10 Up-and-Coming Travel Destinations in the US

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida is considered to be the oldest city in the US. While the city may be old, she sure isn’t tired. Families especially love the abundance of quirky museums that range from medieval torture to shipwrecks. Afterwards, calm everyone down by the exploring tidal pools and sinking your toes into the sugar sand beaches at Anastasia State Park.

If you’re a first time visitor, the Colonial Quarter is a good place to start. Here, you’ll come across not only historic buildings to tour through, but also live musket drills and a Spanish-inspired tavern. For a treat, try and catch a performance at the St. Augustine Amphitheater, an intimate outdoor venue minutes from downtown.

Lovers of history, art and the great outdoors converge in Taos, New Mexico. Only a 90-minute drive northeast of Santa Fe, you'll find equal opportunities to hike, bike, shop and museum hop. One of the most meaningful spots to soak up the city’s rich cultural heritage is in Taos Pueblo, a historic community made entirely out of adobe. This spot has been inhabited continuously for over 1000 years, and you can watch resident artists hone their craft between examining the ancient buildings.

Be sure to also hit up the Taos Art Museum at the Fechin House, Harwood Museum of Art and the Millicent Rogers Museum, which holds one of the world’s largest collections of southwestern arts and crafts.

One of the most promising wine regions in the US, Willamette Valley is Oregon’s largest wine region with more than 700 wineries. While the valley is known for its sought after pinot noir, it’s touted to be the big next deal sparkling wine region. Head to Ponzi Vineyards for a glass of bubbly or a yoga and sound bath experience. Meanwhile, Remy Wines hosts the world’s first queer wine festival, an annual event that draws queer made, grown and owned wines from across the US.

The lush Willamette Valley is also a hotbed for flowers farms. Refresh your senses at the annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival or along the valley’s many heavenly scented, purple hued lavender farms.

This beach town anchoring the northern tip of Lake Michigan equally appeals to foodies and outdoor lovers. Thanks to its location, there are loads of biking and hiking trails (don’t miss exploring the mountains of sand at Sleeping Bear Dunes), plus pristine beaches for you to paddle from.

And when you’re in the cherry capital of the world, you can’t miss the National Cherry Festival which takes place each summer, now can you? If you do, rest assured fall will bring stunning leaf peeping opportunities and locally brewed apple cider to sip. Anytime of year, wine lovers can hit the Traverse Wine Coast to sniff, swirl and sip at dozens of intimate wineries.

Situated on Port Royal, one of South Carolina’s coastal sea islands, Beaufort is a city known for its mansions and historic city center. That’s not to say there isn’t also an abundance of parks and unspoiled coastline to get your fill of nature.

It’s only a 30-minute drive from Beaufort to Hunting Island State Park, where can survey the sea from the only publicly accessible lighthouse in the state. In the city, it’s easy to take a self-guided tour through the historic district, where many homes pre-date the Civil War. After all your walking, you’ll want to dive into freshly caught seafood, not to mention all those comforting classic southern dishes.

Cradled by its northern foothills, Boise, Idaho is a contemporary capital known for being both sophisticated and a little wild with its abundance of green spaces. Begin by getting your bearings along the Boise River Greenbelt, a 25-mile trail linking parks and museums with some of the city’s best restaurants. There’s a slew of monuments, museums and art galleries, but it's worth seeking out Freak Alley Gallery, if only to snag one for the ‘gram.

There are several stately buildings to admire, such as the Capitol and the Old Idaho Penitentiary, a haunting 19th-century prison begging to be explored. If football fans time it right, you can root for the Broncos on their home (blue) turf.

With its historic roots and southern charm, Charlotte, North Carolina offers plenty of diverse activities and amenities for a refreshing city break. There are mega malls to slay, nearby theme parks to conquer and eclectic neighborhoods to explore. And when it comes to barbecue, seriously consider carrying extra napkins.

NASCAR roots run deep in Charlotte with both the Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway being parked in the city. Those pulled to a different need for speed can get their adrenaline rush at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, where class I to IV rapids await rafters. Rock climbing, ropes courses and zip lines offer thrills to those who prefer staying dry.

The beauty of Solvang, California is that you don’t have to do or spend much to appreciate this small city’s charms. Situated in Santa Barbara county, Solvang is renown for its proximity to over 100 wineries and vineyards, not to mention its fairytale-like traditional Danish architecture.

Wine tasting rooms, European bakeries and boutiques, plus a windmill or two are all dotted along Copenhagen Drive in the city center. Simply strolling through the downtown core will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Denmark. If you’re a beer lover, be sure to grab a pint at Copenhagen Sausage Garden, a European-style beer garden that welcomes families and pets.

The epicenter of Cajun country in Louisiana, Lafayette is where history, culture, cuisine and nature all intersect. Dive into Cajun culture at Acadian Village or tour Vermilionville, a living history museum that shows insight into what life was like for Indigenous, Creole, Acadian and those of African descent over the centuries.

Lafayette is in swamp country, which teems with wildlife. Your best bet for wildlife viewing (yep, there’s gators!) is on a swamp tour with a local boat captain. Whatever you do, don’t forget to pack your stretchy pants! This is the city to tuck into crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo, beignets, po-boys, red beans and rice, plus bananas foster for dessert. Rest assured, you can burn it all off grooving to live Cajun and Zydeco music.

One of the gateways to the Grand Canyon, only a 90-minute drive away, Flagstaff, Arizona is also a college town. This means you can expect a solid events calendar plus an abundance of brew pubs. Head to Flagstaff’s Historic Downtown for atmospheric shopping, art galleries, lively restaurants and a brewery trail.

Flagstaff is encircled by the largest Ponderosa pine forest in the world, and you’ll no doubt want to strike out on its Urban Trail System to inhale the heavenly scents. It’s also the world's first International Dark Sky City. You only need only look upwards at night for prime star gazing, but if you visit Lowell Observatory before sunset, you can score enhanced views through their six telescopes.