There’s really no place like the United States. You can revel in landscapes as varied as the 337 million people who live here. You can visit new national landmarks and glamping spots on one trip and savor local wines and Andy Warhol artworks on the next. And after that, there’s still so much more to try: sunning on sugar-sand beaches, digging for your own diamonds, feasting at acclaimed restaurants in surprising locales, and relaxing in beautiful green spaces. To get you started, we’ve spotlighted something we love in each of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Which of these will inspire your next trip?
Alabama: Escape to underrated beaches
Gulf Shore is one of many beaches along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
Photo by Horatio Batz
White-sand beaches. Blue-green water. Dolphins frolicking in the surf. Where is this mythical haven? Alabama’s Gulf Coast, arguably the country’s most underrated beach destination, with roughly 50 miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico and about 70 more miles lining the bays. Standout spots include Gulf Shores, the family-friendly Orange Beach, and the less-touristed Dauphin Island. Visitors can take boat tours from Orange Beach to look for those playful dolphins. —Victoria M. Walker
Alaska: Walk the Totem Pole Trail
The Yanyeidí totem pole, carved by Haida master artist Joseph Young, is one of 13 in Juneau that honors seminal moments in Indigenous history.
Photos by Acacia Johnson
Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people have occupied southeast Alaska—including the rainforested region around what became the capital—since long before it was named for gold prospector Joe Juneau in the 1880s. Today Juneau showcases Indigenous artistry everywhere, from town signage to public murals. A standout is the Kootéeyaa Deiyí, or Totem Pole Trail, debuted in 2023 by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, an Indigenous-run nonprofit that supports many of the contributing Native artists whose work can be seen around town. An initial set of 13 poles (beautifully rendered by Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian master carvers with the help of apprentices) now lines the Juneau waterfront, with storyboards that explain the clan crests and histories they depict. —Elaine Glusac
Arizona: Sample a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
In 2015, Tucson became the first place in the USA to be recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, honoring its 4,000 years of agriculture and foodways. Today, ingredients historically foraged or grown by the area’s Indigenous communities can be found on menus all over the city. At Exo Roast Co., for instance, sip on cold brew infused with nutty mesquite pods or chiltepin, the country’s only wild chili pepper. The chilies also make their way into salsas at Boca, a taqueria by Top Chef favorite Maria Mazon. Tepary beans, meanwhile, were brought back from the brink of extinction by Native-owned Ramona Farms in the late 1970s, and now show up at forward-thinking restaurants such as Anello Pizzeria and the local-food-focused Bata. —Nick DeRenzo
Arkansas: Dig for diamonds
Fifteen dollars grants anyone entry to Crater of Diamonds State Park, about two miles southeast of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, population 1,495. But that small fee could turn into a fortune: The park is one of the world’s only diamond-bearing spots accessible to the public. What you find, you keep. (The most valuable discovery to date is an 8.52-carat stone estimated to be worth $1 million.) Since the park’s inception in 1972, more than 35,000 of the gems—some 7,000 carats in total—have been uncovered and registered. Amethyst, agate, jasper, peridot, garnet, and quartz are also up for grabs, but it’s the world’s hardest material, unsurprisingly, that most visitors are after. —Katherine LaGrave
California: Glamp here next
Under Canvas gives travelers the opportunity to get up close and personal with California’s Yosemite National Park.
Courtesy of Josh Carter/Unsplash
There’s about to be a new way to visit the sequoias, waterfalls, two remaining glaciers, and magnificent granite cliffs at Yosemite National Park. Under Canvas, a brand known for its safari-inspired tented camps near national parks, will open its first-ever glamping outpost in California in May 2025 on 80 acres of pine-dappled forest 10 minutes from the park’s west entrance. Amenities include king-size beds and indoor-outdoor café-style dining as well as adventure concierges who can arrange rafting and rock-climbing excursions or guided hiking trips. Book summer 2025 travel now: The camp is open for reservations. —Bailey Berg
Colorado: See more than mountains
Colorado’s natural wonders are understandably a major draw, but the state’s human history is just as fascinating. In 2022, President Biden created the Camp Hale–Continental Divide National Monument, incorporating the old training grounds of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, where civilian skiers were trained to be soldiers for the World War II effort in Europe. The land is sacred to the Indigenous Ute people, and the national monument honors their past as well. This year, Amache, a Japanese American internment camp from 1942 to 1945, was named a National Historic Site, joining two recently designated National Historic Landmarks: Temple Aaron, a 19th-century synagogue in the town of Trinidad, and Winks Panorama, a resort opened in 1928 to cater to African American tourists. —ND
Connecticut: Stay at the country’s first net-zero hotel
When it opened in 2022, everyone was talking about the Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. And for good reason: It aims to be the country’s first net-zero hotel by 2025—meaning that it will generate at least as much energy as it uses. An empty 1970 brutalist office building might not seem like the likeliest place to encounter innovative hotel design, but architect Bruce Becker found ways to experiment with solar canopies, triple-glazed windows, and EV charging stations. Even the elevators contribute to the net-zero goal, utilizing regenerative braking technology that recaptures energy created during slowdown and feeds it back into the building’s power system. —Bridget Reed Morawski
Delaware: Feel the seaside pride
Try funnel cake, saltwater taffy, and carnival rides on the mile-long Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.
Photos by Justin Casanova
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, has become one of the top queer beach destinations on the East Coast, with hundreds of LGBTQ-owned and -operated businesses in this seaside town of 1,100 residents. Pride runs deep here. For more than 30 years, the CAMP Rehoboth community center has been working to “Create A More Positive Rehoboth,” and summer visitors can get a taste through its various queer- and trans-affirming events, clubs, and wellness activities. Check into the gay-owned Rehoboth Guest House or enjoy afternoon wine and cheese hours at the Avenue Inn & Spa, a hotel that’s been around since 1937, when part of it was a “tearoom.” —Laura Dannen Redman
Florida: Plan a colorful weekend
Must-visit spots in Little River include La Natural restaurant and clothing-and-jewelry shop Éliou.
