World Tourism Blog

While at Pennsylvania, you cannot fail to visit the world famous Philadelphia tourist attractions that offers wide array of entertaining features and wonderful sightseeing. The two most important and prominent places to visit at Philadelphia are the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, these are a must visit locations whoever visits this city. There are varied tourist attractions at Philadelphia that includes the world famous Philadelphia Zoo, quaint old residential street and Elfreth’s Alley. The Philadelphia Zoo is one of the nation’s oldest zoos and still attracts a lot of people here. Given below is a brief introduction to some of the most visited and most famous Philadelphia tourist attractions:

1. Independence Hall locate at chestnut street is world famous; the hall is situated right opposite the Liberty Bell. The Independence Hall is a place of historic importance; this was the birthplace of United States that was completed in the year 1756. The monument is made of red brick and on the top is a clock tower. Independence Hall is one of the biggest and greatest icons of the United States of America; it is one of the most famous and major tourist attractions of Philadelphia. The most important room here is the Assembly room where George Washington was designated as commander in chief of the Army.
2. Elfreth’s Alley is located on the 2nd street, its one of America’s oldest residential street continuously occupied till date. The place dates back to early 1700s, the popular tourist attraction indicates how a colonial Philadelphia must have once looked like. The Alley’s narrow streets are lined up with the modest setting of brick houses that are built for skilled folks and their families to live in. Near to the Alley you can find Elfreth’s Alley Museum that includes restored homes of a chair maker and dressmaker.
3. The Liberty Bell is another greater symbol of American history, a symbol of freedom and the place of historic importance that attracts lots of tourists round the year. The Bell is housed in a massive glass pavilion that was earlier placed in Independence Hall; it was moved to its current location in the 1976 Bicentennial. It is also popularly known by the name State House Bell.
4. Philadelphia Zoo is located near Fairmont park, it is one of the oldest America’s zoo that was opened in the year 1874. It was the time when country was celebrating first hundred years of independence. The zoo accommodates over 2,000 animals and also includes many attractions inside the zoo. The notably greater attractions inside the zoo include the Reptile House, Bird House, Primate Reserve, Carnivore Kingdom, African Plains, Amphibian house and children’s zoo.

Other Philadelphia tourist attractions include places like Fort Mifflin, Rodin Museum, City Hall, Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Society Hill historic district, Germantown historical society museum, Congress hall, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts museum, Franklin Institute Science Museum and many other attractions.

By Articlepinch

Philadelphia , the birthplace of US independence.

My parents forced me to hike as a kid. I had no choice. I had to walk up the mountain, or they’d leave me behind.

Their strategy might sound cruel but it worked. I’ve grown into an adult who loves spending weekends walking a trail, and now that I have my own kids I find myself bringing my own children–and using my parent’s same no-nonsense approach. (It’s frightening how we all turn into our parents.)

Our family spent last weekend hiking in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, and my husband and I brought our 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter on two four mile hikes. Our first hike started with a steep climb up a mountainside. It was a hot day, even at 9 a.m., and about 15 minutes into the hike my daughter started complaining.

“I’m hot!” “When will be there?” “I need a break!” Can we turn around?”

My husband and I both ignored her.

She eventually threw herself onto the ground and started crying. I actually felt badly for her and wanted to stop and console her but I just kept walking and turned the corner.

As soon as we were out of sight, she popped back up and ran after us. “Hey! Wait up!”

She never complained again, and we made it to a pretty, little lake where the kids dipped their feet in the water and cooled off.

The next day, we all happily hiked through fields of purple lupine to a vista point that offered sweeping views of Lake Tahoe. We even made it to a patch of snow where the kids had a snowball fight. They seemed to realize that making it to the top of the hill has its rewards.

By Onthegowithamy

Hiking with kids

You will be surprised by all the fun things to do in Cleveland. Truly there is something for everyone from the youngest to the oldest, from the Rocker to the museum goes.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Explore the Cleveland sound. In 1998 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened a new wing dedicated to honoring those artists, producers, songwriters and other industry professionals who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cleveland lobbied hard to be chosen, citing the facts that one-time Cleveland disc jockey, Alan Freed, is widely credited with promoting the new genre (and the term) of “rock and roll.” The multi-media presentation features the honorees and their music that range from Elvis Presley to Black Sabbath.

