favorite places to visit in the US

Bubblegum5586 · January 2015

H and I have never traveled much. Mostly to weddings for family members, which we always try to make the most of those trips and explore while we are there. As we start to discuss having a family in another a year or 2 I realize I need to see a few more places first. I know we'll be able to travel again after kids, but it will be a few years down the road, and harder and honestly not the same. I want to enjoy married life with H as just the 2 of us while we can!

Our budget is tight tight tight though. Because before we start a family I want to save up more and pay down our debt. We were so lucky that in December we got to go to Cancun on his company's dime! And next month we are going to San Francisco but staying at a friends for free and we won a settlement with our old landlord that covered our flights! But the more we go places the more I want to KEEP going places! But I don't for-see the last 2 things happening again!

So I want to travel wisely. What are your favorite states and cities to visit? We are in MA and I would be open to some driving trips as well!

littlepep · January 2015

Have you been to Maine? My FI and I took a trip this summer. Flew to Boston and then drove to Cape Ann, Portland and Bar Harbour, staying a night or two in each. It was awesome. We had the best time. It's not too far of a drive if you're up for a road trip. We stayed in the BEST B&B in Portland called Inn On Carleton. Delicious breakfast, not far from downtown and pretty affordable. And Bar Harbour is GORGEOUS.

blabla89 · January 2015

If you don't already, look at airbnb for places to stay on a budget. Sometimes you can get a place that's much nicer than a hotel room for the same price.

In the South, Charleston and Folly Beach or Myrtle Beach are my favorite. There are some beautiful state parks on the surrounding island, too. I can recommend a great airbnb host if you're ever headed out that way. Asheville and Chattanooga are cool places to visit, but not destinations per se. There's some nice stuff in Atlanta, but I wouldn't recommend it for a vacation. St. Simon's Island is lovely. The gulf coast can be really nice, if you go to the right place. I've heard good things about Rosemary Beach, although I haven't been there myself.

jenna8984 · January 2015

I've been to 37 states. I think my favorites are:

Myrtle Beach, SC. Laid back, ocean, golfing, shopping, hotels are much cheaper than they are in FL. I prefer May and Sept because it's around 80° instead of 100 and there are far less families with kids because they are in school.

Vegas/AZ- Vegas itself is just awesome. I don't even drink or gamble but the lights and shows and walking around the strip are just fun as hell. But I really love going there when I can combine it with Grand Canyon/ Flagstaff or Sedona AZ. Those small towns have some of the best scenery in the states.

Seattle- So much cool stuff to see. Space needle, we did an underground tour literally walking in tunnels underneath the sidewalks from the 1800s, we tooka ferry over to Victoria Canada for the day which was neat.

San Diego/Huntington Beach- Huntington is further up near LA but I love them both.

DC- love walking around seeing the monuments. Tons of great restaurants and shopping and museums. Great young nightlife in areas like Dupont Circle bars.

Glacier Nat Park/ Flathead Lake, Montana- ok I have not been here but I'm fucking dying to go.

NowIamMrsKlein · January 2015

I think my best trip to the states was to Utah. I'm a big hiker/nature lover and my mum and I did a girls trip to Zion Canyon.

NowIamMrsKlein · January 2015

jenna8984 · January 2015

@soontobemrsklein That's almost identical to where I hiked in Sedona AZ. Beautiful, love it out there!

ShesSoCold · January 2015

jenna8984 said:

I've been to 37 states. I think my favorites are:
Myrtle Beach, SC. Laid back, ocean, golfing, shopping, hotels are much cheaper than they are in FL. I prefer May and Sept because it's around 80° instead of 100 and there are far less families with kids because they are in school.
Vegas/AZ- Vegas itself is just awesome. I don't even drink or gamble but the lights and shows and walking around the strip are just fun as hell. But I really love going there when I can combine it with Grand Canyon/ Flagstaff or Sedona AZ. Those small towns have some of the best scenery in the states.
Seattle- So much cool stuff to see. Space needle, we did an underground tour literally walking in tunnels underneath the sidewalks from the 1800s, we tooka ferry over to Victoria Canada for the day which was neat.
San Diego/Huntington Beach- Huntington is further up near LA but I love them both.
DC- love walking around seeing the monuments. Tons of great restaurants and shopping and museums. Great young nightlife in areas like Dupont Circle bars.
Glacier Nat Park/ Flathead Lake, Montana- ok I have not been here but I'm fucking dying to go.