Photo by Amanda Julca
Spend a weekend getting to know some of Miami’s most dynamic neighborhoods.
Day 1: Visit classic South Beach. Check into the Setai, Miami Beach, a sophisticated alternative to the frenetic party-time energy of other area hotels. Then hit South Beach and take a dip in the ocean at South Pointe Park.
Day 2: Explore Little River. This former warehouse district, north of Wynwood and Little Haiti, is an art-and-culture enclave, with a refreshing lack of pretension. Stop into Éliou for jewelry designed by childhood friends Cristina Mantilla and Duda Teixeira, then refuel at La Natural with wood-fired pizza, small plates, and natural wines.
Day 3: Take in Downtown Miami and Little Havana. Stroll the Underline, downtown’s park and outdoor art trail. Then dine in Little Havana. Carlos Ayala, the concierge at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, recommends Old’s Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina for authentic Cuban cuisine. Try the fricasé de pollo (chicken fricassee) and vaca frita (crispy shredded beef). —Terry Ward
Georgia: Join a new scene in retro spots
Hotel Bardo hosts cooking classes and winetastings.
Photo by Andrew Frazier
In Savannah, hoteliers and restaurateurs are breathing life into historic architecture to show off the city’s modern creativity. In February, Hotel Bardo opened in an 1888 Victorian-Romanesque mansion on Forsyth Park. The imposing red-brick exterior gives little hint of what’s inside: an urban resort with a palm-lined swimming pool, a pastel-heavy palette, and the Italian restaurant Saint Bibiana, named for the patron saint of hangovers. A few blocks off Forsyth Park, chefs Daniel Aranza and Felipe Vera moved their popular food truck Strangebird into a 1938 diner, where the menu includes Georgia shrimp salpicón tacos and churro-crumble-topped “naner puddin.” And then there’s Agatha’s Coffee and Tea House, which leans into Savannah’s fascination with all things eerie. The building has been a funeral parlor, a jazz club, and a pool hall; now it’s a mystery-themed, bookshelf-lined hangout that shares space with King Oliver’s, a reinvented club that’s named for Louis Armstrong’s mentor, who worked here as a janitor at the end of his life. —ND
Hawaiʻi: Participate in the island’s revival
Connect with Hawaiian communities and help Maui recover from the 2023 wildfires (and have honest-to-goodness fun) by doing some volunteer work. Feed My Sheep needs help packing and handing out nearly 70,000 meals per month. Find other opportunities at Hua Momona Farms, a microgreens farm that feeds residents in need; Maui Cultural Lands, which leads reforestation and archaeological stabilization projects; and Kipuka Olowalu, which works on conservation and preservation efforts at Olowalu Valley, a Native Hawaiian cultural site. (Find out more via the volunteer clearinghouse website HandsOn Maui.) The Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau suggests hotel stays instead of vacation rentals to support local hospitality workers; book the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. —Michelle Baran
Idaho: Dive into a diverse dining scene
Boise, Idaho, is worth a trip for its restaurants alone. In 2023, for the first time, the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Mountain district went to someone from Idaho: Kris Komori of Kin, a restaurant with a prix fixe menu that changes every five weeks. Also noteworthy: The Boise-area semifinalist restaurants in 2022 and 2023 represent a variety of global influences—Mexico (Amano), Ethiopia and Eritrea (Kibrom’s), Spain’s Basque country (Ansots), and Afghanistan (Sunshine Spice Bakery & Cafe)—and celebrate the city’s diversity. To round out the experience, check the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora’s website; as it works to build a permanent location, it runs pop-up exhibits and a Kitchen of Exotic Eats cooking-class program representing cuisines such as Indian and Cuban.
Stay: The Avery is a 39-room boutique hotel that was once the Blues Bouquet nightclub. Today, it’s operated by Cal Elliott, who grew up in Boise and worked as an executive chef at the lauded Dressler restaurant in New York.
—Mark Ellwood and Ashlea Halpern
Illinois: Check into luxury at every level
The Langham, Chicago is in the former IBM building, designed by Mies van der Rohe.
Courtesy of the Langham, Chicago
In Chicago, there’s a luxury retreat for every taste.
The 1893 landmark Chicago Athletic Association was a former members-only men’s athletic and social club, and is now part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Its 240 guest rooms reflect the building’s former life, some with pommel horses as benches, plaster-work ceilings, and ornate carved wood wainscoting.
Chicago invented the skyscraper—and today you can stay in the coolest of them all, designed by Mies van der Rohe and now the site of the Langham, Chicago. Guests of the hotel’s 268 rooms and 48 suites can take advantage of top-notch concierges, who can organize a private art tour or a mixology class.
The new St. Regis Chicago gives travelers the chance to sleep in the tallest building in the world designed by a woman architect, Jeanne Gang—with spectacular interiors to match. The 192 rooms in the 101-story tower come with floor-to-ceiling windows, brass detailing, curvilinear furnishings, and access to butler service.
