Best Summer Vacation Spots in the USA
By Tully Luxury Travel | 12-11-2023 |
Balmy beaches, vibrant cities, unique attractions and ample natural beauty – you will never be at a loss for places to visit during the summer in the United States. The list is as long as your arm and longer. Despite the fact that there are more travelers on the go in July and August, summer is an excellent time to explore the US – the weather is perfect, the festivals are gearing up, the farmers’ markets are bursting with flavor, and you get the chance to meet some of the most interesting people. Here are a few good ideas for finding that ideal summer vacation.
See yourself beside the seaside?
There are two sides to the beach coin: lying in the sun and building sandcastles or reading a novel on a wraparound porch – both equally beach blissful. Cape Cod comes to mind, with its sand dunes, lobster rolls and soothing sunsets, Boston within easy reach. You could go kayaking with the seals at Cape Elizabeth in Portland, Maine, or head down to dreamy seaside nostalgia at Virginia Beach, Virginia. Southern charm can be found along the quiet beaches of Jekyll Island, Georgia. And while not generally a summertime vacation, Hawaii comes through with its abundance of lush landscape, gorgeous waterfalls and romantic hideaways.
Heading into the great wide open?
With all that Big Sky Country waiting to be discovered, the classic American icons could be your ticket to the best summer ever. Think big – bucket-list big: the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yellowstone National Park in the northwest, Yosemite National Park in California – all filled with natural wonder, hiking and biking, amazing wildlife and gorgeous vistas. Even some of the more glamorous places like Marfa, Texas, and Palm Springs, California, are filled with natural treasures and intriguing terrain.
Looking for family-friendly fun?
Some of the best US summer family vacations are the ones in which the journey is just as important as the destination. Road trips are great for bringing everyone together with a sole mission. Water parks, amusement parks and theme parks are spread all across the country – in addition to the big-ticket Disney and Universal parks in Florida and California – offering family-friendly fun just waiting for you to jump in – grandparents, too.
Itching for urban adventure?
The US is internationally recognized for having cities with real flavor, cosmopolitan environments immortalized in movies and music. A Broadway show in New York and a Hollywood tour in Los Angeles are the top of many summer vacation agendas. Chicago thrills with its art collections and architecture, while New Orleans moves to the beat of its own festival drums and Nashville comes through with incredible live music. San Francisco has its captivating neighborhoods, while Miami resonates with pools and patios. Interestingly, in many cases, city getaways in the summer months actually yield more available restaurant chairs and quieter streets.
Want to wander in wine country?
Drinking your way through the palate-pleasing wine regions of the US is satisfying on many levels – bucolic, peaceful, delicious. California comes through with the brilliant Cabernet Sauvignons of Napa and Sonoma, a region equally as renowned for its farm-to-table cuisine and giant redwood forests. The cellars of Paso Robles are lined with incredible Zinfandels and Cabernets. Perhaps your tastes sway to the Pinot Noirs of Willamette Valley, Oregon, or the up-and-coming wineries of Albuquerque, New Mexico? There are a lot more wine regions to choose from than you think. Even over in the eastern US, more than 100 wineries can be discovered around the dozen or so Finger Lakes, famous for its Riesling.
Wherever you end up wandering, you can definitely count on home-grown, old-fashioned American hospitality – a warm and unique cordiality that you won’t find anywhere else.