What are your favorite vacation destinations/spots in the U.S.?

Looking4Answers · Post by **Looking4Answers** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:44 am

Numerous posts on favorite vacation destinations are outside of the U.S.
Numerous least favorite are in the U.S.

So I thought I would ask, what are your favorite vacation destinations in the U.S.? Please feel free to comment on favorite spots that might not be a destination in themselves, but were particularly interesting or enjoyable. For instance, places you stopped on a road trip, side trips, weekend jaunts, etc.

Glockenspiel · Post by **Glockenspiel** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:58 am

-The North Shore of Minnesota -
-Boundary Waters/Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
-Theodore Roosevelt State Park in North Dakota - had just the most spectacular and picturesque day here.
-The Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa - gorgeous bluff country
-La Jolla, California
-Kauai, Hawaii - probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen
-Monterey, Big-Sur, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Looking4Answers · Post by **Looking4Answers** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:01 am

Glockenspiel wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:58 am -The North Shore of Minnesota -
-Boundary Waters/Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota
-Theodore Roosevelt State Park in North Dakota - had just the most spectacular and picturesque day here.
-The Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa - gorgeous bluff country
-La Jolla, California
-Kauai, Hawaii - probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen
-Monterey, Big-Sur, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

You've already made me glad I started this thread!

bg5 · Post by **bg5** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:07 am

Northern Michigan is a must.....the shores of lake Michigan are amazing....Check out Sleeping Bear Dunes, towns like Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. Take a trip over the bridge and head to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan), Go to Mackinaw Island.....head to towns like Munising and take a trip over to Lake Superior.....its amazing

stoptothink · Post by **stoptothink** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:10 am

We aren't big "travelers" per se (wife and I both agree after we have tried, A LOT, and we do travel a bit with work) so mine either are associated with climbing a mountain or some other form of hike (ie. King's Peak and Mt. Whitney are two of my recent favorites) or spending time with specific people. We are close to an aunt of mine who has an amazing house on the beach in Encinitas, California. We visit almost every summer (currently planning this summer's trip), so that would be another.

CPA without a cause · Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:12 am

Tucson, Arizona is one of my favoriate places...UNESCO world heritage food site, the ecosystem is incredibly diverse in terms of flora and fauna, and the weather is fantastic. also is really funky, hip place.

Asheville, NC, go in October when the leaves are changing and drive the blue ridge mountain roadway. downtown asheville has tons of restaurants and shops, very cute.

new york city has the best museums and restaurants on earth.

new mexico, utah, and western colorado are jammed with amazing national parks.

fasteddie911 · Post by **fasteddie911** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 11:32 am

Road trips through western US visiting national parks, small towns, etc. have been my favorite vacations overall.

Cruise · Post by **Cruise** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:32 am

Coastal Maine drive that ends in Digby, Nova Scotia. (Love those lobsters and scallops!)
Island of Lanai, Hawaii. (Even though Larry Ellison does make me rent a room.)
Alaska (by small boat cruise, of course).
Zion National Park (off season, no crowds)
Anyplace where there is a golf course by the sea.

TLC1957 · Post by **TLC1957** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:40 am

Cruise wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 12:32 am Coastal Maine drive that ends in Digby, Nova Scotia. (Love those lobsters and scallops!)
Island of Lanai, Hawaii. (Even though Larry Ellison does make me rent a room.)
Alaska (by small boat cruise, of course).
Zion National Park (off season, no crowds)
Anyplace where there is a golf course by the sea.

The next time you go to Nova Scotia make your way over to Prince Edward Island if LOVE lobster and golf. Many golf courses with an ocean view!

https://golfpei.ca/

bradinsky · Post by **bradinsky** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:56 am

bg5 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:07 am Northern Michigan is a must.....the shores of lake Michigan are amazing....Check out Sleeping Bear Dunes, towns like Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. Take a trip over the bridge and head to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan), Go to Mackinaw Island.....head to towns like Munising and take a trip over to Lake Superior.....its amazing

++++1

msi · Post by **msi** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:32 am

Charleston is my favorite. Beautiful city with great food and history.

PoppyA · Post by **PoppyA** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:35 am

Mesa Verde blew my mind https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Very touristy but Niagara Falls also blew my mind.