A Magnificent Mile mainstay, the Peninsula Chicago has 339 spacious rooms and suites, outfitted in an understated style that features Chicago’s official flower, the chrysanthemum. Details include soaking tubs with televisions and linens custom-created by Italian luxury linen company Fili D’Oro. —Heidi Mitchell
Indiana: Admire incredible architecture
Few places punch above their architectural weight class quite like Columbus, Indiana, a city of roughly 50,000 residents, located 45 miles south of Indianapolis. And that’s thanks to one man: Beginning in the 1950s, J. Irwin Miller, CEO of the Cummins Engine Company, offered to pay the architect fees for public buildings and projects around town. The patronage resulted in churches, banks, schools, libraries, and more designed by such legends as Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei, Richard Meier, and César Pelli, earning the town the nickname “Athens of the Prairie.” Today, seven of those buildings are designated National Historic Landmarks, and the city offers a two-hour guided shuttle tour of some of the highlights. —ND
Iowa: Chase waterfalls
Decorah, Iowa, is part of the upper Midwest’s Driftless Area, a region of steep bluffs and valleys that inspires outdoor exploration. Canoeing, kayaking, and tubing the Upper Iowa River are popular ways to get on the water, or you can hike to waterfalls at Malanaphy Springs and Dunning’s Spring Park. Rent electric bikes from Decorah Bicycles and hit the 11-mile Trout Run Trail, or try a traditional woodworking class at Vesterheim Folk Art School, capping your day with a beer at brewing companies Pulpit Rock or Toppling Goliath. Green thumbs, take note: Decorah is the site of the Seed Savers Exchange, a 49-year-old nonprofit seed bank and heritage farm dedicated to preserving and sharing heirloom seeds. —AH
Kansas: Explore a cultural hub
Wichita has some serious arts cred. The largest city in Kansas boasts the Wichita Grand Opera, where Frasier’s Kelsey Grammer starred in a recent production of Candide, and the Wichita Art Museum, a 1935 institution on the Little Arkansas River with one of the region’s biggest and best collections of American art. Examine Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie style at the Allen House, full of Wright-designed furniture, and explore Wichita’s legacy as the Air Capital of the World (including its prominence in the 1920s, when one out of four U.S. planes was built here) at the Kansas Aviation Museum. Book a stay at the Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection, located in a building that was once a bank and a drugstore.
—LDR
Kentucky: Feast on the new Southern food
Diners at Edward Lee’s Nami can also enjoy the karaoke room upstairs.
Photo by Jessica Ebelhar
Consider pairing a trip along the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail with dinner on the unofficial Edward Lee trail. (Hey, Kentucky, maybe it should be official?) Korean American chef and writer Lee gained recognition for his new take on Southern cuisine when he took over Louisville’s 610 Magnolia restaurant in 2003. More recently, he opened Nami in 2023, a modern Korean steakhouse in downtown Louisville with individual table grills and Korean-inspired drinks. In between came many TV appearances, a restaurant in Washington, D.C., a blended whiskey intended to be paired with spicy food, and 10 James Beard Award nominations and a win for his book Buttermilk Graffiti (Artisan, 2018). His biggest claim to fame, though, may be the LEE Initiative, winner of the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian Award. A nonprofit he cofounded to improve diversity and equality in the restaurant industry, the LEE Initiative sponsors fundraising events and mentorship programs. —LDR
Louisiana: Enjoy the sound of silence
The wildlife in Manchac Swamp includes turtles, migratory birds, and alligators.
Photo by Rita Harper
Manchac, about 40 miles northwest of New Orleans, is one of the many wetlands that cover a third of the state of Louisiana. A mainstay of local culture, these swamps contribute to the state’s seafood industry, protect against storm surges, harbor wildlife, and hold their own folklore. A special sort of calm emerges when visiting this particular marshy strip of land between Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, where alligators, birds, and turtles are shielded by tall cypress trees and water tupelos. Here, the scenery appears painted with the glow of the sun, and the surroundings are almost completely silent. A few hours on the marsh can help travelers and locals alike establish a real connection with a state treasure, and Wild Louisiana’s kayak swamp tours provide a conscientious way to do that: The company’s ecofriendly adventures allow for quiet exploration, as the kayaks don’t produce the runoff or noise of gas-powered boats. —Kayla Stewart
Maine: Slurp your way through the Oyster Trail
Come summertime, Maine’s lobster shacks shouldn’t be the only stop for seafood lovers. In fact, the state is home to an official Oyster Trail, linking raw bars, mobile “shuck trucks,” and some of Maine’s 150 oyster farms. Here are five of our favorite ways to enjoy freshly harvested bivalves.
Visit oyster farms with Damariscotta River Cruises, which offers itineraries on its eponymous river an hour northeast of Portland. Lucky travelers may also see playful harbor seals.
Sea kayak out to an oyster farm near Brunswick with Alice Bean Andrenyak, who leads Alice’s Awesome Adventures.
Sip oyster-infused stouts and ales from local breweries, including Oxbow Brewing Co., Maine Beer Company, and Orono Brewing Company. Orono uses Bombazine oysters to add minerality and brininess to some of its brews.
Shop for painted jewelry dishes made from oyster shells at Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine, with locations in Bath and Portland.
Join sommelier Erica Archer on the 74-foot sloop Frances for a Wine Wise sailing around Casco Bay, during which you’ll pair oysters with different wines.
Stay: The Longfellow Hotel, which recently opened in Portland, has a lobby bar called Five of Clubs, where guests can sample ice-cold seafood—oysters on the half shell, scallop crudo, tuna tartare—as well as cocktails such as a passion fruit Negroni. —ND
Maryland: Visit a sophisticated small town
Yes, you should think about soft-shell crabs when visiting Maryland’s Eastern Shore, but savvy travelers should also be thinking about chic European-influenced shops and cafés, esteemed art, and perfectly manicured public gardens. That’s the town of Easton, Maryland.
Get your art fix at the free Academy Art Museum, an 1820 schoolhouse with a broad collection, from Old Master paintings to contemporary pieces, such as a site-specific installation by Oglala Lakota tribe member Marty Two Bulls Jr. (through October 2024).
Dine at Bas Rouge, a refined restaurant with tableside gueridon (trolley) service and nods to Viennese classics. Its executive chef, Harley Peet, was just named the best in the Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation.
