The 23 Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2023

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2023—find more ideas on where to travel in the year ahead in India, Spain, the U.K., and beyond.

For most Americans, domestic travel has long been something of a rite of passage—packed car rides to national parks, short flights to theme parks or beach rentals, and maybe some longer milestone trips to otherworldly places within the fabric of the American landscape (Alaska, Hawaii, the Rockies, Puerto Rico)—all checked off of a long list over the years. But recently, domestic travel became something more: a lifeline in a pandemic, a reminder of how fun it can be to sow your travel seeds at home, and a phenomenon that’s irreversibly transformed so many towns and cities around the country. 

That’s why this year we’ve expanded our forward-looking list of the best places to go by dedicating an entire iteration to the United States, and taking a magnifying glass to the most exciting places in our backyard; both buzzy up-and-comers, and longstanding favorites with a reason to shine again. Led by news and destination trends from this year—and those we can already see coming to fruition in 2023—this list is packed with exciting new builds and success stories, from culinary and hotel renaissances to reinvigorated neighborhoods and comeback kids in the aftermath of COVID-19's peak.

These are the 23 best places to go in the U.S. in 2023—from the American West to the U.S.-territory islands of the Caribbean. And don’t forget to visit our global list of international destinations to visit next year, vetted by Condé Nast Traveler editors based in the U.S., U.K., Spain, and India. —Shannon McMahon and Jessica Puckett

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Wedged between a frigid sea and the towering Chugach Mountains, Anchorage plays basecamp to Alaska’s vast wilderness. Many travelers fly here from the lower 48 for a brief stay before cruises or journeys along the Alaska Railroad—which is celebrating 100 years in 2023. But the city’s an outdoorsy haven in its own right, too: Northern lights flicker from August to April, salmon roil downtown’s Ship Creek, and moose make guest appearances along a 100-mile trail network.

When adults-only Alyeska Nordic Spa opened last September—the first Nordic spa in the state—Anchorage also became Alaska’s most accessible wellness destination, pairing all that nature with an equal measure of indulgence. Temperate rainforest surrounds Finnish- and Russian-style saunas amid the spa’s 50,000-square-foot bathing circuit, which is part of Alyeska Resort, a Readers’ Choice Award–winning ski area where summer means mountain bike rides and glacier hikes. And in January it will up the adventure ante with the exclusive-use, 8,000-square-foot Eagle’s Nest Lodge, whose spectacular location in Mat-Su is a 12-minute helicopter flight from downtown Anchorage. Its ski-guide owners at Third Edge Heli will cater to visitors keen for alpine powder chased by luxurious barrel-sauna sessions. Farther afield, even wilder terrain is newly accessible: Mountain Trip recently pioneered the first ever guided ski descents of Mount Denali, with more expeditions planned for 2023. —Jen Rose Smith

In all its sprawl, Los Angeles can be a beast to navigate. But, if you're looking for trailblazing restaurants, breweries, designers, artists, cafes, and bars, downtown’s Arts District is worth a visit. Once cloaked in vineyards and orange groves, railroads and factories, the Arts District found its name in the 1970s when artists fled the increasingly expensive communities of Venice and Hollywood to occupy the area’s vacant buildings. Over the years, it ebbed and flowed, but returned as a creative hub in the past decade.

While the neighborhood isn’t entirely walkable (the sprawl doesn’t stop hyper-locally), lively pockets are minutes from each other by car. The historic Sixth Street Viaduct, which reopened in July 2022 after a six-year, $588 million rebuild, is the Arts District’s crown jewel. Crossing it from the I-10 freeway offers access to a dozen galleries and rich fare, from Bestia, Enrique Olvera's Damian, and newly beloved Yangban Society, to upcoming notable openings like Greek-inspired Mandolin Taverna & Mrs. Mandolin boutique in Soho Warehouse, Spanish tapas at Flor y Solera, and Let’s Go Disco and Cocktail Club that promises a rollick. Down the street, the eight well-worn buildings and vibrant murals of ROW DTLA has helmed the flourishing Arts District for years, and is now home to more than 30 independently owned boutiques, open-air markets, an eclectic roster of weekly activations and events, and two Michelin-starred restaurants, Hayato and Kato. Soon, an old firehouse will transform into Kensho Ryokan Hotel (set to open spring 2023). The renovation of historic The Rendon Hotel, which currently houses The Rendon Gallery, is also hopefully coming to fruition in 2023. —Danielle Bernabe

Nestled on Lake Superior’s scenic southern shoreline, Bayfield has been a long-time draw for weary city dwellers from Minneapolis and Chicago who visit for the charming Victorian main street, an impressive amount of organic farms and orchards (known as the Bayfield “fruit loop”), and direct access to Apostle Islands National Park. But the small city is going through a renaissance, with a boom of businesses, a new wellness retreat, and a young generation of entrepreneurs reviving the town’s historic buildings.

