Bucket List Travel: the 15 Best US Destinations for 2021
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5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Jan 1, 2021, 12:34pm EST | 51,604 views Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Alexandra Talty Senior Contributor Personal Finance While most feel lucky to head into 2021 with their relative health and happiness, few consider it to be a normal year. Especially for travel. Around the world, economies that bet on tourism dollars were stunted throughout 2020 as coronavirus containment measures shut down the world. The airline industry is on track to lose over $150 billion due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts predict it will take years for the global travel industry to fully bounce back post-lockdown. On the individual level, influencers and other travel creatives found themselves grounded for the first time in years. And while many say that by the end of 2021 travel will be bouncing back, for the average American consumer the thought of jumping on a plane and heading to the next top destination seems far off. So in the seventh year of my annual best budget destinations list I decided to switch gears. I am highlighting select regions around the country where travel creatives quarantined. These international jetsetters are sharing what gave them solace and inspiration in their hometowns while the whole world shut down. Featuring domestic destinations across the United States, the list roams the country, highlighting bucket list locales from urban centers to beach https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 1/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 getaways. Because let’s face it - if we learned anything in 2020, it is that we can explore locally and connect digitally all while wearing a dang mask. From the travel experts, here is where to travel in 2021 in the US. Jessica Nabongo - Detroit, Michigan MORE FOR YOU The 20 Best Places To Travel In 2021: Where To Go Next US Travel: 25 Best Places To Visit In 2020 The Top Ten Best Places In America To Travel Right Now And Avoid The Pandemic https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 2/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Where to travel in 2021? International jetsetter Jessica Nabongo found solace in her backyard in ... [+] JESSICA NABONGO. This year I had the pleasure of quarantining in Detroit. It is my hometown and place of residence yet I rarely spend time there thanks to my travel. Besides dressing up for trips to Trader Joe's, quarantine in Detroit allowed https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 3/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 me to enjoy various activities in the city, like long bike rides around Belle Isle. The island is in the middle of the Detroit River and offers views of downtown Detroit and Windsor, Canada, a place we can only dream of visiting despite its close proximity. Picnics in the park on the river were also a staple this summer, either with myself, a speaker and a book, or with members of my small bubble. One of the greatest memories was our Juneteenth picnic catered by Flood's, a Black-owned Detroit institution who we supported during quarantine. A Detroit-born, Ugandan-American, Jessica Nabongo is a cultural ambassador, travel writer, photographer and entrepreneur. She is the first documented black woman to visit every country in the world. In March 2019, she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in travel by Conde Nast Traveler. She is also the founder and CEO of Jet Black, a boutique luxury travel firm that promotes tourism to countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America; as well as The Catch, a luxury lifestyle brand featuring goods acquired during her global adventures. Matt Kepnes - Austin, Texas https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 4/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Home to creatives and inuencers, Austin, Texas is a must-visit destination in 2021. GETTY When I'm not on the road, I live in Austin, Texas. Austin is home to musicians, hippies, weirdos, and now, me. Having grown rapidly in the last five years, this is a city full of start-ups, entrepreneurs, musicians, cowboys, beer lovers and fitness buffs. Here we have a ton of wonderful restaurants, cocktail bar and outdoor trails to wander. When the weather is nice (which is most often is), there’s a lake for watersports. Be sure to visit Fukumoto for the best Japanese in the city and Whisler's for the best cocktails. Austin is one of the most liveable places in the United States and I am happy to call it home. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 5/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 The ultimate budget traveler, Matt Kepnes or Nomadic Matt, recommends his new hometown of Austin, ... [+] MATT KEPNES. Matt Kepnes, otherwise known as Nomadic Matt, is the authority on cost-conscious travel. An intrepid globetrotter, blogger, and author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter, Matt and his money-saving travel secrets have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, National Geographic, and countless other publications. First launched in 2008 as a means of cataloging his personal travel experiences, Matt’s website, NomadicMatt.com, has evolved into a valuable trip-planning tool for budding and savvy travelers, alike. In 2018, he founded TravelCon, a travel blogging conference. Martinique Lewis - Oakland, California https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 6/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 With historic buildings and lots of taco trucks, Oakland, San Francisco is a great travel ... [+] GETTY For the first time in 14 years, I spent four consecutive months in my hometown Oakland, California. I remembered why I love to call this place home. The time opened up so many possibilities of exploration in the place that raised me but I no longer really recognize. From the Lake to Jack London, Lakeshore and Rockridge there's so much to explore in Oakland without breaking the bank. Mental health during this pandemic was extremely important and because I needed an outlet I became a solo marathon runner. I explored so many trails right in my backyard! My mom discovered this book ''Secret Stairs: East Bay: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Berkeley and Oakland'' - finding stairs in places you've passed by for years was like getting to the next level of a video game! As an avid taco lover, discovering taco trucks all around the city and sharing them with my community not only feed my body but my spirit. My go- tos are Tacos Mi Rancho and taqueria El Cruzero. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 7/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Oakland, San Francisco offered solace during quarantine to consultant and travel creative Martinique ... [+] MARTINIQUE LEWIS. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 8/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 Martinique Lewis is an award winning diversity in travel consultant, creative lead for Nomadness Travel Tribe, President of the Black Travel Alliance and creator of The ABC Travel Greenbook: Connecting the African Diaspora Globally. As a Digital Disruptor she strives to change the narrative by advocating for travelers that represent different demographics across multiple platforms. She works directly with tourism boards and travel brands to create content that is exciting and influential. Trusted amongst her peers as a connector she is always connecting the dots to ensure the travel industry is mindful of diversity, not just as a buzz word but an action that produces results. Alexandra Baackes - Upstate New York With waterways and cultural institutions, upstate New York is poised to be a go-to domestic ... [+] ALEXANDRA BAACKES. I spent much of the summer of 2020 in upstate New York. It is both the place I grew up and a destination I saw through a new lens during the pandemic. I was grateful in a fresh way for waterfalls to hike, drive-in movie https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2021/01/01/bucket-list-travel-the-best-us-destinations-for-2021/?sh=17587f812b2b 9/33 5/18/2021 Bucket List Travel: The 15 Best US Destinations For 2021 theaters to visit, local farms to shop at and evening strolls through Albany's Empire State Plaza with NEW YORK TOUGH lit up on the Corning Tower building to make me feel connected. Eventually, I was inspired to make it a goal to visit every county in New York to make a memory there. I headed for the outdoor Art Omi gallery in Colombia County, tried outdoor lakeside aerial yoga with Good Karma Studios in Saratoga County and visited the Reisling trail in Steuben County, to name a few.