GREAT ONE-WEEK VACATIONS IN THE U.S.
I sincerely believe that all 50 U.S. states are worthy of at least a weeks' worth of travel and exploration. And that includes states that are often ridiculed, like Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.
The intent of this particular page is to identify specific areas or regions in each state that the average traveler can enjoy a full week long vacation in. This list is obviously opinionated and so it cannot and will never be perfect. You will notice some of these trip ideas are focused on a single place whereas others include several locations that are within a reasonably close drive. Take note that I have excluded Alaska and Hawaii as I have not traveled to those states yet.
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While Alabama has many excellent attractions, I personally don't think any one particular area in the state is worthy of a full 7-day vacation. I will say that the Alabama coast (e.g. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach) and northern Alabama (e.g. Huntsville) each make a great 3 or 4 day trip though. If you combined both of those with a drive between them, I do think that could make for a highly enjoyable full week in Alabama.
Discover more Alabama travel ideas with my comprehensive Alabama Travel Guide.
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Here are my five choices for areas in Arizona that can provide a great week-long vacation:
✮ Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim), Flagstaff, and Williams
✮ Page, Glen Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Kanab (UT)
✮ Phoenix and Scottsdale
✮ Sedona
✮ Tucson and southern Arizona (e.g. Organ Pipe Cactus NM, Chiricahua NM, and/or the towns of Bisbee and Tombstone)
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| Grand Canyon National Park |
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Saguaro National Park in southern AZ |
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Sedona |
Discover more Arizona travel ideas with my comprehensive Arizona Travel Guide.
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There are a few areas in Arkansas that have enough attractions to fill an entire week. Here are my two recommendations:
✮ Hot Springs, Hot Springs National Park, Little Rock, and Pinnacle Mountain State Park
✮ Northwestern Arkansas / Ozarks (e.g. Bentonville, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville)
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| Eureka Springs in northwestern AR |
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Walmart Museum in Bentonville |
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Ozark views from near Hawksbill Crag |
Discover more Arkansas travel ideas with my comprehensive Arkansas Travel Guide.
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California is one of the most attraction-packed states in the U.S. There are dozens of places where you could easily spend a full week in California; here is a list of many of the best such places:
✮ Big Sur Highway and the central California coastline (e.g. Los Angeles to Monterey, or vice versa)
✮ Lake Tahoe and Reno (NV)
✮ Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Anaheim (e.g. Disneyland)
✮ Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley
✮ Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Joshua Tree National Park
✮ Redwoods National Park, various state parks nearby, and the northern California coastline
✮ San Diego
✮ San Francisco
✮ Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park
You could easily spend an entire week in just Yosemite National Park, especially once Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road open for the season (typically June/July for Tioga Road and May/June for Glacier Point Road)
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| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park |
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Redwoods National Park |
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Half Dome in Yosemite National Park |
Discover more California travel ideas with my comprehensive California Travel Guide.
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Colorado is an outdoor paradise, packed with not only beautiful scenery but also many amazing attractions. Here are some places that you could easily spend a full week in:
✮ Boulder, Estes Park, and Rocky Mountains National Park
✮ Central Colorado (e.g. Aspen, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, Vail)
✮ Denver, Colorado Springs, and Manitou Springs
✮ Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, and more of southwestern Colorado (e.g. the towns of Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride)
If you enjoy winter recreation, you could also easily spend a full week at just one of Colorado's famed ski towns.
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| Great Sand Dunes National Park |
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Glenwood Hot Springs Pool |
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a southwestern Colorado lake |
Discover more Colorado travel ideas with my comprehensive Colorado Travel Guide.
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While Connecticut has a surprising number of excellent attractions, I don't think any one particular area is worthy of a 7-day vacation. There are a few areas worth spending at least a few days in though, including (a) Hartford and its suburbs; and (b) the Mystic area. If you enjoy the great outdoors, a trip of 3-4 days in northwestern Connecticut is also recommended.
