Top Day Trips in United States

Little Washington Virginia (Inn at Little Washington) ★ 4.9 · Washington DC

Little Washington Virginia on a day trip from Washington DC is the village 1.5 hours west where Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington holds three Michelin stars and a Virginia-rural fine-dining destination.

Tip: The tasting menu runs $358 and books out months ahead; the Inn also has 24 rooms if you want to overnight.

Lockhart (BBQ Capital of Texas) ★ 4.8 · Austin

Lockhart in Caldwell County is the BBQ Capital of Texas, a 45-minute drive south from Austin with the three legendary smokehouses: Black's (1932), Smitty's Market (1948) and Kreuz Market (1900).

Tip: Hit Black's first as it opens at 10am; Smitty's wood-fired room closes around 18:00, plan the loop in that order.

Portland, Maine ★ 4.8 · Boston

Portland Maine, two hours north of Boston, is New England's most decorated food city. Eventide Oyster Co, Fore Street, Duck Fat and a 100-restaurant Old Port; the lobster-roll heartland.

Tip: Amtrak Downeaster from North Station runs five round trips a day. The brown-butter lobster roll at Eventide is the must-eat order.

Willamette Valley (Dundee, Newberg, McMinnville) ★ 4.8 · Portland

Oregon's premier wine country runs through Dundee Hills, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville, with 100+ cellars within 50 miles of Portland. The road is OR-99W; bring a driver.

Tip: Book tastings two weeks ahead in summer. Jory Restaurant at The Allison Inn in Newberg is the Pinot-and-lunch pairing of record.

Cape Cod (Wellfleet and Chatham) ★ 4.7 · Boston

Cape Cod's outer flats produce Wellfleet oysters, the East Coast benchmark; Chatham boats land day-boat scallops at the Chatham Pier Fish Market. Summer lobster shacks run from June to September.

Tip: Mac's Shack in Wellfleet for raw oysters; Chatham Pier Fish Market for scallops to take home. Summer-weekend traffic peaks Friday and Sunday afternoon.

Ipswich and Essex clam shacks ★ 4.7 · Boston

Ipswich and Essex on Boston's North Shore are the original fried-clam towns. Lawrence Chubby Woodman invented the dish in Essex in 1916. Woodman's, the Clam Box in Ipswich and J.T. Farnham's are the trio.

Tip: Summer weekend lines at Clam Box and Woodman's run 60 to 90 minutes. Visit weekdays before 17:00 for the easy seat.

Savannah, Georgia ★ 4.7 · Charleston

Savannah sits two hours south of Charleston, an 1820s grid of squares and live oaks. The Grey from Mashama Bailey (multiple James Beard awards) and Husk Savannah do the serious dining.

Tip: Book The Grey and Husk Savannah at least two months out. Walk the historic district between meals; River Street for sunset cocktails.

Boulder (Pearl Street) ★ 4.7 · Denver

Boulder is the day-trip food destination 28 miles northwest of Denver, with Frasca, Pizzeria Locale, Salt and the Pearl Street pedestrian mall plus a Saturday farmers market.

Lockhart (Texas barbecue trail) ★ 4.7 · Houston

Lockhart, 165 miles west of Houston via Austin, is the Texas barbecue capital day trip with Black's (since 1932), Smitty's Market and Kreuz Market on a single barbecue trail loop.

Tip: Leave Houston at 7am to hit all three before they sell out. Stand in the line at Smitty's; order brisket, hot links and saltines.

San Gabriel Valley ★ 4.7 · Los Angeles

San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles holds the largest Chinese-American population in the country. Sichuan, Cantonese, Shanghai, Taiwanese and Hong Kong cooking.

Lafayette and Cajun country ★ 4.7 · New Orleans

Lafayette and Cajun country sit 2.5 hours west of New Orleans on Interstate 10, the heart of South Louisiana Acadian cuisine with boudin counters, crawfish boils and Saturday Cajun music dance halls.

Tip: Drive the Boudin Trail along Hwy 90 and Hwy 13; Best Stop in Scott and Billy's in Krotz Springs are the boudin-link mainstays.

Valle de Guadalupe (Baja Wine Country) ★ 4.7 · San Diego

Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, the wine valley two and a half hours south of San Diego with 70 percent of Mexico's wine and Finca Altozano lunches.

Napa Valley ★ 4.7 · San Francisco

Napa Valley, a 90-minute drive north of San Francisco, is America's cabernet capital, with Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Yountville and the Oxbow Public Market.

Tip: Make French Laundry the centrepiece (reservations open 60 days out at 09:00 Pacific); fill the day with Bouchon Bakery and a Hall Wines tasting.

Sonoma County (Healdsburg) ★ 4.7 · San Francisco

Sonoma County and Healdsburg, 75 minutes north of San Francisco, are the Pinot and Zinfandel anchor of Northern California, plus the three-star SingleThread.

Tip: Anchor the day at SingleThread (the 11:30 hands-on farm visit is the off-page experience); pair with a Russian River Pinot tasting at Williams Selyem.

Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto ★ 4.7 · San Francisco

Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, 35 minutes east of San Francisco by BART, is Alice Waters's home turf, with Chez Panisse, the Cheese Board Collective and Acme Bread.

Tip: Cheese Board pizza is a one-slice walk-in lunch; Chez Panisse upstairs cafe books two weeks ahead.

Walla Walla Wine Country ★ 4.7 · Seattle

Walla Walla is the eastern Washington wine region 4.5 hours from Seattle: 120+ wineries, a walkable downtown of tasting rooms, the sweet onion country and Brasserie Four for dinner.

Fredericksburg (Hill Country wine country) ★ 4.6 · Austin

Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country is the wine-country day trip from Austin, an 1846 German village with over 100 wineries, German kitchens and Main Street German bakeries.

Tip: Book a designated driver; Wine Road 290 runs through Grape Creek, Becker and William Chris vineyards. Lunch at Hill and Vine.

Folly Beach ★ 4.6 · Charleston

Folly Beach is the funky Charleston beach town 10 miles south of the peninsula, a 1,000-foot pier and a Center Street strip. Bowens Island for steamed oysters, Jack of Cups for cheap globally inspired plates.

Tip: Bowens Island runs Tue-Sat, steamed oysters from 16:00. Park at the pier and walk to Jack of Cups for lunch on the way back.

Palisade (peaches and wineries) ★ 4.6 · Denver

Palisade is the Grand Valley fruit and wine destination 245 miles west of Denver, with peach orchards in August and 20 wineries on the Colorado Wine Country trail.

Aspen (fine dining ski town) ★ 4.6 · Denver

Aspen is the fine-dining ski-town day trip 165 miles west of Denver, with Matsuhisa Aspen, Element 47, Hooch and the Food and Wine Classic each June.

Santa Barbara ★ 4.6 · Los Angeles

Santa Barbara is a 90-minute coast drive from Los Angeles, with the city's best uni, spot prawns at the harbour and 30 tasting rooms in the downtown Funk Zone.

Santa Ynez Valley wine country ★ 4.6 · Los Angeles

Santa Ynez Valley is two hours from Los Angeles and holds 200 wineries. Sanford and Foxen are the canonical Pinot stops; Solvang holds Danish pastry traditions.

New Haven, Connecticut ★ 4.6 · New York City

New Haven's apizza tradition is the East Coast pizza pilgrimage outside New York City. Three coal-oven institutions, white clam pies, lemon ice for dessert across the street.

Tip: Order the white clam at Pepe's, the original tomato at Sally's, the bacon-and-onion at Modern. Lines at all three are 45-60 minutes on weekends.

Hood River Fruit Loop ★ 4.6 · Portland

The Hood River Fruit Loop runs through the orchards on Mount Hood's north flank: 32 farm stands, wineries, cideries and U-pick fields from June through October near Portland.

Tip: Pick up the printed Fruit Loop map at any farm stand. June for cherries; September for apples and pears.

Astoria (Bowpicker Fish & Chips) ★ 4.6 · Portland

Bowpicker's converted gillnet boat at 17th and Duane in Astoria, on the Oregon coast 2 hours northwest of Portland, serves the canonical Pacific Northwest tuna fish-and-chips.

Tip: Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00, but they close when they sell out. Pair with the Columbia River Maritime Museum across the street.

Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico) ★ 4.6 · San Diego

Tijuana, Mexico, a 30-minute trolley-and-walk day trip from downtown San Diego for trompo tacos, Telefonica Gastro Park food trucks and the original Caesar salad.

Oakland Temescal and Old Oakland ★ 4.6 · San Francisco

Oakland Temescal and Old Oakland, 15 minutes east of San Francisco by BART, are the East Bay's dining anchor with Pizzaiolo, Commis and the Swan's Market food hall.

Tip: Hit Pizzaiolo for lunch (walk-in friendly), Commis for dinner; book Commis 30 days out.

Athens, Georgia ★ 4.5 · Atlanta

Athens, an hour and a quarter east of Atlanta, anchors a food day trip on Five and Ten, Seabear Oyster Bar, Creature Comforts beer and a Sunday lunch.

Newport, Rhode Island ★ 4.5 · Boston

Newport Rhode Island, 90 minutes south of Boston, is the New England summer seafood capital. The Black Pearl on Bannister's Wharf, Flo's Clam Shack in Middletown, and the Newport mansion tour for context.

Tip: Drive only; no train. Combine with the Cliff Walk for a long food-and-history day.

Beaufort (Lowcountry waterfront) ★ 4.5 · Charleston

Beaufort is the older, quieter Lowcountry sister to Charleston, a walkable Bay Street downtown lined with 150-year-old homes. Saltus River Grill, Old Bull Tavern, the Foolish Frog do the eating.

Tip: Saltus River Grill on the waterfront for shrimp and grits with Parmigiano-broth grits; Old Bull Tavern on West Street for the pork shoulder braised in milk.