Dan and I booked a trip to Austin! It’s only for three nights, but we are SO pumped. The last time we took a vacation was in 2014 when we did a whirlwind 48 hours in New Orleans for our friends’ wedding. It was awesome but so short, this trip is a little longer and just for us. We decided to go to Austin because Dan’s friend Harry is having his bachelor party down there so Dan was going there anyway and I have to admit I was super jealous. I’ve wanted to go to Austin for quite some time so I loved the idea of meeting up with him on Sunday after the bachelor party breaks up.
It seems cute, meeting up with each other in another city. What’s even cuter is that this trip will be in celebration of Dan and my five-year anniversary. Yep! We decided to treat ourselves to some hot weather and BBQ down in Texas. I’ll be talking about our trip more as it gets closer as well as recapping when we get back but this post is all about my top five US Spring travel destinations.
Last year I had major wanderlust so I put together a list of my top five travel destinations which includes Santorini, London, Barcelona…basically the places at the top of Dan’s and my bucket list. Of course there a ton of more accessible (and affordable) cities and sites in the US that would also make for sick vacations. Palm Springs is high on my list, and Chicago is high on Dan’s. Here’s the rest of our list, which includes some spots Dan has been and I have not and places I’ve been but want to go back and revisit. Where in the US would you like to visit in spring?
Austin, Texas
I have no idea what to expect from Austin except good food. And from what I’ve heard, good music! But really what I know about Austin is so limited that we’re going without much of a clue what to do or where to eat. BBQ is on the list and we’d like to go check out Top Chef winner Paul Qui’s restaurant but other than that we’re pretty clueless at the moment as to where to go and what to do. Austin is a mystery that I’m excited to unravel.
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs just has that cool vibe. It’s insanely trendy right now but I’ve always loved the idea of a vacation that was all about lounging by the pool with a drink followed by some spa treatments. The more I read about it the more I’m like, shit I need to get a girl gang so I can do a ladies only trip to Palm Springs complete with blow up pool toys and vintage shopping. But on the other hand, having a relaxing spa focused vacation in the desert heat with Dan sounds amazing.
Chicago, Illinois
I first wanted to go to Chicago just to stay at Virgin Hotel in downtown. That sounds super weird I know, but I am so curious about it and all it’s crazy modern amenities! But yeah everything else I know about Chicago is food related. I’d head there ready to eat everything from ridiculously indulgent mid-Western comfort food (Portillos!) to molecular gastronomy-minded Michelin star restaurants where everything on the menu is treated with liquid nitrogen.
Maui, Hawaii
This is where you go to relax. Dan and I really love Hawaii and have both been to Maui (I was young so I don’t really remember) but we haven’t gone to Hawaii together. It’s high on our list for a nice, relaxing trip. Hawaii gives the best feeling of forgetting about all your everyday troubles. I love how time slows down there. While I really love Oahu, Maui is more relaxing and laid back. The perfect spot to dig your toes into some sand and watch the waves roll in.
New York, New York
I’d go back to New York just to explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art again. I’ve been lucky enough to visit awe-inspiring museums in France and Italy and the Met feels just as amazing. But beyond that, there’s so much I haven’t seen in New York, it would be ridiculous to list it all out. But let’s just say I have spent less than 24 hours in NYC and it seems like I’d probably need about 2 months to do the whole thing right. Especially with all the shopping.
images via: A Day in the Life of Austin’s Franklin Barbecue | Parade, Austin | Olivia Rae James, On the Road // Palm Springs (with Kids!) | The Effortless Chic, Photo Diary: Palm Springs, CA | Urban Outfitters, choosechicago Chicago, Illinois, 10 Free Things to Do in Chicago | Condé Nast Traveler, Road To Hana: Discovering A Secret Gem in Maui | Free People, Maui Favorites | SF Girl By Bay, Temple of Dendur – Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City | That Kind of Woman, Manhattanhenge (In Person This Time) | Hither and Thither