Lace up your walking shoes for a stroll through the 400-acre Pickering Creek Audubon Center, where visitors can look for more than 140 types of birds on the sanctuary’s hiking trails and bird-viewing platforms, including osprey, bald eagle, and wild turkey.
Stay: Hummingbird Inn is a dog-friendly B&B that occupies an 1887 Queen Anne–style house. It has six guest rooms and a wraparound porch.
—Nicholas DeRenzo and Devorah Lev-Tov
Massachusetts: Spend a weekend in the mountains
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art spans 16 acres of former mill buildings.
The bucolic Berkshires of western Massachusetts have received extra attention of late thanks to a new crop of entrepreneurs revamping old properties, a tradition of sorts around here. Among the rebirths is Tourists, a roadside motel turned hip, ecofriendly lodge opened by John Stirratt (bassist of rock band Wilco) and friends in 2018; this summer they added three new rentable homes. Former spa and golf resort Cranwell is now wellness retreat Miraval Berkshires, an 1894 mansion on 380 acres designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (of New York’s Central Park fame). Nearby, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, a beloved retrofit in a 19th- century factory complex, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. —LDR
Michigan: Escape to a remote national park
Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park is one of the least visited national parks in the USA, and one of the most remote. Located in Lake Superior and open only from mid-April to October, it calls to day-trippers and overnighters alike, who must take a ferry, private boat, or seaplane from select points in Minnesota and Michigan to reach it. Start at one of the main island’s visitor centers to join ranger-led activities and trek along forested trails. Or explore the hundreds of surrounding small islands by canoe, kayak, or sightseeing cruise (pick one up at Rock Harbor Lodge, which is the only accommodation in the park beyond campgrounds). Isle Royale is also known for freshwater scuba diving thanks to 10 shipwrecks from the late 1800s to mid-1900s, when its waters were plied by traders and prospectors. Check the park’s annual newspaper, The Greenstone, for the season’s transportation options, campground and trail information, safety tips, and things to do. —BB
Minnesota: Engage with art across 50 acres
Set on nearly 50 acres of prairie land in the St. Croix River Valley, Franconia Sculpture Park is a popular day trip from the Twin Cities, about an hour’s drive away. The grounds are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 365 days a year, and are free to explore—which may be why the park sees nearly 200,000 visitors a year (and why donations for parking are requested). Guests are encouraged to touch most of the nearly 100 artworks (a few are even designed for climbing), making for a fun, interactive way to spend the day, especially with young kids. Consider dropping by for all-ages arts programs such as sculpture classes, live performances, and summer films. Franconia also runs a variety of artist residencies, one of which helps to contribute new, large-scale sculptures. —Cinnamon Janzer
Mississippi: Find inspiration on the Mississippi Writers Trail
The Mississippi Writers Trail connects travelers with the state’s strong literary tradition.
Courtesy of James Kirkikis / Alamy Stock Photo
Writer William Faulkner. Journalist Ida B. Wells. Playwright Tennessee Williams. Civil rights activist and memoirist Anne Moody. Mississippi’s literary tradition is strong, and travelers can trace its legacy along the Mississippi Writers Trail, a series of markers highlighting the places that influenced their work, including Faulkner’s home, Rowan Oak, in Oxford, and a mansion in Clarksdale that inspired such Williams works as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Plaques don’t just denote who, what, and where; they capture the lyricism of the people they celebrate. To wit: “To Williams the alluvial area seemed so wide and so flat that ‘the seasons could walk across it four-abreast.’” —LDR
Missouri: Celebrate the sporting life
On March 16, the Kansas City Current soccer team moved into the $117 million CPKC Stadium, which has the unique distinction of being the world’s first stadium built for a professional women’s sports team. Spend a weekend celebrating the city’s pioneering athletes by starting with a soccer game and then visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Book a stay at Hotel Kansas City, a former men’s social club built in 1922 that was transformed, appropriately, into a boutique hotel by a woman-owned firm, KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group. In each guest room, look for a portrait of Bertha Goodwin, the first woman to apply (unsuccessfully) to be a member of the club in the 1920s. —ND
Montana: Learn about the country’s history with Indigenous-led tours
Indigenous craftspeople in Montana are known to make dream catchers, beaded jewelry, and fine quill embroidery.
Photo by Rory Doyle
Travelers could easily enjoy Glacier National Park by focusing on its diverse topography and wildlife (bears! mountain goats! wolverines!), but that’s only part of the story. The park borders the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, which, at 3,000 square miles, is bigger than Delaware. Learn more about the area’s original inhabitants on a guided drive with Native-owned Sun Tours, a backcountry hike or a horseback ride with Blackfeet Tours, or a workshop run by Iron Shield Creative, a group of Blackfeet Nation storytellers who share their knowledge of traditional songs, sacred sites, and plant medicine. —ND
Nebraska: Marvel at the great crane migration
Learn more about the migratory patterns of sandhill cranes in Nebraska.
Photo by Susan Portnoy
Every spring, “craniacs” flock to the area around Kearney, Nebraska, to see the great migration of sandhill cranes—their annual journey north along the Central Flyway from Mexico to their breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada. For a few weeks during that trip, more than 500,000 of these wading birds take a break on the 75-mile stretch of Nebraska’s Platte River to stock up on food (remnants of last year’s corn harvest) and roost by night in massive numbers in the river’s shallow waters. Easily spotted by their coloring, the gray-feathered, ruby-crowned cranes lift off by the thousands each morning, spend their days in cornfields and meadows, then return to the river at dusk. It’s a sight to behold. Viewing spots, trails, and tours at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary and Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center will make craniacs of us all. —Alexandra Marvar
Nevada: Trek to the desert to see a giant artwork
A detail of City, Michael Heizer’s land art megascuplture, in Garden Valley, Nevada. Even though he has been working on City for 50 years, Heizer says it isn’t finished.
