52 All-American Summer Getaways
As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, here’s a state-by-state travel guide (including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico), to majestic purple mountain retreats, hotels built by American entrepreneurs and other historic venues in the land of the free.
By Jennifer Kester
America’s 250th anniversary celebrations this summer provide the perfect inspiration to explore the country’s vast and diverse landscapes—from the original 13 colonies to the rugged wilderness of the West.
Forbes Travel Guide recommends these quintessential American getaways in all 50 states (along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico). Whether you want to immerse yourself in living history, retreat to a private island sanctuary or seek adventure in the oldest national parks, this state-by-state guide provides the ultimate cross-country travel bucket list.
Alabama
Destination: Auburn
Where to Stay: When visitors come to this college town to cheer on Auburn University’s Tigers, The Laurel Hotel and Spa is a convenient on-campus base with a rooftop pool and a teaching restaurant featuring acclaimed chef-in-residence Joël Antunes.
What to Do: Venture off-campus to Chewacla State Park, whose nearly 700 acres have hiking and mountain biking trails and a 26-acre lake for fishing, swimming and canoeing.
Alaska
Destination: Halibut Cove
Where to Stay: Explore the Last Frontier at Stillpoint Lodge. The all-inclusive 28-guest lodge is located in a small village on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s remote—the only way to get here is by boat, floatplane or helicopter—but the payoff is prime access to the abundant wildlife.
What to Do: The lodge will help plan epic itineraries such as grizzly sightings via helicopter or kayaking amid icebergs in a glacier lake.
Arizona
Destination: Phoenix
Where to Stay: Frank Lloyd Wright protégé Albert Chase McArthur brought his mentor’s architectural eye to the Arizona Biltmore, designing the 1929 hotel with Wright’s patterned concrete blocks and adding sprite sculptures from his molds on the grounds.
What to Do: Admire Arizona’s desert landscape from a hot air balloon that floats off to the Grand Canyon and other sights. Or see it on land during a guided horseback ride.
Arkansas
Destination: Hot Springs
Where to Stay: Oaklawn began as a horse-racing destination in 1904 and became a favorite haunt for gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. In 2021, the town added Oaklawn Hot Springs, Arkansas, a resort with a 24/7 casino and a Four-Star spa featuring its famed healing waters.
What to Do: Hot Springs National Park is just two miles away. Take in panoramic views of the Ouachita Mountains from the 216-foot Hot Springs Mountain Tower, visit Bathhouse Row or hike 26 miles of trails.
California
Destination: San Francisco
Where to Stay: The Palace Hotel was the largest in the world when it debuted in 1875. It still exudes Gilded Age glamour with the two-story Garden Court, featuring a 70,000-piece stained-glass ceiling and Austrian crystal chandeliers.
What to Do: History is steeped into every corner of the city. San Francisco’s Chinatown was the first and largest in North America. And while the Presidio was established as a Spanish fort in 1776, it’s now one of the city’s most popular parks.
Colorado
Destination: Colorado Springs
Where to Stay: The purple mountain majesties of Pikes Peak’s inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” and prompted Spencer Penrose to build The Broadmoor. The pink-stucco hotel ushered in a luxurious new era for the West in 1918. Today, it has 20 dining and drinking options, a Five-Star spa and an impressive Western art collection.
What to Do: The Broadmoor’s 5,000 acres accommodate almost any adventure. Try falconry, fly-fishing camps, rock climbing, zip-line courses, hiking, biking and whitewater rafting without leaving the grounds.
Connecticut
Destination: Washington
Where to Stay: Nestled across 58 idyllic acres in Litchfield County, the Mayflower Inn & Spa centers around a 1920 gray-shingled country house with 35 quaint rooms. The property also includes a 20,000-square-foot wellness center.
What to Do: Take in the natural beauty of northwest Connecticut at Kent Falls State Park, which has a covered bridge and waterfalls that cascade 250 feet into the Housatonic River.
Delaware
Destination: Wilmington
Where to Stay: Hotel Du Pont, which debuted in 1913 as part of the DuPont company’s headquarters, will celebrate the country’s anniversary with the Homage to 1776 package. It includes a historian-led property tour, a three-course “250 Series” dinner and tickets to the Hagley Museum, which chronicles early American industry and innovation.
What to Do: The Wilmington area has bountiful green spaces. Nemours Estate models its 200-acre gardens after Versailles. And Brandywine, partly designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Central Park’s architect, spans 178 acres.
