You see them as soon as you pull off Route 85 and onto local roads. The orange paws are everywhere: painted on roads, covering driveways, and plastered on local businesses. The passion of Clemson Tiger Nation is undeniable and perfectly embodied by their fiery (and uniquely named) coach, Dabo Swinney, who has led the Tigers on a rapid ascent over the past several years. If you catch a game, be sure to be there before kickoff—the Clemson players touching Howard’s Rock and the Run Down the Hill onto the field has been dubbed “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.” Outside of football, Clemson offers plenty of outdoor activities: Play a round at Walker Golf Course, generally regarded as one of the top college golf courses in the nation (the par-three 17th hole is shaped like, you guessed it, a tiger paw). Fill your day with water sports at Lake Hartwell, or stroll through the beautiful South Carolina Botanical Garden. Be sure to grab a beer at the famed ESSO Club, whose name comes from its origins as a gas station and grocery store and is known as one of the best college sports bars in America.