With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, not to mention Martin Luther King Jr and Presidents Day around the corner, many American minds are focused on making the great escape. See what the US has to offer and celebrate stateside with a holiday weekend away with the family, with a loved one, with friends or on your own.
Travel with the family can make you want a vacation, so the key here is practicality. Choose a destination within three hours of travel and ensure they've got the attractions to appeal to your little ones.
If you're out west, load the stationwagon and head for an action-packed weekend in Lake Tahoe. Says frequent Tahoe visitor – and mum, Sara Douglas: "We love Tahoe, in the winter there's great skiing at all levels, and in the summer the kids adore the biking especially along Great Tahoe Flume Trail on the east shore. We've also all tried horse-riding and the picnicking on Gilmore Lake is just great."
Alternatively, if you're in the east, take the troops to South Carolina, and its year-round vacation hotspot, Myrtle Beach. The beating heart of the city is its ever-popular beach, part of the Grand Strand, a gorgeous 60-mile crescent of sand. But if watersports and sandcastles are out of season, there's enough going on to keep everyone smiling. Check out the Family Kingdom Amusement and Water Park or the mini theme park, the Pavilion, for rides galore.
For all your Tiger Woods-in-the-making, over 50 mini-golf courses should satisfy. And don't worry about the children making a noise at dinner – at Dixie Stampede's high-octane dinner show, cheering is definitely on the menu.
Who needs Paris when you've got some of the most romantic spots right here at home.
Maybe because it's so synonymous with the "bright lights-big city," market, New York is often overlooked. But says avowed Big Apple girl, Jodi Shprintzen, avoid the tourist traps and a captivating and attractive metropolis opens up for you: "Part of its beauty is that a street which will not be found in any guidebook can provide the most memorable experience. For instance, strolling down the non-numbered streets of the West Village, finding a small café that can only seat 10 people but has the most amazing charm, coffee and pastries, and just taking in the New York atmosphere."
Jodi also recommends a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge - fantastic especially in the evening for a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline. For serious foodies, don't be scared to venture outside Manhattan and explore with your loved one the cultural melting pots of the other Boroughs. From chic boutique cafes in Park Slope, Brooklyn to the Greek tavernas in Astoria, Queens, candlelight dinners have never been so international.
When it comes to sheer unadulterated giggles with your pals, you won't find much better than the larger-than-life experience that is Las Vegas. Go off-peak, shop around, and even the most luxurious Strip resorts have deals that will ensure you can spend on the tables and shows rather than on accommodation.
Hire a stretch limo for a few hours - off-season group rates make it surprisingly affordable - and take your pals on a ride up the Strip, stopping off at the Stratosphere for some frankly terrifying rides at the top of the structure. Keep going north to historic Downtown for the Freemont Street Experience – America's most grandiose light show and a certain waving cowboy.
Further north still is the North Vegas airport where you can all hop on a chartered prop plane, soar over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam and touch down near the Grandest of Canyons. Just don't forget your cameras.
Taking time out is ever-more essential in today's non-stop world, and what better way to do it than alone. America has hatfuls of destinations for the single traveller and so for a few days of bliss; it's just you and your guidebook.
For the ultimate in wilderness escapes, head north to Alaska. Enthuses Anchorage local Gary Scott: "From March to October I'd recommend a day hike at Matanuska Glacier, it's the largest road-accessible glacier in Alaska and only two-hours drive from Anchorage. Because it's not too severe, you can easily walk it alone - the frontal ice formations have many safe routes through spectacular views of crevasses and caves." In Anchorage itself, a great way to explore is by hiring a bike along the popular ten-mile long Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
Sounds like too much exercise? Gary suggests the Wilderness Explorer Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound, which runs in the spring and summer. "An idyllic way to get away for the day," explains Gary. Rat-race, what rat-race?
Andrew Morris is a UK-based freelance journalist, travel writer and editor who has been published internationally in both newspapers and magazines as well as online.
© Andrew Morris 2007