Photo by Todd Heisler/Courtesy of The New York Times/Redux
The Sphere, Las Vegas’s futuristic concert venue, is not the only showstopper to open recently in Nevada. Land artist Michael Heizer debuted City in 2022, one of the largest contemporary artworks ever created, at three-quarters of a square mile. It’s a massive complex of gravel pathways, concrete shapes, and earthen mounds that have been compared to everything from ancient metropolises to alien crop circles. It’s all influenced by Heizer’s travels with his archaeologist father. Located about four hours north of Vegas in the desert of the Great Basin, the piece took 52 years and about $40 million to complete. It’s open to only six visitors a day, costs $150 per adult, and books up months in advance. Request a visit through the Triple Aught Foundation. —ND
New Hampshire: Take an autumn road trip
Join other admirers of fall foliage on the popular Kancamagus Highway. Colloquially known as the “Kanc,” the east-west road trip connects 34.5 miles of picturesque ponds, hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic overlooks in the White Mountain National Forest. —LDR
New Jersey: Discover magic by the beach
When it was founded in 1871, the seaside resort community of Asbury Park became known for its Victorian architecture, and it has been slowly recapturing its old magic. Today, the boardwalk thrums with retro beach bars, a pinball-machine museum, and The Stone Pony, which Bruce Springsteen helped make famous and where cool musicians, from indie bands to big names, continue to draw crowds. (The beloved dive bar marks its 50th anniversary this year.) Nearby you’ll find such restaurants as Talula’s, where the seasonal menu of handmade sourdough pizzas might feature hot soppressata with local honey or birria beef with consommé for dipping. The ice cream is made in-house too. Stay overnight at the St. Laurent Social Club, opened in 2022 inside an 1886 hotel; don’t miss the saltwater pool that’s available to nonguests, too. —ND
New Mexico: Hike on another planet
The name Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah derives from a Navajo phrase meaning “gray salt.”
The arid landscape of the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness is otherworldly, with fields of stone mushrooms, mazes of alien spires, and gaping maws of rock. The 7,242-acre badland is a fantastical place for a hike. Heads up that there are no marked trails in this Bureau of Land Management area, no facilities or water, little to no shade, and spotty cell service. Download a map from the Bureau of Land Management website (and find more info on AllTrails) before driving three hours northwest of Albuquerque to begin your wander at the informal parking area off State Highway 57. Be prepared, be careful, be respectful—and get ready to be awed. —Billie Cohen
New York: Catch a show at a stunning new theater
See some of New York City’s most innovative theater works at the newly opened Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Photo by George Etheredge
New York City’s theater scene just got a beautiful new anchor near the Financial District. Perelman Performing Arts Center opened in September 2023 at the World Trade Center inside a luminous cube clad in marble slabs so thin (only half an inch!) that sunlight streams in by day and the exterior glows from the lights inside at night. The debut season delivered a calendar almost as diverse as the city itself, including a solo show by Laurence Fishburne, a satirical play by the intertribal Native comedy troupe the 1491s, an opera about a Chinese American soldier, a reimagining of Cats set in New York’s underground ballroom culture, and a festival of new plays by queer writers who face persecution in their home countries. Equally expansive is the menu at Marcus Samuelsson’s lobby restaurant Metropolis, which draws on immigrant communities’ fare from NYC’s five boroughs in such dishes as gravlax, cascatelli with guanciale, and snapper with curry.
Stay: The Perelman Performing Arts Center is a few minutes’ walk from another architectural stunner: The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel. It, too, glows with sunlight, thanks to a pyramidal skylight above its nine-story atrium. —ND
North Carolina: Keep an eye on Asheville’s hotel scene
As Asheville’s cultural offerings grow, so do its hotel options. Blind Tiger is one of the best: an 1889 residence transformed into 13 individually designed suites and rooms (and a stand-alone cabin), no two of which are alike. The Flat Iron Hotel arrived this spring with a 1920s-inspired design, and this fall brings the opening of AutoCamp Asheville, an outpost of the glamping brand known for Airstreams and luxury tents. The site will be well positioned for hikes into the Blue Ridge Mountains.—Devorah Lev-Tov
North Dakota: Journey to the Badlands—and have brunch
With a population under 150, Medora is the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the staggeringly beautiful Badlands—which the 26th president said dramatically shaped his views on conservation. Roosevelt fell in love with the area on a visit in 1883 and continued to spend time here throughout his life. Today a reenactor named Joe Wiegand channels his spirit during the summertime show Brunch with President Roosevelt at the Town Square Showhall. Summer also brings the Medora Musical, the evolution of an Old West–themed country music revue that has been performed in an amphitheater since 1965. Stay for a Pitchfork Steak Fondue feast, in which New York strips are loaded onto pitchforks, fried in a cauldron of hot oil, and enjoyed at tables with views overlooking the Badlands. Then relax at the Rough Riders Hotel, where the old blends with the new: It used to be a boarding house with a pressed-tin ceiling in the lobby and balconies where presidents are rumored to have given speeches; now it has walk-in showers and a restaurant serving bison osso buco. —AH
Ohio: Admire the newest U.S. UNESCO site
In 2023, the Buckeye State welcomed UNESCO’s inscription of the 25th World Heritage site in the United States, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. The monumental geometric mounds, walls, and hilltop enclosures were built between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell culture of Indigenous people, who used them for burying the dead, performing rituals, and tracking celestial bodies. Today the monuments are free to visit and are spread across eight locales (five in Chillicothe, about an hour’s drive south of Columbus). —ND
Oklahoma: 5 things to do in Tulsa
The parks: Tulsa has 135—and the highlight is Gathering Place, a 66.5-acre riverfront park that includes lawns, a pond, art installations and exhibits, sports courts, a skate park, and boat rentals.
