The Best Staycation in Every State

Big Sky, Montana

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ADDRESS
Big Sky, MT, USA

WEB :Visit website

Vacationers will enjoy plenty of land to spread out in while playing at Big Sky, Montana, home to some of the best skiing in the country at Big Sky Resort.

 

With its commanding Lone Peak, Big Sky is home to year-round adventures—skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, and sleigh rides in the winter and golf, Lone Peak tram rides, mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, fly fishing, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and rock climbing in the summer. Big Sky Town Center is where you’ll find plenty of shopping, dining featuring wild game and local brews (Beehive Basin Brewery is a good choice), and entertainment.

 

No matter when you visit, explore Yellowstone National Park’s thermal basins, Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Fountain Paint Pot, and Mud Volcano. You’ll see plenty of wildlife—bison, black and grizzly bears, coyote, bighorn sheep, elk, moose—at America’s first national park, located one hour south of Big Sky.

 

Opening this year is Montage Big Sky, which offers guests ski-in and ski-out access to the mountain’s 5,850 skiable acres as well as concierge services. —Wendy Altschuler

Omaha, Nebraska

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ADDRESS
Omaha, NE, USA

WEB :Visit website

Omaha may not have a red carpet to roll out, but the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River leading into town from Iowa is the next best thing, extending a warm welcome to visitors with lovely natural scenery, summer concerts, and a seasonal spray-ground.

 

Another local landmark, the highly regarded Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is a must-see with a startling geodesic dome that contains the world’s largest indoor desert habitat.

 

Forage for lunch or dinner among more than 40 diverse eating and drinking establishments in the historic Old Market district before moving on to explore Omaha’s culture at a world-class collection of museums that showcase fine art, history, transportation, and kids’ stuff. Or take time to stop and smell the flowers at the expansive Lauritzen Gardens or the OPPD Arboretum, then raise a glass and make a toast to this river city at any of the town’s prolific craft breweries. —Amy Lynch