9 All-American Summer Getaways

Southeastern Utah has some of the most surreal scenery in the United States. The sandstone rock formations are enormous and strange, river-carved over millions of years into fins, hoodoos, freestanding arches, and balanced boulders. Without trees or shrubs to soften the landscape, it feels otherworldly. It’s also a giant playground for hikers, mountain bikers, and other outdoor lovers.

Where to Stay: To immerse yourself in the desert without really roughing it, turn to ULUM Moab, which has 50 large canvas tent suites set on 200 acres near Looking Glass Arch. When you’re not adventuring, you can lounge in the contemporary clubhouse or try the hot and cool dipping pools. The restaurant prepares breakfast and dinner with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients, and staffers can arrange pretty much any activity, from canyoneering to a cosmic sound bath.

The Jersey Shore stomping ground where Springsteen and Bon Jovi cut their teeth has grown into something even rarer: an actually cool beach town. Once a ritzy Victorian resort, Asbury Park went into decline in the second half of the 20th century. More recently, creatives moved in and began a transformation. Today on the mile-long boardwalk, retro arcades, and vintage shops mix with buzzy restaurants and art galleries. It attracts all kinds, from families to the LGBTQIA+ community that's helped define its inclusive spirit.

Where to Stay: Asbury Ocean Club, steps from the boardwalk, takes the shape of a sleek, modern tower—but the rooms still have a coastal feel and balconies with stunning views. The pool terrace has a bar and grill and looks out over the ocean, as does the Drawing Room, which is part bar, part living room, part music venue. There's also a spa, a fitness center, and complimentary yoga on weekends.

Little Traverse Bay is a deep, clear inlet on the northern end of Lake Michigan—and those who grew up in the region consider it a summer destination so classic, some families return for generations. Even without nostalgic ties, this is a place to visit if you want to capture the American spirit. The shore is lined with Victorian resort towns that were popular with wealthy Midwesterners in the late 1800s and never entirely lost that character. You’ll find good kayaking, sailing, and golf, and the peaches and cherries are astounding in season.

Where to Stay: The Inn at Bay Harbor sits right on the water, with its own private sandy beach. It has a traditional Great Lakes resort look, with balconies and porches running along its length. Rooms and suites are nautically inspired without being kitschy, and there are 30 cottages for people who want more space. The amenities are impressive for a boutique resort: a spa, two restaurants (including a waterfront steakhouse), a poolside bar, and e-bikes and cruisers for exploring.

This part of the country has a way of making everywhere else feel small. The Pintler Mountains rise over open valleys like vast sculptures, creeks run long and cold, and the sky can look like it extends to infinity. Philipsburg is a former silver-mining town with a well-preserved main street and a legendary candy store.

Where to Stay: The Ranch at Rock Creek is a family resort on a working 19th-century homestead that spans 6,600 acres. Everything is included, from farm-to-table meals to airport transfers to activities—and there are a lot of activities. Fly-fish in Blue Ribbon-designated water, ride through open meadows on horseback, try archery and trap shooting, learn survival skills, and mine for sapphires in the creek bed. Accommodations range from lodge rooms to canvas cabins; each cabin has a gas fireplace, antique furniture, a screened porch and a deck facing the creek.

Distill coastal New England to its essence and the result would look something like the Kennebunks, a pair of towns in southern Maine connected by a brief bridge. Think lobster rolls, bobbing sailboats, weathered shingle siding, and the salty smell of the Atlantic, with some preppy overtones. Spend a morning on Gooch's Beach before the crowds arrive, sample local seafood, and browse shops in Dock Square for the afternoon. A little further out, the coast opens to rocky headlands and working harbors that invite long walks.

Where to Stay: White Barn Inn, Auberge Collection has been the area's celebrated address for over 50 years—a converted 1860s farmhouse and barn with just 27 rooms, suites, and cottages, a spa and an acclaimed restaurant. The most coveted accommodation is its houseboats: moored on the river, they combine the inn's signature refinement with the sense of being at sea, in the best of ways.

Few places in America have mastered the art of living well like Sonoma County wine country, where you can build your days around where to eat, what bottle to open, and whether the afternoon calls for a swim or a nap. Healdsburg sits at its heart, where three celebrated wine appellations—Dry Creek, Russian River, and Alexander valleys—converge. It feels like a workaday agricultural town while also having a ratio of excellent restaurants to residents that defies logic. Explore the main square, take a cooking class, go for a bike ride, or forage for mushrooms.

Where to Stay: Montage Healdsburg beckons with 258 acres of heritage oak groves and vine-covered hills and 130 spacious bungalow-style suites whose private decks and floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the property's own vineyard. The zero-edge pool and 11,500-square-foot spa are there for when the itinerary calls for doing absolutely nothing.

Franklin has been called the South's most charming town for good reasons: beautifully preserved 19th-century architecture, a walkable center, and a thriving music scene. The rolling farmland that surrounds it feels like a buffer from the wider world.

Where to Stay: Southall Farm & Inn, a cozy retreat with 62 rooms and 16 cottages with crisp neutral walls and bold floral upholstered seating. Set on 425 acres of working farmland, the property has restored vast swathes of native grassland and practices restoration agriculture to promote biodiversity and environmental health. Farm tours run from fields to orchard to apiaries; guests can try axe throwing, fly fishing, and pilates, then settle in for “seed-to-fork” dining. Southall even hosts its own Sunday market and a roving farm supper.

Jackson is a gateway to two of America’s most spectacular national parks. Grand Teton, with its craggy alpine peaks and bright wildflower meadows, is at its doorstep; Yellowstone’s geysers and colorful geothermal pools lie about 60 miles to the north. The region’s megafauna alone is worth the visit—you can see bison, wolves, grizzly bears, elk, and more. Jackson punches well above its small size, blending cowboy culture and upscale sophistication, historic saloons and art galleries.

Where to Stay: The only hotel directly on Jackson's historic Town Square, The Cloudveil channels its surroundings with a three-story sandstone stone wall, reclaimed wood ceilings, and a 10-foot-long boulder for a front desk. The 100 rooms and suites feature landscape photography by local artists and most have gas fireplaces ; they range from single king rooms to two-room suites that fit a small family. When you’re not hitting a national park, hang around one of the fire pits or stroll to the town’s many restaurants and bars.

Visitors have been flocking to the natural mineral springs of Virginia's Allegheny Mountains since before this country was… well, a country. Indigenous people enjoyed the springs long before Europeans arrived; Thomas Jefferson did afterwards. The area’s slow pace and ancient, thickly forested mountains can make it still feel suspended in time. Hot Springs rewards those who make the journey with cascading waterfalls, gorge hikes, and the simple, restorative pleasure of soaking in 98-degree waters that flow year-round.

Where to Stay: Open since 1766, the The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa is one of the oldest hotels in America, a National Historic Landmark that recently completed a $170 million restoration. The architecture is grand, and the recreational opportunities seem endless: guests can hike, golf, play tennis, shoot, fish, ride horses, visit the water park, learn about falconry, and dine at one of the hotel’s several restaurants. There are also, of course, the historic bathhouses, which tap the same springs that have soothed for centuries.