It’s no secret. The sun is shining brighter, the leaves are greener, and butterflies are aflutter; summer is coming. And one of the best parts of summertime is going on fun and memorable vacations. Yet, you’re probably wondering how to decide on the best places to visit to make the most of your summer. If so, you’re in the right place! I’m privileged enough to say that I have traveled to a lot of wonderful places for sightseeing and fun and I hope to share with you some of my personal favorites for sightseeing this upcoming summer.

1. Pennsylvania – Bushkill Falls

I’ve most often only visited Pennsylvania or the Poconos in the winter as my family has been a fan of its iconic skiing and snowboarding scene. But in the summer, Bushkill Falls is the place to visit! 

Bushkill Falls is a series of waterfalls in Lehman Township, Pennsylvania amongst the Pocono Mountains. The falls themselves are absolutely gorgeous and the greenery is majestic every summer. Visiting it, you get to walk along many different and unique trails ranging from 4 different difficulty levels. So, if you are an avid hiker, a fan of gorgeous nature, or just love taking pretty pictures, this should definitely be on your to-do list this summer!

2. Massachusetts – Hammond Castle Museum

Obviously, if you’re considering visiting Massachusetts, you probably would visit places in Boston. But there was one sightseeing place in Massachusetts I had the pleasure of visiting recently that I would love to share with you all. 

The Hammond Castle was built in the 1920s to be a medieval-style castle for inventor John Jays Hammond. I personally love sights like these because the tours usually teach you pretty cool stuff and the castle itself is beautiful with a nice view of the ocean. Also, if you are interested in unique architectural designs and medieval interior design you should definitely visit the museum and take the tour

3. Massachusetts – Salem

You can probably tell why this place is a popular sight to visit but when I visited Salem, I got to see a lot of interesting sights with cool historical elements.

The Salem Witch Museum, downtown Salem, and The Witch House. The museum was a fascinating immersive experience where wax figures dramatically reenacted the tragic events of the Salem Witch trials through narrations and dialogue. Downtown Salem featured a lot of really cute shops and places to eat that I would highly recommend walking around in if you decide to visit. And finally, the Witch House is a historic house museum in Salem that is a must-see in Salem. Its artifacts are incredibly well preserved and the house is also famous for having ties to the witch trials. Overall, I loved Salem because it had so much fascinating history along with an enjoyable shop and dining scene. 

4. New York City – Central Park

I can confidently say that Central Park is one of my favorite places to visit because I love a good park and New York City is always a fun place to be. But did you know that Central Park has a variety of nice places to visit?

The Conservatory Garden is a formal garden in the northeastern part of Central Park featuring numerous beautiful plants and flowers. I love parks and gardens as they’re wonderful places to bring a pet, a friend, or a family member and just take in one’s surroundings, and the Conservatory Garden is a perfect place for that. The Great Lawn and Turtle Pond are also great places to visit in Central Park that just scream summer. The Great Lawn is a flat and grassy area of the park that is home to a great range of activities and is a popular place for picknicking, playing sports, sunbathing and even just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Basically, if you’re looking to spend your summer among gorgeous scenery and sun and nature, take a trip through Central Park and you will not be disappointed. 

5. New York City – The Little Island

Obviously, NYC has a plethora of places to visit and it would take me ten years to finally finish writing about all of them. We all know of the classic museums, buildings, and locations that have defined this city and are must-sees for any tourist. But there’s one place in this city that has recently opened that I remembered enjoying greatly.

The Little Island is a now two-year-old man-made island and park on the Hudson River. It was honestly one of the coolest places I’ve visited as it has nice nature and many places to explore, but also venues for live performances and cool vantage points for great pictures of the city. In retrospect, I remembered it being very cute and enjoyable and I honestly recommend it to anyone willing to check it out.

In the end, there are countless other destinations you might visit this summer that are just as great. Whether it be in the state or across the country, one of the best parts of any break is the freedom to go wherever you want. But if you were looking for fantastic vacation spots that are close to New Jersey but are still a lot of fun, I hope this post was helpful and I wish everyone a wonderful summer!