In summer 2023 one of the original developers behind Minneapolis’ Hewing Hotel will open St. James Social. The 140-year-old building and former home of the historic St. James Hotel is getting a full rehab with a large lobby bar with oversized banquettes, eight beautifully appointed guest rooms, and a lake view rooftop bar. The food program will focus on ingredients from local purveyors, like Lake Superior Chippewa–run Red Cliff Fish Company, and include a wood-burning pizza oven with freshly made sourdough pies—a welcome addition in the land of fish fries and cheese curds.

Wild Rice Retreat, a year-round arts and wellness center, opened last year on the lush 100-acre forested lot that was once home to the beloved Wild Rice Restaurant. The impressive $10 million renovation includes sleek modern Scandinavian lodging designed by award-winning architect David Salmela, plus a spacious yoga studio, “nourishment center,” and a new sauna with a rain room and cold plunge pool. Guests can join in on slow flow yoga, guided meditation, or classes on mandala painting and intentional vision boarding.

Downtown, stop in at local shops like Good Flower Farm, a small batch skincare company and apothecary lab, or Penny Print Studio, a boutique that supports local artists and illustrators. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, grab a frothy maple latte at Wonderstate Coffee, or head just outside of town to Copper Crow, the country’s first Indigenous-owned distillery started by members of the neighboring Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. —Julia Heffelfinger

The small businesses of Boston’s vibrant, historic neighborhoods were hit especially hard during the pandemic, but a new wave of restaurant, shop, and hotel openings proves that the city is back—and better than ever. Indulge in coastal Italian and natural wines at Faccia a Faccia, elevated seafood-shack favorites at Little Whale, or an eponymous chicken parmesan sandwich at the new Parm—one of the red-sauce joint’s first locations outside of New York City—all in quaint Back Bay. On nearby Beacon Hill, locals and visitors alike have been abuzz with the debut of the impossibly photogenic multi-level independent bookstore, Beacon Hill Books & Cafe—where the children’s room is complete with a toy train that choo-choos around overhead. Just across the Freedom Trail in Charlestown, locals are raving about the duck poutine and lobster sliders at Waverly Kitchen & Bar, just steps from the Bunker Hill Monument and Freedom Trail.

And in the ever-growing Seaport neighborhood, the ICA Boston continues to amplify underrepresented voices in art, with major 2023 exhibits including Simone Leigh and María Berrío. But most exciting of all, Boston’s Back Bay will soon be home to Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences, the iconic international hotel brand’s very first North American property. Your other favorite American city could never. —Todd Plummer

A patchwork of laid-back beach towns, trail-laced redwood forests, and vineyards producing standout Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, the Central Coast has been on our radar for a while now. Yet, all at once, it seems the region’s lesser-known destinations are taking on cooler second lives. In the Santa Ynez Valley, cowboy towns like Los Alamos and Los Olivos float on the same intriguing whispers that Joshua Tree did a decade ago (known, but not too known). The valley has emerged as the hippest new getaway for Angelinos, with its mix of funky tasting rooms like disco ball-decorated Future Perfect Wines, casually chic restaurants such as seafood tavern Bar Le Côte, and new accommodations, most notably the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. Auberge Resorts Collection recently resurrected the latter, a beloved 19^th century landmark with a cabana-lined pool, a spa curated by NYC’s cult outfit The Well, and four restaurants, including a smokehouse that juxtaposes open-fire cooking and Shanghainese flavors. One hour north, Paso Robles, has finally shed its serious oenophiles-only image. Tin City, an approachable collection of wineries and breweries set within an industrial market, feels reminiscent of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, and boasts San Luis Obispo County’s only Michelin-decorated restaurant, Six Test Kitchen. Next year, the revival whizzes at Nomada Group will reopen two historic hotels—Farmhouse Motel, a 1940s spot downtown, and River Lodge, set at the entrance of Route 46 minutes from top wineries. They’ve even made the unassuming frontier town of Pozo, 30 minutes from downtown, Insta-cool by recently reviving the Saloon, where Willie Nelson once played, and adding airstreams and glamping tents as crash pads. —Jen Murphy