Jazz up your stay with an evening at Nighttown, one of several excellent jazz clubs. For over 40 years Nighttown has been delivering great food and great music featuring well known entertainers. It is the only club in Ohio on Down Beat’s list of The Best Jazz Clubs in the World.

Great Lakes Science Center, Museum of Art, and More

“Blink your eyes.” In the time it takes you to blink light has traveled two times around the world. Amazing! And so is the Great Lakes Science Center where visitors learn about the Theory of Relativity, the human body, and exploring all phases of flight from gliders to landing the shuttle. Plus, there is a great view of the lake.

The Museum of Art has one of six statues of Rodin’s The Thinker. It is unique in that the feet are missing due to a bomb attack in 1970. The museum is in the midst of a massive building project and a side benefit is they are currently Impressionist and Modern Masters from the museum’s collection. Excellent docent tours.

From our position in the vastness of the universe to a Field Guide to Humans that explores to the mysteries of our bodies, the Museum of Natural History unravels life of the present, past, and future. Stop by to say “Hello” to Balto, the Alaskan sled dog that brought serum to the people of Nome, and to Happy, the 70-foot-long Haplocanthosaurus delfsi, the oldest sauropod on exhibit anywhere.

All cemeteries are places of history and art, and Lake Side Cemetery is no exception. Founded in 1869 and modeled after the great garden cemeteries of Victorian England and France it is the final resting place of the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield and his wife. Leave a dime on the John D. Rockefeller monument in a hope for financial success.

Learn about the city’s Architectural treasureson a tour with City Prowl. From the palatial grandeur of The Arcade, American firs indoor shopping mall built in 1890, in the city center to St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its onion domes and ornate interior in the Tremont neighborhood, the architectural are many.

Botanical Gardens and Zoo
The spiny desert of Madagascar with strange-looking baobab tree and the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica with the strangler fig tree topped with a canopy viewing platform are just two diverse aspects of the Botanical Gardens. Wander the herb, rose, and woodland gardens, relax by the lily pond and restorative garden then let the children explore their own special garden.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and The RainForest is open all year and home to more than 3000 animals representing 600 species and home to the largest collection of primate species in North Americ. Their botanical garden, demonstrates the relationship between plants, animals and humans.

Christmas Story and more
Everyone is familiar the quote, “You’ll shoot your eye ou!” But most people don’t realize that a major portion of the movie was filmed at the house now known as the Christmas Story House. Across the street the museum highlights some of the favorite episodes from the film and the museum shop sell iconic items from the film: the Leg Lamp, Red Ryder B-B Gun, and Life Boy soap. Open all year

Sports is huge in Cleveland. Football fans cheer for the Cleveland Browns at their namesake lakeside stadium. Jacobs Field is the home field of the Cleveland Indians, the 2007 American League Central Champs. The Quicken Loan Arena is home to NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and the AHL hockey team, the Lake Erie Monsters.

There is more, much more to experience. Explore Cleveland’s connection to the lake by taking a lake or a river cruise, then visit the museum steamship, the William G. Mather, moored nearby, or the U.S.S. COD Submarine Memorial the last remaining WW-II Fleet Submarine to retain her original configuration. Stop by the West Side Market for a cup of coffee with an eclair or a falafel with tabouli.

By Sandra Scott

Cleveland Zoo

Obama’s Maine vacation destination known as summer retreat for the well-heeled and well-known.

Serving as a summer retreat for Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Morgans, this town and the surrounding area have long been known as a place where well-heeled and well-known visitors could beat the heat — and have their privacy respected.

President Barack Obama is the latest influential visitor to flee to Maine in search of a cool ocean breeze. When he arrives Friday for a three-day visit, he’ll be the first sitting president to visit Mount Desert Island since William Howard Taft a century ago.

People in Bar Harbor, a town of 5,000 residents that bustles with tourists in the summer, say they are excited about Obama’s visit.

But with the area’s history of business barons, political power brokers and famous actors among them for generations, they’re used to having the rich and famous in their midst. People in Maine, they say, aren’t likely to get too flustered by the presidential visit.

“There are still famous and wealthy people all over the island, and their privacy is very much respected,” said Craig Neff, owner of The Naturalist’s Notebook, a shop in Seal Harbor village not far from where lifestyle maven Martha Stewart owns an estate originally built for automobile tycoon Edsel Ford. “If I were a billionaire, I would certainly appreciate it. It’s always been that way.”

