Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado - Connecticut - Florida - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Louisiana - Maine - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Missouri - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New York - North Carolina - Ohio - Oregon - Pennsylvania - South Carolina - Tennessee - Texas - Vermont - Virginia - Washington - Washington D.C. - Wisconsin - Wyoming
I wasn't sure what to expect in Little Rock. You don't hear about it being a tourist destination. I highly recommend it for a weekend trip, though--definitely enough to fill a few days. It's worth a visit for the attractions alone! Add an amazing Flying Saucer, Stone's Throw Brewing, and a few meals at Flying Fish and Gus's...well, that's all you need.
United and American both have nonstop flights from Chicago, but we flew United. Once you arrive, you can take a taxi downtown. For the most part, Little Rock is walkable. We did take a few taxis around due to the intensity of the sun--but it could have been walked if it had been a little cooler outside.
Touristy, pretentious, polluted, sprawling? Maybe. That won't stop me from loving Los Angeles. There's just something about it. I like its vibe. Whether we're in DTLA, the Arts District, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, El Segundo, or Universal City, we love it. They say L.A. has no soul, but it always manages to rejuvenate mine.
San Diego is a beautiful city. It has that certain sense of place that only southern California has. It combines this with the feel of a seaside town, as well as that of Mexico. We booked a long weekend, but shortly into our planning, we realized that's not nearly enough time to do what we wanted. There are so many little enclaves in which one could easily spend a full day. As we explored, every spot we visited became my new favorite. It really is a great city. Here's our one irritation: an overwhelming number of people in San Diego seem to think it's perfectly fine to bring young children everywhere. Any place you can imagine, from bars and breweries to nice restaurants, and at any time of night. How were we so attuned to the presence of these children? The incessant screaming, of course. For this reason, we still prefer L.A.
United and American both have nonstop flights from Chicago to all the major cities in California. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a car in L.A. Fifteen years ago this was true, but it's especially true in the era of rideshare services. Additionally, if you get creative, you can manage to get around by bus, shuttle, or metro (which will soon be connected to LAX!). The Big Blue Bus is an excellent option for getting to Santa Monica from LAX. Besides, who would want to drive in that traffic?
In San Diego, there is some public transportation. We mostly walked around the downtown, Little Italy, and Gaslamp Quarter. To get to Balboa Park or Liberty Station, it's a quick taxi.
We don't think of ourselves as "Florida" people. We don't like hot weather, we don't like lying on beaches, and we never go swimming. But I have to say, we always have a good time in Florida, and we will keep going back.
Miami, in particular, exceeded our expectations. It started with a $50 one-way flight, from which we designed the rest of our summer trip. Miami was merely the entryway to other places. Little did we know how much the food would blow us away (see top restaurants below). And I could spend all day in Wynwood.
We have always flown United Airlines or American Airlines direct from Chicago, except for that one time... We went to Florida in April 2011 because my husband wanted to see an Iron Maiden concert. That was our sole purpose for flying there for the weekend. Unfortunately, there were no great deals, so we ended up flying Direct Air out of the Rockford International Airport (RFD). Never do this. For me, I would rather pay more to fly out of O'Hare. The security line was freakishly slow, considering there were only two flights departing. The plane itself looked like it had been purchased from a flea market--old, frightening--and the entire flight was a rowdy circus of children and adults who knew no airplane etiquette.
Savannah is one of my favorite places in the U.S. It has outstanding food that will keep you eating the entire time you're there, resulting in a kind of fullness you've never experienced. It has a type of beauty and style in its architecture that makes it feel like you've traveled back in time. And even though there are museums and other attractions here, the major attraction is the city itself; just wander around and explore.
United and American both have nonstop flights from Chicago to Atlanta, but only United flies direct to Savannah. Once you arrive, you can take a taxi downtown. Particularly in Savannah, there's no need for a rental car, since the downtown area is completely walkable. Parts of Atlanta are walkable, and it has public transportation--but it is slow on weekends in the winter.
This year, we made New Orleans our Thanksgiving trip. I'll say this--if you're looking for a place where almost everything is open on Thanksgiving Day, New Orleans is it. This was also the first time we've gone and had really pleasant weather. It was a relaxing trip that was based mostly around food--even more than usual. We dined at Arnaud's for the first time. We sat in the Jazz Bistro section and listened to the jazz trio, as a team of tuxedoed waiters took care of us. There was a separate "drinks and dessert" waiter, the main waiter, a man whose job was to scrape the breadcrumbs off of the table, and another man who brought the bread, refilled our water, and shook our hands at the end of the meal. This place is nothing but class. The oysters were the best I've ever had--shucked perfectly so they slid effortlessly off the shells. When you're done with your meal, you can adjourn to French 75, which is the classy-yet-relaxed bar. (It was there that we saw Laurence Fishburne and his family take a peek into that section of the establishment.) We liked it so much we went three nights in a row. We just liked the vibe. Oh, on your way there, be careful not to step in puke or other bodily fluids left on Bourbon Street, which borders one side of the restaurant.
Back in 2016, we had arrived in New Orleans (not having been in nearly a decade) to a French Quarter filled with people in little red dresses. Young adults, old adults, men, women, a person in a red dress wearing a professional-grade lion's head--it didn't matter. They were everywhere. As it turned out, we arrived on the day of the Red Dress Run, which involved a 2-mile run/walk in the morning, and then a day filled with drinking. It made for an interesting first day. For the most part, we were able to avoid the mayhem, but there were definitely a few times, while trying to cross Bourbon Street, that I was crushed by a sea of hot, sweaty people--(you know, when you're wearing short sleeves and someone else's sweaty arm touches yours, and you just want to go home and cry?)--and I wished I could teleport to a different part of town. But Sunday and Monday were pretty mellow, and we were able to wander around town and just enjoy it. From delectable dining options to first-rate museums to some of the best live music in any city, New Orleans is more than its Bourbon Street reputation.
United and American both have nonstop flights from Chicago. Once you arrive, you can take a taxi downtown ($36 flat rate as of 2019) or a bus. From there, walk around the French Quarter or take the streetcar to other neighborhoods.
These guys played three hours of awesome jazz at the 21st Amendment Bar, which is connected to the Hotel Mazarin, where we stayed.