Just 24 miles south of the White House, Charles County, Maryland, will take its spotlight as the historical setting of the 2023 Apple TV+ series Manhunt, which details the days following President Lincoln’s assassination and the search for John Wilkes Booth—produced by Fargo writer and producer Monica Beletsky and starring The Crown’s Tobias Menzies, no less. The scenic area is home to astonishing historic lore (go kayaking around shipwrecks dating from the Revolutionary War at Mallows Bay, a newly dedicated National Marine Sanctuary), nesting bald eagles and other bird watching, and a robust farm- and river-to-table dining scene along the Potomac.

There’s a music and arts revival afoot here, as well as a downtown renewal. La Plata, the county seat, is picture-perfect small town Americana with contemporary additions to its key thoroughfare of Charles Street and BIPOC- and woman-owned small businesses cropping up: Landon’s Ices and Creams’ Old Bay Caramel flavor is its claim to fame. Visit the town’s weeks-old Bird City Records and Shop 53, founded by artist Shannon Wang. New large-scale public art projects are planned to kick off a #MakeLaPlataWeird 2023 campaign, adding to a recently dedicated “Live Small, Love Large” mural centerpiece created by painter Donald Ely and Wang. For local and organic goods, drop by recently opened The Charles’ farm-fresh gourmet market and restaurant. Hangouts like Patuxent Brewery, Bridgett Vines Winery, and third-wave coffee roaster Wee Bean have also sprung up in recent years. Find the perfect place to stay among the picturesque and historic B&Bs in Southern Maryland. —Thuc Doan Nguyen

About 90 miles north of Manhattan, New York’s Hudson Valley has seen a burst of hospitality openings over the last decade, making it a top weekend getaway for city dwellers. And while it has already gained a reputation for its excellent culinary and shopping scenes, now the valley is becoming a bonafide wellness destination. The end of 2022 saw the opening of Wildflower Farms, an Auberge Resort in Gardiner complete with a farmhouse-style spa, and a renovation of the 30,000-foot-spa at regional stalwart Mohonk Mountain House. The new year brings The Ranch Hudson Valley (from wellness pioneers The Ranch Malibu) to a historic estate near Tuxedo Park for three- and four-day wellness programs with hiking, fitness classes, massages, and a plant-based diet. Also rumored to open in 2023 is Soho Farmhouse, the bucolic brand’s first opening outside of the U.K.—said to be set in a historic manor house in Rhinebeck with a restaurant in the stone barn and a spa.

Other exciting openings to look for in 2023 include permanent homes in Kingston for Izakaya Makishi, a Japanese bar snack and cocktail lounge from the team behind Stockade Tavern, and Chleo, a wine bar with fire-cooked food from husband-and-wife Blue Hill at Stone Barns alums. Over in North Salem, two restaurants from the team behind now-closed Papilles in Manhattan are debuting—one a bistro called Cenadou, and the other a fine-dining French restaurant called La Bastide by Andrea Calstier. Come summer, Klocke Estate in Claverack will be home to an apple and grape brandy distillery, where ingredients are grown and then distilled on the 160-acre property, with a hospitality venue designed by Ken Fulk. Design lovers will also appreciate that Hudson mid-century furniture and decor emporium Magic Hill Mercantile just opened a new location in Kingston, and highly curated vintage housewares favorite Finch in Hudson is unveiling a major expansion. —Devorah Lev-Tov

Kansas City has long been a major hub of the Midwest, but coastal dwellers should really start taking note. While the city is already garnering the attention of sports fans around the world—it’s hosting the NFL Draft in April 2023, and was chosen as one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—there are plenty more cool openings on the near horizon.

In March, Kansas City International Airport (MCI) will finally unveil its brand new terminal, which has been under construction since 2019. The 39-gate terminal will bring the airport into the 21st century, with separate arrivals and departures areas and covered garage parking—two important components the current airport does not have. The new MCI will also offer electric shuttle buses, more inclusive and accessible spaces, and airport shops that specifically highlight local women- and minority-owned businesses.