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| Kent Falls in northwestern CT |
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one of Connecticut's many great rail trails |
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the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic |
Discover more Connecticut travel ideas with my comprehensive Connecticut Travel Guide.
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The Delaware coastline is fantastic, and many people spend a full week there each year.
✮ Atlantic Ocean coastline (e.g. Rehoboth Beach, Lewes Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island)
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| Rehoboth Beach |
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sign at the highpoint of Delaware |
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Bethany Beach |
Discover more Delaware travel ideas with my comprehensive Delaware Travel Guide.
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Florida has a million attractions, and so it's very easy to craft up a seven day trip to the sunshine state. Here are some ideas:
✮ Central Gulf Coast (e.g. Anna Marie, Bradenton, Sarasota, Siesta Key)
✮ Key West and the Florida Keys (try to visit Dry Tortugas National Park by booking far ahead)
✮ Miami and Everglades National Park
✮ Northern Atlantic Coast (e.g. Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, St. Augustine)
✮ Northern Gulf Coast / Florida Panhandle beaches (e.g. Destin, Pensacola Beach, Panama City Beach)
✮ Orlando / Walt Disney World
✮ Southern Atlantic Coast (e.g. Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach)
✮ Southern Gulf Coast (e.g. Marco Island, Naples, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island)
✮ Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater
Take note that Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island were hit especially hard by Hurricane Ian in 2022. It may take several more years for these places to fully recover.
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| Siesta Key Beach sign, Sarasota |
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Naples Beach Pier in Naples |
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EPCOT in Walt Disney World |
Discover more Florida travel ideas with my comprehensive Florida Travel Guide.
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There are a few areas in Georgia where I would spend a full week. I didn't include Atlanta in the list below, but you could probably bucket enough things to do there to fill out a week, specially if you enjoy bicycling since the city has an extensive bike trail network.
✮ Northern Georgia (e.g. Helen, Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, various state parks) and Chattanooga (TN)
✮ Savannah and Hilton Head Island (SC)
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| Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta |
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Atlanta sign |
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Georgia Queen in Savannah |
Discover more Georgia travel ideas with my comprehensive Georgia Travel Guide.
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Idaho's best attractions are well-scattered across the state, but there is one specific area in Idaho that I would say is worth a full week of your time:
✮ Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, and Spokane (WA)
In addition to what is described above, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the town of Ketchum are probably worth a full week of your time if you are an avid hiker or backpacker.
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| Idaho Potato Museum |
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one of many hot springs in Idaho |
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Shoshone Falls |
Discover more Idaho travel ideas with my comprehensive Idaho Travel Guide.
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Ignore what you hear on the news about Chicago. It's an amazing city and you can easily spend a week in the downtown area, especially if you enjoy museums. If you love the great outdoors and hiking, Southern Illinois is also worthy of a week-long vacation.
✮ Chicago
✮ Southern Illinois (e.g. Shawnee National Forest, Garden of the Gods, Giant City)
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| Cloud Gate / The Bean in Chicago |
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downtown Chicago |
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Maggie Daley Park in Chicago |
Discover more Illinois travel ideas with my comprehensive Illinois Travel Guide.
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While no one particular area in Indiana is worth a 7-day vacation in my opinion, if you patch together some sites in Indianapolis with attractions in southern Indiana you can create a fine week-long trip:
✮ Central and southern Indiana (e.g. Indianapolis, French Lick, Nashville, Santa Claus)
Discover more Indiana travel ideas with my comprehensive Indiana Travel Guide.
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Please don't laugh when I say this, but Iowa is a seriously underrated state. If you combine Des Moines with other attractions and towns in central Iowa you can absolutely plan and enjoy a great week-long vacation.
✮ Des Moines and surrounding areas in central Iowa (e.g. Pella, Winterset)
Discover more Iowa travel ideas with my comprehensive Iowa Travel Guide.
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I can't think of any one specific part of Kansas that I would recommend spending a full seven days in. If you combined Topeka, Kansas with Kansas City, Missouri I think that is certainly worth seven days though. I think the Wichita area is certainly worth 3-4 days as well.
