The year 2020 is one we will never forget and that may be the understatement of the decade. We can‘t ignore the fact that every one of us was affected by the pandemic in some way. Travel may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but since we were all stuck inside, we had plenty of time to plan all of the trips we were going to take once the pandemic was over. For a long time, we were all very uncertain as to when we would be allowed to travel internationally again, so many of us were looking to take a vacation within our own countries. To make your decision easier, we created this list of the five best vacations to take in the U.S. after the lockdown and it still holds up well today.
U.S. Travel Tips in this Article
1. Best Beach Vacation: Florida
There are 95,471 miles of shoreline in the U.S., according to the NOAA, meaning that there are countless beaches you could visit on your next trip. If you’re looking for the best beaches in the U.S., then you need to go to Florida. Florida beaches consistently rank among the best beaches in the U.S. and in the world. If you want white sand, crystal clear water and an abundance of marine wildlife swimming around your toes, then Florida is the place to be. In fact, you won’t find this anywhere else in the continental United States. Here is a short list of some of the best places to find white sand beaches with clear water:
- Pensacola
- Destin
- Panama City Beach
- Clearwater
- Siesta Key Beach
- Naples
- Key West
Did you see what we did there? We just gave you the route for an awesome Florida road trip, where you can hit all of the best beaches along the way. You’re welcome. 😉
2. Best City Trip: San Francisco
The United States is home to some truly great cities, which makes it difficult to really decide which one is the best. After giving it some thought, we have come up with San Francisco as the best city to visit once the travel situation has normalized again. San Francisco has some great history, beautiful buildings, lovely rolling hills and is overall just a great place to be. One of the nicest things about San Francisco is that you can experience everything that a major U.S. city has to offer (culture, food, architecture) without getting in a cab or rubbing shoulders with thousands of other people on the sidewalk. You can even get the full San Francisco experience in a single day, if you’re short on time. Check out our free San Francisco travel guide to make sure you have the best possible vacation there.
3. Best Nature Trip: Lake Tahoe & Sierra Nevadas
This was a really difficult decision because the U.S. is so vast and has an immense amount of natural land to explore. That being said, we narrowed it down to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range as the best place to take a nature trip in the United States. Lake Tahoe, itself, is a massive body of crystal clear water surrounded by beautiful forested mountains that are home to incredible waterfalls and magnificent wildlife. In fact, the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range has some of the best forests, geological features, lakes and waterfalls in the world. This is one of the few places on the planet where you can see massive Sequoia, Redwood and Sugar Pine trees. Again, from personal experience, this truly is something you have to experience for yourself. If that’s not enough, then perhaps you’ll be enticed by the incredible national parks in the area, such as Yosemite National Park or Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks.
We have two guides that will help you plan your next wilderness escape:
4. Best Historical Region: New England
New England is essentially the birthplace of the United States. Since many of the first American colonies were founded in this region, it’s no surprise that there is a plethora of historical sites, colonial architecture and museums to be explored. History lovers aren’t the only ones who can enjoy New England, though, because this region is also home to countless old lighthouses, beautiful nature and the best seafood in the entire country. From Maryland to Maine, you’re sure to have a ball in the Northeastern U.S.
5. Best National Parks Trip: Las Vegas
Yes, you read that right and yes, we know, Las Vegas is not a national park (although some of you may consider it a playground). Hear us out on this one. Las Vegas is ideally located between multiple must-visit national parks, nature preserves and state parks. The gambling scene really overshadows this, unfortunately, but we’ve taken two trips to Vegas just because you can almost always get a cheap flight and you’re within driving distance to some amazing natural locations. Furthermore, you can book cheap accommodation in Las Vegas, which will save you the high priced hotels near the national parks. Here are just a few of the incredible places you can see by taking a short drive from Sin City:
- Zion National Park
- Bryce Canyon
- Death Valley
- Grand Canyon
- Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
- Mojave National Preserve
- Valley of Fire
- Red Rock Canyon
We cover these day trips a bit better in our Las Vegas travel guide.
If you’re into road tripping, then Vegas is also the perfect start and end point. You can either take a huge loop, going up through California, Oregon and Washington and coming back down through Idaho/Montana and Utah or you can even add in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona and take, what I (Ryne) am calling, the Louisiana Route. No matter which way you drive first, you’ll find yourself immersed in one national park after the other, taking in marvelous sights all along the way.
There you have it. Our current top 5 USA trips; one for every type of traveler. There is so much to see and do in North America. It would be a shame not to get out there and explore. Which trip are you planning on taking next? Let us know in the comments!
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I can’t wait for this lockdown to be over! I live in London but love America, have done a few long holidays/road trips there. I have already been to Florida, San Francisco, and Vegas. I loved Florida and SF but did not enjoy Vegas. We were supposed to stay there for 4 nights but we ended up leaving after just one night and we drove to a tiny village in the mountains called Duck Creek. It was amazing. I think I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time to enjoy Vegas so I may give it another go in the future. Adding Lake Tahoe and New England to my list now as well!
Magda
https://www.gloryofthesnow.com/
We’re really anxious to travel again too! And we’re not the biggest fans of Vegas either, but we love going there because there are so many national and state parks nearby. So really, we don’t actually spend much time in the city itself. 😛 You’ll really enjoy Tahoe and New England, when you get the chance to go!
Love how you broke these trips down to what people love to do! I suspect we’re going to see much more local/regional travel happening. Short trips within one’s state or city. Personally, I’d love a history or nature-focused trip that gets me away from cities and congestion. Some self-distancing in peace would be lovely!
You’re speaking our language Margaret! We love getting out into nature, while also learning about an area’s history. 😀 It’s really the perfect time to reconnect with one’s home. Most people never really get to know their home because “Eh, I can go anytime” and then never do. XD
Great picks! I would have to argue with myself about whether San Francisco or Washington takes the top city place, but I agree completely about Vegas. We live in the UK and it is a great place to fly in to for cheap flights and accommodation as well as a fab springboard for all these parks. Why is Valley of Fire not a NP? It is amazing!
Washington is great too for sure! 🙂 and yes, Vegas is absolutely amazing for seeing many different national parks. It’s a shame that most people don’t know about these great places that surround Vegas. Many of them only come to gamble without knowing about the natural beauties right outside of the city. Valley of Fire is one of our favorites too!!! The formations are just beautiful. Thank you for your wonderful comment 🙂 So glad you like our picks!
Done the Roadtrip from Las Vegas through Arizona. It’s amazing, and I’d love to see the other National Parks on your list too. Also been in San Francisco and it’s absolutly worth the trip! I’d love to visit the East Coast next!
Arizona is amazing! In terms of the East Cost, we’ve only been to Washington D.C. and Florida, but there is so much to see, especially in the north! What places would you like to see on the East Coast? Our next big road trip will probably be Utah 🙂