Where to next?
Exciting travel opportunities await North Americans who vacation in one of the less-popular places this summer
“Where shall we go for our summer vacation?” When those of us willing to travel a fair distance are asked that familiar question, the answer usually is a number of familiar destinations: Hawaii, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Francisco or Orlando, Florida.
So perhaps the question should perhaps be rephrased: “Where should we go for our summer vacation?” The answer to that question should consist of destinations that currently aren’t among the most-popular options.
Here are some of them:
A Mediterranean cruise
So bad has been the falloff in this once-popular activity, resulting from a fear of terrorism in some of the countries ringing that famous sea (Egypt, Turkey, etc.), that most Mediterranean cruises are only lightly booked at this moment, making the cruise lines more than eager to bargain. None of them travel to Egypt or Turkey anymore, and the cruises are more than acceptably safe. You will have a fine time.
The new, remarkable museums of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Both of these cities have erupted with sensational museums — the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the nation’s capital and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philly - that they alone justify a return visit to two familiar towns. The exhibits at both museums are so brilliant that they could have a major impact on your thinking. For a mind-blowing experience, give thought this summer to visiting one of them (which will take some doing in the case of Washington, D.C., so popular and jampacked is the African American Museum).
London or Paris
Scattered terrorist attacks have reduced tourism to both cities so severely that you will enjoy uncrowded conditions in many of their key attractions. Keep in mind that the chances of your being affected here by terrorism are no more than the chance of being hit by lightning — now is the time for a visit to these two great capitals.
Montreal
This year marks the 350th anniversary of this great center of French culture in our midst, and that city will be celebrating with almost constant festivals occurring on nearly every day of the year. For young Americans in particular, a visit here will provide an edifying glimpse into a great foreign culture, and delightful contact with French lifestyles, cuisine, culture, theater and more.
These are just a few of the unique travel opportunities available to the American who strays just a few feet off the beaten path this summer.