Beginning in the late 1800s, well-heeled families from New York, Philadelphia , Baltimore , Chicago and elsewhere came to Mount Desert Island, where they built summer homes to escape the city heat. The 108-square-mile island, located 3 1/2 hours northeast of Portland, is connected to the mainland by a causeway.

There are four towns on the island — Bar Harbor is the largest — and much of the land is owned by Acadia National Park, which was established in 1916 and draws visitors with hiking trails, spectacular scenery and ocean views.

Obama will be the fourth sitting president to visit the island, said Debbie Dyer, curator of the Bar Harbor Historical Society. Chester Arthur visited in 1882, Benjamin Harrison in 1889 and Taft on July 18, 1910, nearly 100 years to the day before Obama’s visit, she said.

By CLARKE CANFIELD

President Barack Obama is the latest influential visitor to flee to Maine in search of a cool ocean breeze. When he arrives Friday for a three-day visit, he'll be the first sitting president to visit Mount Desert Island since William Howard Taft a century ago.

Seaside inns offer incredible views without breaking the bank.

With cooling ocean breezes and miles of striking coastline, Newport was an obvious place for turn-of-the-century tycoons to build their summer mansions. But you too can live like a steel baron at the OceanCliff Hotel, a red granite Rhode Island estate surrounded by 10 acres of rolling lawns that overlooks the graceful yachting traffic in Narragansett Bay. The price, however, is decidedly less aristocratic: just $250 a night.

Oceanfront hotels, with water views and steps-from-shoreline locations, usually command a premium price. But don’t let your budget keep you from getting close to the water. All along the U.S. coastlines, you can find charming inns set right on the water for $250 and less.

Sometimes it takes a little research and flexibility to get these great rates. But it doesn’t mean endless web searching. Now innkeepers are searching out former and prospective guests with social-networking tools to lure them with discounts and promotions. The ’Tween Waters Inn in Captiva, Fla., recently alerted its more than 5,000 fans on Facebook of a summer getaway sweepstakes. Up for grabs: two nights free at the playful resort straddling the Gulf of Mexico and Pine Island Sound.

Travelers can also save money by zeroing in on seashore destinations where small inns and B&Bs are not as common, says Bill Montcrief, president of Select Registry, an association of independently owned inns. The little-known Waimea Plantation Cottages are a bargain on Kauai, where the bulk of guest rooms are found at major resorts in Poipu. Every cottage at the former sugar plantation features a private lanai and barbecue grill for guests to best enjoy the low-key, authentic Hawaiian vibe, for as low as $239 a night during high season. The pool looks out over the shoreline, and a hammock strung between two coconut trees makes for the perfect spectating spot to watch the sun sink into the ocean. Active explorers can enjoy close access to the trails of Waimea Canyon and the mind-boggling beauty of the Na Pali coast.

Lastly, explore all pages of your calendar when planning your trip to the seashore. “On the East Coast, the mid-Atlantic during fall gives the best value because demand is down,” says Montcrief, who is also owner of the Candlestick Inn in the seaside town of North Wildwood, N.J. “Many people don’t realize that the water temperature usually stays above 70 degrees through the end of September.”

On the West Coast, where the weather is less variable, some places have no high season, such as the Agate Cove Inn on California’s Mendocino coast, a farmhouse set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific coast, where rates stay unchanged all year long (rooms from $179 to $329 a night) and every season offers a different attraction: whale-watching in winter, the birth of harbor seals in spring, blackberry picking in summer, and mushroom-hunting walks through the forest in autumn.

By Jennifer Coogan

Set 125 feet on a bluff above teh Pacific, this farmhouse and collection of cottages are well guarded from the occasional 25-foot wave that crashes into the cliff below.

Seabrook Island is a dream-like locale just south of Charleston, South Carolina. As a gated, private beach-front community, the island is free of commercial entities like fast food restaurants. Instead, beach-going families are treated to picturesque views of sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean and sunsets over the Edisto River. For those seeking more active adventures than sunbathing on the miles of deer-filled beaches, the island’s beach club offers swimming pools, tennis, golf and a world-class equestrian center.

