Whether you’re looking to book this summer’s vacation, you need some inspiration for trips to take in the future or you just need to dream of travel to distract you from the upcoming end of the school year, I’m here to help!
My siblings and I have been lucky enough to have parents who have been able to prioritize traveling as we’ve grown up, and those trips have been some of the best experiences of my life! Based on some of my favorite trips I’ve taken, here are some places I recommend adding to your travel bucket list (in no particular order).
Arizona and Utah
If you’re looking to do lots of hiking, I recommend heading out west. In 2016, my family and I flew into Las Vegas and spent about a week visiting National Parks in Arizona and Utah.
Zion National Park in Utah was the first hike we did, and it is still one of my favorites to this day because it led to a beautiful waterfall at the Emerald Pool. Looking into the vastness of Horseshoe Bend was a surreal experience for me and a terrifying experience for my dad because we got so close to the edge, but he would agree that it was still worth seeing.
In Arizona, we hiked six miles in the Grand Canyon. Despite the heat, sand and dirt, and the fact that my younger brother was only going into the second grade, I definitely recommend the trek.
The sights were still beautiful even if you don’t want to hike. After our long journey, we revisited the Grand Canyon at sunset and the views were stunning.
Even though we spent over a week out west and traveled to so many places while we were there, I still think there’s so much more to see, and I hope to keep exploring it someday!
Eleuthera, bahamas
My family has never been one to participate in something that would be considered “touristy,” so when I recommend visiting the Bahamas, I am not talking about taking a cruise. While I’m sure it would still be beautiful and relaxing, I am positive I would not have gotten to experience the nature and culture of the Bahamas like I did if we hadn’t gone on our own.
My family and I stayed in Eleuthera, Bahamas with our next-door neighbors for a week in 2019, and the vacation was a perfect mix of exploring, relaxation and fun. Right in our backyard was a beach with soft yellow sand and the clearest ocean I have ever seen. And, if we swam out just a little further, there were reefs right there for snorkeling.
We also visited Ten Bay Beach and Lighthouse Beach. Ten Bay Beach was clear, with shallow water for miles. With every step you took, you could uncover a live sand dollar or starfish.
The drive to Lighthouse Beach was not the most pleasant (we received our rental car with scratches, and this was when we figured out why), but it was still well worth it. We were the only people around that day to witness the serene beach surrounded by stunning cliffs.
It was a magical experience, and unfortunately, Disney thought so too. They have since bought the beach and made it a port for one of their cruise lines and in my opinion, it takes away from its natural beauty.
On one of the days we were in Eleuthera, we traveled to Queens Bath and the Glass Window Bridge. Queens Bath is a collection of natural pools on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We stood on the cliffs and watched the waves crash into the rock, admired the unique limestone erosion and even swam in the pools with all of the wildlife that lived there.
Glass Window Bridge is a bridge at the natural phenomenon where the turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea meets the deep blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. It was so crazy to see in real life!
The fact that we were spending the trip with our best friends definitely made it fun, but attending the local fish fry was the social setting to add the cherry on top. Every friday at Governor’s Harbor, there is great food, drinks, music, dancing and sense of community. We had a blast!
Saugatuck, Michigan
If you’re looking for somewhere a little closer to home for a long weekend, Saugatuck is the place to go. I might hate TTUN (The Team Up North or, in other words, Michigan), but I loved visiting for spring break last year in 2024.
Saugatuck is a very small town (with a population of less than 1,000 permanent residents) right off the coast of Lake Michigan. My family and I stayed in an adorable rental right above Butler’s Pantry in the heart of the town. Staying there felt like staying in a part of Saugatuck’s history. Plus, it didn’t hurt to stay right above a cookie shop.
We spent our weekend exploring all of the shops along the pier. There were multiple book shops, cafes, antique stores and boutiques, plus there were a lot of places that only opened during the busy season in the summer that we didn’t get to see. I even got a really refreshing facial at a spa in town.
On the first night, we had a waterfront dinner at The Butler. The next morning, we got breakfast at Ida Red’s Cottage. The coffee at Uncommon Coffee Roasters was some of the best I’ve had, and like I said, the cookies at Butler’s Pantry were delicious.
Even though this town was just a state away, I got to experience one of the coolest things to ever happen to me. We went on a hike through the Saugatuck Dunes, and when we reached the turnaround point at the shore, it snowed on the beach.
Overall, it was an amazing weekend, and I will definitely be returning someday during the summer!
captiva Island, Florida
Maybe I’m biased, but Captiva Island is my favorite place in the whole world! My extended family and I first stayed in Captiva in 2013, and it soon became our second home. For a while, we went every year, but the last time we were all there together was 2022. I went and visited for a few hours this past spring break when my friends and I stayed in Fort Myers, and all of the happy memories with my cousins came flooding back!
We always stayed at Tween Waters Inn — named after the resort being right between the beach and the bay. We were there so often that the staff knew my grandma and our parents let us wander around by ourselves when we were still pretty young.
Staying in Captiva is the epitome of a relaxing beach vacation, but there’s plenty to do there, too. You can hang out by the beach or pool, do water sports like kayaking or paddle boarding, spend the day on a boat, go shopping or just wander around, explore and take in the scenery.