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| Kansas sign |
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Monument Rocks in western Kansas |
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Rock City Park in central Kansas |
Discover more Kansas travel ideas with my comprehensive Kansas Travel Guide.
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You could easily spend 1-2 weeks touring Kentucky, but the attractions of this state are really scattered across it. There really isn't one particular area that I think appeals to the average traveler as a week-long destination. Here are some areas that I think are worthy of at least a 3-4 day trip though: (a) the Louisville and Bardstown areas; (b) the Lexington, Berea, and Frankfort areas; (c) Mammoth Cave National Park and Bowling Green areas; (d) the Red River Gorge and surrounding area; and (e) the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area and surrounding area.
If you wanted to go 'arch-hunting' (meaning find dozens of natural arches and bridges) or rock-climbing, you could definitely spend a week in the Red River Gorge area.
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| Natural Bridge State Resort Park |
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Birthplace of KFC |
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Cumberland Falls |
Discover more Kentucky travel ideas with my comprehensive Kentucky Travel Guide.
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While you likely don't want to (and probably shouldn't) party in New Orleans for a full week, there is enough to see and do in the city to hang out there for that long. Outside of New Orleans, I can't really think of any other destination in Louisiana that's good for a week. Baton Rouge and Lafayette are certainly worth visiting for a few days each, just not a full week in my opinion. If you combine both of them and the attractions surrounding them, then sure.
✮ New Orleans
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| Bourbon Street, New Orleans |
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New Orleans mural |
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City Park, New Orleans |
Discover more Louisiana travel ideas with my comprehensive Louisiana Travel Guide.
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Maine is New England's largest state and there are several areas that can easily deliver an enjoyable week-long vacation. They include the following:
✮ Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park
✮ Baxter State Park, Katahdin Woods & Waters NM, whitewater rafting on the Penobscot River, hiking Gulf Hagas
✮ Central Maine coastline (e.g. Camden and Boothbay Harbor)
✮ Portland and the southern coastline (e.g. Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Old Orchard Beach)
If you are a hiking fanatic (such as myself), you could easily spend an entire week hiking in Baxter State Park alone (e.g. hiking Katahdin, the Travelers, Doubletop, Big & Niagara Falls, etc.).
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| Sand Beach, Acadia National Park |
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Baxter State Park's "Knife Edge" |
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a lighthouse in southern Maine |
Discover more Maine travel ideas with my comprehensive Maine Travel Guide.
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Baltimore certainly has its rough areas, but if you combined a few days there with a few days in Annapolis, I think you'd have a fine week-long vacation. The Maryland shoreline and western Maryland are also worthy of a week each as well.
✮ Annapolis and Baltimore
✮ Eastern Maryland shore (e.g. Ocean City, St. Michaels, and Assateague Island)
✮ Western Maryland (e.g. Frederick, Antietam National Battlefield)
Discover more Maryland travel ideas with my comprehensive Maryland Travel Guide.
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I'm probably biased because I live here, but I think Boston is worth a full week, especially if it includes a day trip out to the Boston Harbor Islands. Spending a week on Cape Cod is the norm for many people each year, and if you combine a few days on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard islands you can craft a nice week vacation out of that too. While there's no one particular area in the Berkshires that I would spend a week, you can easily pick a few different places to add up to a week.
✮ Berkshires, The (e.g. Great Barrington, Lenox, Stockbridge, North Adams, Mount Greylock State Reservation, Bash Bish Falls)
✮ Boston
✮ Cape Cod (e.g. Chatham, Falmouth, Wellfleet, Provincetown)
✮ Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard islands
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| Bash Bish Falls in the Berkshires |
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U.S.S. Constitution Museum in Boston |
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Cape Cod National Seashore |
Discover more Massachusetts travel ideas with my comprehensive Massachusetts Travel Guide.
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I think both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan have areas that make for great week-long vacations.