OMG DOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTT. I haven't traveled much but NW MT is the best everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. H and I are moving there this spring.

levioosa · January 2015

jenna8984 said:

I've been to 37 states. I think my favorites are:
Myrtle Beach, SC. Laid back, ocean, golfing, shopping, hotels are much cheaper than they are in FL. I prefer May and Sept because it's around 80° instead of 100 and there are far less families with kids because they are in school.
Vegas/AZ- Vegas itself is just awesome. I don't even drink or gamble but the lights and shows and walking around the strip are just fun as hell. But I really love going there when I can combine it with Grand Canyon/ Flagstaff or Sedona AZ. Those small towns have some of the best scenery in the states.
Seattle- So much cool stuff to see. Space needle, we did an underground tour literally walking in tunnels underneath the sidewalks from the 1800s, we tooka ferry over to Victoria Canada for the day which was neat.
San Diego/Huntington Beach- Huntington is further up near LA but I love them both.
DC- love walking around seeing the monuments. Tons of great restaurants and shopping and museums. Great young nightlife in areas like Dupont Circle bars.
Glacier Nat Park/ Flathead Lake, Montana- ok I have not been here but I'm fucking dying to go.

Glacier National Park is gorgeous. I also love Yellowstone/Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons and the Adirondacks.

I like San Diego and NYC too. Wine tasting in Sonoma is always fun. If you're in Southern California and you want to do wine tasting and still get to San Diego, Temecula is pretty close by. It's hard for me to tell you about cities because I love just driving and exploring in the mountains (when I'm not wine tasting--hah).

While I've never been, I've heard Austin, TX can be a lot of fun.

pinkcow13 · January 2015

I haven't been to that many places in the US, but I would say my 3 faves are:

Miami - It is a bit pricier than other places, but the weather is awesome, and the atmosphere is tons of fun. Plus, you can't go wrong with Wet Willie's.

California - I absolutely loved Cali. It's laid back, sunny, chill, and so much fun. I only went to LA and San Diego, but I would love to go back and explore other areas. There was a slight chance that we were going to move to California, and I was all for it!

Austin - I went to Austin on a business trip for a week in October and loved it. The food is amazing, the bars are fun, and the people are friendly.

pinkcow13 · January 2015

jenna8984 said:

I've been to 37 states. I think my favorites are:
Myrtle Beach, SC. Laid back, ocean, golfing, shopping, hotels are much cheaper than they are in FL. I prefer May and Sept because it's around 80° instead of 100 and there are far less families with kids because they are in school.
Vegas/AZ- Vegas itself is just awesome. I don't even drink or gamble but the lights and shows and walking around the strip are just fun as hell. But I really love going there when I can combine it with Grand Canyon/ Flagstaff or Sedona AZ. Those small towns have some of the best scenery in the states.
Seattle- So much cool stuff to see. Space needle, we did an underground tour literally walking in tunnels underneath the sidewalks from the 1800s, we tooka ferry over to Victoria Canada for the day which was neat.
San Diego/Huntington Beach- Huntington is further up near LA but I love them both.
DC- love walking around seeing the monuments. Tons of great restaurants and shopping and museums. Great young nightlife in areas like Dupont Circle bars.
Glacier Nat Park/ Flathead Lake, Montana- ok I have not been here but I'm fucking dying to go.

I am DYING to go to Seattle, I am kinda obsessed with that city. My desktop background at work is always a different image of Seattle.

HeatherKat · January 2015

Savannah, GA is GORGEOUS and one of my favorite cities in the US. They put on a rockin' St. Paddy's Day celebration, too.

Also, if you've never been, DC is expensive to stay in but there is SO MUCH great history. I took FI out there last summer for 4 days, and we still didn't get to see everything that we wanted to.

kat1114 · January 2015

I admit I haven't traveled the states as much as I would like, but here are my favorites:

-NYC

-San Diego

-San Francisco/Napa Valley

-Santa Cruz (really the entire drive down Hwy 1 in general)

-Vegas

-Austin, TX

-Boulder/Denver, CO

-not technically a vacation spot for me since I live here, but I absolutely love Arizona. Say what you will about our politics, but we have amazing food and our state is gorgeous.

esstee33 · January 2015

Oh, boy. I have a ton!

