While the rest of the world is headed to Nantucket, Spain and the Côte d'Azur, why not consider somewhere off the beaten path? Check out these five destinations that are terrific, affordable picks come July and August.
Maui, Hawaii. View Panoramic & Read More.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming. View Panoramic & Read More.
Belize. View Panoramic & Read More.
Innsbruck, Austria. View Panoramic & Read More.
Jamaica. View Panoramic & Read More.
Related:
The 7 Most Beautiful Streets in America
8 Summer Trips to Book Immediately
How to Apply Lotion to Your Back Without Anyone's Help
Also on HuffPost:
San Francisco Bucket List
Visit The Anchor Steam Brewery(01 of12)
The day I first moved to San Francisco, I dropped my suitcases at my friend's Marina apartment and wandered down Chestnut Street to Monaghan's, where I ordered Anchor Steam on draft. And It tasted different. A little colder, a little fresher. It's worth making a reservation to explore the source (for free) on a weekday afternoon. The chipper tour guide who moonlights as a DJ, the churning assembly line and snippets of city history would be worth it alone -- but the tastings at the end bring it all home.More info here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Bike The Marin Headlands(02 of12)
Turns out the formidable hill just across the Golden Gate Bridge isn't that formidable after all. And the exhilarating view on the way down makes the climb worth it -- it's like plunging straight into the Pacific Ocean.Bring plenty of water and a camera, and be prepared to feel like a warrior and see more beautiful things than should be allowed in one afternoon.More info here (courtesy of HuffPost SF's own bike blogger!). (credit:Zach Dean)
Dine At Coi(03 of12)
I've been wanting to try the Holy Grail of San Francisco restaurants since I first peeked longingly into Coi's nondescript North Beach window on the way to my internship at San Francisco magazine.Six years later, Chef Daniel Patterson created a dining experience that I'll never forget. His 13-course tasting menu, which changes daily based on the highest-quality components available, embodies what "California Cuisine" should mean: fresh, locally-sourced ingredients prepared in such a meticulous, deliberate way that they become the very best versions of themselves. Asparagus blanched in asparagus-water. Strawberries coated in a strawberry glaze. The sweetest, earthiest beets I'd ever tasted, dusted with edible wildflowers. The author of BBC's recent "mini guide to eating in San Francisco" described a meal at Coi as "licking the California coastline," which honestly just sounds sort of gross. But I understand the sentiment, since each course brought to life for me the best and most delicious natural morsels the area has to offer.More info here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Tour Alcatraz At Night(04 of12)
Survey ten random locals, and nine of them have never been to San Francisco's most infamous ruins. They're missing out. The audio tour is curated pitch-perfectly, narrated by former prison guards, and the headphones render surrounding tourists nonexistent. Go at night because it's spookier (and don't forget to bring layers).More info here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Attend Audium(05 of12)
Composer Stan Shaff's "sound-sculpted space" is a legacy that's endured for more than half a century, but it still remains one of the San Francisco's best-kept secrets. Viewers -- or more accurately, listeners -- sit in total darkness while Shaff, as he puts it, "bathes them in sounds that move past, over, and under them." The experience is equal-parts trippy and transcendental.More info here. (credit:Audium)
See A New View(06 of12)
Since San Francisco hilltops are pretty much my favorite thing ever, it was hard to find a summit I had yet to climb.But Golden Gate Heights, tucked halfway into the Sunset District, is a hidden paradise I'm so happy I managed to uncover. Urban hikers ascend a mosaic staircase -- a beloved neighborhood project and work of art in itself -- and are rewarded with a romantic little park and expansive northwest view.More info here. (credit:Cory Rae Shaw)
Explore The Armory(07 of12)
It's hard to believe that San Francisco's hulking and historic Armory Building now houses the world's largest fetish porn studio -- until you see the inside.Turns out, the former arsenal for the U.S. National Guard provides a great venue for Kink.com, with its sound-proof walls, dungeon-esque ambiance, ample storage room and endless fodder for new story lines. Visitors can tour the studios, attend a workshop, watch a live show and stop by the sister bar, the Armory Club, for a cocktail afterwards.More info here (warning: NSFW). (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Sleep On A Boat(08 of12)
When you're surrounded by water on three sides, it pays to know someone with a sailboat. The bay is dotted with secret coves perfect for setting up camp for the night. The group I was lucky enough to tag along with chose an inlet alongside Angel Island. The city seen at 7 a.m. from the water is a breathtaking, foreign place. I may or may not have cried a little.More info here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Go North(09 of12)
This particular trip involved camping in a magic schoolbus on the grounds of the Boonville beer festival, which takes place in a tiny town that has its own secret language.More info on the schoolbus here, and more info on the beer festival here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Go East(10 of12)
Yosemite can be a hassle to coordinate, but splendor like this doesn't exist anywhere else on earth. Visiting the national park in any capacity will make you -- at the risk of sounding like an annoying Bay Area hippie -- grateful to be alive. We decided to rent a home in nearby North Fork and hike the popular Vernal Falls mist trail.More info here. (credit:Adam Rutkowski)
Go South(11 of12)
While Big Sur and Monterey are perfect for weekend-long adventures, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay make for amazing afternoon escapes. I chose Montara on this particular Saturday, and it was equal parts trees and sky and ocean and views and anything else one hopes to get from a three-hour hike along the water.More info here. (credit:Carly Schwartz)
Go West(12 of12)
The options are limited (the Pacific Ocean) and yet seemingly limitless (drinks at the Cliff House? A jog down the Great Highway? Exploring the Sutro Baths?).Since I'd already experienced all of the above, I decided to run from my house in the Haight through the length of Golden Gate Park, which delivered me right to the coast. The changing landscape inside the park, from the waterfalls to the meadows to the bison paddock, made the longest run I've ever done seem bearable. (And though I'd been there before, the mimosa I rewarded myself with at Beach Chalet afterwards felt much-deserved.)More info here. (credit:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="Flickr" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5b9f4540e4b03a1dcca84590" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="1" data-vars-position-in-unit="15">Flickr</a>:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32029534@N00/8748584407" role="link" rel="nofollow" class=" js-entry-link cet-external-link" data-vars-item-name="torbakhopper" data-vars-item-type="text" data-vars-unit-name="5b9f4540e4b03a1dcca84590" data-vars-unit-type="buzz_body" data-vars-target-content-id="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32029534@N00/8748584407" data-vars-target-content-type="url" data-vars-type="web_external_link" data-vars-subunit-name="before_you_go_slideshow" data-vars-subunit-type="component" data-vars-position-in-subunit="2" data-vars-position-in-unit="16">torbakhopper</a>)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.