Top Ten 4th of July Celebrations
Fireworks, barbeques, parades, and live
music—no other holiday spells summer fun quite like the 4th of July. Since the 4th falls on a Saturday this year, most people get Friday, July 3rd off from work, giving you a long weekend to celebrate America's birthday—and that means the perfect opportunity to take a road trip. Although you could just as easily watch the festivities on TV or set out some lawn chairs and a
grill in your backyard, some Independence Day celebrations are worth
the trip, especially if they're right up the road from you. Here are
our picks for the country's top ten places to ring in the 4th. Make sure to tell us if we've missed any of your favorite local July 4th celebrations in the comments section—we're always up for a new party suggestion!
Top Ten 4th of July Celebrations
10. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
9. Greater Williamsburg, Virginia
8. Miami, Florida
7. San Diego, California
6. New Orleans, Louisiana
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4. New York City, New York
3. Chicago, Illinois
2. Washington, D.C.
1. Boston, Massachusetts
Bonus: U.S. Virgin Islands
If you want to spend your July 4th weekend in one of America's smaller coastal towns, check out the Best Beaches for a July 4th Celebration. Or if you want more Top Ten travel ideas, get some inspiration here.
PHOTO: The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular over Boston Harbor (Jay Connor/courtesy, B4 Productions)
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June 05, 2009
Top Ten Summer Music Festivals
VENUE WITH A VIEW: Ben Harper performs at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival (Benko Photographics/courtesy, Telluride Bluegrass Festival)
One of the greatest things about summer (along with the barbecues, pool parties, and beach bumming, of course) is the open-air music festival. Music fans—from die-hard groupies to casual listeners who just like the idea of an outdoor music fest—will come out in droves if you've got the right mix of bands and fun. And why not? Music festivals offer the perfect reason to hit the road and travel. Whether you like rock 'n' roll, pop, hip hop, blues, or electronica, you'll find something to get you moving (or crowd surfing) at our picks for the Top Ten Summer Music Festivals, in order below from the beginning of the season to the end. Grab your blankets and sunscreen—and plenty of water—and prepare yourself to jam out and rock hard to several days worth of good tunes. And be sure to tell us if you've been to any of these festivals!
1. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California
2. Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge in Washington
4. Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee
5. Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado
6. Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan
7. 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota
9. All Points West Music and Arts Festival in New Jersey
10. Austin City Limits in Texas
Like top ten travel lists? So do we. Find more of Away.com's Top Ten Trip Ideas here.
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May 26, 2009
Top 10 U.S. Beaches: Dr. Beach's 2009 Picks
POT OF GOLD: Hanalei Bay on Kauai, Hawaii (Thinkstock/Getty)
Florida International University's Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach, has released his 2009 list of top beaches (note that past winners are ineligible for inclusion). Here are his top ten beaches:
1. Hanalei Bay (Kauai, Hawaii)
2. Siesta Beach (Sarasota, Florida)
3. Coopers Beach (Southampton, New York)
4. Coronado Beach (San Diego, California)
5. Hamoa Beach (Maui, Hawaii)
6. Main Beach (East Hampton, New York)
7. Cape Hatteras (Outer Banks, North Carolina)
8. Cape Florida State Park (Key Biscayne, Florida)
9. Coast Guard Beach (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)
10. Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)
Tell us about your favorites in the comments section. My fave U.S. beach is probably the pristine stretch of sand at the bottom of the road in Carmel (amazing sunsets); outside the U.S.—and this one's way off the beaten track—it's Mogushi Beach in southwestern Japan. (For more of Away.com staffers' far-flung beach favorites, check out our interactive Google Map here.)
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May 08, 2009
Top Ten Cheap Vacations
CHANGE OF SCENERY: Enjoy a meal in Budapest with the Hungarian Parliament Building in the background (Martin Child/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty)
I don't need to tell you why traveling on the cheap is so necessary nowadays. It's pretty impossible to ignore all the signs of economic woe around us—bailouts, high unemployment, and bankruptcies. It's enough to make anyone want to take a vacation. But don't feel guilty about wanting to hop on the next plane out of town. For every dream destination, you can find an alternative that will help you pinch pennies but give you the same qualities you were looking for, all without feeling like you took the budget option. Here's our list of the Top Ten Budget Vacations. Be sure to add your own recommendations in the comments!
10. Berlin, Germany
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April 17, 2009
Top Ten Places to Live Like a Pirate
AHOY, MATEYS!: The Flying Dutchman at Disney's Castaway Cay (courtesy, Disney)
The Away.com office has been abuzz with pirate talk this week after the somewhat surreal events off the coast of Somalia, no doubt pleasing one of our staffers who is one of the world’s biggest pirate-philes judging from his yearly Halloween pirate fest. But beyond all our swashbuckling pirate wit, it got us thinking about where to travel for some good old-fashioned pirate action—without getting in the crosshairs of AK-47-wielding Somali sea bandits (or indeed sharpshooting Navy SEALs). Here are our top ten picks; tell us if you know any other good pirate hideouts in the comments section below.