✮ Lower Peninsula: Lake Michigan central shoreline (e.g. Saugatuck/Douglas, Holland, Grand Haven)
✮ Lower Peninsula: Lake Michigan northern shoreline (e.g. Ludington, Frankfort, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Mackinac Island)
✮ Upper Peninsula: West (e.g. Copper Harbor, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Isle Royale National Park)
✮ Upper Peninsula: East & Central (e.g. Grand Marais, Munising, Marquette, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore)
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| Traverse City sign |
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Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island |
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Mackinac Bridge |
Discover more Michigan travel ideas with my comprehensive Michigan Travel Guide.
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In addition to the two regions of Minnesota that I've listed below, you could easily spend a week in northern Minnesota if you enjoy the great outdoors (e.g. take an extended canoe trip in the exceptional Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness).
✮ Duluth and the North Shore
✮ Minneapolis, Mall of America/Bloomington, and St. Paul
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| Mall of America in Bloomington |
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Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge |
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Bob Dylan mural in Minneapolis |
Discover more Minnesota travel ideas with my comprehensive Minnesota Travel Guide.
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I struggle to think of any particular region of Mississippi that would be appealing for a week-long vacation. However, if you combined Jackson in central Mississippi (which is famous for its museums) with some of the areas along the southern coast (e.g. Biloxi, Gulfport) you could create a nice seven day trip.
Discover more Mississippi travel ideas with my comprehensive Mississippi Travel Guide.
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Missouri has a few areas that I think are deserving of a full week:
✮ Branson and the surrounding Ozark region
✮ Kansas City and Topeka (KS)
✮ St. Louis
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| sign in Branson |
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World's Largest Toy Museum in Branson |
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the top of the City Museum in St. Louis |
Discover more Missouri travel ideas with my comprehensive Missouri Travel Guide.
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I think you could easily spend a few week in either of these Montana destinations:
✮ Bozeman and Big Sky
✮ Glacier National Park and Watertown Park (Canada)
If you plan on visiting Glacier National Park, make sure you research the requirements for entering the park (e.g. entry reservations).
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| red bus tours in Glacier National Park |
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Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman |
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hiking in Glacier National Park |
Discover more Montana travel ideas with my comprehensive Montana Travel Guide.
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Nebraska has many great attractions, and pockets of the western part of the state are known for their beautiful scenery. Other than maybe the Omaha area, I personally don't think any one area in Nebraska stands out as a 7-day destination though. I see Nebraska more as a stay 1-or-2 nights in each place sort of state.
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| Nebraska state line sign |
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Carhenge in Alliance |
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Scotts Bluff National Monument |
Discover more Nebraska travel ideas with my comprehensive Nebraska Travel Guide.
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Most people can't imagine spending a full week in Las Vegas, but if you combine some time on 'The Strip' with some nearby outdoor activities and some of Las Vegas's non-casino attractions, you easily can.
✮ Las Vegas and southern Nevada (e.g. Valley of Fire State Park, Red Rock National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead)
✮ Reno and Lake Tahoe (which is mostly in CA)
If you are an avid hiker, you could easily spend a week exploring the Ruby Mountains in the central part of the state.
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| Valley of Fire State Park near Las Vegas |
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Welcome to Las Vegas sign |
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Neon Museum in Las Vegas |
Discover more Nevada travel ideas with my comprehensive Nevada Travel Guide.
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For outstanding week-long vacations in New Hampshire, head straight to the White Mountains region. I think both sides of the White Mountains are easily worth a week each. There are so many tourist attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities (e.g. hiking, skiing, etc.) on both sides. Make sure to drive the Kancamagus Highway (NH-112) from Conway to Lincoln and US-302 from Twin Mountain to North Conway while you are there.
✮ Lakes Region (e.g. Lake Winnipesaukee)
✮ White Mountains (e.g. Lincoln/Woodstock, North Conway/Conway, Jackson, Mt. Washington)
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| Glen Ellis Falls in the White Mountains |
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skiing at Bretton Woods |
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hiking in Franconia Notch |
Discover more New Hampshire travel ideas with my comprehensive New Hampshire Travel Guide.
