Forgot to mention that we are coming from Texas. We do have passports. Budget is around 4K-5K. I love all the ideas. Whistler is not far from Vancouver, but most of the flights from Austin to Vancouver were like 10 hrs plus the drive made it a really long day. Not completely ruling it out but definitely going to check out these other suggestions. Thank you all.
How about Denver? There are a lot of lovely mountains there. New Mexico has a lot of rugged beauty and the bats at Carlsbad Caverns are fascinating. Both are a drive from TX, but wouldn’t necessarily require an airplane flight.
Forgot to mention that flights to Vancouver are also very expensive as compared to flights to Seattle.
Also when on San Juan Island we kayaked and got up close and personal with sea lions and whales and rented mountain bikes. Great food and superb local wines.
I like the suggestions of Portland and Monterrey also! You could chain Monterrey with San Francisco if you wanted.
If you want to “see beauty, relax, hike, and eat good food”…yep, Monterrey Peninsula. Go wine tasting; kayak in the bay; walk the beaches; stroll Carmel, etc. It is a special place.
Also have to put a plug in for Marin/Sonoma coast. Beauty, great hikes, great food, wine.
If Canada is an option, flying into Calgary and going to Banff/Lake Louise is spectacular mountain scenery. Big Sky in Montana (flying into Bozeman) is another idea.
We have done Banff/Lake Louise and it is probably one of my favorite places in the world. In fact, I’ve instructed my family to scatter my ashes at Moraine Lake!! Also have done the Oregon coast and loved that too. Been to Colorado and New Mexico many times as they are 2 of the few places us Texans can drive to. Great ideas but wanting somewhere we haven’t been before. Never been to northern Cal, Seattle, San Juan Islands, or Maine. Also may check out North Carolina. So many good ideas. Wish I could take more than one trip!
Jackson Hole or Sun Valley, maybe?
Maine is wonderful.
Doesn’t fit your in the USA preference, but consider Ireland. Good time of year to visit.
I think I’d stay on the west coast in July. I agree that the Monterey Peninsula may be more what you are looking for. It’s stunningly gorgeous, and lots to do, also.
What about one of the Cape Islands–Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Another possibility is Block Island (RI). All have a variety of lodging options, recreational activities, and, of course, great beaches on the Atlantic. They are all fun getaways, especially if you like islands. I’d be happy to give you more advice than you can use or want on Nantucket (my favorite of the three) if it interests you.
Must it be in July? My first thought was the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta which is in October - it’s a true celebration and offers outdoor hiking and other cool things to do.
Mazel tov on 25! That’s worth celebrating.
Yes, the dates are set. Hubby has to put in for time off work months in advance, and I teach, so summer is best time to travel. Thank you!!
I know you said domestic but since someone threw out Ireland, I wanted to mention Iceland. You can fly there direct from Dallas on Wow airlines. We went last year and it was amazing! Coastal and mountainous, off the beaten path, great food, super hiking, etc…
If you’ve never been to Maine I would recommend Maine. You can fly to Portland which is lovely in itself and has become a major foodie destination, and in addition to Acadia National Park /Bar Harbor, you can still visit Boothbay Harbor, Ogunquit, Rockport. July is crowded in Maine… personally I might suggest a trip to Quebec City and Montreal but if it mountains, you can also fly to Burlington and stay in Vermont, so many quaint spots or New Hampshire as well.
Lake Tahoe. Most beautiful place I have ever seen. We visited in winter, one week after a 20 foot snowfall. The lake is so enchanting, I could have stared at it for hours, except I was standing thigh high in snow!
Put Lake Tahoe on your bucket list. Better than the Grsnd Canyon.
Lake Tahoe does seem to check many boxes, and it’s within an hour of Reno airport also.
Aspen or Telluride. (You can fly into both.) Great mountain towns with posh amenities, good food and stunning scenery.
Lake louise. Easy direct flight into Calgary from Texas. Among the prettiest places in the world
We are in Southern CA, there were low price flights from LAX to Vancouver. We then rented car and drove to Whistler, turned it in and rented one for return to Vancouver. We left on Tues back on Sunday, the first day we made it to Whistler for afternoon sightseeing and dinner. Coming back on Sunday the trip took us all day-left Whistler about 3 am, plane stopped in Vegas before LAX. Perhaps you could play around with flights so that you had a day or two in San Diego before or after Whistler. We went for a birthday and son had to be back on a Monday for work (teacher) or we would have flown back on a more direct flight Tuesday. Have fun.
We have narrowed it down to either Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur flying into SF and driving down the coast with a stop in Santa Cruz. Maybe a day in Napa.
OR
Lake Tahoe