After spending the last year cooped up either indoors or restricted to local destinations, many people are ready to travel this spring and summer. One great thing about U.S. travel is the diversity to be found in the types of trips you can take. Here are some timeless locations across the eastern part of the country to explore in this or any year.
Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is the gateway town to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited park in the country. The area offers an overflowing abundance of attractions to please every member of the family, including home-schooled kids. Gatlinburg and its neighbor town of Pigeon Forge are packed with rides, shows, restaurants, shopping, arcades and countless other ways to have fun. And with mountaintop attractions and all the wildlife, waterfalls, trails and scenic drives of the national park, this is one of those areas that you can never do everything you’d like to, even in a lifetime. The foothills host hundreds of Gatlinburg cabins, affordable rentals with amenities such as gourmet kitchen, video games for the kids, and hot tub on the deck. And the ancient Smoky Mountains all around offer an unforgettable charm that most people just go ahead and fall in love with.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
Every year people head to the Outer Banks to enjoy a peaceful type of beach vacation. Fishing, swimming, windsurfing, scuba diving, and dolphin tours are popular activities. People also often go scuba diving to explore the approximately 3,000 shipwrecks that are located in waters of the Outer Banks. North Carolina’s outer chain of islands is also a perfect spot for bird and other wildlife spotting.
However, there’s much more than the beautiful beaches to be found here. The area is rooted in history including being the place where aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright took their first flight, where the Lost Colony was last seen in the 17th century before the residents disappeared, and where the infamous Blackbeard fought his final battle. Explore old lighthouses, secluded beaches, and rugged sand dunes. Most people opt for a vacation rental in this area, giving the conveniences of home in a spectacular setting.
The Berkshires, Massachusetts
This quiet corner of the northeast is a few hours north of New York City and a few hours to the west of Boston. Over the decades, city-dwellers have vacationed in the small towns and villages in this mountainous region of western MA. Known for its cultural experiences, the Berkshires region is also home to Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow, two popular performance centers, along with numerous museums and a botanical garden. In the spring and summer months, many people flock to the Berkshires to enjoy the abundant hiking, camping, fishing, and sightseeing opportunities. Also popular is the Hancock Shaker Village, which brings living history to life, and is also fun for the kids because they can get a close-up view of authentic Shaker farming, including its animals and gardens.
Florida Beaches
The closest you can get to the tropics without leaving the continental United States is Florida. And of the many beaches around the long coastline, Tripadvisor’s travelers rate 10 out of their top 15 USA beaches as being in Florida! Orlando is a famous destination, with something for everyone, especially if the young kids had swimming lessons for all that water play. The world capital of theme parks, it hosts Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and Legoland, not to mention countless other local attractions.
Many good airfares to Orlando can be found, and from there it’s a short road trip to either the Atlantic shore or the Gulf coast (usually the warmer of the two). Check out St. Pete, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, and Redington Beach to the west and Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Daytona Beach to the east.
And don’t ignore the Emerald Coast in the northwest of the state. This strip of coastline faces the Gulf of Mexico and counts Panama City Beach and Destin as two main anchors, with smaller towns in between. The whole coastline features powdery white sand and teal green waters, as well as several state parks and wilderness preserves a little ways inland. A great place for a road trip, this coast offers many rental cottages in quaint places like Seaside, the location for Jim Carrey’s hit movie, The Truman Show.
Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey
The Atlantic shoreline that connects Delaware to New Jersey is a great vacation spot. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is a service that takes passengers and cars across the Delaware Bay. Choosing the type of vacation you want, you can stay on one side and easily visit the other, making outings to local beaches.
Cape May is more of the classic beach vacation, but it’s also got a historic section that has beautiful Victorian houses and lots of history. Harriet Tubman once worked in Cape May and visitors can learn about the Underground Railroad here. Enjoy the beaches, the food, and the history.
On the Delaware side is Lewes, and a bit of a quieter area than its counterpart across the waters. Vacationers can relax in the historic town, visit the popular Rehoboth Beach, or explore the wildlife and captivating scenery to be found at Cape Henlopen State Park. Further down Delaware’s shore is Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach, closer to the Maryland state line.