But don’t think you should just use Kansas City for a layover: A recent crop of true boutique hotels may encourage you to linger for a few days. In 2021, The Truitt—an eight-room property focusing on local vendors and impeccable design—opened directly adjacent to the Country Club Plaza, an area known for its art museums and upscale shopping. The owners are opening a new hotel, Aida, by early 2023, which promises to be just as stylish. Also worth visiting are new local restaurants like Palestinian-American café Baba’s Pantry, which got a shoutout on Bon Appetit’s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022 list for hummus that editors dubbed “the best we’ve ever had.” —Caitlin Morton

To say that Las Vegas has always been the go-to place for a good time might be an understatement: From the many resident performers to the glitzy casinos and world-class cuisine, Sin City never rests on its laurels when it comes to having fun. And in the second half of 2023, there will be a new venue for the city’s most immersive entertainment, spearheaded by the owners of New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Called MSG Sphere, the 360-foot-tall venue will be coming to the Venetian Resort, just east of the Strip, and is expected to become the largest spherical structure in the world. With full 4D-effects capabilities, MSG Sphere will dazzle audiences with interactive, custom-made attractions, live performances, sports, and gaming events.

In November 2023, Vegas will also be home to the new Las Vegas Grand Prix, making it just one of three U.S. cities to host Formula 1 races. Although Las Vegas hosted races in 1981 and 1982, this will be the first time the Formula 1 circuit will be on the Las Vegas Strip, weaving past famous hotels and casinos and looping around the MSG Sphere. Also opening on the Strip in winter 2023 will be the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a 67-story property that spans 25 acres and approximately 9 million square feet, with a 173,000-square-foot casino, 3,700 hotel rooms, and more than 550,000 square feet of meeting space. The property will feature a world-class collection of restaurants and shops, pool experiences, and other glamorous amenities worthy of the flashy city. —Kayla Brock

In Macon, Georgia’s Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park is expected to be declared the newest U.S. national park in 2023. The site features earthwork mounds constructed around 900 CE, and houses more than 2,000 artifacts from both the Mississippi culture and the Muscogee Nation, who first founded Macon on the site of the sacred Ocmulgee Old Fields. That founding will be marked in 2023 to coincide with Macon’s bicentennial, a yearlong celebration honoring these original Native American inhabitants and the enslaved people who helped build the city.

Since 2015 the city of Macon has seen 98 new businesses, 30 bars and live music venues, and 50 new restaurants pop up. Culinary highlights include Vibez, Dovetail, Felicia's Cake Factory, and the iconic H&H Soul Food. In February 2022 downtown’s first boutique hotel, Hotel Forty Five, opened inside an old bank, followed by nine-room The Woodward, which opened next to the historic Capitol Theater in October 2022. The city’s music history also runs deep—it's the hometown of Little Richard and Otis Redding, and was the home of the influential Capricorn Recording Studios in the 1970s. The studios are now Mercer Music at Capricorn, a new recording studio and music incubator that includes a Macon music history museum, and over at Macon Mall a 10,000-person amphitheater is expected to be completed in 2023. —D.L.

Nashville claims a lot of national buzz, but the city of Memphis has been quietly reshaping itself to be the hottest destination in Tennessee. Over the past decade, its downtown has invested billions in revitalization projects—and now, visitors can begin reaping the benefits.

An upgraded Tom Lee Park will open downtown in 2023, and in time for Memphis in May, a month-long festival celebrating the city’s culture with the famed Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. The $60 million transformation will add new pavilions, meditative paths, riverfront seating, sound gardens, and the Canopy Walk connecting the park to downtown—all a fitting tribute to the park’s heroic namesake, a Black Memphian who, nearly a century ago, rescued passengers from a sinking steamboat on the Mississippi River. Next up: The Walk on Union, said to be the largest new mixed-use development in the Southeast, will play host to retail businesses, green spaces, and two new Hilton hotels as it opens in phases over the next few years.

Memphis is also experiencing a hotel boom, with eight new properties in 2022 and more on the way. Recently opened are the funky The Memphian and Hyatt's first Caption concept, both of which shine a light on the city’s heritage through design and cuisine, as does the latest crop of Memphis restaurants. Barbecue still reigns, but the city’s trendiest spots are lightening things up: Raw Girls now has two brick-and-mortar smoothie and juice bars, Food Network star chef Tamra Patterson will open a new vegetarian spot in 2023, and craft cocktail bar Cameo, opened this year, serves up sophisticated mocktails. —Kelsey Ogletree

Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, once the realm for hustling wholesalers who trafficked flowers, hairspray, and handbags along Broadway between Madison Square Park and Macy’s, is taking its feast for the senses to new heights. Its eponymous hotel reopened last summer as London import The Ned, the Soho House spinoff that merges hotel and members club. Here, guests move to the rhythm of live jazz from the central bar, Little Ned, and navigate a maze of chambers lined with commissions from contemporary artists like Marilyn Minter and Mickalene Thomas. But the most discreet way to observe the celebrities occupying the Beaux-Arts landmark’s rooftop bar may be from an even higher perch—across the street at Jose Andres’ Nubeluz lounge on the 50th floor of the newly opened Ritz-Carlton NoMad. And if you see construction workers out the window, they’re likely on their way to complete the restoration of a Gilded Age bank, originally designed by McKim, Mead & White, that will soon house The Fifth Avenue Hotel—or maybe the newest kitchen of chef Freddy Vargas (who is fresh off opening the Aman New York) at Virgin Hotels’ first New York property.

Descend into one of NoMad’s best underground bars at subterranean Apotheke, a candlelit cocktail den hidden behind an unmarked door. One block up and a few steps down, Patent Pending is a speakeasy hidden behind daytime coffee shop Patent Coffee, which is used in signature cocktails like the rye and absinthe Odd Love. And there’s no reason to cross borders for neighboring flavors: You can experience the best of Koreatown at LittleMad, which offers a prix-fixe feast that starts with a smoky steak tartare, and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group has replanted its flag with the reopening of his trattoria Maialino (vicino). If you really need that Shake Shack fix, save it for the flight home from JFK. —Adam Robb

Ten years ago, Cincinnati bar maven Molly Wellman crossed the Ohio River to open Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar in Covington, Kentucky. The move set off a chain reaction of upscale bourbon bar and eclectic distillery openings in recent years, making the region a must-visit for whiskey lovers: The Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, for one, has a legacy that extends beyond Prohibition; 11th generation distiller Royce Neeley is the first in his family in nearly 300 years to practice his craft with a license. At Second Sight Spirits in Ludlow, a pair of former Cirque du Soleil fabricators constructed a working still (the piece of equipment where the actual distilling process takes place) in the shape of a carnival fortune teller. And Newport’s New Riff Distillery started making their own bourbon in 2014, but true collectors source the team’s former product—O.K.I., a blend of whiskey sourced from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana tristate area—from Brad Bond’s Revival Vintage Bottle Shop in Covington, where dusty bottles are curated from private collections.

While in Covington, check in to North by Hotel Covington, a downtown property that just underwent a recent luxury expansion. It’s within walking distance of a thriving restaurant scene that includes the original location of taco-and-slushy empire Agave + Rye; Libby’s Southern Comfort, which delivers a taste of Cincinnati with its goetta hush puppies; and the forthcoming Opal, a rooftop bar from local restaurateur Bill Whitlow, also responsible for Wenzel’s Whiskey, a new bourbon rectifier offering guests a hands-on blending and bottling experience. You can’t leave the region without crossing into Ohio for one Cincinnati bar everyone is whispering about: Ghost Baby. Five stories below the city’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, the underground bar and music hall revives the spirit of one of Cincinnati’s last-discovered lager tunnels. —A.R.

The shimmering freshwater shores of Northern Michigan have long drawn summer crowds, and now with a host of high-profile restaurant openings and a wine scene that’s gaining national recognition, the “Cherry Capital of the World” is emerging as a must-visit culinary destination. Fine dining meets Midwestern comfort food—think: fried chicken and cheddar bread paired with inventive vegetable sides and natural wines—at Modern Bird on Front Street in Traverse City, which opened in August. A few blocks away, the aroma of spiced potatoes and coconut curry draw hungry brunch crowds to Hexenbelle, a new Palestinian bakery and coffee shop. Also worth bookmarking is dining destination Farm Club, which is equal parts working farm, market, restaurant, and brewery, and is accessible from downtown via the TART bike trail. Coming in late 2022, hotly anticipated Crocodile Palace will offer tantalizing Sichuan takeout with a seasonal flare.

A newcomer to the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, Dune Bird Winery is known for its crisp Pure Leland Sparkling. The scenic route, which includes 24 award-winning vineyards, weaves through bucolic landscapes and charming towns. The trail ends near Glen Arbor, a perfect jumping-off point for exploring the towering sandy bluffs of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Grab lunch nearby at The Mill, an upscale cafe in a painstakingly restored 1897 grist mill, set to open in spring 2023.