Florida
Destination: Palm Beach
Where to Stay: Dating to 1896, The Breakers was a favored beachfront escape for the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Astors. The National Historic Landmark hotel remains a fitting getaway for today’s captains of industry with 534 rooms, 36 holes of golf (including Florida’s oldest course), 10 restaurants and bars and four oceanfront pools.
What to Do: Oil magnate Henry M. Flagler built Palm Beach (and The Breakers) as one of America’s first resort destinations in the 1890s. Learn how he shaped Florida tourism and see other Gilded Age exhibits at the Flagler Museum. Fronting the museum, the 5.5-mile Lake Trail leads past the waterfront homes of today’s Palm Beach billionaires.
Georgia
Destination: Sea Island
Where to Stay: See Georgia’s scenic Atlantic Coast at The Cloister at Sea Island, a 50-acre private island retreat with moss-covered live oak trees, marshlands and beaches. The Spanish Colonial Five-Star retreat opened in 1928 and has welcomed many celebrities and politicians, even hosting the 2004 G8 Summit with George W. Bush.
What to Do: Play golf on Sea Island’s three championship courses; ride horses on the five-mile private beach; hit the water for paddleboarding and salt marsh kayaking; or get pampered in the Five-Star spa.
Hawaii
Destination: Honolulu
Where to Stay: In bustling Waikiki, Halekulani provides an elegant respite. The waterfront hotel started as a home and five bungalows 1907 and grew to 453 rooms—some with excellent views of Diamond Head—and a dazzling pool with a white orchid on the bottom.
What to Do: Naturally, the beach is the big draw. But learn more about Hawaii’s fascinating history with a trip to Iolani Palace, the only royal residence in the U.S., and the Bishop Museum, which holds the world’s largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific cultural artifacts.
Idaho
Destination: McCall
Where to Stay: On the banks of Payette Lake, Shore Lodge unlocks access to 5,330 acres of glacier-fed waters, craggy mountains and verdant forests. The 77-room hotel also provides thoughtful amenities like a movie theater and nightly s’mores at the fire pit.
What to Do: McCall is all about the great outdoors. Fish in more than 200 nearby lakes, go whitewater rafting at Hell’s Canyon (North America’s deepest gorge) or mountain bike on more than 60 trails.
Illinois
Destination: Chicago
Where to Stay: The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago is located inside Water Tower Place—a 70- store mall along the Magnificent Mile—and across from the historic Water Tower, a symbol of the city’s resilience for surviving the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
What to Do: In addition to America’s 250th birthday, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The 2,448-mile highway starts in Chicago at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue (though Navy Pier was declared the symbolic starting point for the centennial). Get your kicks on this Route 66 Chicago tour or do a foodie version.
Indiana
Destination: Indianapolis
Where to Stay: InterContinental Indianapolis opened in 2025, moving into the century-old Illinois Building. The hotel restored the granite and limestone exterior with bas-relief panels and the lobby’s Murano chandeliers, and also added 170 rooms and the city’s first rooftop bar.
What to Do: Built in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 2.5-mile racetrack represent the pinnacle of American auto racing. See more at the onsite museum, 80,000 square feet of vintage cars, trophies and photographs.
Iowa
Destination: Davenport
Where to Stay: Hotel Blackhawk has welcomed presidents (including Barack Obama and Richard Nixon) and athletes (like heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey) since 1915, with its Gold Room hosting press conferences. Now, guests also come for amenities like a bowling alley and an indoor pool.
What to Do: Catch a show at the Adler Theatre next to the hotel or visit the Figge Art Museum, which houses a collection from Iowa artist Grant Wood, best known for American Gothic.
Kansas
Destination: Kansas City
Where to Stay: The Raphael Hotel is an American classic, and not just because it dates to 1927—it’s part of the Spanish-inspired Country Club Plaza, the world’s first shopping center designed for motorists.
What to Do: Arguably the barbecue capital of the world, Kansas City boasts more than 100 smokehouses, including the iconic Joe’s. The city is famous for serving burnt ends slathered in its signature sweet sauce, and it even has the world’s first Museum of BBQ.
Kentucky
Destination: Louisville
Where to Stay: When The Brown Hotel opened in 1923, British prime minister David Lloyd George was the first to sign the guestbook. The hotel hosted many distinguished guests in its history, including President Truman, Elizabeth Taylor and Muhammad Ali.
