Standing on top of the Eiffel tower is an amazing experience. It seems like everyone wants to go to Paris – and I would like to go back myself. The Colosseum in Rome is an unforgettable place that forever leaves an imprint on your soul. Seeing the sites in London was an amazing experience. Those are some things I will never forget. However, I want to turn our attention to things right here in the USA for this post. We have some incredible sights, awesome locations, and usually not nearly as expensive as a European vacation or other overseas locations. Here are 7 Exciting Places to Vacation in the US.
Florida Keys
This famous chain of islands off of the southern coast of Florida extend from Biscayne National Park in the north over 125 miles to Key West, which is known as the hot spot or the party place. However, there is much beauty and adventure on the other islands as well. The drive itself from Miami to Key West is known as one of America’s most famous road trips.
The Keys are known for a Caribbean type feel that actually makes them feel a bit more international rather than mainland U.S. A trip to the keys can be many things to various people and personalities. It can mean relaxing by the water sipping an umbrella drink or it may be adrenalin pumping action of catching a trophy fish or taking a scuba dive down to a scuttled ship.
These islands are made up of five very unique travel destinations Key West, The Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada, and the much identifiable name – Key Largo.
The smart thing to do is to study the various locations, see what is unique about each location, so you can plan what might be of most enjoyment and interest to you.
There are some shuttle services from Fort Lauderdale and Miami Airports, but you will sure miss a lot using that method. Depending on your starting location, some folks bite the bullet of time and road travel and drive to Miami before embarking on their Keys journey. But certainly, a lot of folks take a flight to Miami then take a rental car for their journey through the keys.
The Florida Keys consistently show up as a top travel destination for Baby Boomers and older. And in general, makes many travel bloggers lists of exciting places to vacation in the U.S.
San Francisco
Well, let’s just pony up and take ourselves 3300 miles to the other side of the country and have a look at San Francisco. We were all much younger then, but taking our family of five to San Francisco is one of the trips that I remember most fondly. It’s hard to describe San Francisco. It’s quirky, beautiful, historic, and extremely interesting and entertaining.
There is the breathtaking Golden Gate Bridge to the eery feeling of Alcatraz Island, to Lombard Street, sometimes called “the crookedest street in the world,” and the legendary street cars – it is an amazing place. You can let your inner hippie out and drive through the Haight-Ashbury location if you want.
Crooked streets of San Fran
San Francisco also affords easy access and a great chance to a most beautiful drive down California’s scenic Highway After curving around the Monterey Peninsula, our family stopped in the coastal city of Monterey. We enjoyed the great scenery, good seafood, and the popular Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Just as an aside, when we took our rented mini-van on that particular day trip to Monterey, it had to be raining similar to the time of Noah’s flood much of the day. We could still see the beauty of our surroundings but know we would have enjoyed it much better had the weather been good. In addition, I almost snapped a couple of times and threatened three youngsters to within an inch of their lives because of their whining when they got tired of the van… and especially the rain. I need to write a complete article about our San Fran trip sometime. it was awesome, but there were several challenges considering the ages of our kids at that time.
Bad weather aside, it was a remarkable trip and I highly recommend that if you haven’t taken, put it on your bucket list.
Alaskan Cruise
Being known as one of America’s final frontiers, Alaska has become a great destination for travelers. And a great way to do that is by way of an Alaskan cruise. This one usually always is listed as one of the big to-dos for folks in the over 50 categories. U.S. News and World Reports state that 12% of US Baby Boomers who travel have Alaska on their bucket list. Combining the popularity of Alaska’s breathtaking scenery with the number of cruise deals available makes this an appealing vacation alternative.
Alaska Mountains, Photo by Matt Howard on Unsplash
It’s a great way to see part of Alaska in comfort and style. There are plenty of companies who offer Alaskan cruises so folks generally can find one that is easy to fit into their schedule and budget options.
Alaskan cruises typically include the Inside Passage, which is a majestic part of Alaska’s landscape. Along the way, you will see the famous Hubbard Glacier along with other glaciers and fjords (can you say that)? Many times cruisers will have the opportunity to see various types of wildlife. Often, on most cruise itineraries there will be trips to small Alaskan towns and the opportunity for guests to walk through parts of beautiful Alaskan forests.
For the more adventurous, there are some cruise opportunities that can include mountain biking, kayaking, and ice-fishing.
Seeing Alaska via a cruise ship continues to be a good, safe, but an adventurous option for a wonderful travel experience.
New York City
The “Big Apple” will continue to remain as one of America’s top tourist attractions. There are the obvious landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the incredible view of the city from the top of the Empire State building, but so much more. Broadway shows, Times Square, Grand Central Station, NBC tours, plus all sorts of cuisine are just a sampling of things to do.
Times Square Photo by Joe Yates on Unsplash
A trip to the 9-11 Memorial and museum will put a lump in your throat and let you pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
When we were there we took in one of the Friday morning concerts they were doing on the “Today Show.”
One of the things that we especially enjoyed was the affordable Circle Line Complete 3 hour Manhattan Cruise, a great way to see the city sights from the water. But there is never a shortage of things to do and. As Mr. Sinatra sang “the city that never sleeps” is a pretty good description and the atmosphere and lights of your evening outings make for great memories.
