The best time to visit Niagara Falls is between mid-May and mid-September. The weather is more hospitable, the falls are illuminated at night, and more attractions are open. Plan your itinerary before you go so you can maximize your enjoyment and time. This popular destination is accessible by car, train, and plane. Fly into Buffalo, New York, and take the train or bus to your hotel. Walk or take a taxi to the falls to start your tour. Book a helicopter tour with Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours for an aerial breathtaking view of the entire falls area or schedule a narrated sightseeing land tour. The town of Niagara Falls boasts an all-year snow park. Eat at one of the local restaurants overlooking the falls for a meal to remember. If you still have energy after your busy day, go enjoy the falls fireworks and then check out one of the casinos.
Mount Rainier, just 50 miles southeast of Seattle, is an active volcano that has snow-capped peaks even during the summer months. Park rangers offer guided tours and talks year round. If you want to camp, plan to go during late May to October. A public shelter at Camp Muir accommodates 25 people. Rent snowshoes at the ranger station. Make reservations to climb this popular mountain in advance.
The U.S. Capitol is home to some of the best galleries and museums in the country, and most of them have free entry. Instead of trying to cram them all in in one weekend, focus on one subject, such as space. Watch a show on black holes at the Albert Einstein Planetarium and then go visit the National Air and Space Museum. Stay at the notorious Watergate Hotel.
A geological marvel is the Grand Canyon in Arizona, offering spectacular beauty, colorful sandstone sculpted by wind and water, and interesting sites. Go to the South Rim of the canyon, where you can take a helicopter tour, or see the canyon the old-fashioned way: ride a mule to the bottom of the canyon. Attend a talk on the nature and history of the Grand Canyon, visit a Pueblo ruin, or learn about archaeology of the region at the Grand Canyon Field Institute. Dine at El Tovar Hotel, where Pres. Theodore Roosevelt once stayed.