What to Do: Tour Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, or the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, makers of the famed baseball bats. Since bourbon was born in Kentucky, no trip is complete without sampling the spirit on Whiskey Row.
Louisiana
Destination: New Orleans
Where to Stay: The family-run Hotel Monteleone has an illustrious literary past, with everyone from Tennessee Williams to Anne Rice checking in. One reason writers and other visitors are attracted to the 1886 hotel is its legendary Carousel Bar, which features a 25-seat merry-go-round.
What to Do: New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, producing countless musicians from Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton to Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. Catch live performances at Preservation Hall, at the many clubs along Frenchmen Street or The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans’ Davenport Lounge.
Maine
Destination: Kennebunkport
Where to Stay: For more than 150 years, the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport—longtime home of President George H.W. Bush—has been a beloved New England hideaway. It’s easy to see why: the inn offers unique houseboat accommodations, gracious service and the state’s only Five-Star restaurant.
What to Do: Experience Kennebunkport’s coastal charms by sailing or swimming. Go to Dock Square to browse shops and art galleries, and then stop at another local favorite, The Clam Shack, for luscious lobster rolls.
Maryland
Destination: Baltimore
Where to Stay: In 1914, Recreation Pier was a gateway for immigrants entering the U.S. Today, it’s home to Pendry Baltimore and its stunning pier pool. Don’t miss a drink at The Cannon Room—this American whiskey bar is named after the artillery discovered during the pier’s reconstruction, and one of the relics is on display inside.
What to Do: Head to the pool deck for a front-row seat to the ships gliding through the harbor and the Navy’s Blue Angel planes soaring overhead during Sail250 and Airshow Baltimore (June 25 to July 1) and the Fourth of July fireworks.
Massachusetts
Destination: Lexington
Where to Stay: Steps from the Battle Green, where the “shot heard ’round the world” ignited the Revolutionary War, The Inn at Hastings Park places guests at the birthplace of U.S. independence. The inn honors that heritage, decorating its 22 rooms in a contemporary American aesthetic.
What to Do: The property’s semiquincentennial offerings include a Route to Liberty tour of Revolutionary sites and a “One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Air” helicopter experience retracing Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride from Boston to Lexington.
Michigan
Destination: Mackinac Island
Where to Stay: Grand Hotel is proof that more is more. The 1887 National Historic Landmark pairs its vivid, bold interiors with the world’s largest front porch, wrapping 660 feet around the property. Even the accommodations go big: Jacqueline Kennedy, Betty Ford and others acted as design consultants for their namesake First Lady Suites.
What to Do: Accessible only by boat or plane—cars are prohibited—Mackinac is an equine destination. Take horseback rides or horse-drawn carriages throughout the island, which is less than five square miles.
Minnesota
Destination: Minneapolis
Where to Stay: The Mall of America is so big, it can accommodate two hotels. Yet JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America feels removed from the fray with an indoor pool, a club lounge and 342 clean-lined rooms. And when guests want to shop, they can use the hotel’s exclusive mall entrances.
What to Do: The largest shopping complex in the country, the Mall of America is a destination unto itself. It has up to 500 stores, a Nickelodeon theme park, an aquarium, an 18-hole miniature golf course and much more.
Mississippi
Destination: Biloxi
Where to Stay: Beau Rivage is a waterfront entertainment hub, with an 85,000-square-foot casino, a 1,550-seat theater, 17 restaurants and bars and a Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Plus, the South’s only MGM Resort has 1,727 recently remodeled rooms.
What to Do: Crowds gamble at the casino or watch live performances from comedians, singers and more in Beau Rivage’s theater. There’s also a pool with cabanas, a spa and a salon.
Missouri
Destination: St. Louis
Where to Stay: Enjoy a sophisticated getaway at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. The hotel supplements its contemporary-classic rooms with guests-and-members-only perks like its wood-paneled Cigar Club.
What to Do: Take a tram to the top of the 630-foot Gateway Arch, the nation’s tallest manmade monument. Or visit Forest Park, whose vast grounds include the Missouri History Museum and The Muny, the country’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater.
Montana
Destination: Philipsburg
Where to Stay: This area may have once been part of the Wild West, but there’s no roughing it at The Ranch at Rock Creek. Ranging from glamping cabins to two-story log cabins, the 31 accommodations have welcome comforts that homesteaders never enjoyed—like Frette duvets.
What to Do: Guests can channel an inner cowboy at the all-inclusive 6,600-acre ranch. Practice cattle-handling skills, ride one of 70 horses and take aim on the sporting clays course.