White, Sandy Beaches Filled with Wildlife
Seabrook’s beaches are formed along the point where the Edisto River meets the Atlantic Ocean. On the south side of the island, the Edisto River’s brackish water is ideal for shore fishing or crab trapping. Since waters are calm along the river, the southern beaches of the island are the perfect place for children to swim. Dolphins play near the shoreline just before sunset nearly every evening.

The eastern beaches are better suited to stronger swimmers, as the Atlantic Ocean’s undertow can be quite pronounced, especially after inclement weather. While the waves are not high enough for surfing, body boarding is popular, as are Wind Jammers.

Seabrook has abundant wildlife, including deer seen throughout the island. Piebald deer are common among the hundreds of white tailed deer. Foxes roam the island near nightfall. Alligators sun along the golf course, and are reportedly not aggressive. Sea Turtles, while highly protected, often nest near the mouth of the Edisto River. Pelicans are also plentiful, and fly in formations throughout the day.

Club Facilities and Sports on Seabrook Island
The Beach Club of Seabrook Island boasts some of the best sports facilities in the area. Two 18-hole golf courses are available, along with professional lessons for those who need them. A large pool and arcade area overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, and is housed with a swimsuit cover-up friendly restaurant and island store. For those who play tennis, the Racquet Club offers social, competitive and instructional programs for all experience levels, as well as a full-service pro shop.

The Equestrian Center’s facilities provide the unique experience to ride a horse along the beach. Besides the beach ride, pony and trail rides are available. If traveling with a personal horse, boarding services can accommodate up to 42 horses.

Kayaking is a popular activity in the Edisto River. Directly across the river is a private island known for its stunning sea shells, but can only be reached by boat. There are also several sandbars that are accessible by kayak during tide shifts. The sandbars offer close-up views of the dolphins. If Kayaking seems like too much work, boats may be rented from the Bohicket Marina, located just beyond the Seabrook Island security gate.

Renting a House on Seabrook Island
When planning a stay at Seabrook, do not look for a hotel room, as there are none. Instead, Beachwalker Rentals and ResortQuest on Johns Island offer villas and houses for rent. Accommodations vary in both price and size, but generally range between $100 per night for a villa in the off season, to $1500 per night for a four bedroom house, also during the off season.. Prices are highest during the peak of the summer vacation season, from the middle of June until the end of August. While many properties come with access to the Beach Club amenities, some accommodations require a $25/day fee if using the Beach Club.

By  Katie Evans

Seabrook Island

From the rugged coastline of Northern California to cliffside lodging in Italy

“It’s great to get away to a place where there are few activities besides walking around and exploring and relaxing together. On trips like this, John and I remember why we like each other so much!” says New Jersey resident Jeanellen Vapsva, who hopes to re-create a romantic kid-free weekend she and her husband spent last summer near Pennsylvania’s Delaware Water Gap.

Blame it on the heat, the relaxed schedules, or barefoot attitudes, but summer is when romance — be it a weekend fling or honeymoon — blossoms. According to a 2009 Bridal Guide survey, 9 out of 10 engaged couples say that weather is a key factor in choosing a destination for their wedding, with summer — June, August, May, and July (in this order) — being the most popular time of year to tie the knot and take a honeymoon, or just get away from it all. And the options are plentiful.

“Summer is the ideal time to travel because the weather is great in most of the popular destinations,” says Travel + Leisure A-List Agent Peter Lloyd, president of Century Travel, who’s been crafting romantic trips for his clients for more than 20 years. “We always see Europe on a big surge in summer, for example. Lush, vineyard-filled Tuscany and the scenic Amalfi Coast are meant for summertime — and for couples. It’s the place to live la dolce vita.”

Landing on the ideal romantic summer getaway, for some, is easy. For others, there’s Travel + Leisure’s list of favorite spots that are sure to get travelers in the mood for love this season.

Come summer in the U.S., the islands off of Bar Harbor, Maine — many of which are a short boat ride away from the mainland — are a perfect spot to celebrate the season, Vacationland style. At the Spectacle Island Estate, guests can take in the salt air from suites overlooking fir-lined Frenchman Bay; warm up on cool Maine mornings with a wood-burning fireplace; and feed each other lobster. The Down East fantasy extends to the gorgeous rugged surroundings and nearby Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island.