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Northern New Jersey has plenty of attractions, and if you patched them all together you could spend a delightful week exploring there. My choice for the top one-week vacation in New Jersey would be along the southern coast though.
✮ Southern New Jersey coast (e.g. Cape May, Ocean City, Wildwood)
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| Ocean City Beach |
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Cape May |
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Ocean City Beach |
Discover more New Jersey travel ideas with my comprehensive New Jersey Travel Guide.
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Northern New Mexico is one of my favorite areas in the country, and spending a week there barely touches the surface. I also think if you combine some places in southern New Mexico with western Texas you can create a nice week-long trip too.
✮ Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos
✮ Southern New Mexico (Carlsbad Caverns NP, White Sands NP) and Western Texas (Big Bend NP, Guadalupe NP, Davis Mountains State Park)
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| White Sands National Park |
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Bandelier National Monument |
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park |
Discover more New Mexico travel ideas with my comprehensive New Mexico Travel Guide.
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There are many areas in New York that you can easily spend a full week in, including:
✮ Buffalo and Niagara Falls (but only if you also include the Canadian side of Niagara Falls)
✮ Finger Lakes region and Ithaca (there are dozens of waterfalls and wineries in this area)
✮ Lake George and Saratoga Springs
✮ Lake Placid and the Adirondack region
✮ New York City
If you've never been to NYC, you can easily spend 7-10 days there. I think there's enough 5-star attractions in Manhattan to fill up several weeks alone. It's absurdly expensive to stay and travel around the city though. To explore all of NYC's top attractions, read my NYC Travel Guide.
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| Niagara Falls |
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New York City |
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views from Central Park in New York City |
Discover more New York travel ideas with my comprehensive New York State Travel Guide.
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North Carolina has a few areas that I would encourage you to spend an entire week, including:
✮ Asheville and the North Carolina Mountains (e.g. Boone, Blowing Rock, Linville, Pisgah National Forest)
✮ Outer Banks (e.g. Cape Hatteras, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Corolla)
✮ Wilmington and the southern beaches of North Carolina (e.g. Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach)
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| Slide Rock near Asheville |
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Biltmore Estate in Asheville |
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Chimney Rock State Park |
Discover more North Carolina travel ideas with my comprehensive North Carolina Travel Guide.
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I personally don't think any one area in North Dakota stands out as a week-long destination. I do think western North Dakota (including Medora and Teddy Roosevelt National Park) is great for 3-4 days though. Make sure to also take a drive along the Enchanted Highway if you go to that area.
Discover more North Dakota travel ideas with my comprehensive North Dakota Travel Guide.
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Ohio is one the most underrated/underapprecated states. There are a few areas I would spend a week in Ohio in, including:
✮ Cincinnati and Dayton
✮ Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park
✮ Sandusky (including the Cedar Point amusement park), Toledo, and the nearby Lake Erie islands (e.g. Kelleys Island, Put-In-Bay)
I also think Columbus and the surrounding area (central Ohio) is worth a few days as well, maybe 3-4 days worth. Avid hikers could probably also spend at least 3-4 days (maybe even a full week) in southeastern Ohio visiting Hocking Hills State Park and Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve.
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| American Sign Museum in Cincinnati |
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Nat. Museum of the
US Air Force in Dayton |
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Target Field in Minneapolis |
Discover more Ohio travel ideas with my comprehensive Ohio Travel Guide.
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If you combine the cities of Oklahoma City and Tulsa I think you could easily fill a weeks' worth of your time.
There are many excellent museums in these two cities. Oklahoma City also has the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
✮ Oklahoma City and Tulsa
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| OK Route 66 sign |
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Route 66 Museum in Clinton |
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the Golden Driller of Tulsa |
Discover more Oklahoma travel ideas with my comprehensive Oklahoma Travel Guide.
