Do you have any big trips planned for this year? If you’re looking for some travel inspiration, check out the recent New York Times article, 52 Places to Travel in 2014. With its gorgeous, interactive photography and succinct summary of each destination’s highlights, the piece had me longing to whip out my calendar, my credit card, and my Expedia login information. Alas, no multi-week sojourns to Thailand, Vietnam, Africa or China for me this year…one day. There are, however, several spots much closer to home that grabbed my attention:
Nashville, Tennessee has been on-and-off my travel bucket list for years. Thanks to this article, it’s zoomed near the top. Country music is still the main story Nashville, but now the city has become a popular destination for rock fans and foodies as well. The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, and Jeff the Brotherhood all perform here. The young and the hip gravitate to 12South and East Nashville, enjoying the funky-but-fun vibe. I want to check out Pinewood Social, which sports a bar, restaurant, bowling alley and karaoke as well as and 404, the combination restaurant and boutique hotel in a former auto garage. Friends of mine visited last year’s Music City Eats Festival last September and swear it’s “not to be missed.” And of course, no trip to Nashville would be complete without some old fashioned/new fangled honkytonk – catch me at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, ya’ll.
Niagara Falls, NY Besides the spectacle of the Falls themselves, Niagara Falls has suddenly become a foodie mecca. Who knew? There are high-end restaurants, gastro pubs, patisseries, and top-not gelato shops, all in the immediate area. I may venture across the border to Canada while I’m there. Niagara-on-the-Lake is home to many of Canada’s excellent (really) wineries as well as to the world-renown Shaw Theater Festival. The Canadian side of the falls is also ideal for thrill-seekers: coming this year, a zip line across the Niagara Gorge!
Belize Before my daughters graduate from college and flee the nest once and for all, it would be nice to have one more family-style “Spring Break.” Belize is beautiful, easy-to-reach, eco-friendly, and much less crowded than your typical spring break destinations. From Francis Ford Copolla’s deluxe Blancaneaux Lodge to the Belcampo eco-lodge and sustainable farm at the southern end of the island, Belize is the perfect place to balance basking in the sun with side trips to rainforests, coral reefs, and Mayan ruins. Sign. Me. Up.
Downtown Atlanta Having spent several days in Richmond last year, my interest in Southern history has been renewed. I’d love to spend a long weekend in Atlanta, after the May opening of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Conveniently located next to Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Aquarium the 42,000-sq.-ft., environmentally friendly museum will feature permanent galleries devoted to domestic and international rights struggles. It will also house Morehouse College’s extensive collection of Martin Luther King Jr.’s papers. Also coming to Atlanta this year: the new Atlanta Streetcar that will take visitors to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and other stops not be missed: the 94,000-square-foot College Football Hall of Fame, which is expected to open in time for fall’s collegiate kickoff.
Meanwhile, I’m doing some research for next year’s big trip. Tanzania, Xishuangbanna, Krabi, Chennai, the Laipipai Plateau, Ishigaki and Cape Town are just a few of the destinations calling my name. What city or country is calling to you?
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