The best weekend getaways in the US, as recommended by Morning Brew readers

Listen, it’s not called Memorial Day Week. We asked readers for their favorite weekend summer getaways that only require a short drive, a small cooler for sandwiches, and maybe a tent if you want to stay over. Feel free to use this list of reader recommendations as inspo for this weekend and throughout this summer.

Boston

• North Conway, NH, in the White Mountains.
• Newport, RI for the mansions, of course.
• Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. (21 miles long!)
• Rockport, MA, a picturesque seaside town, and Gloucester, MA, where The Perfect Storm was filmed. Grab a lobster roll for lunch and enjoy the ocean views.

NYC

• Cape May on the tip of NJ.
• Lake George in NY’s Adirondack region.
• Montauk on the east end of Long Island.
• Asbury Park, a bustling seaside town on the Jersey Shore.
• Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens.
• New Paltz, NY, for the day, and Manchester, VT, for the weekend.

Philly + MD + VA

• Towns like Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton in Lehigh Valley, PA.
• New Hope, PA, along the Delaware River.
• Wineries and breweries in the rolling hills of Loudoun County, VA.
• Assateague Island is full of wild ponies and can be accessed through Chincoteague, VA, and Ocean City, MD.
• Luray Caverns (originally called Luray Cave) just outside of Luray, VA. They were discovered in 1878, so they’ve had plenty of time to get good.

Atlanta + Charlotte

• Highlands, NC, a town in the Nantahala National Forest at an elevation of 4,118 feet.
• Jekyll Island, in Glynn County, GA.
• Asheville, NC, an outdoor-lover’s paradise.
• Chattanooga, TN
• Wrightsville Beach, a small town near Wilmington.

Ohio

• Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, OH, about an hour southeast of Columbus. If you’re free in early August, stop by for the annual Bigfoot Festival.
• The beautiful (and free!) Inniswood Metro Gardens just 20 minutes north of downtown Columbus.
• Amish Country in Holmes County
• Kelleys Island in Lake Erie

The Great North (Chicago + Minneapolis + Detroit)

• Door County, WI, on a peninsula in Lake Michigan near Green Bay.
• Stillwater, MN, on the St. Croix River
• Saugatuck, MI, a cute town on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
• Galena, IL, has a hot air balloon race every third full weekend in June.
• Mackinac Island in Lake Huron
• Holland, MI, for breweries and lake views.
• Traverse City for the cherry festival.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
• Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

Texas

• Fredericksburg, TX, is known for its wineries and is located about two hours west of Austin
• Dinosaur Valley State Park, an hour southwest of Fort Worth. It’s a great trip for kids.
• Eureka Springs in northwest Arkansas
• Historic Downtown Grapevine, a few minutes northwest of DFW airport.
• The weird West Texas town of Marfa. You might even catch a glimpse of the mysterious Marfa Lights.

Denver

• Drive the 55-mile Peak to Peak Scenic Byway from Estes Park to I-70.
• Idaho Springs, CO
• The mineral hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs.
• The former mining towns of Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride in the San Juan Mountains.
• Buena Vista, which is a little under two hours west of Colorado Springs.
• Moab, UT, for the arches.

Northern California

• Lake Tahoe
• Lassen Volcanic National Park, where you can see real-life lava rocks.
• Reno, NV, known as “The Biggest Little City in the World.”
• Auburn, less than an hour’s drive northeast of Sacramento.
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Calistoga, a tiny town in Napa Valley with the Old Faithful Geyser of California.

Southern California

• Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino National Forest.
• Just southwest of LA, the resort town on Catalina Island.
• Solvang in California’s Santa Ynez Valley is known as “The Danish Capital of America.”
• Idyllwild in the San Jacinto mountains, about two hours southeast of LA.
• A day trip from Union Station to Santa Barbara, with lunch on the pier at Santa Barbara Shellfish Company.
• Ojai, a small city in a valley in the Topatopa Mountains.
• The ancient volcanic mound in Morro Bay State Park.

Pacific Northwest

• The Bavarian village of Leavenworth, WA.
• Hood River, OR, is a gorgeous town on the Columbia River.
• Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, about an hour by car and ferry from Seattle.
• Walla Walla, WA, known for its wine.
• Snoqualmie Falls, a 268-foot waterfall in Seattle.