Art deco architecture: Tulsa’s well-preserved skyscrapers are a product of the art deco boom of the 1920s. Tour the Deco District to see the Philtower building, The Mayo Hotel, and others.
All the “scenes”: The underground arts scene, the music scene that ranges from country-western to jazz and symphony, and the thriving craft beer scene form a trifecta of creativity and experimentation.
Black Wall Street made history here: Don’t miss the Greenwood Rising center, which opened in 2021 to mark the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, or the Pathway to Hope walking trail, which connects significant sites and commemorates the legacy of Black Wall Street.
One city, three tribes: The Cherokee Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Osage Nation boundaries all converge in the greater Tulsa area. Learn how they shape the region at the Osage Nation Visitors Center and the Cherokee National History Museum and at the annual Muscogee Nation Festival.
Stay: The art deco Mayo Hotel, which opened in 1925, offers 360-degree views from its rooftop bar, the Penthouse. JFK, Lucille Ball, and Elvis Presley all stayed here. —KL
Oregon: Watch this (culinary) space
At Kann, Gregory Gourdet cooks Haiti-meets-PNW dishes.
Photos by Thomas Teal
Thanks to its creativity, Portland is never out of the spotlight for long, and now a few noteworthy developments are drawing travelers once again. The Ritz-Carlton, Portland is the city’s first five-star hotel, while the Soho House Portland is the first outpost of the members-only club in the Pacific Northwest. On the food front, the city has one of the United States’ most exciting restaurants, Kann, Top Chef finalist Gregory Gourdet’s ode to the flavors of his Haitian American childhood. Not only did Gourdet win the 2023 James Beard Award for best new restaurant in the country, but now, at his adjacent bar Sousòl, he’s also raising the visibility of the nonalcoholic scene in a region known for its love of hoppy IPAs and Willamette Valley pinot noirs. The city’s alcohol-free craft breweries include Roaming Nobles and the brand-new Heck, which launched this spring. Take a day trip to Hood River, a little over an hour’s drive east, and try a few sips at the country’s first zero-proof distillery and tasting room, Wilderton Botanical Spirits. —ND
Pennsylvania: Plan an art lover’s weekend in Pittsburgh
Here are eight spots that make a perfect culture trip in the Steel City. Visitors to Pittsburgh can also check the website Artsburgh for happenings across the art, comedy, music, and theater scenes.
- The Carnegie Museum of Art displays a wide range of art and artists, from photography and textiles to furniture and architecture.
- The Andy Warhol Museum has the world’s largest collection of Warhol art and archival material.
- The August Wilson African American Cultural Center focuses on the African American experience through lectures, films, and other events.
- The Mattress Factory exhibits large-scale installations of contemporary art, including pieces by Yayoi Kusama and James Turrell.
- The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens feature 18th-century French decorative arts, early Italian Renaissance paintings, Chinese porcelain, and a greenhouse with 10 acres of gardens.
- The Senator John Heinz History Center is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate that traverses the city’s past, including exhibits on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Heinz ketchup.
- The Westmoreland Museum of American Art features more than 3,400 works that span four centuries, with a focus on artists from southwestern Pennsylvania.
- Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and its theater are training grounds for future stars of TV, Broadway, and film.
—LDR
Puerto Rico: Take a road trip into the island’s past
Dozens of Taino petroglyphs can be seen in the Cueva del Indio in Arecibo.
Photo by Yadira Hernández-Picó
Long before beach resorts and salsa clubs, Puerto Rico was home to the Taino, an Arawakan-speaking people. Their legacy lives on not only in the DNA of Puerto Ricans but also through artifacts and petroglyphs. This three-day road trip celebrates the island’s Indigenous past.
Day 1: San Juan to Utuado From San Juan, drive an hour west to Arecibo, where you’ll find the Cueva del Indio, a sea cave with the largest collection of petroglyphs on the island’s coastline. Continue south into the mountains of Utuado to visit the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Site. There, you’ll see stones covered with petroglyphs of faces and birds, bateyes (plazas created for sports and gatherings) that date back to the 13th century, and a museum of Taino tools and jewelry.
Day 2: Utuado to Ponce Another hour’s drive south near Ponce, the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center is considered to be the oldest ceremonial complex and astronomical observatory in the Caribbean. Nearby, stop for a meal at Barbacoa and Grill. The modern concept of barbecue derives from the Taino word barabicu, describing the process of slow-cooking meat.
Day 3: Ponce to San Juan Start with a one-hour drive north to Jayuya, known as Puerto Rico’s Indigenous capital, with sites including La Tumba del Indio, a mausoleum where ancient remains are displayed in a glass-topped grave, and Museo El Cemí, which is shaped like a deity. Outside of Jayuya, hike 1.4 miles to Cerro de Punta; it’s the island’s highest point, at 4,390 feet, and the site of the Mural de Zama, a rock wall covered in petroglyphs. Finish with a two-hour drive to San Juan. Check into the Condado Ocean Club, where the restaurant, Social, features dishes such as codfish croquettes and coconut tres leches cake. —Jen Ruiz
Rhode Island: Eat here next
Sherry Pocknett named Sly Fox Den after her fisherman father, Chief Sly Fox.