Nebraska
Destination: Omaha
Where to Stay: The city’s role as a hub for the first transcontinental railroad inspired The Farnam hotel. Rooms have subtle nods, such as art hanging on pulleys and side tables constructed with railroad ties.
What to Do: During Omaha’s railroad heyday, the Old Market was a place for wholesalers and warehouses, but now boutiques and restaurants line the popular entertainment district’s cobblestone streets.
Nevada
Destination: Las Vegas
Where to Stay: Caesars Palace forever changed Vegas when it opened in 1966 as the city’s first themed resort, immersing visitors in Greco-Roman-inspired architecture and amenities. Guests will certainly feel like Caesar at The Villas Caesars Palace, a hotel-within-the-hotel with lavish amenities like limousine transfers, theater-style screening rooms and private elevators.
What to Do: Get a look at Vegas’ past at the Neon Museum, which rescues old illuminated signs (including Caesars Palace’s original marquee) and gives them a second life. Sign up for the nighttime tour to see the 320-plus signs glow outside.
New Hampshire
Destination: New Castle
Where to Stay: Wentworth by the Sea stands as a vestige of the Gilded Age. It housed Teddy Roosevelt and the delegations that negotiated the Treaty of Portsmouth to end the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, and sharpshooter Annie Oakley gave rifle lessons when she worked there around 1916.
What to Do: New Castle is the state’s smallest and easternmost town. Boating, kayaking and paddleboarding are popular activities on the island.
New Jersey
Destination: Asbury Park
Where to Stay: Asbury Ocean Club Hotel shows a more refined side to the Jersey Shore. The ultra-modern hotel sits across from the beach and boardwalk, and it has an enticing rooftop pool and glass-walled Drawing Room restaurant.
What to Do: Shops, restaurants and nightlife venues border the historic boardwalk. The Stone Pony is the standout—the 1974 rock club made famous by Bruce Springsteen also helped launch the career of New Jersey legend Jon Bon Jovi.
New Mexico
Destination: Santa Fe
Where to Stay: Just off Santa Fe’s famed Plaza, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi creates an intimate Southwestern sanctuary with adobe architecture, handcrafted wood furniture, local art, indigenous textiles and kiva fireplaces.
What to Do: With more than 250 galleries, Santa Fe ranks as one of the largest art markets in the U.S. Wander along Canyon Road, a half-mile stretch with more than 100 galleries, and visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which houses the largest collection of the American artist’s work.
New York
Destination: Manhattan
Where to Stay: Built in 1893, the Waldorf Astoria New York served as a model for all future hotels, introducing hospitality innovations such as room service and in-room phones. After a massive renovation in 2025, the hotel returned even better than ever with some of the city’s largest rooms and a Guerlain Wellness Spa.
What to Do: Standing as an enduring symbol of American freedom, the Statue of Liberty is a bucket-list experience. Board the ferry to stand in the shadow of the 151-foot Lady in the Harbor.
North Carolina
Destination: Asheville
Where to Stay: George Vanderbilt created Biltmore Estate as a Blue Ridge Mountain retreat in 1895. The landmark property remains a private residence owned by his descendants, but travelers can stay in the castle-like Inn on Biltmore Estate.
What to Do: Biltmore’s 8,000 acres designed by Frederick Law Olmsted are made for exploration. Roam the six gardens and 20-plus miles of nature trails. Then have a tasting at the onsite winery.
North Dakota
Destination: Fargo
Where to Stay: Fargo’s Jasper Hotel embraces the city’s artistic ethos by showcasing regional artists and incorporating local craftspeople: minibars have bottles from Proof Artisan—the state’s first whiskey distillery—and handmade Silver Lining Creamery is served in the restaurant.
What to Do: Fargo has plenty to see for film and design lovers. Peruse the Plains Art Museum—featuring the largest collection devoted to upper Midwest Native Americans. Explore the city’s colorful street art on a self-guided tour. Or catch a movie at the art deco Fargo Theatre, which turns 100 this year.
Ohio
Destination: Cincinnati
Where to Stay: What began in 1909 as a housing inn for rural working women has been beautifully reimagined as The Lytle Park Hotel. Today, guests can indulge in spacious rooms with premium marble bathrooms, then wind down with drinks in the property’s lush, two-story lobby bar.