NYC, but only because I know my way around.

lthenderson · Post by **lthenderson** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:24 am

My favorite vacation destinations where there are not many people to spoil the experience and one can still see things the way they were before being developed as a tourism destination. Hence I won't be spilling the beans on a public forum.

as9 · Post by **as9** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:00 am

+1 to Charleston
The Finger Lakes (NY)
The southern part of the Outer Banks (Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands)
Newport and the Connecticut / RI coast
Philadelphia for the history and the food

rholt · Post by **rholt** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:10 am

If we are talking summer....

my next trip will be Seattle, Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands (plus Vancouver BC)

July/August in that part of the country can be magical.

skp · Post by **skp** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:10 pm

I've been to a lot of great places. I'd say my favorites were the Ozarks in Arkansas (Buffalo River canoeing, a day at Branson, music at Ozark Folk Center, "spa" day in Eureka, and LOTS of hiking and gorgeous scenery). and the NorthWEST corner of Nebraska (near Chadron- we stayed at Fort Robinson State Park and did Mount Rushmore, Custer, and camped under Chimney Rock with a real overnight Oregon wagon train.

JPM · Post by **JPM** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 1:45 pm

NYC. Art museums are my favorite there as well as people watching. Very good Medical there. Due to DW's health issues, we are not going anywhere without good local medical anymore. Used to stay at a Hyatt on fifth avenue near the Metropolitan Museum and the other fifth ave museums, but it's gone now. Have stayed at the Sheraton on 7th, not a far walk to the fifth avenue art museums and very good service there when we had a health emergency.

Leelanau county, Michigan in summer/fall. Beaches, small nearby city Traverse City with good medical at regional medical center. Slow paced vacation with beaches, wine, scenery. Not much of an art scene AFAIK.

Chicago used to be, not so much now. Very good medical. Good Art scene. Field Museum of Natural History has a great artefact collection. It helps to know merchandise, otherwise hire a docent to get the most out of it. Art Institute, Modern Art, and Driehaus museums also good. Can stay within easy walking distance of the lakefront museum campus at the Blackstone. Regrettably the Palmer House has closed.

Marquette, Mi and Copper Harbor area of the Michigan UP in fall. Quiet, great fall color, interesting history. Good medical in Marquette with regional medical center there. No art scene AFAIK.

Sarasota, Fl used to be but haven't been there in 6 years and I understand it's a lot more crowded than it used to be. Otherwise, a great walking town with plenty to do, active art and theater scene. OK medical.

Liked the Florida Keys a lot, but medical there not much so no longer a consideration.

In Wisconsin, Door County is fine in the off seasons when the kids are back in school. Good medical in Green Bay. Similarly northern Wi and northern Mi are more enjoyable in fall and especially in Winter if you enjoy outdoor winter sports. Winter is also the best time for stargazing there, when the humidity is low and the skies are clear and the tourists have taken most of the light pollution with them.

Rochester Mn is really great for really great medical.

homebuyer6426 · Post by **homebuyer6426** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 1:59 pm

The mountain region of North Carolina for hiking and camping.

spickups09 · Post by **spickups09** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 4:03 pm

I'm a big fan of the Great Smoky Mountains area in eastern Tennessee.

Petrocelli · Post by **Petrocelli** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 4:57 pm

New York City. Great museums. Great food. Great walking city.

plog · Post by **plog** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:36 pm

I second all the above but don't see two of my favorites:

San Francisco - ocean, parks, scenery, great food, weather, the Bay Bridge (that's the one to be impressed by), Exploratorium, mass transit that works. Just get on a bicycle or start walking in a direction and you will have a great time.

Las Vegas - Let X be something you enjoy. For all values of X Las Vegas has at least 2 of the top 10 places in the world to enjoy X. Whether that be Egyptian food, four wheeling, Korean tacos, enjoying a spa day, shooting guns, hummus, driving a bulldozer, fine art or Czechoslovakian food.

Metsfan91 · Post by **Metsfan91** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:04 pm

bg5 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:07 am Northern Michigan is a must.....the shores of lake Michigan are amazing....Check out Sleeping Bear Dunes, towns like Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. Take a trip over the bridge and head to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan), Go to Mackinaw Island.....head to towns like Munising and take a trip over to Lake Superior.....its amazing

I did this once! Enough for me.

NYC is my favorite vacation destination. I can go again and again again.

U.S. 61 in Minnesota. Beautiful!

DoubleComma · Post by **DoubleComma** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:51 pm

California Sierra Nevadas, especially the eastern Sierra. Some fantastic skiing, mountain biking, hiking, camping fishing. It simply has everything I love.

