Staying Fit
Holland, Michigan
Craig Sterken / Alamy Stock Photo
Consider these nine destinations off many travelers’ radar that boast compelling reasons to visit, plus big bang for the buck. Go on weekdays and off-season for best prices.
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Lookout Mountain
Ian Dagnall / Alamy Stock Photo
Chattanooga, Tennessee
After years playing third fiddle to Memphis and Nashville (a two-hour drive to the northwest), Chattanooga is stepping into the spotlight. The so-called “Scenic City” has added hotels, restaurants and attractions in the last several years, and recently expanded its 16-mile paved Tennessee Riverwalk. Stroll along it past the River Gallery Sculpture Garden, then grab an espresso drink made with locally roasted beans at Rembrandt’s Coffee House near the riverfront. Take the mile-long trip up Lookout Mountain on the steep Incline Railway, whose trolley-like cars now can accommodate wheelchairs ($15 for adults; adults 65 and older ride for $7.50 December through February). Score a $15 burger and craft beer during weekday happy hours at Chattanooga Brewing Co. Tap your feet to live music at the bars on Station Street. Then lay your head at the many lodgings whose rates start at less than $100, including Best Western Royal Inn and the Comfort Inn Downtown. Splurge on the Choo Choo Hotel (winter rates from $129), once a beaux arts railway terminal, or the Moxy Chattanooga Downtown (around $150 and up). The visitchattanooga.com website has a “Deals” section offering discounts.
The Bear Mountain Inn
Peter Titmuss / Alamy Stock Photo
Orange County, New York
For first-rate, cut-rate retail therapy, head an hour’s drive north of New York City in Central Valley, where you'll find Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, whose 250 stores are a bargain hunter’s heaven. Prowl for 65 percent discounts on sought-after brands including Ralph Lauren, Coach, Nike, Burberry, Old Navy and Ann Taylor. Afterward, celebrate your thriftiness with $6 beef-and-corn tacos at A Better Place Bar & Grill. Orange County also lures tourists to the Hudson Valley with its history and natural attractions. The Adirondack-rustic Bear Mountain Inn in Bear Mountain State Park has hosted presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower and is where Kate Smith is said to have written her hit "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain." Rates start at $99 off-season. Sample locally made wine, beer, cider and distilled spirits at multiple locales, including Tin Barn Brewery and Applewood Winery. Also worth a visit: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and West Point Museum, which has free exhibits of military artifacts, including weapons and soldiers’ gear dating to the 17th century.
Snow Canyon State Park
Jan Butchofsky / Alamy Stock Photo
St. George, Utah
Rocks and docs! This southern Utah gateway to Zion National Park is a two-hour drive northeast of Las Vegas, and is a treat for hikers and those fascinated by red sandstone formations. Now it’s becoming a medical tourism mecca thanks to surgical centers with board-certified physicians who provide procedures approved by Medicare that would cost many times more elsewhere. But outdoor enthusiasts appreciate it, too — for, among other things, the more than 38 miles of trails at nearby Snow Canyon State Park ($15 per vehicle). The outdoor Tuacahn Amphitheatre hosts famous acts such as the Temptations (tickets for their April 9 concert start at just $39). Stay at the recently renovated, family-owned Chalet Motel, where spic-and-span units with kitchenette can cost less than $70 a night. Splurge on a room with panoramic views at the Inn on the Cliff, $120 during slow times. For authentic south-of-the-border dishes under $15, eat at Angelica’s Mexican Grill.
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