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April 16, 2009
Florida's Top Ten Roller Coasters: Kids' Picks
Dueling Dragons at Adventure Island, Orlando (courtesy, Orlando Tourism)
As any parent knows, children can be the worst critics and the best judges. So when it comes to judging roller coasters, my two boys, ages seven and ten, have become quite the experts. With mom as a travel writer, my lucky kids have put some of Florida’s “biggest and baddest” coasters to the test.
Here’s a list of their Top Ten Florida coasters, in no particular order. I’ve included height restrictions, which I suggest you check before getting in line. Note that this simple task has been known to avert major tantrums thrown by younger (usually shorter) would-be roller coaster riders upon arrival at the gates.
So, read—and ride—at your own risk:
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March 17, 2009
Top Ten Cheap Beach Vacations
SUN AND SAND FOR LESS: Outer Banks, North Carolina (Bill Russ/courtesy, North Carolina Tourism)
Warm weather is so close you can... almost... taste it. Unfortunately for many of us in these northern parts (or those not blessed enough to live in California), spring's still not quite here yet, and if you're itching to ditch the coats and hats, don't feel guilty about wanting to plan a beach vacation. With these top ten affordable beach destinations, you'll be able to dig your toes into the sand, catch some rays, afford lodging nicer than a hostel, and still have some cash left over for a few celebratory cocktails. Because, after all, you're no longer staring longingly at the beach calendar pinned up in your cubicle—you're on vacation and you didn't have to take out a second mortgage to do it! Let us know of any budget beach spots we've missed, or tell us if we're spot on with these picks:
Top Ten Cheap Beach Vacations
10. Destin, Florida
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
8. Huntington Beach, California
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
5. Negril, Jamaica
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Placencia, Belize
2. Tulum, Mexico
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon
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March 09, 2009
Top 10 Parks Around the World
WHERE'S FRODO?: Tongariro National Park, New Zealand (courtesy, Tourism New Zealand)
This post comes courtesy of the 700-member Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, which recently released its top picks, albeit entirely subjective, for the best parks outside of the U.S. Some great picks in here to get you out exploring, notably from the people who know what to look for in a park. If there are other parks around the world that aren't featured here but you want to share, tell us in the comments section below. —The Away.com Editors
1. Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
This is one of the North Island's three World Heritage Sites. It features volcanic peaks (one of which is active) and is still home to many Maoris, who donated the park to New Zealand in 1887, when it became the world's fourth national park. The Maoris are very outgoing in displaying their culture to visitors.
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March 02, 2009
Top Ten Spring Break Destinations for Families
A spring breaker at an earlier age (Stockbyte)
Spring break is right around the corner for most students. Though for many parents that means dreading the week-long partying that their kids will be doing (or, um, I mean the week of beach lounging and bonding with friends...), if you've got younger kids, they fortunately haven't reached the period of young adulthood when they only want to take vacations without their parents. Traveling together as a family when kids are young helps them to love traveling and trying new experiences good and early. And, lest we forget, a week of vacation with the kids also means a vacation for you—even if you do have to hurdle the unexpected mid-flight temper tantrum to get to the vacation part. So here are our picks for the top ten best places to take the kids for spring break in the U.S. and Caribbean. Agree or disagree with our picks? Or have a family spring break success or disaster story? Share away in the comments section!
Top Ten Spring Break Destinations for Families
10. Galveston, Texas
9. Naples, Florida
8. Palm Springs, California
7. Barbados
6. Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, Mexico
5. St. Lucia
4. Lafayette, Louisiana
3. San Diego, California
2. Steamboat Springs, Colorado
1. Riviera Maya, Mexico
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January 27, 2009
The Top Ten Travel Movies of 2008
Uluru in the Aussie Outback, one of Australia's true cinematic stars (courtesy, Australia Tourism Commission)
Okay, it’s true. On the surface, sitting in a dark room in front of a flickering screen for at least 90 minutes doesn’t really have anything to do with travel, especially if you could be spending that same hour and a half…ya know…outside, exploring a new part of your own neighborhood or revisiting your favorite haunts. But truth is, I love films almost as much as I love to travel. Hours-long movie marathons in the dark confines of my apartment, shades drawn to block out the shining sun? Done and done. After all, the best movies transport you to another world, from cyberpunk futures to the savannas of Kenya to the iconic western landscape of the Rocky Mountains.
And so, as Hollywood starts to froth at the mouth in giddy anticipation of the 2009 Oscars, airing February 22, I offer up my own list of the ten best movies that should inspire you to travel. They may not be the best movies of the year. Frankly, they may not even be good. But all evoke a sense of place as real, palatable, fully-realized, and inspired as the place where the film was shot.
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