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Oregon is one of the prettiest states in the country, and so it's fairly simple to plan a week-long vacation there. Here are some one week vacation ideas for Oregon:
✮ Bend, Sisters, and other attractions of central Oregon
✮ Crater Lake National Park and southcentral Oregon (e.g. Ashland, Medford)
✮ Oregon northern coastline (e.g. Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Newport)
✮ Oregon southern coastline (e.g. Coos Bay, Bandon, Brookings, jet boating on the Rogue River)
✮ Portland, Hood River, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River Gorge (e.g. Multnomah Falls)
There are also several national forests in Oregon where outdoors-loving people could fill an entire week.
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| Bend, OR sign |
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Crater Lake National Park |
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Trillium Lake & Mt. Hood |
Discover more Oregon travel ideas with my comprehensive Oregon Travel Guide.
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There are three areas in Pennsylvania that most people would thoroughly enjoy spending a week in. They include:
✮ Amish country (e.g. Lancaster, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand), Hershey (including Hersheypark), and Gettysburg
✮ Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania (e.g. Longwood Gardens, Valley Forge)
✮ Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania
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| Sesame Place near Philadelphia |
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Sonny's Famous Cheesesteaks in Philly |
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Amish/Dutch Country |
Discover more Pennsylvania travel ideas with my comprehensive Pennsylvania Travel Guide.
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If you split seven days between Newport, Jamestown, and Block Island, I think you could patch together a fine week-long trip in Rhode Island. You could also add 1-2 days in the Providence area too (e.g. bicycling the outstanding East Bay Bike Path, my favorite rail trail in New England)
✮ Newport, Jamestown, and Block Island
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| East Bay Bike Path in Bristol |
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Cliff Walk in Newport |
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downtown Newport |
Discover more Rhode Island travel ideas with my comprehensive Rhode Island Travel Guide.
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South Carolina has a few areas where you could spend a week. They include:
✮ Charleston and its nearby beaches (e.g. Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island)
✮ Greenville and the western unit of Sumter National Forest
✮ Hilton Head Island and Savannah (GA)
✮ Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Murrells Inlet
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| buildings in Charleston |
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Hilton Head Island |
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Angel Oak tree near Charleston |
Discover more South Carolina travel ideas with my comprehensive South Carolina Travel Guide.
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The Black Hills region of South Dakota is one of my very favorite areas of the country, and spending an entire week (or more) there makes for a highly memorable experience. It is comparable to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in its beauty and attractions.
✮ Black Hills region (e.g. Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, etc.) and Badlands National Park
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| Buffalo in Wind Cave National Park |
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Badlands National Park |
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Mt. Rushmore |
Discover more South Dakota travel ideas with my comprehensive South Dakota Travel Guide.
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I could spend a week in a few areas of Tennessee, including:
✮ Chattanooga and northern Georgia (e.g. Helen, Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, and various state parks)
✮ Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding towns (e.g. Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville)
✮ Nashville and Franklin
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| Broadway Street in Nashville |
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Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge |
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the lively downtown Gatlinburg area |
Discover more Tennessee travel ideas with my comprehensive Tennessee Travel Guide.
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Texas is enormous, and there are several areas where I think you could set up base camp to explore for a week. They include:
✮ Austin, Fredericksburg, and San Antonio
✮ Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth
✮ Western Texas (e.g. Big Bend NP, Guadalupe NP, Davis Mountains SP) and southern New Mexico (e.g. Carlsbad Caverns NP, White Sands NP)
I'm torn on whether to include the combination of Houston and Galveston in the above list. Some would say that area is absolutely worth a week, but I see that as a 3-5 day destination.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, you could easily spend an entire week in Big Bend National Park and the surrounding area alone.
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| the top of Guadalupe Peak |
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Big Bend National Park |
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San Antonio River Walk |
Discover more Texas travel ideas with my comprehensive Texas Travel Guide.
