Midcoast Maine’s picture-perfect coastal beauty. (Photo courtesy B.W. Folsom/Shutterstock)
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, travel media authority Lonely Planet revealed the top 10 destinations in the United States this year in its Best in the U.S. 2018 list. Midcoast Maine weighs in at the No. 6 spot, ahead of Richmond, Va.; Kentucky Bourbon Country; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Southeastern Utah.
Each year, Lonely Planet asks its community of travel experts – in-house editors, researchers on the road, and locals on the ground – to decide on the most compelling destinations to visit in the year ahead. This year marks Lonely Planet’s eighth annual Best in the U.S. list — lonelyplanet.com/best-in-us.
For 2018, Lonely Planet named California’s Redwood Coast the No. 1 destination in the country to visit in 2018. Located four hours north of San Francisco, this picturesque region spans 175 miles of coastline and is home to towering forests of giant redwood trees that one might recognize from blockbuster film franchises such as “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park.” With Redwood National Park turning 50 this year, travelers can get their share of shinrin-yoku (forest therapy) and experience Humboldt County’s quirky new shops, oysters, and brewpubs.
Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2018
1. California’s Redwood Coast: “Lose all track of time (and cell signal)”
2. Boise, Idaho: “What cool looks like before the rest of the world has figured it out”
3. Chattanooga, Tenn.: “Meet the New South!”
4. Florida’s Space Coast: “Get a taste of outer space on earth”
5. Cincinnati, Ohio: “A new chapter for the city’s artistic icons”
6. Midcoast Maine: “One word says it all: ‘Ayuh’”
7. Richmond, Va.: “Flipped from humdrum to happening”
8. Kentucky Bourbon Country: “The state’s distilling heritage runs deep”
9. Minneapolis, Minn.: “In the spotlight for this year’s Super Bowl”
10. Southeastern Utah: “Quintessential Americana road-trip country”
“These are the places American travelers should know about in 2018,” said Lonely Planet U.S. magazine managing editor Alexander Howard. “The U.S. is packed with timeless, well-known destinations, but if you’re looking for something different to shake up your travel plans this year, this list will get you inspired. Some of them are cities on the rise, or that challenge our expectations, while others offer unique experiences you can’t find anywhere else.”
The list is available online at lonelyplanet.com/best-in-us, featuring video and a chance to win a trip to experience California’s Redwood Coast.
