List of best cheap vacation locations in the US

• Visit Lake McDonald
• Trail of the Cedars
• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Logan Pass
• Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
• Iceberg Lake
• TrailHighline Trail

3. Anchorage

It’s hard to accept that not even a century ago, Alaska’s most advanced city was simply a bunch of tents. Established in 1914 during the building of the Alaska Railroad, Anchorage has since bloomed into the Last Frontier’s financial and commercial heart and now houses a massive 40 percent of the state’s population. However, while you are sure to find all the amenities of a cosmopolitan American city, that’s not what attracts tourists. Most people only catch an impression of this major northernmost U.S. city on their way to discovering the snow-capped summits of the surrounding mountain ranges or the endless wilderness that lies beyond.

Sure, Anchorage is a paradisiacal haven base for skiers, hikers, fishermen, and even wildlife watchers, but that doesn’t mean that the city itself should be disregarded. Alaska’s metropolis flaunts a plethora of attractions, including nightlife venues, museums, shops, and a fantastic zoo. And if nature is your true vocation, bear in mind that you don’t have to skirt the city’s boundaries to get your fill: Visit during the summer season to experience the City of Lights and Flowers (home to nearly 80,000 flowers throughout 460 flower beds) in full bloom or through any other season to be impressed by the sparkling Northern Lights.

Best Things to do in Anchorage

• Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
• Anchorage MuseumOscar
• Anderson House Museum
• Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
• Alaska Native Heritage Center
• Kincaid Park
• Anchorage Market & Festival
• Potter Marsh
• Chugach State Park
• Aviation Museum
• Zoo

4.Gatlinburg

With three main entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park found in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg, it’s no wonder that visiting the park is the most famous attraction in this eastern Tennessee town. In fact, it is such a great hit that Gatlinburg’s population balloons during the top tourist season from less than 4,000 inhabitants to more than 40,000. With miles of tracks for hiking, biking and horseback riding, as well as historical exhibitions and cabins, and the chance to view black bears, elk, deer, and other amazing wildlife in their natural environment, it’s easy to see why the park is such a hot spot. When you are not in the park enjoying its natural wonders, you will likely spend time admiring it from several of Gatlinburg’s top tourist attractions, including the Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway and the Gatlinburg Space Needle.

However, Gatlinburg isn’t just a gateway entrance to the Smokies. This small mountain town is a tourist destination in its own right and one that’s especially popular with families thanks to kid-friendly amusements like Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and the Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre. To get a feeling of local Gatlinburg culture, skip the kitschy relic shops and visit one of the numerous local galleries, including the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, to watch the local artists and craftsmen create everything from arts and pottery to handmade brooms and jewelry.

Best things to do in Gatlinburg

• Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies
• Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park and Ski Area
• Gatlinburg Space Needle
• Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre
• Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tram
• Great Smoky Mountains Arts & Crafts Loop
• Mountain Moonshine Tastings
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park

5.Williamsburg

For such a historical town, Williamsburg is somewhat new. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the downtown area of this Virginia Peninsula city was again restored. Now you can walk the same steps that our Founding Fathers once used – in fact, in Williamsburg town, you just might even find yourself hiking alongside those men (or at least, besides some talented, costumed guides acting out their parts). The area isn’t a fad, though. Rather, Williamsburg and the nearby towns of Jamestown and Yorktown are breathing monuments to some of the best-known figures of our colonial history. John Smith, Patrick Henry, George Washington, Pocahontas and more – and they all receive their due.

Best things to do in Williamsburg

• Colonial Williamsburg
• Water Country USA
• Visit Jamestown
• Busch Gardens
• Jamestown Glasshouse
• Williamsburg Premium Outlets
• Williamsburg Winery
• Yorktown Battlefield

6. Olympic National Park

Washington State’s Olympic National Park, found on the Olympic Peninsula, gives something for every kind of nature lover, from the hikers to stargazers to boat enthusiasts to photographers. Among its approximately 1 million acres, tourists can explore glacier-capped mountains, trek through old-growth spectacular temperate rainforests and marvel at over 70 miles of wild coastline.

The park’s origins date back to the year1897 when growing concerns about the area’s vanishing forests led President Grover Cleveland to name it as the Olympic Forest Reserve. Additional protections were enacted in the year 1909, when President Theodore Roosevelt assigned part of the reserve as the Mount Olympus National Monument in rejoinder to a declining Roosevelt Elk population. this didn’t formally receive its national park title until 1938, thanks to President Franklin Roosevelt. Now, the park is both a World Heritage Site and also an International Biosphere Reserve.

Top fun things to do in Olympic National park

• Hoh Rain Forest
• Hurricane Ridge
• Kalaloch and Ruby Beach
• Lake Crescent
• Mora and Rialto Beach
• Sol Duc Valley
• Olympic National Park Main Visitor Center and Wilderness Information
• Staircase

7. Portland, OR

From its polished green spaces to its deliciously distinct food scene, Portland has become a must-see stop in the Pacific Northwest. The city overflows with cultural contributions – whether it’s the stacks at Powell’s City of Books or in one of the over 100 craft distilleries in the Portland metro area. The city of many nicknames (P-town, PDX, Stumptown, the City of Roses, Bridge City, ) has emerged as an urbanite’s fantasy, with some of the most pedestrian-friendly streets in the US,no wonder we featured it in our List of best cheap vacation locations in the US, many of which are lined with food carts that have yielded Portland some of the best, most affordable and distinct street food anywhere.

It’s also full of adrenaline, with loads of trails for hiking and biking (miles of them are located in Forest Park), as well as entrance to water sports along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that cut and border the city – not to discuss the volcanic Mount Hood. However, the most-loved visitor attractions are low-key and intangible: a sip of locally roasted coffee, a late afternoon chat at a brewery, a stroll through open art galleries on the first Thursday evening of the month. Hip, alternative and unrelentingly progressive, Portland area is one of the most prosperous cities on the West Coast.

Top fun places to go in Portland OR

• Washington Park
• International Rose Test Garden
• Portland Japanese Garden
• Lan Su Chinese Garden
• Powell’s City of Books
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
• Portland Art Museum
• Forest Park
• Pittock Mansion
• Tom McCall Waterfront Park
• Mount Hood
• Multnomah Falls
• oregon zoo
• Willamette Valley Wine Tasting
• Forktown Food Tours

8. San Antonio

Davy Crockett may have long perished at the Alamo, but San Antonio sticks to the Texan pride exhibited by the “King of the Wild Frontier” and his compatriots in 1836. This modern city’s history particularly rears its noble head throughout downtown. In addition to the Alamo, you will find several other popular missions, all of which are currently a part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Moreover, amongst the amazing gleaming skyscrapers, the austere San Fernando Cathedral still stands as a testament to the city’s spiritual past. However, don’t be fooled here: You don’t need a hankering for history to experience this citys beauty. With theme parks, professional sports teams, top-notch museums, and the renowned River Walk, you may have too much to do to “Remember the Alamo.”