The summer reopening
Traveling in the United States now means joining in an energizing story of recovery
When Beverly Goodman flew with her husband to Albuquerque at the end of April, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Though the country was inching its way out of quarantine, thanks to the massive vaccine rollout, she admits she felt some anxiety going on a trip for the first time after carefully maintaining a safe bubble for 13 months at home in Queens, New York. “We had layovers each way, which meant four flights through three different airports. But we both breathed such huge sighs of relief when we saw how clean each airport was,” says Goodman. “Workers were scrubbing down surfaces every step of the way, from check-in to the gate.”
Exceptionally sanitized airports (as well as mask-filled ones, at least until a federal mandate expires on Sept. 13) are just one of the benefits of 2021 travel, which is ramping up at warp speed now that summer is upon us and close to 50 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated. In another year, Goodman says, she would likely have gone abroad—perhaps to Europe, Israel, or Korea. The pandemic gave her a chance to see a part of the United States she’d missed in years of travels.
She is far from alone. With Europe only recently opening its doors again to foreigners (Canada, Asia, and parts of South America are still mostly off limits), summer 2021 is seeing a boom in domestic travel. Recent data from Tripadvisor show that just over half of us have taken or are planning to take our vacations here in U.S., while only 22 percent are looking to book a trip beyond the border.
After being cooped up at home for so long, Americans are making fundamental changes in the way we travel. Thanks to accrued time off, the ability to work remotely, and the fact that nearly three-quarters of us did not take a summer vacation last year, Americans have a lot of time, financial savings, and pent-up wanderlust that they’re ready to tap into. “We’re seeing people book longer vacations—and spend more money on them—than pre-pandemic,” says Brian Hoyt, Tripadvisor’s head of global communications. Indeed, according to research from Skyscanner, U.S. travelers are choosing more-expensive booking options than they did before the pandemic—and nearly 60 percent are planning trips for longer than 14 days.
For many, a cautious re-emergence from quarantine has meant a shift from the popular urban destinations like Miami Beach and Las Vegas to less-populated rural locations or nature getaways, such as Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and Montana’s Glacier National Park. “My notion of where to go and why has really shifted after this year,” says Zoe Donaldson, a writer and content strategist in Bath, Maine. “I once primarily thought about where to travel based on the museums, food, and events that were available, but now the ‘culturally cool’ place has been replaced by one with greater access to the outdoors and a slower, more peaceful quality of life.”
The downside? The desire for wide-open spaces has been so strong this year that many of them have been booked up: Major national parks are full, beaches along the coasts are at capacity, and popular regional destinations such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Black Hills of South Dakota are seeing unusually high demand. That shouldn’t be too much of surprise, according to Nathan Lump, vice president of customer marketing at Expedia.
“These are all traditional summer destinations,” Lump explains, “but because so many people who would normally choose to travel internationally either aren’t able to or aren’t ready to do so yet, they’re heading to these places, too. So basically we’re seeing typical summer patterns, just on steroids.”
Still, planning a vacation adventure in our own backyard can provide many unexpected rewards even to the most seasoned of travelers. “I have to admit, if it weren’t for the pandemic, I never would’ve thought to look at New Mexico,” says Goodman. “But now I got to see a beautiful part of our country, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Americans eager to check out the country’s cities—which is a rapidly increasing number of us, according to the experts, who link the trend to rising vaccination rates—will also find unprecedented perks. Places like New York City, Denver, and San Francisco are brimming with new car-free streets and outdoor dining choices that didn’t exist prior to last year. Distancing restrictions at museums and cultural venues mean more space to linger and enjoy the art, music, and other exhibits.
One of the greatest aspects of taking a trip this year is participating in what feels like a hopeful moment of recovery. “Part of the fun of traveling in this period is experiencing the pervasive joyful energy and feeling of optimism that’s out there,” says Expedia’s Lump. “But it’s also more than that. A lot of small businesses, restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, you name it, suffered during the pandemic, and now they’re trying to recover. Traveling means you’re a part of that story and having a measurable impact on people’s lives and local economies. You’ll actually be doing some good by going somewhere.”
From the time Henry Ford made his Model T and lawmakers started paving the roadways, Americans have had a love affair with the road trip. Whether you drive your own car or can plan far enough ahead to rent one, taking to the highway remains a great way to see the country. Take one of these weeklong trips—or find your own road adventure.
For evergreens and high peaks, start your drive in Denver, then head toward South Dakota’s Black Hills, about six hours away. Check out Deadwood, the Old West town famous as the final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. From there, drive southeast into Badlands National Park and take your time traveling the 39-mile Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway to see some of the most otherworldly canyon vistas in the country. You’ll likely glimpse bighorn sheep, bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorn along the way. Next, head back west to visit Mount Rushmore in Keystone, S.D., and Wind Cave National Park, home to one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Return to Denver, taking time to check out its restaurants, microbreweries, biking trails, and vibrant street-art scene.
Southwestern New Mexico makes for a stunning yet somewhat off-the-beaten-path itinerary. After arriving in Albuquerque, head to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to learn about the history and arts of the 19 pueblos of New Mexico and eat blue corn–amaranth waffles and buffalo short ribs. Next on to Hatch, a charming village where vendors sell Mexican pottery and green chile–infused everything. From there, drive south to Las Cruces, with its distinctive adobe architecture. Check out nearby White Sands National Park’s surreal landscape of windswept gypsum dunes, before heading to Silver City. Founded during a silver-mining boom, it’s now a gateway to the Gila National Forest, where you where can hike though coniferous woods or ride mountain bikes on worldclass trails as you make your way back to Albuquerque.
If you are looking for an Eastern trip, try a New York–New England excursion. After flying into New York City, go straight to Kingston, New York state’s original capital. From there you can hop over to Hudson Valley towns such as Rhinebeck and Hudson. Then go up to Saratoga Springs, where you can experience the area’s natural mineral springs, and in August go to the famous Saratoga Race Course. An hour farther north is Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, site of several Revolutionary War battles. Cross the bridge at Crown Point to reach Burlington, Vt. Soak up the views of the Green Mountains and the city’s Old New England charms before going south into Massachusetts, to contemporary-arts haven Mass MoCA in North Adams. As you make your way further south, stay in Great Barrington and take in a Tanglewood concert or a Shakespeare performance in nearby Lenox before heading home.