Michigan’s fate is inextricably linked to the health of its waterways, and heading the conservation charge is the Tribal Stream and Michigan Fruitbelt Collaborative, a group led by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The Mishigamiing Journalism Project, which launched in June, focuses on empowering Indigenous journalists to report on their own communities with an eye on conservation of tribal lands. —Christine Chitnis

After a two-year pandemic pause, the largest indie film fest in the U.S. brings live events back to Park City this January. But the Sundance Film Festival isn’t the only reason we want to go now, with new offerings all across the mountain town.

Coming for the film fest? The Pendry Park City opened last year smack in the middle of theater hotspots in Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort, also unveiling a new heated après-ski beach and 100-seat outdoor patio this ski season. The slope-side fun vies for attention with Pendry’s own Dos Olas Cantina for craft tequila cocktails, rooftop pool house with DJ sets, and sustainably sourced seafood flown in nightly at its Japanese-inspired KITA. At ski-only Deer Valley, the new Burns Express chairlift increases access to more beginner-friendly terrain. Mid-mountain at the resort’s Silver Lake Village, Goldener Hirsch has reopened as an Auberge Resort with sprawling luxe residences equipped with chef’s kitchens, private balconies, and this winter’s new high-end concierge service (think ski outfitting and grocery shopping). There’s also Deer Valley’s two-day Taste of Luxury Series, a quarterly culinary event launched last year and hosted by Michelin-star chefs (Massimo Bottura hosts this December). Want access to both ski resorts? The mid-range, 127-room Park City Marriott also opens later this year.

Even hotels that are not new are brandishing big upgrades and experiences. The St. Regis Deer Valley will soon open its new Astor Bar and high-style La Stellina Italian restaurant. Twenty minutes from downtown Park City in the rolling Wasatch–Uinta Mountains region, the Lodge at Blue Sky’s newest offerings include unique guided backcountry ski adventures via snowmobile and psychic-led alternative energy journeys in a new creekside sanctuary. —Nina Kahn

Texas’ second-largest city is the growing culinary destination in the Lone Star State thanks to an eclectic blend of Mexican, German, and Spanish heritages. Its food scene is a mix of posadas, tamaladas, and Tex-Mex puffy tacos, kolaches and biergartens, paellas and lighting luminarias. And San Antonio is a hotbed of under-the-radar talent increasingly recognized over the last several years and now exploding. Restaurants like Cured, Pharm Table, La Panadería, 2M Smokehouse, and Carnitas Lonja are a few of the eateries that have recently been drawing gastronomes to SATX. The city is also a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy—one of only two in America along with Tucson, Arizona—and the Alamo City had seven James Beard Award semifinalists in 2022.

In addition to its culinary appeal, San Antonio is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its incredible missions; the Alamo will open the new Collections & Exhibitions Building in early 2023. A Central Park–like green space in the middle of downtown San Antonio, Hemisfair’s Civic Park, will open in fall 2023 and include interpretive elements of the historic Spanish acequias and natural springs, along with an outdoor amphitheater. Several notable hotels have also opened since the pandemic, including Canopy San Antonio Riverwalk, Thompson San Antonio, and Estancia del Norte. Slated to open in 2023 are The Otis Hotel, Autograph Collection, as well as an InterContinental. —Marisel Salazar

In Scottsdale, you can hike in a vibrant desert home to more than 400 types of plants (the Sonoran Desert), tour a Frank Lloyd Wright property (Taliesin West), and sip a paloma below the DJ booth of a day-club pool party—all in one afternoon. The sprawling, 184-square-mile town just northeast of Phoenix has become a magnet for bachelor/ette parties, golf trips, nature lovers, and sun seekers. (After all, you can wear sandals here for nine months a year.) More surprising, though, is the rise of the rest of the East Valley—the other towns east of Phoenix, like Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa. In food and beverage, they’re even outcompeting Scottsdale in quality of new openings.

