Where to Next: Road Trips
Where to Next is The Local Foreigner’s guide to traveling in 2021, highlighting hotels destinations, and activities that are open and accessible to American travelers during the transitional period between the pandemic and the eventual return to round-the-world travel.
The great American road trip had a renaissance in 2020, and we think it’s here to stay as travelers continue to explore their own backyards like never before. Whether you’re looking for a weekend jaunt or a cross-country adventure, these itineraries are guaranteed to bring out your inner road warrior…or at the very least, your inner Google-maps aficionado.
ROAD TRIPS
"There was nowhere to go but everywhere”
Jack Kerouac
Northeast
NEW YORK • RHODE ISLAND • VERMONT • MASSACHUSETTS • MAINE
There is something quintessentially American about a New England summer -- a magical time of year when the days are long, the air is salty, and there is no problem a buttery lobster roll can't solve. When the weather's warm we dream of sipping IPAs on the yellow porch of the Ocean House as waves crash along East Beach and Watch Hill's summer citizens ebb and flow along the sidewalks of Bluff Ave. When the kids have returned to school and the vacation crowds have left, we like to head north to Maine, for an adult-only weekend at the White Barn Inn, where packing a picnic and sailing along the Kennebunk River are the stuff New England coastal dreams are made of. Once the foliage begins to turn, it's off to the Berkshires for an arts & culture fix in Lenox, with a healthy dose of hiking and fine dining at Wheatleigh. Come winter there's no better combo than curling and wine pairings at The Point, unless you mention snow shoeing and seven course tasting menus at Twin Farms.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
There's no such thing as bad weather, only improper clothing.
RIGHT FOR
Families are welcome at Ocean House, but all other properties mentioned here cater to an adult crowd.
Southeast
MARYLAND • SOUTH CAROLINA • GEORGIA
The languid pace of the American south moves with the tenacity of rich molasses, its distinctive culture the syrupy sweetness that drips from the bottle. From the sail boats of Maryland's eastern shore, to the colonial charms of Charleston, to the palmetto lined streets of Georgia's golden isles, the south has a beguiling quality that seems to suspend time. Spring is the most beautiful season in the historic cities of Charleston and Savannah, when dogwoods bloom and pleasant days seem built for walking tours, antique shopping, and leisurely lunches. Come sunset, plant yourself on Charleston's best rooftop at The Dewberry. As soon as the kids are out of school, extended stays along the coast are what southern summer dreams are made of. We love Maryland's Inn at Perry Cabin for northerners who aren't quite ready to trek "south of the border," while the Montage Palmetto Bluff and Sea Island fit the bill for jaunts further south. At these southern retreats, early tee times, sandy beach days, and long bike rides are daily reminders that life is better on vacation.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
April-October
RIGHT FOR
Couples should check out Charleston and Savannah sans kids, while the coastal resorts cater to families
Northwest
CALIFORNIA • OREGON • WASHINGTON
The coastline of northern California is one of the country's most beautiful, but we'd argue it's worth taking your eyes off the scenery to focus on the Michelin star dining at Harbor House Inn. Chef Matt Kammerer’s hyper-seasonal, hyper-local 12-course tasting menu will redefine your understanding of the word exquisite. Further north, another farm-to-table experience awaits at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, the Pacific Northwest's hallmark culinary mecca. Chef Blaine Wetzel's foraged 12-course tasting menu alone is worth the 2.5 hour drive from Seattle, but not staying overnight to enjoy the inn's legendary breakfast would be a mistake. Between northern California and northern Washington, make a pit stop in Oregon's Willamette Valley to taste the country's best Pinot Noir.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
May-October
RIGHT FOR
Unless you have kids who enjoy tasting menus and wine pairings, leave them at home.
Southwest
COLORADO • UTAH • ARIZONA • NEW MEXICO
The epic scale of the Southwest can't be fully appreciated until you've come to the realization that you've been sitting in a car for 4 hours and you're only halfway to your next destination. But after coming in contact with the country's most epic scenery, those hours logged in the hatchback become all but distant memories. If you cannot deny the call of the mountains, a stay at Dunton Hot Springs will put you in touch with your wilder side. But if pampering is your pleasure, a weekend at a little known place called Amangiri will reset your soul. Tack-on a few expedition style adventures in Lake Powell or Zion National Park and you'll find yourself wondering why you've ever traveled anywhere else. Family-friendly Enchantment Resort is a great base for introducing the kids to the red rocks of Sedona...and that blip on the map called the Grand Canyon. And if art is your passion and you have not yet been to Santa Fe's Inn of the Five Graces, don't say we didn't warn you, this under-the-radar gem is about to become the country's coolest weekend spot.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
October-April
RIGHT FOR
Scenery scouts, active families, couples with the same taste in audiobooks