Tony Luong
In 2023, Sherry Pocknett, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, became the first Indigenous woman to receive a James Beard Award, winning for Best Chef in the Northeast. Her restaurant, Sly Fox Den, has put Charlestown (40 miles south of Providence) on the culinary map with dishes such as smoked scallops, nausamp (yellow corn grits), and venison sandwiches on fry bread. It’s a welcome addition to a town best known for its beaches, the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, and the Fantastic Umbrella Factory, a farmstead with gardens, a bamboo forest, and a shopping complex that includes the Native American–owned boutique Purple Shell, which sells handcrafted wampum jewelry made from quahog clam shells. —ND
South Carolina: Experience an upstate renaissance
Charleston gets a lot of love from travelers, but for something a little different, head “upstate” to Greenville, South Carolina, once known as the Textile Capital of the World. The industry employed one out of three residents, and you can retrace that past on a two-hour guided drive with Greenville History Tours, which visits mills built between 1874 and 1930. Alternatively, weave together your own tour of these former industrial spaces that have now been totally reimagined.
The 100-year-old Taylors Mill, formerly used for fabric dyeing and bleaching, houses a brewery, an axe-throwing venue, and the studios of dozens of makers, including letterpress printers, installation artists, and photographers.
The Greenville Center for Creative Arts is based in the old Brandon Mill, which produced textiles between 1901 and 1977. These days, the nonprofit arts organization presents rotating gallery shows and classes in media such as printmaking, fiber arts, drawing, and painting.
The 1912 Judson Mill has been reborn as a sustainable mixed-use building that includes a rock-climbing gym, a brewery, and a live music space.
A group of friends bought the Hampton Station, an abandoned cotton warehouse built in 1919. The complex now hosts such creative tenants as the artist-run gallery space Tiger Strikes Asteroid; Wandering Bard Meadery; and a nonprofit restaurant called Keipi, which serves food and wine from the Republic of Georgia. —ND
South Dakota: Drive the Native American Scenic Byway
South Dakota is famous for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills National Forest, and Badlands National Park. But there’s also significant U.S. history along the state’s Native American Scenic Byway, a 350-mile series of highways and roads that follow the Missouri River amid the lands of the Yankton, Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes. On Highway 1806, across the river from the city of Mobridge, find monuments to Lakota spiritual leader Sitting Bull at his final resting place, and to Sacagawea, the Lemhi Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark on their expedition west. Three hours south, the Aktá Lakota Museum in Chamberlain shares the history, art, and contemporary culture of the Lakota people. Continue farther south to the Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge and look to the skies: Between 100 and 300 bald eagles nest here in late fall and winter; watch them from a public overlook at Fort Randall Dam. —LDR
Tennessee: Check into music-themed hotels
Graduate Hotels are all located in college towns.
Courtesy of The Graduate Hotel
From Memphis blues to Nashville country, music is one of Tennessee’s greatest exports. Book these tuneful hotels on your next road trip through the state.
Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton
Built inside a still-working 1914 train station, this hotel has a listening lounge called Eight & Sand with a collection of 500 records, all related to the city in some way. It also has a DJ booth repurposed from an old church organ; it’s named Elmertha, after local music educator Elmertha Cole. If you want to tune in to what’s spinning downstairs from the comfort of your own bed, just switch on your locally made EgglestonWorks speaker—there’s one in every room.
Graduate Nashville
A giant bust of Dolly Parton, made of hot-pink chicken wire, watches over the rooftop bar White Limozeen at this location of the university-themed hotel brand. Elsewhere, the decor includes gussied-up country kitsch, such as a hooked-rug portrait of Grand Ole Opry comedian Minnie Pearl in the lobby and an animatronic, anthropomorphic band at the Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole karaoke bar.
HeartSong Lodge & Resort
In November 2023, Dolly Parton opened this resort in Pigeon Forge, minutes from Dollywood, and she told Afar that she hoped to re-create “some of that rustic living” that’s associated with her Great Smoky Mountains home. “We’ve kind of saved as many trees as we possibly could and built the lodge [as] deep into the hills as we could, so people could actually get the feel of that,” she says. In the lobby, hotel guests can catch live performances from musicians such as singer-songwriter Melissa Hale or Hillary Klug (aka the “Dancing Fiddler”), and the property is a great jumping-off point to explore the park’s new Dolly Parton Experience, an immersive museum that opened in May. —ND
Texas: Relax into cowboy luxury
Enjoy a taste of cowboy luxury at Bowie House.
Photo by Scott Slusher
Last December, Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection arrived in a blaze of glory and boot shines in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. The resort is designed to feel “like the living room of Fort Worth,” says General Manager Gaylord Lamy. Guests can savor the modern Western aesthetic—white-wood floors, leather, boot benches, hat racks—throughout the 88 studios, 12 lofts, and 6 suites, as well as at Bricks and Horses, the hotel’s lively restaurant. Some 400 pieces of original artwork, collected by hotel owner (and acclaimed equestrian) Jo Ellard during her travels, are on display throughout the property, reflecting the Cultural District’s art-centric appeal. Bowie House offers complimentary two-step dance classes with choreographed routines, topped off with fresh margaritas. Visitors can also book such experiences as a night at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and a tour of AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Hang your hat and stay awhile. —Terry Ward
Utah: Discover a surprising wine region
Utah has long enjoyed a reputation as a teetotaler’s paradise, but there’s an unexpected new wine region around Zion National Park—with a Mormon connection. In the 1860s, the church recruited 30 recently converted families from Switzerland to cultivate grapes for sacramental wine and as a cash crop. As the church turned away from alcohol in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the vineyards were replaced with other crops, but in 2012, a new generation of winemakers began taking advantage of what those pioneers discovered: Despite its arid appearance, this land is great for grape production. It sits at the same latitude as southern Europe and at an elevation averaging 4,500 feet, which allows for the preferred sunny days and cool nights. String together tastings at five area wineries, all within about an hour’s drive, including I/G Winery for private barrel tastings and live music, and Water Canyon Winery for natural wines.
