Put America on your to-do list. Photo by Michael Browning / Unsplash.
The pleasure of food comas. The adrenaline of mountain climbing. The euphoria of unexpected discovery. The experiences you've been craving are waiting for you where you least expect them.
Make 2016 the year you explore your own backyard.
Why: Old Stone Farm, a hotel filled with wonderful old barns, a yoga studio, lofty spaces for quiet contemplation, and cozy bedrooms. Other reasons include the local food, art scene, and Hudson Valley hiking.
Read it: Checking Into Old Stone Farm
Why: Spicy South Indian dosas, a modern spin on the traditional general store, cut-to-order artisan cheese, and more in the oldest capital in the United States.
Read it: What's New in Santa Fe, the Oldest Capital in the USA
Why: You'll eat every three hours in Oxford. It's a serious food town, where options range from classic fried soul food to sophisticated, award-winning cuisine. Your food coma will last from day one until a week after you get home. And you'll love it.
Read it: The Irresistible Food and Football Charm of Oxford, Mississippi
Why: Hiking trails, high points, and uniquely American pastimes. It's the frontier at its greatest, where cowboys herd buffalo and personal fulfillment lies in experiences, not objects.
Read it: Finding the Good Life in South Dakota's Black Hills
Why: It's the perfect country escape. Fly fishing, ice fishing, foraging, farm visits, boating, swimming, hiking, and all the farm-fresh food you can imagine are only two hours from New York City.
Read it: A Two-Hotel Hideaway in New York's Catskill Mountains
Why: While your society granny may not be brunching on the other side of the Crosstown yet, there's no denying it — the Holy City's creative center of gravity is shifting. In other words, new restaurants and damn-good shopping.
Why: It's full of surprises. And after an action-packed few days, you might just want to move there.
Read it: 3 Perfect Days in Boise, the Best Place You've Never Been
Why: The hiking, day drinking, and farm-to-table dining. Not to mention the history and the school spirit.
Read it: Breaking My College Town Bias in Charlottesville, Virginia
Why: Most people head to Point Reyes, just a 90-minute drive north of San Francisco, for a day trip. Those people are missing out. You'll need at least a night or two.
Why: Delis are serious about their breakfast sandwiches. The university is sitting on a world-class art collection. And the state's bullshit liquor laws allow you to bring your own amazing wines to many dry restaurants. Yeah, we cussed. It's still Jersey.
Why: Small groceries with beer, farmers' markets, antiques galore, and the best dive bar ever — with a manual bowling alley.
Why: The Americana experience at Paws Up, a family-friendly ranch resort where vintage views and orchestrated activities in the great outdoors are all yours. That includes cattle herding and snowshoeing.
We make every effort to ensure the information in our articles is accurate at the time of publication. But the world moves fast, and even we double-check important details before hitting the road.
