Given all of the cheap travel options, including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages, a would-be traveler does not need to leave America to find the next hot destination.
The following are top American destinations that offer innovative cuisine and drink, happening art scenes along with spectacular nature, according to Lonely Planet:
Louisville, Kentucky, offers a hip bourbon scene, including microdistilleries, fine dining, and an emerging East Market District. Some are starting to refer to Louisville as the new Portland, Oregon.
Fairbanks, Alaska, is a special place to view the northern lights, also called aurora borealis. Next year the sunspots are expected to put on a truly spectacular show in the sky. It will be the end of an 11 year old solar cycle so that show will be exceptionally beautiful, particularly in the late summer.
The Glacier National Park in Montana is a must see whose impressive glaciers are melting and could be gone by 2020.
The San Juan Islands north of Seattle have been called The Gourmet Archipelago and enjoys plenty of sunshine and lots of fresh, local food. Menu favorites include locally farmed artichokes and marionberries, as well as fresh caught salmon, oysters, and razor clams.
Verde Valley in Arizona is home to red rock, crystals, and a vibrant spa culture. It is also blossoming into a wine community. The new Verde Valley Wine Trail near Sedona connects four vineyards around Cornville in northern Arizona.
Philadelphia is where art is taking center stage. The city has long been home to the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art with its Rocky-climbing steps. Philly is moving up in the art world with the relocation of the Barnes Foundation into the city and the display of its once private collection of Cezanne, Matisse, and Renoir. The gallery scene is exploding and being accompanied by a growth of restaurants and upscale bars.
Minnesotas Twin Cities enjoy a deserved reputation for being bike friendly. Now the Nice Ride Minnesota bike share system and its new bike lanes makes these cities even more cyclist friendly. Ride along the Mississippi River and enjoy the beauty of its trails. Minneapolis also continues to support the latest bands.
American Samoa is almost a six hour flight from Honolulu with no need for Americans to carry passports. Pago Pago on Tutuila is a dream South Pacific beach vacation. Tutuila offers magnificent beaches, waterfalls, and is home to the National Park of American Samoa. Tourists can visit the 3 square mile Ofu in the Manua Islands by taking a quick connecting flight. Here visitors enjoy white sand beaches flanked by palm trees surrounded by shark tooth shaped mountains.
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