With vacations getting shorter and shorter this time of year, a quick weekend escape is the perfect way to recharge the batteries while seeing and tasting someplace new — without blowing a bunch of vacation days. A good option is to visit one of these easy-to-reach and navigable cities that are often under the radar of leisure travelers — but shouldn’t be.
What To See
K.C. is deservedly famous for its barbecue, and for fans of smoked meat, there is no better destination on earth, as the Kansas City style is a melting pot of other regions. This city has it all: from world-class beef brisket to ribs and pork shoulder. But there is a lot more to “The City of Fountains” than its best-known food. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is simply one of the nation’s best, with its collection of more than 33,000 pieces of Asian art, European paintings and comprehensive American Indian gallery. The $100 million Bloch Building wing, which opened in 2007, only helps in showcasing all of the priceless pieces.
Another of the city’s highlights is the heavily interactive National World War One Museum, designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the same architect who did D.C.’s Holocaust Memorial. Other standout attractions include the American Jazz Museum, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and Country Club Plaza, the nation’s first suburban-style shopping mall. Designed as a park-and-walk concept for the “new” automobile in 1922, the Plaza is architecturally patterned after Seville, Spain — complete with fountains and all.
Where To Stay
The Country Club Plaza area isn’t just known for its shopping though. This is where you will also find the city’s best lodging at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Raphael Hotel. A European-style boutique property with 126 rooms, The Raphael also has a high-tech business center and a modern American eatery, Chaz on the Plaza.
IndianapolisWhat To See
Of course, The Indianapolis 500, considered the largest single-day spectator sporting event on earth (an estimated 300,000 people attend the race each year), is held here annually around Memorial Day. But the rest of the year, the “The Brickyard,” as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is lovingly known, is also a must-visit attraction. The track’s museum is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and tours include a shuttle ride around the fabled two-and-a-half-mile oval. If that proves too slow, sign up for the Indy Racing Experience Two-Seat Ride with a driver such as Davey Hamilton, who competed in the Indy 500 and was the IndyCar Championship runner-up in 1997 and 1998.
The city also has the 472,900 square-foot Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the largest museum of its kind in the world. Don’t worry about getting lost on your way to the facility either. Just look for the life-sized dinosaurs bursting through the walls.
Indianapolis has a lot to offer those on romantic breaks as well. You may not think of Indy as the Venice of the Midwest, but you won’t want to miss a ride on the one-and-a-half-mile Central Canal, a waterway bisecting downtown with rental kayaks, pedal boats and, yes, gondolas. Alongside is a walking/biking/Segway path and greenway, part of the city’s new eight-mile pedestrian- and bike-only Cultural Trail. Another cute fact about the city: the iconic square, red LOVE statue seen in New York City and Philadelphia is from neither place. Actually, Robert Indiana’s three-ton original sits on the 150-acre campus of the Indianapolis Art Museum.
Where To Stay
To rest your head, check into Hilton’s upscale Conrad brand, one of only four in the country. The 23-story hotel provides 243 thoughtfully appointed rooms, two dining destinations (The Capital Grille and Tastings… A Wine Experience), and one spa (Evan Todd Spa & Salon).
What To See
Not surprisingly, the key attractions in Music City are audio-centric, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Grand Ole Opry and a string of downtown “Honky Tonks,” inexpensive, welcoming bar/restaurants that feature nonstop live music all day long. Stop by Legend’s Corner or Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge to see exactly what we mean.
Foodies will love the sound that’s coming from Nashville kitchens, too. The city is the epicenter of gourmet New Southern cuisine at acclaimed places such as the seasonal, multicourse gem The Catbird Seat Restaurant, 2013 James Beard Award nominee for Best New Restaurant Lockeland Table Community Kitchen and Bar, or the May-opened spinoff of Charleston’s famed Husk.
Where To Stay
But beyond finger-lickin’ food and toe-tappin’ tunes, Nashville is also home to one of the coziest luxury hotel’s in the nation, Five-Star The Hermitage Hotel. The staff is warm. In-room books give private spaces a homely feel. Four-Star restaurant Capitol Grille cultivates a garden that would make your grandmother envious.
What To See
Perched on the shores of huge Lake Champlain, water is much of the attraction here, from the city’s waterfront park and restaurants to the scenic sightseeing cruises and island visits. If the weather is being uncooperative, visit the one-of-a-kind Shelburne Museum, a sort of campus-style place where you’ll even find an odd mix of exhibits — a luxury train and a restored steamboat — are outside. Museum lovers aren’t the only ones who have it good in Burlington, though. Nature fans will find that the city provides easy access to all the outdoorsy things Vermont evokes, such as hiking, biking and boating.
Home to the University of Vermont, Burlington is a charming college town with a bustling pedestrianized downtown (Church Street), featuring so many tempting restaurants and bars you will be hard pressed to choose, but we’ll tell you that you can’t go wrong with the Medicine Wheel flatbread (wood-fired tomato sauce, fresh herbs and a combination of Grana Padano and mozzarella cheese) at American Flatbread.
Where To Stay
The dog-friendly The Essex Resort & Spa sits just outside downtown Burlington. Humans will love the property’s culinary classes. Their four-legged friends will appreciate November’s Pet Lovers Weekend. Both will find the onsite hiking trails to be a joy.
Ft. Collins, Colorado
What To See
Just an hour from Denver, charming Ft. Collins combines two great American passions — outdoor recreation and beer. Colorado is the No. 1 brewing state by volume, and little Ft. Collins is its largest producer. The city is home to nine beloved craft producers, including Odell Brewing, Ft. Collins Brewery and New Belgium Brewing Company, which makes Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat. All three offer great tours and tastings.
With 300-plus sunny days annually, people here like being outside almost as much as they do sipping on ale. Ft. Collins has more than 200 miles of paved bike paths and trails within city limits. Elsewhere, you can try stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking on its reservoir. The city also serves as a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Now, if you have to take the fun indoors for any reason, the not-quite-a-year-old, $27 million Fort Collins Museum of Discovery does a magical job of merging science and history.
Where To Stay
The funky 43-room Armstrong Hotel is a renovated, historic 1923 building with a retro speakeasy bar featuring live music hidden in its basement. But if that weren’t enough of a draw, each room is fashioned differently, ranging from vintage-styled quarters with a king-sized sleigh bed to a more cosmopolitan-themed room with fun lounge chairs and a wet bar.
