There are so many reasons to travel. For one, it offers a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of your daily life. But beyond that, traveling allows you to be exposed to new places, people, and ways of life that can help you develop a wider view of the world. You might also find yourself having a deeper appreciation for where you come from, as you'll begin to miss the little things back home that you once took for granted.
Unfortunately, many people's travel plans have been put on hold due to COVID-19 closures and travel restrictions. While that once-in-a-lifetime trip you spent months planning and saving for may have been postponed or canceled for safety reasons, there are still many reasons to be thankful.
For one, quarantine has given us the opportunity of more free time to spend however we want. While it is still important to stay on top of schoolwork and other duties, researching your next the best travel spot for when things hopefully smooth out could be one of your quarantine goals.
Unbeknownst to most, many of the best travel locations are right here in the United States, eliminating the need for expensive plane tickets and hotels. Also, all the locations on this list are notoriously under-traveled and mainly visited by locals, meaning that social distancing might be easier to maintain than other more popular destinations.
Get ready, the nine most underrated travel places in the United States are coming your way!
1. Palms Book State Park, Michigan
Kitch-iti-kipi, located in Palms Books State Park in Michigan, is the state's largest natural freshwater spring. The name means "big cold spring" in the language of Ojibwe, but is also known locally as the "Big Spring" or "Mirror of Heaven."
The spring is 200 feet (ca. 61 m) across and 40 feet (ca. 12 m) deep and is continually refreshed by underwater fissures that flood 1,000 gallons (3.79 m³) of water into the basin every minute. It is characterized by turquoise-blue waters and is so clear that many visitors claim to see friendly freshwater fish during their swims.
Also, if you ever find yourself around this area, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula near Lake Superior. It's beautiful during sunrises and sunsets, and perfect if you are into freshwater kayaking.
If these places don't look like paradise, I don't know what does.
2. Dunedin, Florida
Just a short drive from Tampa, beautiful Honey Moon Beach in Dunedin Florida offers visitors a much-needed escape from the busy city life. It's home to a four-mile stretch of white sand and turquoise waters along with a scenic three-mile walking trail, not to mention plenty of swimming, shelling, fishing, hiking, and biking opportunities.
Just a short ferry ride away lies Caladesi Island, which has been ranked as one of the best beaches in the US. There, sailing, parasailing, jet-skiing, and paddleboarding opportunities are plentiful on the calm waters along with many great local restaurants that serve freshly-caught seafood. Who could say no to that?
3. Providence, Rhode Island
If beaches aren't your thing, consider taking a trip to Rhode Island to experience all the quirky culture it has to offer. Rhode Island, located just over an hour from Boston, is bursting with history, adventure, and all things fun.
Experience a taste of the Renaissance by taking a gondola trip through the cities waterways, stay the night at the quaint Rhode Island Lighthouse (yes, it is a real lighthouse available for rent), pick your giant sunflowers at Manfredi's Sunflower Farm, go to a drive-in movie theater at the T.F Green Airport, or stop by PVDonuts to grab a Maple Bacon or Harry Potter Butterbeer donut.
Even though it's the smallest state in the US, it still has a lot of exciting day-trips to offer.
4. Burlington, Vermont
While I may be a bit biased about how great Vermont is because I am from the Northeast, it's truly worth the trip for anyone interested in beautiful fall foliage, cute restaurants, and interesting artsy culture.
While you're in Vermont, don't forget to watch the sunrise across Lake Champlain as you take a boat trip, tour the one and only original Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory, shop and dine on Church Street Marketplace, and stop by the New Moon Café to grab locally sourced coffee, breakfast, and fresh-pressed juice.
Or, if you need some fresh air, walk, run, or bike through the Burlington Bike Path that is situated directly next to Lake Champlain and stretches nearly 8 miles (12.87 km).
Wherever your interests lie, you simply can't pass up a place like Burlington!
5. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Whether you are in a flight layover or are planning your next big vacation, there are plenty of fun things to keep you busy in Albuquerque. Take a scenic hot air balloon flight over the city or ride the Sandia Peak Tramway which will take you to an observation deck 11,000 feet (3.35 km) above sea level.
