There’s nothing wrong with getting out of the concrete jungle of Manhattan every once in a while. Yes, we live in a fantastic city, but there are so many others worth visiting especially with the warmer weather finally arriving.
I have embarked on some wonderful journeys so far in 2019 that have left me wanting more out of each place I stopped in. My hope is that each of you takes a peek into what makes the following 3 cities so special in that they take you out of the craziness that is The Big Apple and into something that much more unique and special.
Here are 3 fabulous cities I think you should visit ASAP.
San Francisco, California
The only west coast city to make this list, and for a good reason. San Fran has been the only major city I’ve visited in my entire life that truly rivals NYC when it comes to its foodie scene. You have so many tasty options to try like the out of this world sourdough bread at Boudin, yummy pasta at Perbacco or classic surf and turf options at Bistro Boudin.
You can also take the city in and its breathtaking views from the downtown area to Castro all the way to The Golden Gate Bridge. A fantastic place to stay for all of this is the The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel, located on Geary Street in Union Square (yes, they have their own Union Square too, NYC’ers!)
The stunning location is situated in a busy area of SF where shopping is a must while there. The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel’s insides are absolutely beautiful, with colorful and spacious rooms to relax in after a busy day. They also have a fabulous area called The Redwood Room that you can dine and dish at with friends while being surrounded by luscious colors, paintings and more. More info here.
National Harbor, Maryland
National Harbor, located 20 minutes outside Washington D.C., is an enchanting area of the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) that I had no idea existed up until recently.
I did a travel series there for another publication and was blown away by how wonderfully bright and stunning the city appeared as a whole!
There is so much to do there, from visiting one of only two Peeps stores in the entire country to a day of gambling and eating at the MGM Grand and a trip on their stunning Ferris Wheel that overlooks the waters and city that is National Harbor.
The full review is here, but this is something that should definitely be on your radar for a great summer trip that will truly blow your mind.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is such a special place for me as I went to school there for five years.
What’s incredible is how the city just keeps on building on itself. It has improved ten fold over the past fifteen years and has become a major contender for best New England city to visit all year-round. Sorry, Boston.
There are a lot of reasons why Providence is so awesome. The sights and sounds of the area are quite magnificent, where everything from a beautiful Waterfire experience to the endless shopping excursions at Providence Place Mall to a trip to the Brown University area of the city is nothing short of amazing.
There’s also great shows to be seen at PPAC (Providence Performing Arts Center), glitzy nights out in the downtown area where tons of bars, restaurants and more await you and so, so, much more. If you want to head north from NYC over the next couple of weeks, then Providence is the place to go.