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1. US Virgin Islands
In a year when travelers are apt to still be watching their wallets, this is our #1 choice for an American tropical getaway. It’s eternally 80 degrees, rimmed with white-sand beaches on turquoise water, and, yes, it’s a US territory. Each of the US Virgin Islands has their own identity: if you want a break from resorts, St John is nearly two-thirds a lush national park with tent cabins amid trees and hikes to secluded beaches – this sadly may be the last year for the Maho Bay Camps, a long-standing eco-resort which is the place to stay if you’re watching your budget; or try the St John Inn which offers great-value rooms with kitchenettes. For more action, the previously inaccessible Hassel Island, now part of Virgin Islands National Park (St Thomas), can be explored by snorkel or kayak. And word is that the Captain Morgan Rum Distillery on St. Croix will open its new visitor center in spring 2012 – ahoy!
2. Hudson River Valley, New York
It should be a given that any visitor to New York City breaks for a day or two ‘upstate’ in the Hudson River Valley, a slice of rural Americana just north. It’s a real city break, with leafy drives, wineries and plenty of farm-to-table foodie options that draw even spoiled-for-choice Manhattanites away from the city. A favorite spot to stay is straight out of a B-52s video. No surprise. It’s former ‘52 singer Kate Pierson’s Lazy Meadow, a renovated ‘50s cabin complex near Woodstock designed by the same pals who did up the ‘Love Shack’ for the video.
3. Cincinnati, Ohio
Seen Cincy lately? The pretty city on the Ohio River – off the main cross-country interstates – gets bypassed by many road trippers, but it’s quietly transformed itself in the last decade into a worthy weekend getaway. Life centers around the river – much which can be seen by foot: river walkways are best on the Kentucky side, reached via a couple bridges including John Roebling’s Suspension Bridge (a prequel to his famous Brooklyn Bridge). Narrow, twisting (and steep) brick roads of the Mt Adams district lead past 19th-century Victorian townhouses and the free Cincinnati Art Museum, while the once-dangerous, emerging Over-the-Rhine, just north of downtown, is home to the Findlay Market and a sprawling collection of historic Italianate architecture. Best, though, is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, open since 2004, on the banks of the river where many slaves escaped to freedom in the 19th century.
4. Four Corners Region, Southwest USA
The most popular attractions of the four states sharing a border in the southwest – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah – typically cluster away from the four corners, but this underappreciated region is a geologic, archeological wonderland. Even with a 100-mile radius, you can see the sandstone towers of Arizona’s Monument Valley, Hollywood stars in their own right, seen on a 17-mile loop or by Navajo-led walks – pop into one of Utah’s national parks, see Colorado’s Mesa Verde’s abandoned cliff dwellings on self-guided walks, then straddle all four states at once.
5. Culebra, Puerto Rico
Looking for a beach? Don’t forget Puerto Rico, just a short hop from the US mainland. The island is rimmed with great beaches, but the best – and still a secret to most visitors – is the world-class Playa Flamenco, on wee, offbeat, laid-back island of Culebra, 17 miles off Puerto Rico’s mainland. Reached by ferry or flight, Culebra is great for beach-hopping, snorkeling or hikes in a wildlife refuge. You can find beachside apartments for $150/night, including Villa Flamenco Beach, while the personable, cheaper Palmetto Guesthouse offers free water-sports gear.
In a year when travelers are apt to still be watching their wallets, this is our #1 choice for an American tropical getaway. It’s eternally 80 degrees, rimmed with white-sand beaches on turquoise water, and, yes, it’s a US territory. Each of the US Virgin Islands has their own identity: if you want a break from resorts, St John is nearly two-thirds a lush national park with tent cabins amid trees and hikes to secluded beaches – this sadly may be the last year for the Maho Bay Camps, a long-standing eco-resort which is the place to stay if you’re watching your budget; or try the St John Inn which offers great-value rooms with kitchenettes. For more action, the previously inaccessible Hassel Island, now part of Virgin Islands National Park (St Thomas), can be explored by snorkel or kayak. And word is that the Captain Morgan Rum Distillery on St. Croix will open its new visitor center in spring 2012 – ahoy!
2. Hudson River Valley, New York
It should be a given that any visitor to New York City breaks for a day or two ‘upstate’ in the Hudson River Valley, a slice of rural Americana just north. It’s a real city break, with leafy drives, wineries and plenty of farm-to-table foodie options that draw even spoiled-for-choice Manhattanites away from the city. A favorite spot to stay is straight out of a B-52s video. No surprise. It’s former ‘52 singer Kate Pierson’s Lazy Meadow, a renovated ‘50s cabin complex near Woodstock designed by the same pals who did up the ‘Love Shack’ for the video.
3. Cincinnati, Ohio
Seen Cincy lately? The pretty city on the Ohio River – off the main cross-country interstates – gets bypassed by many road trippers, but it’s quietly transformed itself in the last decade into a worthy weekend getaway. Life centers around the river – much which can be seen by foot: river walkways are best on the Kentucky side, reached via a couple bridges including John Roebling’s Suspension Bridge (a prequel to his famous Brooklyn Bridge). Narrow, twisting (and steep) brick roads of the Mt Adams district lead past 19th-century Victorian townhouses and the free Cincinnati Art Museum, while the once-dangerous, emerging Over-the-Rhine, just north of downtown, is home to the Findlay Market and a sprawling collection of historic Italianate architecture. Best, though, is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, open since 2004, on the banks of the river where many slaves escaped to freedom in the 19th century.
4. Four Corners Region, Southwest USA
The most popular attractions of the four states sharing a border in the southwest – Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah – typically cluster away from the four corners, but this underappreciated region is a geologic, archeological wonderland. Even with a 100-mile radius, you can see the sandstone towers of Arizona’s Monument Valley, Hollywood stars in their own right, seen on a 17-mile loop or by Navajo-led walks – pop into one of Utah’s national parks, see Colorado’s Mesa Verde’s abandoned cliff dwellings on self-guided walks, then straddle all four states at once.
5. Culebra, Puerto Rico
Looking for a beach? Don’t forget Puerto Rico, just a short hop from the US mainland. The island is rimmed with great beaches, but the best – and still a secret to most visitors – is the world-class Playa Flamenco, on wee, offbeat, laid-back island of Culebra, 17 miles off Puerto Rico’s mainland. Reached by ferry or flight, Culebra is great for beach-hopping, snorkeling or hikes in a wildlife refuge. You can find beachside apartments for $150/night, including Villa Flamenco Beach, while the personable, cheaper Palmetto Guesthouse offers free water-sports gear.
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