major cities.
We determined this list by first identifying the US Census Bureau's five most populous cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix. We then narrowed the destinations down by capping driving distance from each city at 150 miles, which is typically less than three hours of driving. For Houston and Texas, we expanded driving distance to 220 miles, equivalent to 3.5 hours, since many closer destinations had recently reported upticks in coronavirus cases.
Each destination was then selected based on three factors: Instagrammability, outdoor-friendliness, and ease of social distancing.
Note that while nonessential travel restrictions are slowly being lifted, summer plans aren't a go everywhere. Some states have specific travel restrictions in place. Make sure to check these restrictions, follow guidelines from the CDC website, and consult travel advisories before hitting the road — and take precautions if you do.