Best Summer Vacations in the USA

Summer is meant for using vacation days, whether your ideal trip involves a big city, an all-American national park, a relaxing beach or a stay in a small town. To decide the top domestic destinations to visit in the summer, U.S. News considered several factors, including affordability, weather and variety of things to do, plus traveler and expert sentiment.

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor, Maine, is a tranquil paradise praised for its coastal beauty and pleasant summer highs in the 70s. A gateway to Acadia National Park, the town draws travelers who love to hike, bike, boat and soak up the area’s stunning scenery. Meanwhile, Bar Harbor’s Main Street is home to shops, ice cream parlors, art galleries, pubs and restaurants serving New England classics like lobster rolls and clam chowder.

Glacier National Park

Montana’s Glacier National Park is known for its stunning geological features, which include 700-plus lakes, several waterfalls …

6 Tips for Planning an Amazing Vacation

As summer nears, now is as good a time as ever planning the next vacation. Usually I find myself planning some exotic “road less traveled” vacation. This year I’m hitting the road in a more literal sense as I take off on a road trip to Wanderlust Festival. Whether you are taking a tuk tuk in Bali, floating down the Ganges, or trekking in Peru, I have outlined some tips on how to take the journey of a lifetime.

1. Define your intentions
   Just like in yoga, setting an intention for your trip will give focus and meaning to your travels. If you are seeking rest and relaxation, set an intention to find peace and detachment. Or find connection and love by planning a trip with close friends or a partner. Solidifying your intention at the beginning of your planning process will ensure that you don’t plan a trip to

Why You Need to Plan Your Summer Vacation Now

Summer is peak travel season, which often means busy airports and higher prices. There’s a reason summer is such a popular time of year to take a vacation, however — or rather, there are multiple reasons, such as school holidays, beautiful beaches, fantastic festivals and more.

One of the most common mistakes when planning a vacation is not giving yourself enough time. The sooner you figure out when and where you want to go, the sooner you can take advantage of great airfare and hotel deals; scheduling farther ahead also gives you extra time to make sure you’ve planned out your dream trip. You want to spend your summer relaxing instead of looking for last-minute getaways, so take the time now to start planning your summer vacation.

Less stress in planning

The more you have everything planned out ahead of the time, the less you’ll be stressing about details as …

Plan Your Summer Vacation for Under $1,000

It’s summer vacation time, and you know what that means: letting loose and having fun! But, be wary of loosening the purse strings too much—yes, you’re excited to plan a vacation, but you don’t want to end up in trouble budget-wise for the rest of the year. (And do your friends really want hand-knitted scarves for Christmas presents, again?)

The good news is, with some budgeting savvy, you can have a great summer trip without draining your entire savings account. We’ve put together a guide on how to keep your vacation costs under $1,000. And if you’re on a smaller budget (or if you’ve been saving for a bigger trip!), you can use the same percentages listed below, and just adjust the numbers up or down.

Transportation Costs 25% = $250
This total includes all the costs of getting around—including gas, flights, train fare, and rental car. For a …