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Utah has my heart and I try to spend at least one week there each year. Here are some areas that you can easily stay for a week in Utah:
✮ Kanab and northern Arizona (e.g. Glen Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and the town of Page)
✮ Moab, Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park
✮ Salt Lake City, Park City, and the surrounding mountains / national forests
✮ Southcentral Utah (e.g. UT-12, Bryce Canyon NP, Grand Staircase NM, and Capitol Reef NP)
✮ St. George, Springdale, and Zion National Park
If you are an avid hiker, there are several other places in Utah were you could also spend a full week.
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| Bryce Canyon National Park |
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Lower Calf Creek Falls |
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Corona Arch near Moab |
Discover more Utah travel ideas with my comprehensive Utah Travel Guide.
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Vermont is a gorgeous state and spending a week in northeast Vermont would be a week well spent.
✮ Burlington, Shelburne, and Stowe
You could probably also spend a week driving up the entire scenic highway VT 100 from the Massachusetts border to near the Canadian border. This is one of the best scenic drives in the Northeast. I would spend a night in a new place each night (or maybe 2 nights in each place).
If you deeply enjoy mountain biking and hiking, you could also spend an entire week in the East Burke / Lake Willoughby / Kingdom Trails area.
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| Bingham Falls in Stowe |
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Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury |
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Steamboat Ticonderoga in Shelburne |
Discover more Vermont travel ideas with my comprehensive Vermont Travel Guide.
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There are a few areas in Virginia that I would spend a week, including:
✮ Blue Ridge Parkway (and all of the diversions you can take off of it, including dozens of wineries)
✮ Shenandoah National Park and Charlottesville
✮ Williamsburg
You could also spend a week touring some of Virginia's lovely wineries. There are roughly 300 of them in the state.
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| cave scenery in Virginia |
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Natural Bridge |
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Virginia Beach |
Discover more Virginia travel ideas with my comprehensive Virginia Travel Guide.
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I can think of a few areas of Washington state that are worthy of a week-long vacation:
✮ Mount Rainier National Park
✮ North Cascades National Park, Central Cascades region, Leavenworth, and Winthrop
✮ Olympic National Park and the Olympic Peninsula region (e.g. Port Townsend)
✮ Seattle and Tacoma
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| alpine scenery near Leavenworth |
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North Cascades Scenic Highway |
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Mount Rainier National Park |
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It's very easy to spend a full week in Washington D.C. if you enjoy museums and memorials. There are more than 70 museums in the area.
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If you enjoy the great outdoors, spending a week in West Virginia is highly recommended. Here's one suggested area:
✮ Monongahela National Forest and northeastern West Virginia (e.g. Harpers Ferry)
You could also probably spend a full week exploring southern and central West Virginia
together. You should include New River Gorge National Park in that trip if you do.
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There are two areas in Wisconsin that I highly recommend spending a full week in:
✮ Green Bay and Door County
✮ Madison, Baraboo, and Wisconsin Dells
Door County is often called the 'Cape Cod of the Midwest'. It has 300 miles of shorelines, several state parks and beaches, and several waterfront towns.
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| House on the Rock near Madison |
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one of Wisconsin's cheese shops |
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Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo |
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Northwestern Wyoming is the tourism capital of the state, and I think both the Grand Teton National Park/Jackson and Yellowstone National Park areas are each worthy of a full week vacation. You could also combine the two, spending 2-3 days in Grand Teton National Park/Jackson and 4-5 days in Yellowstone National Park.
✮ Grand Teton National Park and Jackson
✮ Yellowstone National Park
Staying inside Yellowstone National Park is optimal, but West Yellowstone in Montana is a great alternate to that. Cody is also a great base town for Yellowstone, but it's a long drive into the park. Cody is worth staying at least 1-2 nights in. If you go, make sure to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West museum and attend the Cody Nite Rodeo.
Lovers of the great outdoors could also easily spend a week in several other areas of Wyoming (e.g. Wind River Range, Bighorn Mountains, etc.).
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| West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone |
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Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone |
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Cody Nite Rodeo in Cody |
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