1. Asheville, NC
I’ve visited Asheville probably eight or ten times by now. Every time I go, I love it even more. The whole city has a very laid-back, artsy vibe. According to my husband, I am the least laid-back person he knows, so maybe that’s why I like Asheville so much…something different. We even visited Asheville on our honeymoon. One of my favorite parts of our honeymoon was the carriage ride behind the Biltmore Estate.
2. Cooperstown, NY
I’m no baseball fan. In fact, I would probably consider it one of my least favorite sports to watch (behind soccer of course), although I do like watching a good live baseball game every once in a while. That little tidbit aside, I absolutely love Cooperstown. Cesar and I took Sophia the last time we were in New York and we enjoyed it a lot. Even though it is filled with tourists, it has that small town feel and everyone you come across is super nice and friendly. Even if you’re a non-baseball lover (like me), the Hall of Fame makes for a pretty interesting afternoon. We only spent a day there, so next time we go up, we are definitely planning to make the drive back to Cooperstown to check out what else it has to offer.
3. Gainesville, FL
How could Gainesville not be on this list? Hello…it’s the home of the Florida Gators! During football season on a Saturday, it is crazy. They say that The Swamp is one of the most difficult stadiums in the entire country for opposing teams to play, and for good reason. The Gators have some of the most loud and proud fans around. They can get a little obnoxious sometimes too, but, well, that’s besides the point. Really, though, Gator fan moment aside, Gainesville is a cool city. There’s a ton of things to do, restaurants to try, stores to shop at. There’s also a super cute little town right outside Gainesville called Micanopy that is fun to walk around. Cesar and I keep saying we need to go up one weekend just to explore, but haven’t done it yet. Maybe this year’s the year!
4. Jekyll Island, GA
Oh, Jekyll Island. The cutest, sleepiest little beach town you ever did see…and the only vacation destination I’ve ever gone to that leaves my butt hurting for the next week. Ok, that might have been an overshare…but really. I’ve been there numerous times since I was a kid and every time we go, we bring our bikes. Jekyll Island is only a few square miles, but man…by the end of a long weekend, we usually end up riding almost 50 miles. I should probably think about investing in a better bike seat before our next trip up. Jekyll Island is still very uncommercialized. The last time we went (over the summer), we were shocked to find a brand spankin’ new gas station with a (what!?) Dairy Queen attached. Also, riding along the beach, it looked as if Holiday Inn has purchased a big chunk of land on the beach and is working on building there. From the looks of it, it is only going to be a two story hotel, which is a plus. I sure hope they don’t get too many more commercial businesses on the island though, because that’s a surefire way to ruin their reputation.
5. Las Vegas, NV
I don’t think you can visit Las Vegas and not have fun. There is literally something to do for everyone in your group. It has some really great restaurants and shopping. And where else can you get a luxurious suite looking over the city for $150/night? If you’re really trying to go cheap, I hear about deals all day every day for hotel room that cost less per night than a meal out. Take note though…when Cesar and I went, we got our hotel rooms for next to nothing, but while we were in Vegas…we spent probably double what we had planned!
6. Nashville, TN
I love Nashville and not just because I’m a country music fan (although being a country music fan does make it even better). It has a fun downtown area with tons of shops, bars, and restaurants, and is home to the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators (if you’re into that kind of stuff). The Grand Ole Opry and Gaylord Opryland Hotel are also in Nashville. We visited Nashville on our honeymoon and stayed at a pretty awesome hotel, the Hutton Hotel.
7. New Orleans, LA
A lot of people I know hate visiting New Orleans. They say it’s a dirty, dirty city. And I’d have to agree, it is pretty filthy. Walking around in flip flops…nope. Buuuut, in my book, that’s one of the only things it has going against it. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the US (as long as I don’t forget my close-toed shoes). It is loaded with history and culture. It is not too expensive (at least compared to some of the other cities on my list), but has lots of wonderful hotels. And the food in N’awlins is some of the best in the country- you can’t really go wrong at any restaurant in town. There’s so much to do in New Orleans, I’ve been 3 times and still haven’t done everything on my list.
8. New York City, NY
I know the Big Apple is not everyone’s cup of tea. It is a loud, fast-paced city with a whole lot of hustle and bustle going on. It’s very easy to be overwhelmed. But I just love it. The shopping in NYC beats just about any other city in the country, and that’s the kind of stuff that matters. They also have great restaurants and you can find any type of food you can imagine. I’ve been in the summer and winter, and hands down, winter is a better time to visit.
9.San Francisco, CA
It’s been a few years since I went to San Francisco and I’ve been itching to go back and bring Cesar (he’s never been). It’s a very diverse city and that’s what makes it so fun. There’s lots of tourist spots to stop at- Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Ghirardelli Square (definitely don’t skip this one!)- which are all fun. But if you look past all those touristy places, there are some even cooler places to see, stores to shop at, and restaurants to eat at. One of the best meals of our trip was from a little shack on the water near Fisherman’s Wharf, where we ate a bowl of clam chowder from a bread bowl, sitting outside on wooden picnic benches
10. Savannah, GA
Yet another place from our honeymoon list. For us, it’s only a couple hours to Savannah, so it makes for a nice trip over a long weekend. Every time I’m there, we just slow down a little, which is a refreshing change from our normal busy lives. Savannah’s a great walking city. You can walk almost everywhere, and if not, you can jump on a trolley. It’s such a cute, old city that, surprisingly, hasn’t become too commercialized yet.
Well, there they are, in no certain order (except alphabetical). Nine of the 10 places I’ve listed, I’ve been to more than once (all but San Francisco), but can’t wait to go back to any of them. I do love traveling to new places, but sometimes, I guess you just have to stick with what you know!
All pictures are my own.