Some of the Best Summer Vacations in the Country are Only a Road Trip From Greater Danbury

It's about that time to start planning your summer vacations. Even though the April weather has been a bit funky, it just gives you that much more reason to start planning that trip for the summer.

I'm a firm believer in traveling and getting in those trips for a much-needed reset. Whether it's a family trip, partner trip, friend trip or solo trip, it is so important that you take that time and relax in a place you find comfort.

U.S. News came out with a list of the Best Summer Vacations in the USA for 2024 and I was excited to see that places that are only a short drive from our local area have made the list. Now, some of the more intense ones, you will definitely need to hop on a plane, but there are options for everyone.

Many places on the list are National Parks, and while those are not a short drive away, I would 100% recommend hopping on a plane and visiting. The number one spot on the list is Glacier National Park in Montana, followed by Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming / Montana / Idaho. Personally, those are two bucket list locations that I absolutely plan on seeing within the next year or two.

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Coming in third is San Diego, California, fourth being Grand Canyon National Park and fifth being Grand Teton National Park. Now like I said, a lot of these are National Parks, but after seeing a few, I think they are so worth it.

Now that we got the top 5 out of the way, let's see which are drivable from our local area. Cape May, New Jersey made the list at spot number 15. A quick snippet of the location states "the beloved seaside resort on the Jersey Shore is a classic summer getaway spot for East Coasters. Summer highs average in the 80s, perfect for enjoying the area's beaches." On a quick google search, it would take you 3 hours and 45 minutes to drive from Danbury to Cape May. That is most definitely doable for a great place to go.

Cape Cod takes the next spot at number 16. A familiar place for a lot of New Englanders. Cape Cod does a great job at giving you that vacation feel with its beaches, shops, and cozy colorful cottages. The drive to Cape Cod from Danbury is 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Next up at number 18 is Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is absolutely beautiful during the summer and has so many things for you to do. So many different restaurants and so many shoreline attractions. Newport can make for a great vacation. A drive from Danbury to Newport is a little over 2 and a half hours.

The last city to make the list of Best Summer Vacations is Boston. While Boston is a year-round city to visit, the site mentions attractions like Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, etc. Boston has so many things to do and can make for a great mini vacation. A trip to Boston from Danbury is 2 hours and 40 minutes.

There are so many different options that you don't need to hop on a plane for. A few more that made the list that are a little further from Danbury but you still don't need a plane are Bar Harbor, Maine, Adirondacks, NY, and Portland, Maine.

A few others that made the list but are a plane ride away include Zion National Park, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Outer Banks, Bryce Canyon National Park, Hilton Head, etc.

I have been lucky enough to see a lot of these places with my own eyes, and I highly recommend going to them. For example, here is a picture from my trip to Zion National Park back in November.

Let me know if you end up taking a trip to any of these places. I'm heading to the Smokey Mountains soon, so I'll be sure to let you know if it lives up to its rank on this list.