By Stephen Myers
COVID-19 thwarted summer vacation plans last year, but the 2021 summer travel season is poised for a significant rebound.
Although tourist attractions and theme parks have reopened across much of the country, many leisure travelers are still avoiding crowded spaces. It is impossible to social distance in vacation hot-spots like Times Square in New York City, the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
Instead, leisure travelers are turning to off-the-beaten-path locations lacking crowds and congestion. Outdoor vacations, the family trips we enjoyed as children, are popular once again.
Elite Jets already is booking charter flights for this summer on its fleet of Phenom 300 and Legacy 500 luxury aircraft. Our travel experts often are asked about destinations for romantic getaways, memorable family trips and places where travelers can unplug. This year, our suggestions also include locales far away from crowds and congestion or hustle and bustle.
Below are five socially distanced domestic destinations that are popular for the summer 2021 travel season:
Rocky Mountain Retreat
- Location: Telluride, Colorado
- Description: Telluride is best known as a snow ski town for affluent visitors. During the summer, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding and tubing down mountain streams and rivers. Golfers appreciate Telluride’s high elevation, which adds 15% more carry onto their drives.
Quintessential New England
- Location: Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, Massachusetts
- Description: Just south of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket represent New England seaside villages of the past. Life here moves at a slower pace. Victorian cottages, cobblestone streets, seafood shacks and ice cream parlors still define the islands.
Wine Tasting
- Location: Napa, California
- Description: Wine Country has more than 800 wineries, the majority of which are in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. Beyond vineyard tours and tastings, the region also is known for innovative cuisine, quaint boutiques and posh resorts. The region’s renowned vintners often are featured the Naples Winter Wine Festival and Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest.
Sun and Fun
- Location: Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Description: The Hilton Head area has nearly three dozen championship golf courses woven into natural surroundings, including oceanfront and parkland settings. The island also boasts 12 miles of sugar-like white sand beaches and often is mentioned as one of America’s top family-friendly beach destinations.
National Park Pilgrimage
- Location: Northwest U.S.
- Description: U.S. News & World Report ranks Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier as its top three national parks. Each offers breathtaking, postcard-like views of mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes. The parks are zoos without cages, full of bison, bears, elk, sheep, deer and many other species.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Myers is executive vice president of Elite Jets Charters, a Naples-based company with a fleet of four Phenom 300 jets, one Legacy 500 jet and one Bell 407 helicopter. For more information, please call at 239-900-9000 or visit EliteJets.com.
