Go Away for the Day

Maybe you can’t take a week or two to travel to some exotic spot, but you may be able to take a day trip. Here are some note-worthy cities and some places I either visited or would like to visit while there. Check Covid restrictions before making any reservations. If you’re near Detroit:

1. Henry Ford Museum and Village (Dearborn, MI)
2. Pinckney Recreation Area – hiking trails and picnics (Pinckney, MI)
3. Island Lakes Recreation Area – hiking trails and picnics (Brighton, MI)
4. Corktown (downtown Detroit, MI)
5. Toledo Ohio waterfront (downtown Toledo, OH)
6. Matthaei Botanical Gardens (Ann Arbor, MI)
7. Frankenmuth, Michigan – small town shops and Bavarian village (Frankenmuth, MI)
8. Holland, Michigan – lakefront parks, small town shops, and quaint cafes (Holland, MI)
9. Detroit Institute of Arts (downtown Detroit, MI)
10. Detroit Historical Music (downtown Detroit, MI)

If you’re near Chicago:

1. Apple River Canyon (northwest Illinois)
2. Starved Rock State Park (Utica, Illinois)
3. Indianapolis, Indiana (downtown waterfront)
4. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (downtown waterfront)
5. Michigan Avenue shops and waterfront (downtown Chicago, IL)
6. Chicago Riverwalk (downtown Chicago, IL)
7. House on the Rock (Spring Green, Wisconsin)
8. Brown County, Indiana (artist’s heaven, 1 hour south of Indianapolis)
9. Galena, Illinois (museums and historic homes)
10. Geneva Lake, Wisconsin (Big Foot Beach State Park nearby)

If you’re near Los Angeles:

1. Laguna Beach – small town with upscale shopping and dining is 1 hour drive from LA (Laguna Beach, CA)
2. Disneyland Theme Park – 45-minute drive from LA  (Anaheim, CA)
3. Santa Monica Pier and Beach (Santa Monica, CA)
4. Hollywood Walk of Fame and Chinese Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
5. Rodeo Drive – Upscale shopping and dining (Beverly Hills, CA)
6. Hollywood Homes Tours (Los Angeles, CA)
7. Venice Beach – 12 miles from LA (Venice Beach, CA)
8. Runyon Canyon Park – (Los Angeles, CA)
9. Paramount Pictures Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
10. Grand Central Market – European-style food and drink (downtown Los Angeles, CA)

If you’re near Miami:

1. Everglades National Park (Homestead, FL)
2. Day Cruises – Island Queen (downtown Miami, FL)
3. Art Deco Walking Tour (South Beach, Miami, FL)
4. Little Havana Cultural Tour (downtown Miami, FL)
5. South Beach – Beach, food, and people-watch (Miami, FL)
6. Venetian Pool – swimming and sunning – 20 minutes from Miami (Coral Gables, FL)
7. East Las Olas Boulevard – food and upscale shopping – 45-minute drive from Miami (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
8. Jungle Queen Riverboats – (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
9. Clematis St and West Palm Beach – upscale shopping, dining, and nightlife is a 1.5-hour drive from Miami – (West Palm Beach, FL)
10. Downtown Naples – upscale shopping, dining, beaches, and nightlife is a 2-hour drive from Miami – (Naples, FL)

If you’re near New York City:

1. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (New York, NY)
2. Observation Deck Empire State Building (New York, NY)
3. Central Park (New York, NY)
4. Brooklyn Bridge (Brooklyn, NY)
5. Grand Central Station (New York, NY)
6. 9/11 Memorial (New York, NY)
7. Hudson River Waterfront Walkway (Jersey City, NJ)
8. Battleship New Jersey is a 2-hour drive from NYC (Camden, NJ)
9. Independence Hall – tour the birthplace of America is a 2-hour drive from NYC (Philadelphia, PA)
10. Liberty Bell (Philadelphia, PA)

If you’re near Charleston (SC)

1. The Battery – view mansions, do some upscale shopping and dining near the Charleston harbor (Charleston, SC)
2. Waterfront Park (Charleston, SC)
3. Isle of Palms – beach, shop, golf, and eat is a 40-minute drive from Charleston (Isle of Palms, SC)
4. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens ( Charleston, SC)
5. Fort Sumpter National Monument (Charleston, SC)
6. Myrtle Beach – shop, eat, sun, and amusement park is a 2-hour drive from Charleston (Myrtle Beach, SC)
7. Nathaniel Russell House Museum (Charleston, SC)
8. Forsythe Park – is a 2-hour drive from Charleston (Savannah, GA)
9. Wormsloe Historic Site – colonial estate all the scenery you could want (Savannah GA)
10. Savannah River Waterfront – shopping, dining, and galleries (Savannah, GA)

If you’re near Boston:

1. The Greenway – stroll, bike, or relax (Boston, MA)
2. The Freedom Trail – hiking, culture, and history (Boston, MA)
3. Whale-watching Boston harbor (Boston, MA)
4. Museum of Fine Arts (Boston MA)
5. Boston Tea Party and Ships Museum (Boston, MA)
6. Old North Church (Boston, MA)
7. Harvard Art Museums is a 15-minute drive from Boston (Cambridge, MA)
8. Mount Washington is a 1.25-hour drive from Boston (White Mountains, NH)
9. Plymouth Rock – is 1-hour drive south from Boston (Plymouth, MA)
10. Mayflower Ship II – fully restored replica of the Mayflower (Plymouth, MA)

If you’re near Phoenix:

1. Grand Canyon National Park – a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix (Grand Canyon, AZ)
2. Sedona -a 2-hour drive from Phoenix – shopping, dining, site-seeing (Sedona, AZ)
3. Red Rock Scenic Byway – hiking trails, scenic overlooks (Sedona, AZ)
4. Camelback Mountain – hiking and scenic views (Phoenix, AZ)
5. RoRo Street Art Tour – (Phoenix, AZ)
6. Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix, AZ)
7. Wrigley Mansion – (Phoenix, AZ)
8. Hot Air Balloon Rides (Phoenix, AZ)
9. Hole in the Rock – hiking, views (Phoenix, AZ)
10. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – a 1.75-hour drive from Phoenix (Tucson, AZ)