Downtown Mesa has become a gastronomic powerhouse. Espiritu, a modern Mexican seafood restaurant with a high-flying cocktail program, is helping to evolve the Mexican food scene in the U.S. by pairing top-notch mariscos dishes and a meticulously illustrated menu of progressive cocktails. In Chandler, a tiny, intimate restaurant called Thaily’s is serving a one-of-a-kind mashup of Cambodian and Iraqi food. Also in Chandler, Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine plates reimagined versions of classic regional Indian dishes. And the walkable strip of downtown Gilbert has many clustered standouts, several imported from Scottsdale and Phoenix. For high comfort and easy access to the East Valley, consider two forthcoming top-tier hotels: The Ritz Carlton, Paradise Valley and Caesars Republic Scottsdale are both opening in 2023. —Chris Malloy

Seattle is a chameleonic city where change is a byword. If you haven’t visited since the pandemic, you’ve got some catching up to do. Pushing back against years of creeping gentrification, the Central District (CD) is busy reestablishing its African American heritage through art, culture, and gastronomy. And following a three-year hiatus, the city’s refreshed Northwest African American Museum will reopen in January of 2023.

Gravitate to Midtown Square and the Jackson Apartments for murals, public sculpture, and tempting soul food. Arte Noir is a non-profit gallery and shop that opened in 2022, while nearby Wa Na Wari is a community hub, art gallery, and backyard concert venue. New or reconfigured Black-owned eating joints in the CD include Simply Soulful, Métier Brewing Company, and Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro.

Then there’s the dense, Amazon-led modernization of the high-rise Denny Triangle district, and the gradual transition to a more salubrious waterfront following the removal of the noisy Alaska Way Viaduct. Stay at Astra, one of several new hi-tech boutique hotels in the South Lake Union–Denny Triangle area before heading off to explore the blossoming public spaces of the waterfront, where ongoing work is revitalizing the city’s famous piers, expanding its existing aquarium, laying new bike lanes and sidewalks, and planting over 500 trees. —Brendan Sainsbury

Telluride’s gold mines and fortunes had faded when a visionary bunch of ski enthusiasts hatched a plan to build a resort there in the early 1970s. Fifty years later, the funky little mountain town wedged into a southwestern Colorado box canyon has gained an international reputation as a beloved gathering place that keeps visitors coming back for more. Accordingly, the 2023, 50-year milestone for this tiny community and its year-round population of 2,600 will be big: Winter sports fans can celebrate the 50th season at Telluride Ski Resort with a new, high-speed quad chairlift and improved snowmaking capabilities. And the Telluride Bluegrass Festival will tune up for its 50^th burst of joyful “festivation” in June, showcasing a world-class lineup that’s a carefully guarded secret until it’s revealed in spring. Savvy “festivarians” will snap up tickets quickly; the event always sells out early.

The Telluride Film Festival will light up Labor Day weekend for a 50^th year—with top directors, A-list movie stars, and everyday cinephiles attending screenings that spark lively conversations and events in the town’s bars, parks, and gondolas. Official film selections are kept under wraps until the last minute, but the 2023 festival will continue one glittering day longer than usual, running from Thursday, August 31 through Monday, September 4. —Laura Beausire

As attention turns to America’s newest national parks, now is the time to revisit the third-largest in the country. Everglades National Park, the nearly 20,000 acre park, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Dedicated on December 6, 1947 by President Harry Truman, the ecosystem holds incredible biodiversity that inspired conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ book The Everglades: River of Grass. The Everglades now faces its own unique set of environmental concerns, especially due to climate change and non-native and invasive species, including burmese pythons that are now hunted to control the population. A National Parks Service rededication ceremony will kick off a year of celebrating the park in 2023. (Damage from Hurricane Ian is still affecting some trails; visit the NPS website for up-to-date information.)

The Everglades’ wetlands extend over 1.5 million acres through South Florida, and offer a wide variety of experiences, like airboat rides, hiking, and even camping in Seminole-style chickees, or elevated sleeping platforms. Indigenous people, including the Seminole that still have a presence in the Everglades today, were here long before the park: The Seminole Tribe of Florida operates the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and Big Cypress RV Resort & Campground on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation. If you’re not the camping kind, the Flamingo Lodge and Restaurant’s 24 rooms made from converted shipping containers and 20 furnished eco tents are set to reopen in 2023. —Caroline Eubanks

If you thought the pandemic changed your favorite vacation spots, just imagine a place like the U.S. Virgin Islands, which in 2020 were still recovering from 2017’s devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria. But at long last, this treasured territory is set to shine once again with a rush of activity to look forward to, from hotel openings to events.

