Most people imagine international flights to global destinations when they picture adventurous travel to some of the most beautiful places on earth. And while there are definitely incredible views in every corner of the world across all seven continents, sometimes we forget how many remarkable places are right here in the United States.
Whether you want to escape into the wilderness, experience local culture in some of the most famous cities in the world, or embrace your tourist status at a local theme park, there’s so much to love right here in our own backyard. There are infinite possibilities for memorable travel in the U.S. and there are so many places I still want to see, but I’ve put together a short list with a few destinations I can definitely vouch for from my personal experience. Here are eight bucket list trips in the U.S. that I think every traveler should take!
1. New England Foliage Road Trip
The fall foliage in New England is world-renowned for its vibrant beauty, and I think everyone should see it in their lifetime if possible! The leaves are resplendent shades of red, yellow, and orange and the mountainous topography makes it easy to view the foliage for miles and miles into the distance.
Another great thing about this region is that the states are so geographically small and regionally diverse that you can experience many different landscapes and cultures within the same roadtrip. For example, we took a 12-day trip to the area last fall and managed to visit multiple locations within Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts all in the same vacation!
On our trip, we visited Woodstock, Stowe, and Waterbury in Vermont, Franconia, Lincoln, Conway, and the Kangamangus Highway in New Hampshire, Belfast, Camden, Portland, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park in Maine, and Salem and Boston in Massachusetts.
For a dream trip with a couple of extra days, you could spend even more time leaf peeping in additional regions of these states or easily include Rhode Island and Connecticut in your itinerary as well.
2. California Coast Road Trip
When most people picture California, I think their minds jump straight to palm trees and beaches in LA. But the state has such an incredibly varied landscape to explore since it stretches lengthwise from the north all the way to the southern tip of the U.S. We crossed it off of our own travel bucket lists on a 10-day road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway in September 2021.
In a dream-trip scenario, I would recommend flying into San Francisco and doing some excursions to Muir Woods National Monument and the Napa Valley Wine Country to start out. Then travel south along the coast, stopping at Carmel-by-the-Sea, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Elephant Seal Beach, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Channel Islands National Park, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Pier, Huntington Beach, (you could also make a stop at Disneyland for a day or two here), and end the trip with a few days in San Diego.
To get the most out of your trip, it would be amazing to have two full weeks to experience the highlights in each section of the state! We missed a few of these stops since we could only visit for 10 days, but nonetheless this was still one of our favorite trips we’ve ever taken!
3. Colorado Mountains Trip
If you’re considering a cozy getaway to the mountains but you don’t have an international plane ticket to Switzerland in your budget, Colorado is an unbeatable destination. I recommend flying into Denver and enjoying a bit of food and sight-seeing around the city, then heading out into one of the smaller mountain towns like Boulder, Estes Park, Dillon, or Breckenridge.
Even if skiing isn’t in your budget, (it wasn’t in ours, either), you can still enjoy the beautiful snowy scenes of powdery white mountaintops and frozen lakes. As native Texans who only get one or two snow days per year at best, it was so special for us to experience driving through the mountain towns while snowflakes drifted through the air.
4. Arizona Road Trip
I think people tend to associate Arizona with the flat, arid desert. But it has such an incredible variety of landscapes and climates, and it is home to several of my favorite National Parks!
To kick off this epic road trip, I suggest flying into Phoenix, where you’ll encounter the classic desert environment and giant Saguaro cacti that most people picture for Arizona. Spend a few days exploring the area, then drive north to Sedona. The striking red mountains there are full of beautiful hiking trails. Finally, head a little further north to Flagstaff. From here you can use Flagstaff as a home base to visit The Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, The Petrified Forest, Route 66, and more.
5. Texas Road Trip
Since Texas is my home state, I’m admittedly a little bit biased. But I think a road trip through the Lone Star State is definitely something everyone should experience at least once!
I would recommend flying into my hometown of Dallas. From there you could visit the famous bluebonnet fields in Ennis during the spring, or check out the amazing State Fair of Texas in the fall! Be sure to visit Fort Worth cowtown while you’re in the area, too. Drive south and make a stop in Glenrose to see Fossil Rim Wildlife Preserve and Dinosaur Valley State Park, then stop in Waco or Georgetown for some small town charm. Your next destination should be Austin, where you can catch amazing live music, enjoy the phenomenal local food scene, and watch the famous swarm of Congress Bridge Bats at sunset. Drive into the beautiful hill country and visit Hamilton Pool Preserve.
Then, head further south. Stop in New Braunfels to float the Comal River or spend a day at Schlitterbahn. Next stop: San Antonio. You can stroll along the River Walk and remember the Alamo. Make a quick stop in Houston if you want to visit the NASA Space Center or have a relaxing beach day in Galveston. Take the highway straight back to Dallas “the short way” before you fly home.
6. New York City, NY
As classically American as apple pie, everyone should visit New York City within their lifetime. With arguably the best food scene, live theater, and art museums in the entire country, you’ll never run out of things to do here! Plus, you can visit the iconic Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Grand Central Station and the Brooklyn Bridge.
New York is particularly magical in the winter when the city is twinkling with holiday lights and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is up.
7. Washington, D.C.
Witnessing the buildings and documents that make up our nation’s history in person is a fascinating experience. Washington, D.C. not only has iconic architecture like the Capitol Building, The White House, The Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument, it also hosts the world class collection of Smithsonian museums. Essentially, it is a nerd paradise!
While you’re exploring all of the classic stops around the city, I would also recommend including the beautiful Library of Congress and the United States Botanical Garden in your itinerary.
8. Orlando, FL Theme Parks
Last but not least, I have to make a case for Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando. Even if you aren’t usually impressed by theme parks and roller coasters, these two immersive environments just might make you stop and reconsider!
While Disneyland in California is certainly a classic, I think Disney World is absolutely unbeatable for entertainment, especially for a family. With four different themed “lands” to explore, there are so many opportunities to feel like you are stepping inside of some of your favorite movies. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Avatar: Pandora are two of the best examples of Disney’s legendary theme park creation skills. And if you’ve never seen the iconic Cinderella Castle, that obviously needs to be on your bucket list too.
To really enjoy the full experience, you don’t necessarily have to stay in a Disney hotel, but I would dedicate at least one day to each of the four Disney parks.
I also can’t fail to mention how much Universal Studios has upped their game in the last decade. With the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter spanning across two of their parks, it is definitely worth a visit for any fans of the series. Universal also features thematic experiences centered around Jurassic Park and a handful of popular superhero characters. If you have older kids or you really appreciate roller coasters, you’ll definitely want to allow for at least two days here in your itinerary.
What U.S. travel destinations are on your bucket list?
There are still so many more amazing places in our country to appreciate nature and culture. I can’t wait to see where my domestic travels take me next!
If you want to learn more details about some of our favorite trips, check out our Blog. If you’re looking for more travel inspo and photography, follow along on our Instagram page.