Alaska: Glacier Express
Here's a short-form alternative to the big-deal Alaska cruise. Head to Anchorage and spend the afternoon hiking Flat Top Mountain—great Chugach Mountains and skyline views."For conversation and local brews, try Darwin's Theory," says photographer Brian Adams, whose favorite shoot-the-sunset spot is Elderberry Park: "The sun goes down behind Sleeping Lady Mountain." Next morning, hop a shuttle bus to Whittier and cozy in for three nights aboard the 78-passenger Spirit of Columbia, small enough to ply narrow passages. Destination: Prince William Sound, North America's top spot for tidewater glaciers. Orcas, sea lions, and bald eagles vie for your attention as calving glaciers groan and tumble into turquoise waters.
•Logistics: Anchorage International Airport is four miles from town. Cruise West's three-night trips from $1,149, www.cruisewest.com. Lodging: Get a mountain-view room at Anchorage's Copper Whale Inn, from $85; www.copperwhale.com. Dining: Simon & Seafort's Saloon & Grill serves substantial fare, from Kobe meatloaf to lobster mac and cheese; www.simonandseaforts.com. Best link: www.alaska.net.
Oregon: Bend and the River
Tucked in a valley amid the Seven Sisters mountains, Bend is a former logging town. Many of its older buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, but don't let the past-tense stuff fool you. This town is booming. Start the morning with a stroll through Drake Park, which weaves along the Deschutes River. Better yet, grab a tube from Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe and ride the water (a city shuttle will carry you back to your car). "The Farewell Bend trail, up in the mountains, has to be the most scenic bike route we have," says Eric Smith, owner of Bend Cyclery and 24-year resident. Breweries abound, so you can tipple seasonal microbrews, then shop the boutiques that line the city's hub: Bond Street.
•Logistics: Bend is 175 miles southeast of Portland; check flights to Redmond Municipal Airport. Lodging: McMenamins Old Saint Francis School boasts a movie hall and brewery, from $114; www.mcmenamins.com. Dining: The fare at Volo is locally sourced. Best link: www.visitbend.com.
California: Wine Country, Quietly
Sleepier than Napa—and even Sonoma—Glen Ellen still looks and feels much as it did when novelist Jack London and, later, food writer M.F.K. Fisher called it home. "Glen Ellen is a little stuck in time, in a very charming way," says Jonelle Birney Sullivan, who, with husband Rick, farms ten acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here. Take a picnic (provision at the Village Market) to Jack London State Park: hike, see the ruins of London's Wolf House, visit the museum in the House of Happy Walls. As for the local vino, try some Zinfandel from Wellington, a deeply rich product of century-old vines. Time in a bottle.
•Logistics: Glen Ellen is less than an hour's drive north of San Francisco. Lodging: At Gaige House, Asian influences include granite soaking tubs, from $200; www.gaige.com. Dining: The Girl & the Fig, with a menu that changes daily, prepares pot roast and thin-crust pizza with equal flair; www.thegirlandthefig.com. Best link: www.sonoma-glenellenmkt.com.
Wyoming: Good and Wild
In Jackson Hole, mountains set the mood. "People talk about being 'haunted by the Tetons.' Indeed, once you have set foot here, you'll want to come back," says Jennifer Lee, coordinator of the Western Visions arts event for the National Museum of Wildlife. The museum ensures sightings of elk, moose, and more: The paintings and sculpture are worth the trip in and of themselves. But there are Tetons to trek (Signal Mountain Trail gets you to sweet heights without slews of hikers for company) and shops to browse (Beaver Creek Hat and Leather Company will get you right into Western gear). Visit in September for the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival.
•Logistics: Jackson Hole Airport is ten miles north of town. Lodging: The 1941 Wort Hotel is pure frontier Western, from the lodgepole-pine beds to the Silver Dollar Bar, from $159; www.worthotel.com. Dining: Keep it local with wild game chili and organic ale at Snake River Brewing, www.snakeriverbrewing.com. Best link: www.jacksonhole.com.
