Short trips needn't be quickly forgotten travel compromises. As these 46 stay-in-the-U.S.A. jaunts underscore, a thin slice of time is all that's needed for rich rewards.
Northeast: Colonial Connecticut
Southeast: Virginia Town+Country
Midwest: Good-time Kansas City
Southwest: Flagstaff's Many Faces
West: Coastal Bellingham Beckons
Published in the May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.