Chin up, buttercup, spring is right around the corner! Shake off the long cold nights of winter and read on for our curated list of locales to satisfy your wanderlust.

Charleston, SC

• Average springtime highs: 70s-80s
• Average springtime lows: 50s-70s

A food lover’s paradise, fresh seafood abounds! Whatever kind of cuisine you enjoy, you can find it in Charleston. Husk is an obvious choice, living in Nashville where Sean Brock opened his second location, but we really enjoyed The Grocery. The space is inviting, and the food is spot on! We tend to revolve vacations around food, and this town does not disappoint. We did not have a bad meal in Charleston.

Walk off your food coma at The Charleston City Market and nearby Riley Waterfront Park, a popular park which meanders past palm trees and offers plenty of benches to take in the view. Or stroll through the dappled shade of White Point Garden‘s large oak trees.

While in the area be sure to check out East Battery’s waterfront mansions. Known as Battery Row, the houses are mostly Antebellum, and while they do range in specific styling, they share in their grandeur.

Just across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, you can tour the USS Yorktown, a WWII aircraft carrier. Or take the boat tour from the aquarium across Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter where the Civil War began. We did both and they are worth checking out.

If you want to get out of downtown, head to Folly Beach, a nice little beach town with a pier, seafood joints, and McKevlin’s Surf Shop, where I bought my current favorite hoodie.

After Folly Beach, we just drove around a while. We stumbled upon Magnolia Plantation & Gardens and visited their gift shop and plant sale, though we were ready to head back downtown for an early dinner so we skipped the tour. That and the McLeod Plantation both look like interesting tours to take should you want to get out of downtown.

Denver, CO

• Average springtime highs: 50s-70s
• Average springtime lows: 30s-50s

Be sure to check out the 24 acre Denver Botanic Gardens featuring a Japanese garden, Shady Lane, Dryland Mesa, Cactus & Succulent House… I could go on and on. I especially love potager gardens, which they had, along with a Monet pond my mom would swoon over.

Denver is a great place to be outside, maybe it’s the mountain air, or our good luck with weather. One thing I wish we had done was go to Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater and either take in a show or just hike around on their trails.

We did get our hiking in though! About an hour and a half northwest of Denver lies Estes Park at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We spent a few days in a quaint little house a block off the main strip, Elkhorn Avenue, though we spent most of our time in Rocky Mountain National Park. We especially enjoyed driving along Trail Ridge Road and hiking up to Alberta Falls.

While in Estes Park, be sure to check out The Stanley Hotel, the inspiration behind Stephen King’s The Shining. Walk around, have a drink in the bar or restaurant, but I wouldn’t stay for lunch. Not great. And stay the night at your own risk! People have reported being “tucked in” to their beds, having their bags unpacked for them, seeing spirits walk through walls, and more. Many scenes from The Shining are reportedly King’s own experiences from his stay, when he and his wife stayed in room 217, believed to be the most haunted room in the hotel. Yeah, I’m out! But we did enjoy walking around the hotel and grounds.

Head back to Denver for some great spring festivals. I especially like the sound of the Denver Chalk Art Festival, scheduled for June 2-3 2018 in historic Larimer Square where over 200 artists will turn the streets into temporary canvases. Be sure to check it out before it rains!

Key West, FL

• Average springtime highs: 70s-80s
• Average springtime lows: 60s-70s

Maybe you fancy something more tropical?

Key West gets a little crowded during the day, but at sunset the cruise ships bellow their horns and their passengers stream back aboard leaving the bars and restaurants a little less crowded and the streets with fewer scooters to maneuver around. We retreated to our hotel balcony in the middle of the day to beat the heat and people watch in comfort, then ventured out to take in the sunset and street performers at Mallory Square.

Of course there is no shortage of fresh seafood and tropical drinks, complete with paper umbrellas. If you’ve had your fill of seafood, go to Sloppy Joe’s and order the namesake sandwich. The origin of the first Sloppy Joe is hotly contested, but this establishment, which was frequented and even named by Ernest Hemingway, makes a pretty mean one. And while I never have my fill of seafood, it was a nice break between seafood for breakfast and seafood for dinner.

You can drive the entire length of the keys in just over two hours, so get out and explore! Go see the endangered Key deer, the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America, found primarily on Big Pine Key. While on Big Pine, stop by No Name Pub, a great little hole in the wall, the interior famously covered in dollar bills.

Visit the Turtle Hospital on Marathon, where they rescue, rehab, and release sick and injured sea turtles. Take a hike on the Golden Orb Trail at Long Key State Park (check before you go as they sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Irma). Or, rent a kayak from one of many outfitters throughout the Keys. The day we planned to go it was too windy and we kicked ourselves for not going sooner. Years later we kayaked in Biscayne National Park at the northern end of the Keys, Miami on the horizon. The thick tangle of mangroves and birds gliding from tree to tree was enchanting and not to be missed.

