
I adore travel. That’s obvious! In 2019, I had the opportunity to experience a few bucket list travel destinations and the best vacation spots in the US. I wanted to share them with you in case you were asking the question, “Where should I travel?” There is a whole world of lovely places out there to experience!
Top Travel Destinations
From outdoor travel destinations to best vacation spots for couples, I’m going to share my favorites via Instagram posts. Some of my best places to travel were for family trips and others were for writing, but I had a great time exploring places to travel in the US and a few top travel destinations.
Maybe you will consider some of them for an upcoming vacation! Take a peek at what my year had in store in chronological order.
Interesting Travel Destinations
Ormond Beach, FL
In the winter, Florida beaches are one of the best places to visit in USA. After all, it’s warm and sunny – hopefully! We vacationed as a family for a week of R&R after the holidays.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Ok, I’ll admit that if I’m at a non-warm beach in the winter, it’s usually for a volleyball tournament. Such was the case here, but the view from the top of the too-cold-to-swim-in-pool sure was pretty!
Washington, DC
This was also for a family trip/volleyball tournament, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t explore DC a bit. I loved this view of Chinatown! For Americans, this should be one of your bucket list travel destinations.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ah! I loved getting away from the cold to warm and sunny Mexico. The Reef 28 definitely is one of the best vacation spots for couples. It was so romantic!
While there, we also stayed at The Reef Playacar, and this collection of resorts is one of the up and coming travel destinations in one of the best countries to visit if you want to escape the cold!
Mesa, AZ
Arizona is one of the best outdoor travel destinations! I had such a fun time kayaking, paddleboarding, plogging, and whitewater rafting. The Mesa area is one of the best places to travel if you are looking for adventure!
State College, PA
State College was one of the surprising outdoor travel destinations and could be considered one of the best places to visit this summer with all of its food, history, and hiking/water-centric activities near Penn State.
Dover, DE
Dover was another unique place to go and one that was full of surprises! With a race track, deep history (it’s the first state!), casino, farms, and the water, it really did make for a fun trip!
Johnston County, NC
I love vintage things and Johnston County is one of the best places to travel to find interesting antiques! Their Endless Yard Sale was a ton of fun, and I was able to experience it with my youngest daughter.
Reno, NV
Nevada has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world to visit with its natural, sprawling landscape. I was able to experience it via a cattle drive, which was a memorable experience!
Niagara Falls, Ontario
I loved this trip! Honestly, I feel that Niagara Falls is one of the top 10 places to visit in the world, and has to be one of the hottest travel destinations 2020 has to offer. If you haven’t been, PLEASE add it to your bucket list travel destinations. It’s a must-see!
Orlando, FL
Orlando – again – was a volleyball-centric trip, and I was able to head to some of the parks with my older daughter. Here she is at the Animal Kingdom. The area is definitely one of the top travel destinations for families.
St. Augustine, FL
I love it here! For me, it is one of the best places to travel in the US. It is filled with history, great food, and the ocean. Plus, you can easily bike around, which makes it even more fun!
Dallas, TX
I ate my way through Dallas. Between the Margarita Mile and amazing restaurants, I certainly gained a few pounds! There is a lot of history and beautiful architecture in Texas, too.
Philadelphia, PA
Christmas isn’t complete without a visit to downtown Philly! It’s one of our top travel destinations each year. We love it!
New Bern, NC
Admittedly, this isn’t one of the hottest travel destinations 2020 will hold, but I still think that the town is worthwhile to visit! It has tons of vintage shopping, was on the water, and has a bunch of history. We had a great time as a family to end our year!
What are your favorite top travel destinations?
I would love to hear where you are planning to head in 2020! Do you have suggestions on the best countries to visit or where I should travel next? I’m open to exploring up and coming travel destinations or hearing the best vacation spots in the US. Let me know!

Comments
19 responses to “Places I Loved – Top Travel Destinations”
For me, anywhere where there is nature, hiking and warm weather, its a must of me. I do city breaks but I get bored with them so quickly. However, DOVER in Delaware I think is a hidden secret for a city and would love to check out this state as there is not much going on there (that’s what I have heard anyway). 😀 Great ideas for picking destinations.
That’s a great bucket list I could consider for 2020. I have been to some of the places but there is always so much to see. I am curious about State College PA. A friend studied there and told me how nice a place it was. Would like to try that out first.
What a list! I was somehow happy to see some of my favourites on your list. Mesa Arizona – I love Arizona in general, so much awesome nature. Washington DC I loved too much to my own surprise! Not forgetting the Florida beaches where the water is so warm by the Gulf Sea. You inspire me to get myself to the US again.
Well, I’ve been to a couple of these spots, but you’re making my wanderlust double in size as I read. I want to explore ALL of these incredible locations! I really hope that more travel is in my future!
You have been having so much fun traveling! We are going on a cruise soon and I can’t wait because all these warm spots were making me feel jealous. Sun, here we come!
What a wonderful time you had! We just started having kids so we will travel more once kids are older.
Wow you had a really travel-filled 2019! St Augustine looks so pretty, and is somewhere I’ve never heard of before. Mesa in Arizona looks equally beautiful; I like to get outdoors as often as I can!
Such a great list! I haven’t been to any of them but I would love to go. Chinatown in Washington looks amazing, as well as the Niagara Falls! Animal Kingdom looks fun, and I bet my sister would love to visit with me there.
I’m bookmarking this for when I plan to be in the US next year!! Lovely beaches are always my favorite.
So many great destinations among your favorites! As a New Englander, I’m all in on the idea of visiting warm whether places in winter–Ormand Beach FL, Playa de Carmen Mexico, and Mesa AZ sound great to me. I’d love to check out St. Augustine sometime, too. Thanks for the inspiration. My bucket list just got a lot longer!
There are so many fun cities worth visiting in Florida and now I want to take my husband back to St Augustine. I also really want to go to DC again, I only did a quick trip before- so it’s definitely time for round 2.
Wow! That’s an awesome list to add in my USA wishlist! Chinatown in Washington DC does look fascinating & unusual. Hiking in Arizona is very much in my wishlist and Mesa looks perfect! As someone who loves doing activities with nature, Nevada is definitely a must for me!
We definitely have allll the good food here in Dallas!
Thanks for sharing this! My husband and I would like to take a trip this year and this is so helpful!
This is so awesome! I usually travel internationally, but lately I’ve had more and more requests for domestic travel content. Thanks for sharing these great destination ideas!
I need to travel more in the US this year. Thanks for sharing this roundup of places you enjoyed visiting!
Yes! I traveled so much internationally in 2018 that I made a commitment to explore my own country more in 2019. Mission accomplished!
SO MANY amazing travel recommendations, here! I’ve been to some of these places, but I have to say Mesa, AZ is definitely a place I would love to go visit! Arizona is so beautiful!
So many great tips! I love Philly myself!