Thaddeus · Post by **Thaddeus** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 11:15 pm

Southern coast of Oregon:
Rugged forested mountains edging a craggy shoreline, with many beautiful beaches.
Top bucket list single destination activity: A doors-off helicopter flight over the Na Pali coast of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. It is otherworldly, and a helicopter ride is the only way to fully behold its glory. Be forewarned: after experiencing this flight, any subsequent scenic flights you ever take will be a letdown. Unless maybe you have an F-16 in the Grand Canyon.

wabbott · Post by **wabbott** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 2:54 am

Highway 1/Big Sur and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Walt Disney World/Disneyland - I become thirteen years old again when I'm those places.

heyyou · Post by **heyyou** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 3:29 am

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon at 9000 feet is special when it is 110+ degrees in Phoenix. The aspen forest on the way to the North Rim is green and cool even in mid-summer, perfect for camping.

The Big Island of Hawaii suited us at Hapuna Beach. Every trip, we stayed a few days in those villages out on the north east tip, and did the hike to Pololu beach with its black sand. We also liked the lodging in Hilo, and the Asian-inspired fast food there. We have poked a long stick into liquid lava when it was flowing outside of Volcano Park.

niagara_guy · Post by **niagara_guy** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 3:53 am

National Parks, Niagara Falls, fall colors in the northeast, Rocky Mountains, roads less traveled and small towns, Washington DC (Smithsonian, etc.), New York City, Chicago, any area with mountains, anyplace near an ocean, Alaska, Hawaii, Oshkosh air show (usually in July, 10,000 planes).

Wherever I can see a total solar eclipse (one on October 14th, 2023 Texas to the Pacific northwest, one on April 8th, 2024 Texas to New England). We were in the middle of the total eclipse in 2017, it was just stunning. The 2024 eclipse will go just south of Niagara Falls.

egri · Post by **egri** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 3:59 am

Newport, RI and the Cape and Islands. After Labor Day but before the leaves start turning en masse; most of the touristy stuff from the summer will still be open, but the crowds will have abated.

Jeepergeo · Post by **Jeepergeo** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:15 am

The Arizona Strip.

Grand Canyon Parashant

Kings Canyon National Park in Winter

Yosemite National Park in Winter

Montana de Oro State Park in California

Joshua Tree National Park

Rock Creek, Eastern Sierras

Cimmaron, NM

Prairie Creek State Park in California

Wimea, Kauai, HI

tadamsmar · Post by **tadamsmar** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:19 am

Snowbird Mountain Lodge

https://snowbirdlodge.com/

MarkBarb · Post by **MarkBarb** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:27 am

Monterey Peninsula (we prefer to stay in Pacific Grove)

Dory trip through the Grand Canyon (outside motor season)

Buffalo National River in Arkansas

Colorado skiing (we like Winter Park, but there are soooo many good options)

Western National Parks for hiking (Zion, Bryce, Rocky Mountain, Grand Tetons, Arches, Yellowstone)

Disney World (haven't taken the family there since 2011 and what I've heard in the last few years makes me not very interested in going back)

NYC (but only for <= 3 days; after that, I have to get out)

Boundary Waters Canoe Area

mholdi1540 · Post by **mholdi1540** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:33 am

Broadway Plays & abundant Restaurants in Manhatten

smitcat · Post by **smitcat** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:50 am

Hamburg cove - Ct. River.

Barkingsparrow · Post by **Barkingsparrow** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:19 pm

tadamsmar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:19 am Snowbird Mountain Lodge

https://snowbirdlodge.com/

Wow. Blast from the past. We've been there twice but it's been at least 15 years. Do they still specialize in trout at dinner time?

Barkingsparrow · Post by **Barkingsparrow** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:26 pm

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Southern Oregon Coast
Key West, Florida
Canadian Rockies
Vancouver Island, BC
Olympic National Park, Washington
Grand Canyon National Park
Crater Lake National Park
San Francisco - we stay in a boutique hotel located in the Pacific Heights, near the Presidio.

afr · Post by **afr** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:48 pm

lthenderson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:24 am My favorite vacation destinations where there are not many people to spoil the experience and one can still see things the way they were before being developed as a tourism destination. Hence I won't be spilling the beans on a public forum.

Would that be on the Moon or Mars?

tadamsmar · Post by **tadamsmar** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:09 pm

Barkingsparrow wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:19 pm
tadamsmar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:19 am Snowbird Mountain Lodge

https://snowbirdlodge.com/
Wow. Blast from the past. We've been there twice but it's been at least 15 years. Do they still specialize in trout at dinner time?

