Washington DC is secretly one of the best budget cities in the country. Hotels are expensive, sure, and so is dinner. But the things you actually come to see? Almost all of them are free. That’s not a few small extras, either. The world’s biggest museum complex, the monuments, the Capitol, a huge library and

Charleston is wonderful, but it’s also busy, especially on weekends, when the streets fill with tour groups and horse carriages. The Lowcountry around it is a different story: quiet barrier islands, salt marshes, old swamp forests and small towns that move at their own pace. Here are six easy day trips from Charleston, all within

Chicago is a great city, but even Chicagoans need a break from it. Luckily, the Midwest around it is full of easy escapes: lake towns, sand dunes, a brewery city, a historic river town and plenty of cozy B&Bs. None of these require a flight, and two don’t even need a car. Here are six

San Diego is the kind of place where you could happily do nothing but beaches and tacos for a week. Nobody would blame you. But one of the best things about the city is how much variety sits close by. Within two hours you can be in a desert full of giant metal dinosaurs, a

Denver is a fun city, but let’s be honest: most people come for what’s around it. The Rocky Mountains start about 20 minutes west of downtown, and on a clear day they fill the whole horizon. The good news is you don’t have to drive for hours to get somewhere great. Here are seven places

Most first trips to New York never leave Manhattan, and I get it. There’s a lot there. But eight and a half million people live in this city, and most of them live somewhere else: Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. That’s where you’ll find the best food for the money, the calmer streets

Boston is the rare American city where you really don’t need a car. The center is compact, the streets are old and twisty, and the most interesting stuff is often what you pass between the big sights. Driving here is miserable anyway. Parking costs a fortune, and the streets were laid out for horses. So

San Francisco is small. It’s about seven miles by seven, and you can cross most of it in an afternoon if your legs are willing. But it doesn’t feel small, because every few blocks the whole mood changes. One street is all espresso bars and Beat poets. The next is lanterns and dim sum. Over

Savannah is beautiful by day, but it gets better after dark. The gas lamps flicker on, the Spanish moss turns spooky, and the whole historic district slows down to a stroll with a drink in hand. It isn’t a big party town, which is part of the appeal. Nights here are about ghost stories, long

Austin is a great place to live and a great place to visit, but sometimes you want a change of scenery. The good news is that some of the best places in Texas sit within an easy drive. Within a few hours you’ll find German Hill Country towns, crystal-clear swimming holes, a historic dance hall,