In the dead of winter, it’s tempting to sell off everything you own to move to a tropical, exotic location whose atmosphere is a complete 180 from where you are now. Unfortunately, with exotic travel destinations often comes exorbitant price tags, and unless selling everything you own is a viable option, you’re going to need to find an alternative. Skip on the international plane fare and take a trip to an exotic land right in your own backyard; visit these hidden travel gems you can find right here in America.
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Yosemite Valley, Ca.
This scenic, glacial California valley is home to a number beautiful sites. Measuring 8 miles long, the valley is chock full of trails for hikers and explorers, and is a hotspot for photographers as well; when the sunlight hits just right, some falls refract the light into beautiful rainbows that will take your breath away.
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St. Augustine, Fl.
Founded way back in 1565, this beautiful holds claim to being the oldest city in the United States. It was founded by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez Avilés, and remains heavily influenced by Spanish culture today. Walk along the historic streets, and bask under buildings that existed long before this country did.
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Kauai, Hi.
While it’s not in the continental U.S., Hawaii offers many beautiful sites for visitors to take in, and it’s least developed island is no exception. Also referred to as “the Garden Isle,” this beautiful island is a popular place to visit for those looking to get away from society and experience raw, beautiful nature. The lush, tropical rainforest that covers most of the island gives the feel of being in the Amazon without ever leaving the country.
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Joshua Tree National Park, Ca.
If you’re looking for an otherworldly travel destination with the price tag of a local vacation, then look no further than California. The park sees two different types of desert ecosystem converge where the Mojave desert meets the Colorado desert, with a landscape that could be from another planet; large rock formation, vast desert scapes, and strange, barren plant life render this desert an alien planet. When you’re ready to head back to civilization, stop by the village of Joshua Tree and experience first hand the wide range of inhabitants and food the area has to offer.
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Napa Valley, Ca.
If you’re dreaming of the wineries of Italy but know the Mediterranean is out of your price range, your next best bet is to visit the lush vineyards and rolling hills of Napa Valley. Colloquially known as “wine country,” this area was originally settled during the silver rush of California and is now renowned as the wine capital of California.