This year brought the debut of the posh, eco-minded luxury Lovango Resort + Beach Club, where both overnight guests and day-pass visitors can indulge in beachfront food and drink service from the privacy of their very own cay. But 2023 has even more in store: After years of scaled-back plans, the USVI will have three fantastic, in-person, like-the-old-days Carnival celebrations. And after a $425 million resort rebuild, the beloved Frenchman’s Reef will reopen as two resorts: the Westin Beach Resort and Spa at Frenchman’s Reef, with some 85,000 square feet of stunning event spaces (destination wedding, anyone?); and The Seaborn at Frenchman’s Reef, Autograph Collection, a resort with a full-service spa, island excursions, private dock, and fun for the whole family. Also making buzz is the fact that Caneel Bay—home to the iconic early 2000s celebrity hideaway that in some ways put luxury Caribbean resorts on the map but was ruined during the 2017 hurricane—is set for a reinvention in 2023, when the original resort’s retained use agreement with Virgin Islands National Park will expire. We wouldn’t be surprised if another resort mega-brand scooped up this prime piece of real estate on tranquil St. John. —T.P.

Anchored by a bustling three-mile boardwalk overlooking the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach boasts the world’s longest pleasure beach and the world’s longest continually run surfing competition. But beaches aren’t the only reason to visit this resort city, which is home to everything from Chesapeake Bay blue crabs to hand-crafted spirits, as well as the colorful ViBE District and indelible historic sites.

In 2023, the annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships will celebrate its 61st year, and a few blocks from the oceanfront, groundbreaking will soon be underway at The Wave, a surf park backed by Grammy-winning artist and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams that will house the East Coast’s first man-made wave pool in 2024. Williams is also bringing the Something in the Water Festival back to Virginia Beach in spring 2023. The city is welcoming a new outdoor event, the Jackalope Fest, featuring high-adrenaline competitions ranging from breakdancing to bouldering. Held for the past ten years in Canada, the festival will now take place along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in June.

In October, Waterman Spirits opened a new distillery and tasting room on Atlantic Avenue with a refreshing line of citrus-infused organic spirits that are produced using environmentally friendly practices. Led by legendary master distiller Larry Ebersold, Tarnished Truth Distillery offers a variety of hand-crafted bourbon specialties ranging from moonshines to creams.

For a relaxing and luxurious hotel stay, book a room at The Cavalier Resort—a collection of historic and modern properties that includes The Historic Cavalier Hotel, Autograph Collection and the Marriott Oceanfront Virginia Beach. Also in the Resort District, a new Moxy hotel will open during summer 2023 with 134 oceanfront rooms, multiple bars, and a sleek outdoor pool with a slide from the second floor. —Taryn White

Delaware may be best known for its breezy southern beaches—but up north, Wilmington is drawing attention for a wave of new restaurants transforming the city into a bona fide food destination. When The Quoin Hotel opened in September, Wilmington’s first boutique hotel added three new dining and drinking destinations. Set in a historic brownstone designed by renowned Victorian-era architect Frank Furness, the stylish 24-room property is home to a warm neighborhood restaurant, a moody cocktail lounge, and the city’s first rooftop bar. A few blocks away, grand dame Hotel Du Pont reopened its outdated Green Room as brasserie Le Cavalier in late 2020. The freshly uncovered original terrazzo floor and saffron velvet banquets make a modern backdrop for enjoying plates of chef Tyler Akin’s tuna crudo and mint-flecked lamb shoulder.

At nearby Bardea Steak, opened in July, the meat-centric menu includes wagyu empanadas and kangaroo chili over Roman gnocchi. (Its sister restaurant Bardea has been drawing crowds and earning accolades like a James Beard Award nomination for best new restaurant since 2018.) New food hall The Chancery Market is slated to open a roster of stalls—including David Chang’s Fuku and fast-casual Indian spot Kati Roll Wala—curated by NYC-based chef Akhtar Nawab. Along the Christina River, the highly anticipated Riverfront East project is set to bring even more new restaurants to the neighborhood starting in 2023.

Beyond Wilmington’s dining scene—and downtown borders—find a pastoral landscape, called Chateau Country for its cache of historic Du Pont family estates. Gilded Age-era mansion Nemours is known for its Versailles-inspired French gardens; the 175-room Winterthur holds a collection of roughly 90,000 American decorative art objects; and the Hagley Museum, the former Du Pont company gunpowder mill overlooking the Brandywine River, just unveiled “A Nation of Inventors,” its first permanent exhibit in 65 years, highlighting visionary creations dating back to the 1700s. —Regan Stephens