Top 5 U.S. Destinations

Recently my friend's niece won the grand prize in a tricky tray- a FREE trip to ANYWHERE in the continental U.S. for TWO, air and hotel included. To say I'm jealous would be an understatement. So I put together my own list of 5 destinations where I would choose to go if I won such a fantastic trip.

California- San Francisco and Napa Valley
Apparently I've been to San Fran, I just wasn't born yet. My mother loves to tease me about that, especially since I've wanted to go here since Full House first became popular. And even though I'm not a huge fan anymore, my first stop would be seeing the house. Then I'd take trolley to the Golden Gate Bridge, because it's the most famous bridge in the world. Next stop? A night tour of Alcatraz. I mean, it housed one of the most notorious inmates of all time, Al Capone. Is SF known for any particular food? Because I want that too.

Napa Valley because...duh...wine.

16th Ave Mosaic Steps in SF

The "PNW"::Portland, Oregon//Seattle, Washington
You know what I've heard most about Portland? Well, it rains a lot AND VooDoo Doughnuts so hitting that up is a must. I'd also want to visit their Old Chinatown, go hiking, and try some of their craft beer, maybe with a movie at one of their famous movie brewpubs. I think it'd be cool to visit the International Rose Test Garden too, because rose is one of my favorite scents, and it's "the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States."

In Seattle, I obviously need to see the Space Needle. While I'm in the area, I'd head over to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. I like seeing really odd things, so I'd take a walk down Bubbleum Alley. I'd make my way over to Pier 57, take a ride on the Great Wheel, and visit the Seattle Aquarium. I've never heard of this EMP Museum, but the tag line says "Music+Sci fi+ Pop Culture" which sounds awesome. Also, is there a Sleepless in Seattle tour? I'd want to go on that, because I adore that movie.

The Bourbon Trail in Kentucky
Do you know that I JUST learned that there is an actual Bourbon Trail? I'm not kidding. They have a map and a passport, which gets stamped as you visit each bourbon distillery (there are 9). And I'm going for my birthday trip in December! We're staying in Bardstown, which (from reading reviews) everyone says is a super quaint little town. It was actually voted the "Most Beautiful Small Town in America." So I'm going to drink all the bourbon and eat all their delicious foods. If I had more time, and being that "hotel" is included in my dream travel package, I would also want to stay at Blackberry Farm. It beautiful and it has it's own micro-brewery!

[via]

Austin, Texas
Austin is known for being "weird" and that's exactly why I want to visit it. A "Cathedral of Junk"? Thousands of bats taking off from a bridge? Food from your backyard/trailer/food truck/etc? Sign me up. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to go see the State Capitol, but honestly, I'm not that interested. I know Austin is popular for it's craft and microbreweries, so taking a tour would definitely be on my agenda. I also hear that there are lots of little specialty and oddity shops on Congress Ave. so I'd check that out too. But the number one thing I'd like to do in Austin is go to Austin City Limits Music Festival, because I've never been to such a large festival and Austin is known for their music, right? Oh, and grabbing a beer and sitting in this natural pool looks pretty inviting too.

[Hamilton Pools]

the Cathedral of Junk

New Orleans, Louisiana
Every single one of these places, particularly Cafe Du Monde (give me all the beignets) and Pat O'Brien's. Also, all of these things too. I want crawfish, original po'boys, fried alligator, some gumbo or jambalaya, snocones, and those yardstick drinks. I want to go on a ghost tour, listen to all the big brass and jazz, and hit up Mardi Gras World, because I'm too much of a wuss to go to the actual Mardi Gras.

Bonus: Chicago, Illinois
I'm adding this as a bonus because 1) I already have 5 places and 2) I've actually been to Chicago once before for a conference in college, but I want to go back. I remember having deep dish and drinking hot chocolate while watching people ice skate at McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, but I've seen Crown Fountain or Cloud Gate aka The Bean! Other places of note? Well, the 2nd tallest building of the Western Hemisphere, and a stroll down Navy Pier. I'd also like to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, preferably while noshing on a Chicago-style Dog.

Navy Pier at night

check out that view from the Sky Deck!

Where would you go if you won an all-expenses paid trip anywhere in the continental U.S.?