On the ground, you can explore the Southwestern art galleries housed in Ancient Adobe structures and stop by the stunning San Felipe De Neri Parish, the city's oldest building. Or, you can head to the Petroglyph National Monument on the West side of the Rio Grande River where you'll find nearly 30,000 carved rock images left by early New Mexican Settlers.
But if history isn't your thing, you can stroll down the Paseo del Bosque Trail to view Albuquerque's beautiful nature scenes and rock structures and try authentic Mexican food like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales at Mary and Tito's Café.
6. Yachats, Oregon
Pronounced YAH-hots, Yachats sits at the base of the Oregon Coast Range along the Pacific. The name comes from the Siletz language and translates to "dark water at the foot of the mountain.”
Much of the town's coastline is dominated by black basalt rock caused by lava flows nearly 50 million years ago. The black basalt rock is home to many tide pools where visitors can see sea urchins, sea stars, silver dollars, crabs, and fish along the rocks. Yachats State Park, Devil's Churn, and Cape Perpetua are some of the most notable places for all things ocean-related.
Thor's Well, along Cape Perpetua, is a seemingly never-ending gaping hole that was formed after a sea cave collapsed. During high tide, the waves come under the hole and fill the bottom while simultaneously spraying out the top.
Thor's Well has been nicknamed the "Hole to [censored]," warning visitors of the dangerous currents that can pull them down below the surface. Still, photographers and nature lovers alike make the 3-mile journey to view just how powerful our oceans can be.
After your long day of swimming, check out the Green Salmon Coffee shop for a quality brew and a vegan-friendly Panini or the Luna Sea Fish House for amazing fish tacos if you still haven't gotten your ocean fix for the day.
7. Assateague Island, Virginia, and Maryland
Assateague Island is a 37-mile-long island along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Its state park offers a gorgeous beach with plentiful kayaking, clamming, camping, biking, and swimming opportunities. The water can reach up to 70 degrees during the summer, making swimming just that much more enjoyable.
Most notably, some wild horses and ponies walk along with the grasslands of the beach and even horseback riding opportunities right along the shoreline. Local legend has it that the wild horses found along Assateague Island originally descended from domestic horses that survived a shipwreck off the Virginia coast in the late 17th century.
Beyond the beach, check out Sea Star café for gourmet sandwiches and soups or Build Your Own Cookie's food truck to design a custom ice cream sandwich after a long, hot day by the sea.
Assateague Island does bring a whole new definition to the word "seahorse!"
8. Alaska National Parks
In total, Alaska is home to 8 National Parks including the Denali, Katmai, Glacier Bay, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Gates of the Arctic, and Kobuk Valley National Parks.
In particular, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), is a famously striking attraction that's been dubbed North America's tallest peak at just over 20,000 feet. Daily tours taking the 92-mile road to allow visitors to get a taste of Alaska through breathtaking views of neighboring mountains, tundra, and alpine terrains, and the area’s animals such as bears, caribou, moose, sheep, wolves, and much more.
Also, many of the national parks allow “flightseeing” tours, where you can view the mountainscapes with a bird's eye view from a small aircraft or helicopter. Even if heights aren't your thing, the parks also offer many ways to see the state's beauty with your feet on the ground. Rafting, sea kayaking, jet boat, riverboat, and hiking tours are also great options for adventure-seeking people who like to keep things a bit tamer.
9. Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a resort town located in the Rocky Mountains of northwest Montana. Just beyond its boundaries lies the jagged peaks, freshwater lakes, and bountiful valleys of Glacier Mountain Park.
Glacier Mountain Park borders Canada and is home to more than 700 miles (1,126.54 km) of hiking trails, including the picturesque Hidden Lake. On their hikes, visitors claim to see diverse wildlife, ranging from mountain goats to grizzly bears.
But if you're hoping to not run into dangerous wildlife, head to City Beach where you can spend the day swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, and picnicking far away from the mountain's edge.
And if you're looking for a nice meal after a long day of exploring, head to the White Fish Lake Restaurant and devour their smoked trout or grilled salmon—fresh from Montana's lakes and oceans, of course.
Go on, pack your suitcase, book your flights, and head on down to some of the most underrated travel destination in the United States. Or, just vacation vicariously through this article (that's what I'll be doing!) Happy travels!
