With the first official day of summer about a month in the rearview mirror, the window of opportunity for a nice, relaxing vacation may be growing smaller and smaller. The Earth is a fairly large planet, roughly 197 million square miles in surface area total; subtracting the 140 or so million square miles of ocean leaves us travelers about 57 million square miles to visit, adventure in and explore. I’m willing to wager that most of us have barely scratched the surface.
There are a million and one reasons you should get out and travel. It’s a great way to experience new cultures, experience new foods and open your eyes to the world. As summer begins to approach its midpoint, now is a fantastic time to put on your exploring shoes and take a trip. Here are four of the best places to visit this summer, courtesy of Bjorn Koch.
Denmark
Although Denmark is hardly a huge country (a little larger than the state of Maryland) there is plenty of places to explore. For that reason, I’ve chosen to include the entire country on the list, instead of a specific city. If I had to choose one spot in particular within Denmark that best defines the country, the obvious choice is Copenhagen. The country’s capital is host to the National Museum of Denmark as well as a number of museums, castles and other wondrous attractions. That’s not to mention the beautiful coastline, which is a must-visit when you’re in Denmark.
Houston, Texas
If you’re looking for a word to describe Texas during the summer, search no further than “hot.” Perhaps “scorching” or “sweltering” are even better fits. Galveston Bay can help alleviate this, so if you’re visiting Texas anytime soon you’ll probably want to swing by Galveston Bay on the outskirts of Houston for a dip. Outside of the bay, there is plenty to do in Houston during the summer. If you’re a sports fan, Minute Maid Ballpark plays home to the Astros and is a great place to catch a game. If science is more your thing, check out Space Center Houston, the home for NASA’s visitor center.
Prague
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic offers incredibly scenic views–easily the best on this list. Are the activities to engage in, places to tour and fun events to attend in Prague, absolutely. But the real attraction to one of the CR’s most visited cities are the picturesque landscapes and rooftop city views.
Hawaii
Back to America for number four on this list, albeit not the continental US. At the risk of listing off the United States’ most cliche vacation spot, Hawaii is an almost undebatably beautiful and serene place to visit for a summer vacation. From breathtaking volcanoes to historic memorials to almost too-clear-to-be-true waters, Hawaii offers visitors a little taste of everything.
Don’t let your vacation time at work reach the point of no return–instead of letting it roll over, getting paid for the unused hours or losing them completely, consider going on an adventure in the next few weeks. Plan it out–or don’t–and visit one of the four best summer destinations this year.