Moony-eyed twosomes might also be interested in checking into a cliff-side lodge in Vico Equense, Italy, on the Sorrento Coast. This undiscovered village comes complete with a castle, a secluded pebble beach, and gourmet finds like chef Gennaro Esposito’s risotto with cod and fig at Torre del Saracino, a restaurant housed in a seventh-century tower.

Essaouira, Morocco, is another far-flung affair to remember. The UNESCO World Heritage Site offers travelers every conceivable kind of activity — from world-class kiteboarding and arts to bustling medinas and hotels whose courtyards are perfumed with oleander.

Whether you take off for parts unknown or rediscover your own proverbial backyard in the coming weeks, one thing is certain: romance is where you find it.

By Msnbc

North of San Francisco, the Marin roads wind through forest and farmland until eventually you come to the Pacific spread out under the cliffs.

Thousands of couples honeymoon here each year, but why not make it a complete event and let Cancun host your ultimate destination wedding? The beaches couldn’t be more romantic, and the all-inclusive resorts offer every service you could ever possibly need.

Cancun is the ultimate vacation and resort destination whether your idea of a good time is surfing, kayaking, fishing and swimming or just laying in the tropical sun. On the lagoon side, there is an abundance of water sports equipment for rental for one day or an entire vacation. On the Caribbean side, enjoy great swimming, surfing and sunbathing.

For divers and snorkelers, Cancun is a paradise. The crystal-blue Caribbean waters hold an abundance of underwater wildlife, and most of the resorts have trainers who can show you which end of the fin to flap and how to handle the equipment.

And should you want to catch the magnificent fish you see on your dives, there are sportfishing options from rowboats to huge charter expeditions that will have you “on the fish” in no time.

Want to taste the Caribbean nightlife? Downtown Cancun is your hot spot, with numerous world-famous bars and nightclubs that drive the night to the beat of everything from salsa and cumbia to club mixes and world sounds. Whether you want a neon and strobe-lit dance club or a quiet cigar bar or romantic hideaway, Cancun’s nightlife options have you covered.

If you would prefer an intimate beachside villa, or perhaps a private home or more traditional Cancun hotel be your base, the options for lodging in Cancun are limitless. If your marriage is a happy memory and now you’re looking for a family vacation or resort destination, Cancun has you covered. One look at the beaches, water parks and abundance of other amusements and the kids will never want to leave, whatever their age.

By Allaboutcancun

Cancun, Mexico

Hotels, airlines slash rates in attempt to lure back tourists

As more oil from the Gulf of Mexico washes up on surrounding beaches, tourism in many Southeastern states is fading — even in areas far away from the gooey mess. But hotels from Texas to Florida and some airlines like Spirit are eager to drum up business driven away by oil fears — which means bargains aren’t hard to find.

Prices for hotel rooms are down by as much as 30 percent across the Gulf Coast and some spots in the Caribbean, as worries spread about where the oil will wash up next. Hotels in some cities as far away as Miami and along the eastern coast of Texas are seeing bookings affected by the spill, even though the likelihood of oil appearing there is small.

Airline ticket prices to the Gulf region have fallen slightly since the spill. In general though, flight deals are harder to find because airlines can move planes to other routes if passenger numbers drop.

Room prices for New Orleans in July have plunged by about 30 percent over the last six weeks, Travelocity senior editor Genevieve Shaw Brown said. Prices in Ft. Myers, Fla., are down by about 16 percent. They’ve dropped by about 10 percent in Miami.

Some resorts are getting inventive. Sterling Resorts, which manages vacation properties along the Gulf Coast, is offering a “clean beach booking guarantee.” Guests can get their deposits refunded or reschedule their vacation if they’re concerned about the oil.

The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla., is offering a “buy three nights, get one free” deal this weekend. It’s also constructing a massive inflatable water park for visitors that are concerned about going into the ocean.

Although the summer is the “low season” for many hot Florida spots, a number of Gulf cities rely on the peak summer tourist season. They’re hurting, and no one is sure when they’ll get a foothold again.

While hotel deals appear to be growing, you can’t fetch a bargain everywhere. In Pensacola, Fla., for example, prices have remained flat over the past six weeks for rooms in July. Brown said that’s due in large part to all the workers that have converged on the city since oil first leaked in April. Oil first washed up on Florida beaches earlier this month.

