39% of Americans Are Traveling Domestically This Summer to Save Money—Here Are 5 Trending U.S. Destinations
And just because you decide to stay in the States doesn't mean you have to sacrifice experiencing a new place. Our country is one of the biggest in the world, and hiding in it are tons of unassuming cities and towns that make for great vacation destinations, whether you road trip to one or hop on a short flight. The five spots below are some of the top trending U.S. vacation destinations according to Airbnb.
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Arizona calls visitors from far and wide for the infamous Grand Canyon. Marvelous as it is, the state boasts tons of other natural wonders. Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona, is another meander of the Colorado River that runs through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Antelope Canyon is a nearby slot canyon that you can walk through and explore. These two nature areas alone justify a trip to Page, but the city also has a quaint downtown area with restaurants, shops and cultural events.
The Outdoor Market takes place on the second Saturday of every month, where you can browse through Native American jewelry and clothing, furniture, tools and other creations. Or you can explore the work of local artists on the First Friday Art Walk, held in the evening of the first Friday of each month. If you can't bear the thought of an Arizona summer, push your visit back to November, when the Balloon Regatta Street Fair is held, so you can witness the launch of hot air balloons against the magical landscape.
Summer is the best time to experience small-town Clemson, as many of its nearly 30,000 university students leave between school years. A college town through and through, downtown Clemson is lined with charming Southern houses, boutiques, cafes, inns and eateries. Nature lovers can visit the South Carolina Botanical Gardens to explore 295 acres of the South Carolina Piedmont ecosystem. Isaqueena Falls is less than an hour away from the city, and its one of America's most stunning natural cascade waterfalls. Hiking trails for all levels of experience surround Clemson, as well.
Maybe it's time to put South Dakota on your radar. The Big Sioux River runs through the city and cascades over a series of rock faces in the 123-acre Falls Park. A walk along the riverside makes for a unique downtown city experience. Sioux Falls boasts a variety of art and cultural experiences, family-friendly activities and historical attractions. Spot and count the 55 sculptures that line the SculptureWalk, visit the Butterfly House & Aquarium or step into one of many museums.
Just a few hours away from Manhattan, the Catskill Mountains provide a breath of fresh air to NYC residents. Shandaken is a town in the mountain region encompassing 12 hamlets—small rural settlements. Staying in the area means you can explore each unique neighborhood.
The town has a total of 53,897 acres of forest with a variety of recreational summer offerings, from hiking and biking to swimming, fishing and canoeing.
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While the idea of a visit to Los Angeles is overwhelming to many, Long Beach is a more approachable Southern California destination. It's on the coast outside of the city of Los Angeles and is famous for its, well, long beach. 5.5 miles of clean, sandy beach border the city, complete with a paved walking, biking or running path that spans the entire length of the beach.
The downtown area is walkable and complete with quaint canals to explore. In Long Beach, you get the milkd SoCal weather without the traffic and crowds of busier LA spots.
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People filling the town square, the local restaurants, the farmers market or the stands to watch their local high school football team play the crosstown rival. When I opened my eyes, the desolation continued unabated. 'Ah,' but many have said. 'That's progress. That's simply the way it is.' It may be 'progress,' but at what cost? I suspect that many in the elite power-centers of our nation never heard of these towns, never heard of the circumstances that killed them — and mostly never cared. Or worse, some in those power-centers were directly or indirectly involved in wielding the 'inevitable progress' sword that killed the towns, the small businesses, the livelihoods and countless futures. Be it via 'big box' stores, online shopping sites or deals made in D.C. in secret between lawyers and corporations on the ropes, these once vibrant small towns were vanished. Business can be cut-throat, cold and merciless. Mega-businesses often purposefully lower their prices to crush the competition. Even if that competition is small town businesses or 'mom and pop' establishments. Unfortunately, when such massive corporation seeks to destroy the lesser competition, the intended destruction flows out from those now vanquished 'competitors' like a toxic waste, covering other small businesses intertwined with the targets of those massive corporations — be they local restaurants, gas stations, beauty shops or car dealerships. The ripples of bankruptcy and trail of 'out of business' signs spread far and wide. This is not about a trip down 'memory lane' and wouldn't it be 'just swell' if everything could be like 1950s 'Main Street' America. No. This is about small businesses destroyed, small towns extinguished, collectively millions of jobs lost and the lives of human beings simply looking to pay the bills and have some semblance of normal turned into nightmares of despair by 'inevitable progress.' Surely there is a lesson. Where is the line between merciless inevitable progress and the lives of those people torn apart by such 'progress?' Who takes responsibility for the loss of these small towns and the pain experienced by those who once lived in them? Or again, is it just a shrug of the shoulders with the thought being, 'not on my radar screen and not my problem'? Well, what if it very quickly becomes your problem? What if 'inevitable progress' now has your business, your career and your town in its crosshairs? The irony here being that karma eventually plays no favorites and has a wicked sense of humor. Soon, the businesses and very careers of 'shrug of the shoulders, not my problem' high-earning city-dwellers and 'power-center' residents may be disappeared by the ruthless 'inevitable progress' of artificial intelligence and robotics. 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50 Mind-Blowing Things From Around The World
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