They specialize in local cuisine like trout, they have a few entrees.

jandres12 · Post by **jandres12** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:12 pm

St. Augustine, FL. I don't care what anybody else says, find a more historic place in the Continental U.S.

Ron Ronnerson · Post by **Ron Ronnerson** » Sat Jan 28, 2023 10:21 pm

Santa Barbara, New York City, Hawaii

TomatoTomahto · Post by **TomatoTomahto** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 6:22 am

I’m not sure these count as vacation spots, but:

Our home in rural Massachusetts has a salt water pool, hot tub, sauna, tennis court and more wildlife than you can imagine this close to Boston.

Our pied a terre in NYC lets us visit without having the hassle of hotel rooms, bringing clothes, etc. Acela train makes it easy to go between them.

ScubaHogg · Post by **ScubaHogg** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:12 am

Probably the entirety of the Jackson Hole / Tetons area of Wyoming. It’s almost fake it’s so pretty

Random Musings · Post by **Random Musings** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:32 pm

Family voted on these (* for ones I only have visited). We do have other favorites as well, so many great places to visit in the U. S.

- Glacier NP *
- Yellowstone/Grand Teton NP
- Charleston, SC
- Williamsburg area
- Coastal Maine/Acadia NP
- Black Hills/Badlands NP
- Hawaiian Islands (Oahu least favorite)
- Great Smoky Mountains NP/Asheville NC/Friends Lake Cabin
- Utah Big Five Loop & Grand Canyon North Rim
- Kings Canyon*/Sequoia NP*
- Siesta Key
- Chicago

Sadly, San Francisco has been removed from the list. Chicago is on the edge.....

RM

srt7 · Post by **srt7** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:58 pm

Beaches: Kauai, Pensacola, San Diego
Skiing/Winter experiences: Colorado
City life: New York, NY

BernardShakey · Post by **BernardShakey** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 11:01 pm

Here's a few:

Squam Lake in New Hampshire in the summer / fall
Maine central coast in the summer
Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park in June
Bodie Ghost town in the Eastern Sierras in CA
June Lake, CA
California Central Coast (Montana De Oro SP for example) in the summer
Northern Vermont in the autumn
The White Mountains in New Hampshire in the summer / fall
Shenandoah Nat'l Park in Virginia in the autumn
Washington DC - so much
Chicago (Wrigley Field, Ravinia Festival, Chicago River Architecture Tour at dusk, Art Museum)
Boston (Fenway, downtown)
NYC (Central Park, jogging on the Upper East Side, The Frick, and love the Tenement Museum Apartment Tours on the Lower East Side)
Natchez, Mississippi - outstanding historic town on the river
Torrey Pines / La Jolla in CA
Utah National Parks
Mesa Verde and Rocky Mtn National Parks in Colorado
Boulder, CO
Santa Fe, NM

Workaholic · Post by **Workaholic** » Sun Jan 29, 2023 11:11 pm

Scottsdale, AZ
Orlando, FL
Honolulu, HI
Washington D.C.
Key West, FL

MrWasabi65 · Post by **MrWasabi65** » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:28 am

Manhattan, a million times over

Taos, NM, a million times over

Finger Lakes, NY in summer- enjoy very much

Palm Springs CA in winter, enjoy very much

San Francisco, enjoy very much

Boulder, CO, enjoy very much

Nantucket, MA - enjoy very much

Most FLA keys, except Key West

Las Vegas

numerous other places I used to love, but now too overun with tourism/commercialism and that's that.

Cheez-It Guy · Post by **Cheez-It Guy** » Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:09 am

lthenderson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:24 am My favorite vacation destinations where there are not many people to spoil the experience and one can still see things the way they were before being developed as a tourism destination. Hence I won't be spilling the beans on a public forum.

Correct.

OpenMinded1 · Post by **OpenMinded1** » Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:58 am

Cities: 1) DC, 2) New York, 3) San Francisco

Coastal Areas: 1) Monterey to Morrow Bay, CA; 2) Northwest Washington near La Push, 3) The Delmarva peninsula. It's a sentimental favorite. I have many great memories from there, childhood thru young adulthood. Too touristy for me now.

National Park Areas: 1) The combination of Grand Teton and Yellowstone NPs. A great area for fly fishing with many large animals, geothermal features, and beautiful scenery. Like someone else said, the scenery is spectacular to the point of not seeming real. I found this especially true of the Yellowstone Falls and Jackson Hole areas, 2) Numerous National Parks in Utah, 3 )The Grand Canyon