At night, there are plenty of great restaurants around to choose from. Some of our favorites are R.C. Otter’s, The Green Flash and Timbers Restaurant. You should also definitely make sure to check out the iconic Bubble Room, if not for the food, at least to see all of the wacky antiques and to try their famous cake.
There is so much wildlife to see in Captiva. Right between Tween Waters and only a few feet off the shore of the bay, there are usually manatees occasionally coming up for air. We’ve seen dolphins at the beach on every trip at sunrise, sunset and even when we were also swimming in the ocean.
There are lizards, crabs, cranes and pelicans everywhere you look, and if you’re not careful, you’ll come across a jellyfish. Also, make sure to bring your seashell bags, because Captiva Island and the neighboring Sanibel Island are known for their shelling.
Even though Captiva is nostalgic for me, I really do think anyone who has the chance to visit should. It’s my family’s favorite place for a reason!
Northern California
The most jam-packed trip my family and I took was in 2017 when we went to Northern California for ten days.
We flew into San Francisco and spent two days exploring the city, which is definitely my favorite city I’ve ever been to. I loved San Francisco’s coastal vibe and the unique look all of the hills give it, despite being tiring to walk up sometimes.
There is an endless amount of things to do and see, like visit Fisherman’s Wharf, take a stroll through Chinatown, check out unique restaurants and shops and even visit the house from “Full House.” On the first day there, we took a boat tour under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz, and on the second day, we walked on the Golden Gate Bridge.
To me, it was crazy to see how quickly everything could turn from a giant major city to a beautiful National Park. On the same day we walked the bridge, we spontaneously stopped at Lands End National Park. After having to strategically time out running around a rock wall before a wave would come crashing into us, we found the most beautiful view we had ever seen. It is a moment I will never forget.
I will also never forget Lands End because when we got back to our rental car, our windows were smashed in and some of our belongings had been stolen. Apparently car break-ins are extremely common in San Francisco, so always remember to keep your belongings out of sight when you leave your car. The whole ordeal was definitely jarring, but everyone felt better after we tried In-N-Out for the first time for dinner.
We spent the next two days hiking through the mountains and waterfalls of Yosemite National Park. Then, we went to Redwood National Park and saw the tallest trees in the world–they’re really something you can’t fully grasp until you see them with your own eyes. The next stop was Monterey Bay where on our hike, we saw groups of seals lounging on the beaches.
We flew out of San Jose, but before leaving, we visited Apple headquarters, Google headquarters and the Computer History Museum (which I found incredibly boring, but my dad is a technology nerd, so we spent a lot of time there).
There’s a little bit of everything to do in Northern California, so make sure to plan accordingly!
Maui, Hawaii
I’m going to tell you that traveling to Hawaii is a life-changing experience, but you probably don’t need to hear it from me to believe it.
In 2022, my family and I got to visit Maui, Hawaii — something my parents had wanted to do forever, but never really thought would actually happen. They chose Maui out of the rest of the Hawaiian Islands because Maui is known for its stunning natural beauty and hikes, so it sounded most like our speed.
One of the (many) aspects of Maui I found really unique was the variety in its beaches–none of them looked the same as the next. The beach by the place we stayed had dark tan sand and giant waves. Another beach we visited at sunset was very narrow and seemed more calm.
In the same day, we drove and visited both Black Sand Beach and Red Sand Beach — I bet you can guess what they look like! Except, you really can’t, because they are so beautiful I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to dream them into existence. At Black Sand Beach, the sound of the waves washing up onto the rocks is so satisfying and at Red Sand Beach, it felt like we were on another planet.
To get to those beaches, we took the legendary Road to Hana, which is a 64.4 mile route with scenic stops along the way. It was on that route that we stopped at Aunt Sandy’s and had the best banana bread we’ve ever tasted.
After spending a day at yet another unique beach, we attended a luau at a nearby resort. While it was definitely more touristy than anything else we did on the trip, the entertainment was really enjoyable, the food was delicious and it was fun to dance and listen to the music.
One morning, we woke up and went on a snorkeling tour. We kayaked out to deeper water, and even though my sister got seasick, we had an amazing time checking out the reefs and sea life.
Something I would recommend doing is driving up to Mount Haleakala. We planned on visiting, but the drive is in circles up and around the mountain, and my dad got vertigo on the way up and we had to turn around. Instead, we went on a hike at Iao Valley State Park.
To this day, the best hike I’ve ever been on was Waihe’s Ridge Trail. It was misty, cloudy and so muddy that there were multiple points where we were close to slipping, but the views were the most spectacular I have ever seen.
While you’re there, don’t forget to try shaved ice and fresh pineapple–they taste better in Maui than anywhere else.
We finished the trip by watching the sunset on the beach surrounded by other groups lighting sparklers for the fourth of July!
go see the world!
Traveling and experiencing parts of the world other than the place you grew up is incredibly important. I am so lucky to have parents who wanted us to travel growing up, and I plan to continue.
Hopefully this list helps you plan your next trip or adds an amazing place to your travel bucket list!