What to Do: President William Howard Taft’s family lived in the Lytle Park historic district, and the hotel is across from the Taft Museum of Art. Get history lessons at the Cincinnati Museum Center and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
Oklahoma
Destination: Tulsa
Where to Stay: Patrick Hurley—President Hoover’s Secretary of War and the first Oklahoman to serve in a presidential cabinet—helped build the Ambassador Tulsa in 1929. It remains one of the city’s most historic buildings, but the interiors have been modernized with gray-walled bedrooms and Italian stone showers.
What to Do: The city celebrates two of the country’s most influential artists. The Woody Guthrie Center honors the Oklahoma native and folk phenom who wrote “This Land Is Your Land.” Next door, the Bob Dylan Center houses the massive archive of the Nobel-winning singer-songwriter, who was Guthrie’s biggest acolyte.
Oregon
Destination: McMinnville
Where to Stay: Tributary Hotel & Spa pairs small-town charm with boutique luxury. Occupying a century-old Arts and Crafts building, the 10-suite retreat is in a historic district where heritage structures have been reimagined as bakeries, bookstores and boutiques.
What to Do: Since the hotel sits in the heart of Oregon wine country—home to nearly 700 wineries—guests can sample the region’s famed pinot noir. Visit Bergström Wines (try the lunch tasting), Abbott Claim and Woodshed Wine Company.
Pennsylvania
Destination: Hershey
Where to Stay: During the Great Depression, chocolate tycoon Milton Hershey decided to build The Hotel Hershey to provide jobs for local workers. The 326-room hotel recently unveiled 19 new villas with sweet perks like a concierge lounge and unlimited Hersheypark visits.
What to Do: Created as a place for Hershey chocolate factory employees to congregate, Hersheypark now attracts families with its 15 roller coasters and waterpark. There’s also the 23-acre Hershey Gardens and a chocolate-themed spa.
Puerto Rico
Destination: San Juan
Where to Stay: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel boasts a pedigree that stretches to 1919, when it was designed by Warren & Wetmore (who built New York’s Grand Central Terminal). This San Juan institution feels fresher than ever: it recently renovated 317 rooms, mixing timeless grandeur with contemporary tropical style.
What to Do: After walking the streets of San Juan, enjoy a hike through El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. And embark on nighttime kayak tours of the glowing bioluminescent bays—there are only five in the world, and three (Fajardo, Lajas and Vieques) are in Puerto Rico.
Rhode Island
Destination: Watch Hill
Where to Stay: A summer destination for elite American families in the early 1900s, Ocean House’s canary-yellow Victorian building radiates grandeur along the seaside. The recently revamped 49 guest rooms blend Gilded Age romance with modern coastal comfort.
What to Do: The beaches here are among the best on the East Coast. The hotel can arrange for a ride aboard Aphrodite, a 74-foot restored yacht that once carried notable visitors such as Nelson Rockefeller and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
South Carolina
Destination: Hilton Head
Where to Stay: Amid palm trees and Spanish moss, The Inn & Club at Harbour Town offers a relaxed Lowcountry haven. The 60 plush rooms borrow a color palette from the sun and sea, and they have terraces overlooking the pool or golf course.
What to Do: Tucked within the 5,000-acre Sea Pines community, the hotel is teeming with activities. Golfers can play on three courses, including Harbour Town Golf Links, which hosts the PGA Tour’s annual RBC Heritage tournament. There are also five miles of beaches, a yacht basin inspired by Portofino and a 605-acre forest preserve.
South Dakota
Destination: Rapid City
Where to Stay: Railroad executive Alex Carlton Johnson opened Rapid City’s first hotel in 1928. Hotel Alex Johnson paid tribute to the local Lakota Sioux tribe, featuring everything from sculpted Native American heads at the entrance to the sacred four directions symbols in the lobby tiles.
What to Do: Twenty-three miles from Mount Rushmore, the property offers another glimpse into presidential history—a life-sized bronze of George Washington stands outside the doors. After seeing other presidential statues, venture 38 miles to the Crazy Horse Memorial, which will be the world’s largest man-made sculpture when completed.
Tennessee
Destination: Nashville
Where to Stay: Four Seasons Hotel Nashville gives guests exclusive Music City experiences, from a VIP tour of the flagship Gibson Garage store to arranging for a hit local songwriter to perform his or her original songs in a hotel suite.
What to Do: Tour the country music capital’s greatest hits, including the Grand Ole Opry (it’s more than a century old), the Country Music Hall of Fame (whose collection includes Elvis’ gold Cadillac) and Music Row (responsible for establishing the “Nashville Sound”).