Hot Springs, NC

• Average springtime highs: 60s-80s
• Average springtime lows: 40s-50s

We recently took a trip to Madison County, NC, enjoying Hot Springs, Marshall, and nearby Asheville. We are anxious to go back this spring when we can see the wildflowers and 360-degree views at Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail. A little later in spring, generally starting in May, you can experience the mountain laurel blooms on the many area hikes and rivers.

They are abundant and I have always wanted to be in the area when they are blooming! Area attractions include hiking, rafting, and fishing, but there is also great food to be found! We enjoyed The Iron Horse Station in Hot Springs (twice) and Sweet Monkey and Zuma Coffee in Marshall.

Of course you can visit nearby Asheville for abundant options of restaurants and breweries. While in Asheville, you can tour the Biltmore, the Vanderbilt family’s 250 room French Renaissance estate which sits on 8,000 pristine acres.

But, don’t forget why you came to Hot Springs, NC! Or, at least why I go back again and again.

Take a soak in the geothermal mineral hot springs at the Hot Springs Resort & Spa in a private tub on the creek. They also offer a range of spa services, and on our last visit I opted for a massage from Jannette which turned out to be the best I’d had in a long while.

Milwaukee, WI

• Average springtime highs: 40s-70s
• Average springtime lows: 30s-50s

Look at those lows! We are talking spring right? Keep in mind spring lasts from March 20-June 21. You might save this trip for late spring, though we went once in April and had great weather!

I mean, we were walking along the banks of Lake Michigan in t-shirts! Pure luck. Average highs in April are 52 degrees. You will have better odds in June when average highs reach a pleasant 73.

While the first Europeans to come to Milwaukee were French fur traders, in the 1840’s a flood of German immigration began which by the 1880’s had earned Milwaukee the title “German Athens”. The influences of German culture, as well as the rise of beer brewing and the steel and iron industries can still be seen today.

Be sure to check out the Milwaukee Art Museum. The building is a work of art itself. The Burke Brise Soleil, a massive sunscreen that opens and closes like wings signaling the museum’s open and close, and with a demonstration at noon every day just for fun, is a marvel to behold. A collection of some of my favorite street photographers were on display when we last visited, and if you roll the dice on the weather, you can catch The Open Road – Photography and the American Road Trip, which runs through April 22, 2018 and has me antsy to visit. Of course they also have an impressive catalog of nearly 25,000 pieces in their permanent collection.

We made a deal. Art museum for me, Harley Davidson Museum for Chris. We each enjoyed the other’s choice as much as our own. The Harley Museum campus is 20 acres and packs a lot in. From bikes used in wars and US Mail delivery, to an exact replica of the “Captain America” chopper from Easy Rider, and even the first Harley ever built.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the food. We love to find little hole in the walls, and no place was this more true than Milwaukee. We sought out McBob’s Pub & Grill after hearing Jane and Michael Stern talk about the best corned beef hash they had on The Splendid Table and were not let down. And of course we had to stock up on sausages to snack on at the hotel at Usinger’s and spices to bring home with us at The Spice House.

Nashville, TN

• Average springtime highs: 60s-80s
• Average springtime lows: 40s-60s

Music City, USA! Tour, or better yet, take in a show at the Ryman, the Mother Church of Country Music.

Music City is about much more than country music, and whatever genre you like, you can find it here. Go, check out the honkey tonks if you must, they can be lots of fun! But prepare yourself for crowds. To best enjoy Nashville, in my humble opinion, take a hike in an area park like Radnor, Percy Warner or head to the northwest corner of the city and hike Bell’s Bend and Beaman Park.

While in the area eat at The Old School Farm To Table, a nonprofit farm, restaurant, and production pottery studio that employs adults with intellectual disabilities, and is especially well-known for its weekend brunches.

Or head west of downtown to Centennial Park and see the replica of the Parthenon.

From Centennial Park head over to Charlotte Pike where you can find arguably the best food in Nashville. Vietnamese at Kien Giang, Chinese at Lucky Bamboo, and Korean at Korea House. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, done!

If you desire more refined dining, head to the east side’s Lockeland Table. Casual and inviting, with a menu focused on regional ingredients. Another favorite is found in The Nations neighborhood west of town, Nicky’s Coal Fire where coal fired pizzas are rounded out with expert charcuterie and pastas.

Round it all out with beers at The Filling Station. They have locations in east Nashville and the 12 South neighborhood. Or stop by our favorite brewery Jackelope, which has a dog friendly side yard complete with giant jenga. If you see me and Rosie, come say hi!

What are your favorite towns to visit in the spring? We are always planning our next trip, so we would love to hear from you! Comment below, and most importantly, enjoy the journey!