Stay: Bring some bottles of wine back to AutoCamp Zion, a cool collection of Airstream trailers, safari tents, and modern cabins, and then pair them with the resort’s grill kits. They include steak or chicken with all the sides (plus s’mores ingredients) and are designed to be cooked or heated over a campfire. —ND
Vermont: Go skiing with a touch of the Alps
“The Ski Capital of the East,” Stowe, Vermont, is one of America’s most charming European-inspired ski towns. In 1937, Austrian Sepp Ruschp started directing the ski school at Mount Mansfield, now Stowe Mountain Resort. By the 1950s, climbers and skiers were traveling from out of state to the Trapp Family Lodge. Rebuilt in 1980 after a fire, the resort is still owned and operated by the descendants of Maria and Baron Georg von Trapp of The Sound of Music fame and boasts the country’s first cross-country ski center, a beer hall restaurant, and a coffee house. —Anna Fiorentino
Virginia: Visit Black-owned wineries
Virginia is for (wine) lovers. Not only does it have more than 300 wineries, but it’s where John June Lewis Sr. opened Woburn Winery in 1940—the nation’s first Black-owned and -operated commercial winery. A strong vintner tradition lives on today. Here are three Black-owned wineries worth a trip.
- Delaplane Cellars: Taste cabernet franc, red blends, and sparkling chardonnay on a sweeping 32-acre estate an hour west of D.C.
- Sweet Vines Farm Winery: In Unionville, located an hour northeast of Charlottesville, enjoy fruit-forward wine and fun vibes with reggae nights and crab fests run by owner Seidah Armstrong.
- Harmony Wine: “Do you have a mouth and a glass? Cool,” says owner Matt Harmon. All are welcome at this pretense-free Charlottesville winery, where the French rosé flows—and can even be purchased in cans. —LDR
Washington: Trek through a hiker’s paradise
Sol Duc Falls is considered by many to be the most beautiful cascade in Olympic National Park.
Photo by Michael George
In the farthest corner of the Pacific Northwest, the nearly million-acre Olympic National Park encompasses four separate rainforests. Hike the Hall of Mosses loop in the Hoh Rain Forest, where you can wander for about a mile among giant ferns and maple trees covered in beardlike moss. Then drive approximately 45 minutes southwest to the coast to admire the rock formations (called sea stacks) and seals at Ruby Beach. For travelers looking for a longer hike, the nine-mile Ozette Triangle wends through a mist-shrouded cedar forest from Lake Ozette to the shoreline. Visitors have a chance of spotting gray whales during their annual migration, peaking in April and May and then again in October and November.
Stay: Kalaloch Lodge, inside Olympic National Park, is an ideal base for exploring the Pacific Coast. From the cabins and some lodge rooms, guests can take in views of the ocean, especially magnificent at sunset. —Chloe Arrojado and Laura Dannen Redman
Washington, D.C.: Plan a capital weekend
There’s a feminist wind blowing through the nation’s capital, shaking the dust off a city that has long been controlled by men in suits. Tap into it on a weekend trip.
Friday: Check into Eaton DC, which third-generation hotelier Katherine Lo (her father, Lo Ka Shui, is the executive chairman of Langham Hospitality Group) founded in 2018. Here, artist residencies, music nights, and soundbathing are part of the experience.
Saturday: Start your morning at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, which reopened in October 2023 after a two-year renovation. It highlights often-overlooked aspects of women’s lives and prominently features emerging artists from groups underrepresented in the art world. The Smithsonian museums are next: The National Portrait Gallery’s exhibit Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939, showcases such notable figures as dancers Josephine Baker and Isadora Duncan; and the Renwick Gallery’s Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women, illustrates the ingenuity and significance of the art form. Both run through early 2025.
Sunday: Visit Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (owner of the Post cereal company in the early 1900s, major philanthropist, and the one-time wealthiest woman in America). Sometimes called D.C.’s Downton Abbey, it’s now a museum filled with imperial Russian and 18th-century French decorative art and other treasures, along with 25 acres of gardens and one of the country’s best orchid collections. For more modern wares, drop into Femme Fatale DC to shop for vintage home decor, jewelry, photographs, and other items from more than 60 women-owned businesses. —Karen Carmichael
West Virginia: Get to know a new national park
Check out some of West Virginia’s 1,500 miles of hiking trail on your next visit.
Photo by Ross Mantle
“West Virginia, Mountain Mama,” indeed. It is the only state located fully within the Appalachian Mountain range, which can be enjoyed by visiting one of 36 state parks, more than 1,500 miles of hiking trails, and some 4,000 rock-climbing routes. West Virginia also lays claim to the newest national park in the United States: the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, a 70,000-acre playground that draws campers, hikers, zipliners, white-water rafters, and base jumpers looking to leap 876 feet from the New River Gorge Bridge. —AH
Wisconsin: Take a step back in time
Wisconsin’s 1,200-mile Ice Age Trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in December 2023. The route, which stretches from St. Croix Falls in the west to Sturgeon Bay in the east, traces the path of the continental glacier that carved the state’s surprisingly dramatic landscape more than 12,000 years ago. Along the way, you’ll hike through prairies, forests, bluffs, and river valleys on what might be thought of as the Midwest’s answer to the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. —ND
Wyoming: Swim in hot springs galore
Wyoming has 99 cities and towns and more than 1,000 hot springs.
Photo by Corey Arnold
Did you know that Wyoming has more hot springs than towns? While Yellowstone’s famed thermal pools must be observed from designated trails (they’re way too hot to be safe for bathing), others around the state are open for swimming and soaking. Visit Saratoga in the southern part of Wyoming for its free, public mineral-spring pool and bathhouse. If it’s privacy you’re after, stay at the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort, which has a 70-foot outdoor hot spring and five soaking pools. Or drive about 25 minutes south of Jackson (in the western part of the state) and you’ll find yourself at Astoria Hot Springs, with its six man-made soaking pools of different temperatures in the 100-acre Astoria Park Conservancy. —AF