But because workers don’t spend the kind of money that tourists do on activities like eating out or buying souvenirs, many businesses are still being hurt. Hotel prices are also holding up in more inland cities like Orlando — home to Disney World.

If you want to take advantage of these deals, you’d better jump fast. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the spill, the deals might go quick. That makes more sense for people within driving distance of the coast who don’t have to worry about buying an airline ticket in advance.
Still, flight deals are out there.

People looking for a last-minute trip to the Florida panhandle from New York can snag a package for just $400 per person this weekend on Lastminute.com. That includes a flight on US Airways and two nights hotel. The same deal is $637 with American Airlines.

Some airlines have been more aggressive than others in drawing in the beach crowd. Last week, Spirit Airlines offered a $50 discount on roundtrip flights to certain beach destinations; Fort Lauderdale; Cancun; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Atlantic City.

Two out of four of those spots could be hurt by the spill. Ads that featured a bikini-clad model with the tagline “Check out the oil on our beaches” drew a slew of complaints. Spirit later pulled the ads, but it continued the discount — which works out to be more than half off, considering most Spirit flights are under $100.

Brown said it’s tough to tell whether airfares will get cheaper later this summer to the Gulf Coast and Caribbean. But if the oil spill continues to spread, cheaper airfares will likely start to pop up in larger numbers in September, when the summer crowds subside and airfares typically fall.

A couple more words of advice when booking airfares or hotels in the area: Travel insurance may not cover your loss if you decide to cancel your vacation, since the spill is a known risk. It’s also a manmade disaster, which prevents insurance from paying under most natural disaster insurance clauses.

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP

People walk past empty beach chairs in Destin, Fla., on Sunday. Some hotels and condominium owners along the Gulf say their business is down by 50 percent.

From San Diego to Honolulu, where to go for your getaway.

“There’s almost no place else I’d rather be than the Twin Cities in the summer,” says New York City resident Fernando Oliveira, who attended Macalester College in Minneapolis/St. Paul and prefers the cultured but outdoorsy Land of 10,000 Lakes to the Big Apple, which he says “gets that nasty summer stench” once temperatures start to rise.

As many travelers know, choosing the right summer destination is essential — and for some, that ideal spot is a city. So what makes a great urban getaway in June, July, and August? Looking at the results of Travel + Leisure’s annual America’s Favorite Cities survey, we found that the recipe is simple:

Good weather: It’s no surprise that some of the hottest cities in the summer ranked the lowest.
Family-friendliness: With the kids home June through August, cities with offerings for the whole clan fared best.
Great parks and easy access to the outdoors: Out of the 10 cities voted the best for summer travel, 8 also landed in the Top 10 for parks.
Fantastic farmers’ markets: Simple pleasures make a difference; great local produce and purveyors helped sway opinions.

Oliveira isn’t alone in his seasonal attraction to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Twin Cities — which enjoy a comfy average summer temperature of 71 degrees — earned the No. 5 spot for summer travel on the survey.

But it’s not just about the weather. This time of year, you can stroll around Harriet and Calhoun lakes, take in an outdoor concert, or savor a scoop of small-batch artisanal ice cream at Sebastian Joe’s.

Check out the expansive Lyndale farmers’ market, which sells everything from sweet, just-picked strawberries to local cheeses. And on the odd chance of a heat wave, there’s also the nearby — and air-conditioned — Mall of America, home to an indoor water park and roller coaster.

Honolulu, a perennial favorite, also fared well as a summer getaway, placing No. 9. Sure, it fell short in the farmers’ markets category, but we have a sneaking suspicion that fresh pineapple isn’t as high on people’s list of priorities as, say, surfing.

Which cities didn’t do so well? New York, for one, landed in the bottom 10 — perhaps because respondents don’t find Gotham to be family-friendly, or maybe because July and August can be brutally hot. (If folks think New Yorkers are unpleasant normally, just imagine them overheated and cranky.)

And while Miami overall garnered raves for its good weather, the Florida city’s miles of beaches were not enough to compensate for the summer’s rainfall and intense humidity. Of course, travelers would rather have a wild spring break than a summer vacation in this party town anyway.

By Joshua Pramis

San Diego welcomes families with open parks and the best weather of any U.S. city — the perfect combo for a summer getaway.