It’s an understatement to say I have the travel “itch.” Ever since I was younger, I have traveled all over the United States and this summer broadened my borders internationally. There are very few things that excite me more than being able to explore new places and learn their way of life. While I’ve started to rack up quite the list of places I’ve been, I definitely have my favorites for each season.
Fall:
Fall is my favorite season. I love the way the leaves change colors and the faint chill in the air. Not to mention I love fall fashion. My favorite city in the fall isn’t even really a city, so to speak. My hometown, Owego, New York, has one of the highest percentage of color change in the world. One of my favorite parts of fall was driving around the town and all the backroads and looking at the miles of orange and yellow forests stretching over the hills.
Winter:
I’m a city girl at heart that is for sure. So, it’s no surprise that New York City is my favorite city during winter. Of course, there is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree which is a must-visit every Christmas season, along with going ice skating. Some of my other favorite winter attractions in New York are the Lord & Taylor Christmas window displays and the Saks Fifth Ave light show that plays every 10 minutes at night. Also, something just really gets to me about bundling up with cute mittens and a hat, grabbing a coffee and taking the crowded streets of the city.
Spring:
April showers bring May flowers, but personally I can do without all the rain so two of my favorite cities in the spring are San Diego and San Francisco. I’ve been to both of these cities numerous times, not only because of their gorgeous views and weather, but because of the complete 180 difference from the East Coast state of mind I’m used to. My ideal weather is 70 degrees and sunny with a breeze — which is basically the permanent climate of California. My favorite place to visit in San Francisco is Ghirardelli Square. Who doesn’t love a part of a city solely dedicated to all things chocolate?!
San Diego is another one of my favorite spring cities which I actually visited for the first time last spring. Who doesn’t love going to the beach for spring break? I prefer California to other popular spring break destinations, like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, because of the dry heat rather than the sticky humidity of Florida – I’ll pass on sweating my brains out. Not only does San Diego have fun attractions like the San Diego Zoo and smaller, hip villages like Hinsdale, they also have gorgeous beaches like Pacific and Mission Beach. My favorite beach is the gold sand beach in Coronado. Also, if you’re in San Diego, I highly suggest taking a road trip down to Mexico in the Baja California region. I took a trip to Ensenada last April, which was a really cool experience and a lot different from places, like Cabo, people normally think of when they think Mexico.
Summer:
Last but not least, my favorite summer cities! I’m not one to like scorching heat, so my favorite place to be in the summer is England. I spent the past summer in Oxford and man, did I fall in love. The temperature was perfect. We had a couple days it got up to 80 degrees but it was mostly in the mid to high 60s which was PERFECT. There’s nothing like spending your days sitting at a table on a cobblestone street having a sandwich and drinking a coffee. On a warm afternoon you could go punting – which is kind of like a Gondola boat – on the river with a bottle of white wine and sit back and relax (if you know how to punt)! The sight-seeing is also incredible in Oxford. If you’re a Harry Potter fan you’re in luck since a lot of the movies were shot around Oxford. The city is large enough that you always have something to do or a place to hang out, but small enough that you don’t feel cramped, making it my favorite city I went to all summer… or at least tied with Paris, but that’s another story!