Top 10 Weekend Getaways for Summer 2016
Key West offers plenty of attractions, from Ernest Hemingway’s famed tropical getaway to the many bars and restaurants on Duval Street. Median airfare peaks in July, but falls to a summer low of $445 in August.*
*Rankings are based on online searches at travel site Kayak.
Flickr/Gabe Popa
Coastal sophisticates may not realize it, but Duluth is a booming Midwestern summer destination. The city serves as a base camp for exploring Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, and is home to America’s only all-freshwater aquarium. Median hotel rates peak in the $250 range in June and August.
Flickr/Tony Webster
Louisville kicks off its summer festivities with the Kentucky Derby in May, followed by various fairs, parades, steamboat races and festivals, like the Bourbon Festival, throughout the rest of summer. The median hotel rate is highest in May at $350, but falls to around $200 for most of the summer.
Flickr/Shannon Tompkins
Known for its bustling live music scene, Austin also offers a number of cultural attractions. One of the most interesting is the State Capitol, which features 22-acres of grounds and a whispering gallery rotunda. Hotel rooms cost about $200 for most of the summer.
Flickr/Ed Schipul
Myrtle Beach isn’t just for spring break. Summer tourists can frolic along the famous boardwalk, which features a 200-foot observation wheel, or visit the many golf courses, beaches, shops and amusement parks. Hotel and airfare prices are highest in July.
Flickr/James Willamor
In addition to the town’s famous boardwalk, tourists can check out pro skateboarders at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park or visit one of the many mini-golf courses around the area. Hotel rooms soar past $300 a night in the peak month of July.
flickr/Ben Beard
San Francisco has notoriously cool summers, but there’s still plenty to see on the city’s steep winding streets. The best view for tired tourists is from a wooden bench on the famous cable cars. Median hotel rates peak in August at about $300, while flights are highest in July.
Flickr/United Nations
If you can’t make it to Las Vegas, Atlantic City may be your next best bet. Outside of the casinos, you can visit the Absecon Lighthouse and ride rolling chairs along the boardwalk. Hotel rooms are cheapest in June but peak at over $260 a night in July.
Flickr/John Menard
Nicknamed Music City USA and home to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the biggest draw to Nashville is country music. The city is also rich in Civil War historical sites. Median airfare to the city peaks in June at $350, but falls below $300 in August.
From living it up on Bourbon Street to munching on beignets to taking in the architecture in the French Quarter, you’ll never get bored in N’awlins. But you will get hot. The average temperature is in the 80s from June through September, which probably explains why airfare and hotel rates hit a summer-time low in August.
Flickr/Jason Mrachina