Statue of Liberty with New York’s Financial District in the background. Photo by BICAD MEDIA on Unsplash
Just remember to have plenty of cab fare, learn proper cab hailing techniques, and you will be fine navigating the city. However, many elect to take the bus tours so that they will be sure to hit all of the high spots. There are so many things to see and do.
Don’t miss out on New York City.
Sedona, Arizona
I’ve only been into Arizona a couple of times and I was surprised to see Sedona continually pop up as a favorite destination. It must be my ignorance I guess because some have called Sedona, Arizona one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The location and geological layout is the big key to the beauty. Multi-hued red-rock formations can literally change colors by the minute as the weather fluctuates and lighting changes occur. The pine forests in Sedona are visually incredible and they provide quite a few lodes in the forest to provide tourists with a vacation in the middle of incredible natural beauty and various types of wildlife through the pines.
Sedona Rock Formation
The climate is mild and that makes it attractive to seniors. Also, the Grand Canyon is only a two-hour drive.
I’m sure you have probably seen a lot of concert footage that was shot at Red Rocks amphitheater. The way it is formed geologically it is known as incredible naturally occurring, and almost acoustically perfect performance venue. From opera stars to U2, and the Beatles have played at Red Rocks.
So, on this list, it looks like Sedona, Arizona makes the cut.
Yellowstone National Park
We could do an entire website on all of your national parks in the United States, but Yellowstone National Park is one that is constantly noted for tourism and points of interest. As you probably know, parts of Yellowstone stretch through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. This beautiful treasure of land, wildlife, and the environment was the first national park in the U.S. and it is believed to be the first national park in the world.
The park is a home to many forms of wildlife that many people hope to see…some from a safe distance, that is. Yellowstone wildlife includes moose, elk, bison, bears, wolves otters, fox.
You can choose to stay inside the park in hotels, modern or historic, such as the Old Faithful Inn, which is stated to be the world’s largest log structure. There are van and bus tours available and many take advantage of the self-guided tour materials that can be provided.
Speaking of Old Faithful, although not the largest geyser in Yellowstone, it is the most reliable. It erupts every 44 to 125 minutes every day living up to its name. Waiting for an eruption of “Old Faithful” can be one of the highlights of any venture into Yellowstone Park. Yellowstone Park has more geysers and hot springs than any other known place on earth.
The “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” is one of the focused attractions in the Canyon Village area and it happens to be one of the park’s very popular hiking spots.
The canyon is described as amazing, beautiful, and many other adjectives describe this 20 miles long and one-mile wide canyon.
Millions and millions of people have seen the beauty of Yellowstone, but if you haven’t, it just might be an adventure to consider.
Maui, Hawaii
When it comes to Hawaii, it hardly seems right to pick one of these amazing islands, but this one consistently pops up on a travel to-do list. Of all of the amazing site abroad and US destinations I’ve visited, the Hawaiian Islands, in general, are still on my bucket list. That’s a bit odd since I have a fine uncle and some ok cousins (just kidding, guys) who live on the Big Island of Hawaii. But they’ve never offered my plane fair… (and I will surely hear from them if I miss the slightest fact in this post). However, on the Big Island the volcanos have had their say lately, so maybe I will wait until they behave a bit better.
But back to Maui. The island of Maui happens to be the second largest of the Hawaiin Islands at 727 square miles. The enormous Haleakala National Park surrounds the island’s highest peak, volcanic Haleakala and also the pools and waterfalls of Ohe’o Gulch, that you can access via the scenic and winding Hana Highway.
All 30 miles of the beaches of Maui each have something different to offer. You may be wanting to go full bore in water or take it easy on the sand. Maui offers all of these privileges.
You can find white, black and red sand beaches, find surfing and windsurfing spots. You can also find some of the best beaches in the world to just swim, snorkel, and obviously, sunbathe. Remember your sunscreen like yo’ mama taught you!
You can find white, black and red sand beaches, find surfing and windsurfing spots. You can also find some of the best beaches in the world to just swim, snorkel, and obviously, sunbathe. Remember your sunscreen like yo’ mama taught you!
Some of the beaches are parks that are easily accessible and they include picnic facilities, lifeguards on hand, and restrooms. On the other hand, there are beaches that are undeveloped somewhat “secret spots” not quite on the main path.
Especially in you are traveling with kids, you may want to learn about Hawaii’s underwater residents at the Maui Ocean Center. For golfers, the island boasts 14 golf courses with stunning scenery – and I can’t focus on the ball as it is!
There are helicopter tours to be taken, of course, one-stop, Waianapanapa State Park is a must. Send me a voice recording of the pronunciation of that park name to my Facebook page and win a cookie. But it should not be missed for several reasons, not the least of which is the jet-black sands. The shoreline there is composed of volcanic sediment, which acts as a stark contrast to the bright blue waves and verdant jungle.
Guided snorkeling tours, the incredible state parks, and tremendous beaches offer just a glimpse into this beautiful island. This island, as well as the others also include an incredible history which is worthwhile just studying it in its own right.
Not enough time or words to say about the good old USA
Well, there are so much more to say about these 7 locations in the U.S. We hardly scratched the surface. However, it may prompt you to do further investigation and maybe plan a trip of a lifetime for you and your family.
So, go to Cancun, fly to Paris, go see the Great Wall, and definitely see the Roman Colosseum. However, there are a lot of things right here in our own United States of America.