Skip Jet Lag: Four World-Class Destinations A Short Trip Away

People are traveling far and wide, in part to make up for the past years of reduced travel. But visiting close-by destinations saves you from jet lag and long-haul problems.

Check out four of my favorite destinations within a few hours from most of us in the U.S; each has a special vibe worth seeking out, including mountains, beaches, rainforests, and charming cities combining historic sites and current pleasures.

Cartagena, Colombia

The Old Town of Cartagena de Indias on the Caribbean coast of Colombia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – a mix of centuries-old colonial stone walls draped in bougainvillea, cobbled alleys, shopping arcades, leafy plazas, colorful streets, and massive churches by the sea.

Sip a fruit drink at an outdoor cafe or savor local catch as you overlook the sea, enjoying the tremendous charms of this first Spanish colony in the New World. Simple pleasures include buying fruits from the colorfully dressed street vendors, climbing the San Felipe castle, taking a boat tour around the Rosario Islands, and dancing the salsa or merengue at one of the many lively bars or clubs.

Bastion Luxury Hotel in the heart of old town offers great views and a spa. built on the site of an old sixteenth-century colonial house.

Dominica, West Indies

One of my favorite Caribbean memories is a raft ride along a narrow, winding river fringed with tropical foliage in Dominica (that’s Dom-in-EEK-a, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic).

About 60 percent of the island is rainforest, about 40 percent, a national park. Dominica’s lushness has earned its name: “the nature island.” Volcanic peaks, underwater springs, waterfalls, streams and rainforests — it’s a slow-paced getaway for travelers seeking hiking and adventure, cultural events/festivals, diving and water sports, whale/dolphin watching and canyoning adventures.

There’s is only one commercial direct flight, three hours from Miami, and so Dominica remains unspoiled, a haven for travelers who appreciate green travel and natural beauty, and who don’t need casinos, beach-centric ativities or glam nightlife.

Instead the emphasis is on village feasts, plays, art expositions, poetry and drumming festivals, as well as bars with creole music. And the outdoor markets brim with life.

You can stay off the grid at 3 Rivers and Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge in a remote rainforest valley. But you can also find glam resorts with multi-pools such as InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa in Portsmouth. Nearby is Cabrits National Park, and Dominica’s hot springs, waterfalls and canyons.

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Asheville, North Carolina

I’ve rented long-term in this vibrant Blue Ridge Mountain city surrounded by a million acres of protected wilderness, the highest mountain peaks east of the Mississippi; thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails; blooming wildflowers; and George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore House and Gardens, the largest — and many consider grandest — estate in America,

Set on 8,000 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore looks more like a French Renaissance chateau than an all-American estate, and its 250 rooms filled with art and family furnishings, a place where you can feel the sense of the greatest American wealth of an earlier era.

George Washington Vanderbilt, of the steamboat, railroad and steel family, opened the 250-room house on Christmas Eve, 1895, after six years of construction. He hired the best two artisans and artists of the time to collaborate: architect Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who had just created Central Park in New York.

Other things to do in Asheville? The Basilica of Saint Lawrence, with the largest freestanding dome in North America; author Thomas Wolfe’s house, and O. Henry’s grave; a downtown walk to view the largest concentration on art-deco architecture aside from South Beach; the River Arts District, with dozens of galleries; beer breweries and chocolate makers; the Montford Historic District, filled with old homes that housed patients recuperating from tuberculoisis in the early 20th century; the nifty Asheville art museum with changing exhibits, on Pack Square; and the grand old Grove Park Inn, with its nearby car museum. (You can take a Hop-On, Hop Off tour for an excellent city overview.)

And framing it all are the southern Appalachians – some of the oldest mountains in the world – a landscape rich in biodiversity and flora. The Blue Ridge Parkway wends right by Asheville. At the visitor center you can get info, including a 24-minute movie.

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Saratoga Springs, New York

Known originally as Serachtague, “place of swift water,” the Saratoga Springs area was sacred to the Mohawks and other Native Americans. This small city 45 minutes north of Albany and less than four hours from New York City and Boston, was a health resort and gambling center for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. . Roosevelt Baths & Spa established in 1935 begins with a private soak in Saratoga’s naturally effervescent water.

In summer, the Saratoga Race Course offers its thoroughbred racing season. Vintage charm adds immensely to the experience, hard to find at most tracks in America.

Saratoga Spa State Park offers swimming, golf courses, walking, running and biking trails, and fishing. The park is also home to two museums, a resort and spa, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center which headlines Live Nation Concerts, and features annual residencies by The New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. A favorite memory is attending a ballet right after seeing a horse race: a unique combo of graceful thoroughbreds.

The Adelphi Hotel, is a landmark boutique hotel in downtown, built in 1877 during Saratoga’s Golden Age. The Inn at Saratoga, Saratoga Casino Hotel and Pavilion Grand Hotel are excellent choices.

The American potato chip is said to have been invented here in 1853, when a diner complained that the fries were too thick. Today there’s a lively restaurant scene, far beyond the chip.

(Check out my award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember. wherever you get podcasts; Episode 77 focuses on Dominica.)