York / York Beach, ME -- adorable little resort town with a boardwalk area and lots of cute shops. I went back in 2009 and stayed here: http://www.bittersweetbednbreakfast.com/

NEW ORLEANS. OMG. I love NOLA so much I'm dragging FI there to get married at the Algiers Courthouse. Check for places on airbnb to save a ton of money renting a place rather than a hotel. We're going to end up spending maybe $500 for an entire week of renting a private house bordering the French Quarter.

Philly - Such a cool mix of interesting neighborhoods, each with their own personality. Incredible museums, community events, and restaurants. Great public transportation, and lots of cheap places to stay on Airbnb (I can recommend where I stayed last time I went, in Northern Liberties, if you want).

Cleveland - SO many cool things to do. Maybe I'm partial because I'm from Northeast Ohio originally, but the Cleveland / Akron / Canton corridor is packed full of cool stuff. Tons of museums, as well as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Inventor's Hall of Fame in Akron, and the Football Hall of Fame in Canton. All a straight shot up and down I-77, about an hour drive from the farthest north/south points.

And if you go a little west from Cleveland, you can take a ferry over to Kelley's Island and Put-In-Bay. Oh, and Cedar Point is right there also. And basically everything in Ohio is dirt cheap, even staying in nicer hotels.

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

Savannah and Myrtle Beach are nice and can be done in the same trip (they're about 3hrs 45min apart), but be careful not to speed through Turbeville, SC. You WILL get a ticket, and it's like $400.

I love love loved Cloudland Canyon State Park in the upper western corner of GA. The hiking is GORGEOUS, there are waterfalls, and it's super close to Chattanooga.

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

This is the bottom of Sitton Gulch at Cloudland Canyon. Hikeable in tennis shoes.

dcbride86 · January 2015

You can do DC pretty cheap. All the museums are free, and you can stay in the burbs and metro in!

Also, NY is super fun, and you can find shockingly cheap things to do. If you want to see a Broadway show, I recommend using Stubhub RIGHT before the show starts. I saw Book of Mormon 5 rows back for about $200 per person that way, when the tickets would usually be at least $500 each. When I bought them, there were seats in the balcony for less than $100 per person, and that's one of the hottest shows on Broadway.

emmaaa · January 2015

I love the Outer Banks in NC!

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

dcbride86 said:

You can do DC pretty cheap. All the museums are free, and you can stay in the burbs and metro in!
Also, NY is super fun, and you can find shockingly cheap things to do. If you want to see a Broadway show, I recommend using Stubhub RIGHT before the show starts. I saw Book of Mormon 5 rows back for about $200 per person that way, when the tickets would usually be at least $500 each. When I bought them, there were seats in the balcony for less than $100 per person, and that's one of the hottest shows on Broadway.

Stay in Georgetown and go to DC Cupcakes!

climbingsingle · January 2015

These are my favorites

Newport, RI

New Orleans

Key West
Outer Banks, NC

DC/Alexandria

San Francisco

Denver

Vermont - it's hard to choose just one area!

Cookie Pusher · January 2015

I love NYC, but I'm biased since that's where I'm from

DC - So much fun. We stayed in VA and just drove in every morning. We found a garage that had some special going on, so it ended up being cheaper than taking the Metro. Museums are free, lots of people-watching spots, and it's super walkable.

Colorado Springs/Denver - DH and I had a ton of fun when we visited. Denver airport was kind of scary looking but easy to navigate (so much quieter than EWR!). We saw a concert at Red Rocks while we were out there, which was amazing. Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak are great if you're into beautiful outdoor activities.

Las Vegas - I don't gamble. The occasional Power Ball ticket or a couple bucks in a slot machine (literally, DH and I gambled a total of $9 the week we were in Vegas) are more than enough for me. However, there's all kinds of quirky museums and activities to do out there. Plus great shows and awesome food. It can be pricey, but you can save a lot of money if you plan ahead and look for deals online.

NowIAmSyp · January 2015

Since you mentioned your budget being tight, here are my favorite places near you within short(er) distances:

Newport, RI

Block Island, RI (I got engaged here, yay!)