Texas
Destination: Dallas
Where to Stay: Anheuser-Busch cofounder Adolphus Busch envisioned The Adolphus to honor his German roots. The Beaux-Arts castle was the city’s first luxury hotel. Inside, find prized artifacts like an official portrait of Napoleon and a handwritten thank-you note from Queen Elizabeth II.
What to Do: Tap into Texas’ cowboy culture at the Fort Worth Stockyards, where twice-daily cattle drives take place on the brick street of the national historic district. Or revisit a dark chapter in U.S. history at The Sixth Floor Museum, which chronicles President John F. Kennedy’s life and assassination in 1963.
Utah
Destination: Sundance
Where to Stay: Actor Robert Redford was captivated with Provo Canyon’s splendor and decided to open the 4,000-acre Sundance Mountain Resort in 1969. He strove to make a place for artists and those who want to find inspiration in nature.
What to Do: Aside from outdoor pursuits like fly fishing and mountain biking, peruse the art offerings. Classes range from perfume to pottery, and a robust calendar includes concert and speaker series.
Virginia
Destination: Richmond
Where to Stay: Everyone from John D. Rockefeller to Barack Obama has checked into The Jefferson Hotel. Tobacco tycoon Lewis Ginter opened the Richmond landmark in 1895 to honor his hero, Thomas Jefferson. The Beaux-Arts hotel retains the feel of a bygone era, especially the two-story rotunda with a stained-glass ceiling and stone columns.
What to Do: Visit the American Civil War Museum, the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia and The Poe Museum, dedicated to writer and Richmond native Edgar Allan Poe.
Vermont
Destination: Barnard
Where to Stay: Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, bought Twin Farms in 1928 to woo his wife, journalist Dorothy Thompson. The 1790s farmhouse became their home. With 28 cottages, the all-inclusive, adults-only hotel retains an intimate feel.
What to Do: Go canoeing, kayaking or paddleboarding on the lake; hit the mountain bike trails; or try archery or ax throwing among the boutique hotel’s 300 wooded acres.
Washington
Destination: Seattle
Where to Stay: Fairmont Olympic Hotel has stood as a center of Seattle society since 1924. The city’s first luxury hotel also became a regular stop for politicians and royalty, including John F. Kennedy and Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko of Japan.
What to Do: The 605-foot Space Needle was the centerpiece of the 1962 World’s Fair and has represented the nation’s Space Age ambitions for more than 60 years.
Washington, D.C.
Where to Stay: Willard InterContinental has been embedded in the capital’s political scene since 1818. Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” here. Martin Luther King Jr. made final edits to his “I Have a Dream” speech here. And Ulysses S. Grant coined the term “lobbyist,” referring to the self-promoters who bothered him on the hotel’s ground floor while he enjoyed his cigar and brandy.
What to Do: Check out the National Gallery of Art’s “Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience,” which questions what it means to be an American, and the National Museum of American History’s “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” which spotlights the desk Thomas Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence.
West Virginia
Destination: White Sulphur Springs
Where to Stay: Set across 11,000 acres in the Allegheny Mountains, The Greenbrier opened in 1778 and earned the nickname “America’s Resort” for hosting 28 presidential visits and serving as an army hospital with a secret congressional bunker.
What to Do: Visitors first came to the area for its healing sulfur springs, and guests can experience the therapeutic waters at The Greenbrier’s spa. Otherwise, gamble in the state’s only private casino, tour the Cold War bunker or tee off on four golf courses.
Wisconsin
Destination: Kohler
Where to Stay: When Kohler Co. opened a new factory, it established The American Club in 1918 to house its immigrant workers. The dorm landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and three years later, the Tudor-style building debuted as a hotel with top-of-the-line Kohler bathrooms.
What to Do: The hotel is the focal point in this picturesque company town. Play golf, kayak or canoe the Sheboygan River, or luxuriate in the spa, which specializes in hydrotherapy.
Wyoming
Destination: Jackson Hole
Where to Stay: The Old West got a modern makeover at Hotel Jackson. Rooms done in reclaimed wood come with gas fireplaces and Bvlgari and L’Occitane toiletries. And all guests receive complimentary e-bikes and access to a rooftop whirlpool.
What to Do: Use the hotel as a basecamp for nearby Grand Teton and its glacier-carved peaks. It’s also 80 minutes from Yellowstone, established in 1872 as America’s—and the world’s—first national park.