Hawaii: Flowers and Sand
Created by a massive volcano more than six million years ago, the island of Kauai—Hawaii's oldest—has been relatively quiet ever since. Homebase on the north coast, in ruggedly serene Haena, where the warm sea air sets the pace. Sure, you can go spelunking at nearby legend-drenched caves and marvel at the otherworldly flowers soaking up the sun at Limahuli Garden and Preserve, but lolling on the beach (where, by the way, South Pacific was filmed) has its rewards, namely the recharging of batteries. Also uplifting are all the green-space vistas. This wedge of Kauai has been farmed for more than a thousand years. "One reason the area has remained so pastoral is the rusty one-lane Hanalei Bridge, too narrow for tour buses," says Rita Ariyoshi, who wrote the National Geographic Traveler Hawaii guide.
•Logistics: Kauai's major airport, Lihue, is 40 miles from the island's north shore. Lodging: Hanalei Colony Resort's two-bedroom condos are peacefully unplugged (no TVs, no phones), from $240; www.hcr.com. Dining: Locals love the fish-and-chips at the Hanalei Gourmet; www.hanaleigourmet.com. Best link: www.kauai-hawaii.com.
Colorado: Gateway to Majesty
Add the city of Estes Park to your Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary for a best-of-both-worlds weekend. Not that the town in question is devoid of great-outdoors activities. You can raft the Cache La Poudre River and cast your line in Big Thompson River. Spend an hour at the Estes Park Area Historical Museum, where archaeological displays suggest that local Native Americans used the area as a summer resort. Embark on the self-guided city walking tour outlined in the museum guide. After the sun goes down, there's music and pulled-pork sandwiches at Lonigan's Saloon. "Trail Ridge Road has lifted drivers into Rocky Mountain National Park since the early 1930s. Hairpin curves head up to tundra that's snowy even in summer," says Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of Moon Handbooks Colorado.
•Logistics: Estes Park is a 90-minute drive from Denver. Lodging: Fawn Valley Inn sits on the trout-filled Fall River, from $90; www.rockymtnresorts.com. Dining: Have breakfast—get there early—at the local favorite Egg & I, +1 970 586 1173. Best link: www.estes-park.com.
Idaho: Along Western Rivers
Jump into a raft and take to the gentle waters—and rapids—on the Clearwater, Selway, or Lochsa Rivers, which are prime fishing spots for cutthroat trout, too. Hop on a mountain bike and ride the Coolwater Ridge Trail (it drops 6,000 feet in five miles). Mount a horse and head to Stanley Hot Springs for a soak and some lunch. No matter what you do, you'll be glad that you're resting up in a rustically luxurious cabin at River Dance Lodge, whose sense of place derives from its location, central Idaho's Wild and Scenic River Corridor. "Lewis and Clark traveled within a few miles of here," says lodge co-owner Peter Grubb. "You can drive to the Lolo Motorway and hike to sites recorded in their journals." When Lewis and Clark came this way in 1805 and '06, it was Nez Perce Indian country. The culture of this peaceful group is documented at the Nez Perce Historical Park, near Spalding, about a 90-minute drive west of the lodge.
•Logistics: The closest major airport is in Missoula, just over two hours away by car. Lodging: The lodgepole-pine cabins at River Dance Lodge blend in with the forests and mountains that surround them, from $129; www.riverdancelodge.com. Dining: Try the locally caught salmon with huckleberry (local too) sauce at the lodge's Syringa Café. Best link: www.northcentralidaho.info.
Montana: Wide-Open Splendor
Experience remote Glacier National Park—one of the largest in the lower 48—via a remember-always drive and a hike that takes in a wealth of glacial scenery. The 52-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road offers great scenics, from views of Lake McDonald to subalpine meadows—prime fauna habitat. "Where the road is etched into the cliffs, you drive on the edge of the abyss," says research ecologist Kate Kendall. The 13.6-mile hike along Gunsight Pass Trail rewards walkers with a place to eat and sleep. Built in 1913 of native rock, the Sperry Chalet fills up quickly; plan ahead and reserve early.
•Logistics: Glacier Park International Airport is some 25 miles away. Lodging: Hike-in-only Sperry Chalet (from $170; www.sperrychalet.com) and drive-to Many Glacier Hotel, from $142; www.glacierparkinc.com. Dining: Two Sisters Café, on the eastern end of Going-to-the-Sun Road, does a fine job with burgers and pies, lunch and dinner; www.twosistersofmontana.com. Best link: www.nps.gov/glac.
Published in the May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.