Acadia/Bar Harbour, Maine

Lake Placid, NY

You could go to any- or better yet, all!- of those places and have the greatest time (with beautiful scenery and lots to do). Enjoy!

Bubblegum5586 · January 2015

WOW! Thanks for all the input! Time to start looking for some great deals!

When we go to San Francisco next month we are going to spend a night in Sonoma and a day in Santa Cruz so there's 2 I can check off from your suggestions!

artbyallie · January 2015

Another vote for OBX and Asheville. My family goes to the Outer Banks (usually Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills) nearly every summer and rents a big house for the 20-30 of us that go. I'm a big fan of the Lost Colony play. It's outdoors on the sound in Manteo. The aquarium is also excellent.

We live near enough to Asheville to do daytrips and/or overnights fairly frequently. We're actually heading up tomorrow and hitting up a Japanese restaurant, a rum bar, a fancy American comfort food type restaurant, a dueling piano bar, and a gay dance club. All in one day. It's going to be a blast. We've only been to the piano bar before so the others will be fresh experiences.

We also enjoy Williamsburg, VA immensely. The colonial city is so much fun and Busch Gardens is the best fucking theme park for adults ever. There is wine and beer and roller coasters. Can't beat that.

I'll also throw in Puerto Rico as a recommendation, since it's a US territory. Old San Juan is gorgeous and there's a little bit of everything. Absolutely gorgeous beaches, fantastic food, dinner shows (there are at least 2 or 3 restaurants that do a flamenco show), casinos, bio-luminescent bays (and OMFG that is an experience not to be missed no matter how much my arms hurt from paddling that kayak).

larrygaga · January 2015

Your moms butt

WinstonsGirl · January 2015

Hawaii is our happy place. We want to retire there eventually. Vegas is something you should do at least once, cos there's lots of cool stuff to see. We also drove Montana/Wyoming/Idaho/S Dakota a few summers ago, and there was lot to see and do. It was pretty awesome.

Inkdancer · January 2015

I highly recommend Alaska. You can get some nice cruises out of Seward, or you can go inland and camp near glacier lakes. It's beautiful there.

FiancB · January 2015

So I haven't traveled all that much, and a lot of my favorite places are still old haunts.

I do like Chicago. Food there is awesome. But H always wants to go, I've been twice now and could kinda care less if we go again. Creature of habit, he is.

Portland OR is awesome, as are many places in Oregon. It's easy to get around, there's lots of quirky places to eat and do stuff (can you tell yet that he main thing I do on vacation is eat) and it's beautiful. I'm not much for crowds so I like that it doesn't take much to get away from them. Side trips to the coast or the valley or Bend or Seattle are very much worth it. I may be biased since I'm from Oregon but Portland has to be my favorite city, and I grew up a couple hours away from it so I still kinda get a little touristey kick out of going. H is so struck by how nice everyone is.

Mendocino CA is another old stomping ground. Most of CA is super crazy crowded but not this area. It's on a cliff and it's a cute little town and it's got great beaches and also it's close to the redwoods and wine country and stuff. It's about 4 hours from San Francisco. I stole this postcard or something off google:

So yeah if you're kind of a hippie at heart you'll like my suggestions. I think that's the reason I'm not totally infatuated with Chicago- it's so hustle bustle businesslike or something. So many people puffing chests and comparing their egos and salaries. PNW is not like that.

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

What? No one put in any pics of Bryce Canyon. Fairyland in Rock. I am crushed.

Junebug2015 · January 2015

If you're in MA, there are a lot of cool places in New England that you can go.

Bar Harbor is amazing. Tons of outdoorsy stuff to do. If you like camping, you can camp at the Bar Harbor Campground for around $20 a night.

Go to the typical New England beach towns (like Newport, Chatham, Provincetown, etc) in May or October. Things are really beautiful and generally quieter (and also cheaper!).

Take day trips to those small cities - Portland ME, Portsmouth NH, Burlington VT, Providence RI - you avoid the cost of staying in a hotel but can still get a feel for the city. I love using the NY Times "36 Hours in..." series as a starting point for these types of weekend trips.

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

Oh good the post is back on top. I really need a good ideas travel thread to read while the snowstorm buries us.

Now for a good food thread to go with it.

favorite places to visit in the US

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