Come August, the summer sun is fully maturing and the heat is inescapable — at least within driving distance of most American cities. And shorter driving trips probably make the most sense in August. You’ve just spent some of your personal time and energy on the holiday weekend in July, and you’re saving up for another in September, so August is for little jaunts. Maybe you plan a trip around a festival. Maybe you set your sights on a hike or semi-convenient natural vista. Speaking of vistas, we’ve got a few we think are looking great in August below.
Fort Collins, Colo.
A highlight from our Unplugged Issue, Fort Collins is the Colorado destination for those days when you don’t want to ski (like in August), and for when you really want to give your mind a break. Our writer comes here to let her creative side out, making her own shoes at the Colorado Shoe School, and to take advantage of the town’s 52 conserved natural areas, where you can go for a walk and see bison. The town itself is historic — very Main Street USA — and has filled up with maker studios, coffee shops and breweries. When the ski lifts are still at a standstill, why not see what else Colorado has to offer? Fort Collins is just about an hour’s drive from Denver.
Asbury Park, N.J.
Ok city slickers, you’ve been to Fire Island. You’ve been to Shelter Island. You’ve been to Block Island. You’ve even been to Cape Cod. In August, it’s time to give in, to finally relent, and go to the Jersey Shore — and you can do no better than the beach town of Asbury Park, just over an hour’s drive from New York City. Asbury Park has a progressive, almost small town vibe, with a strong LGBT community, great hotels like The Asbury (one of our Greatest Hotels Ever), bookstores, brunches at Cardinal during the day, and a bumping bar scene at night. Besides all that, there won’t be much to distract from what is most important in life: beach time. Just be sure to buy beach tickets ahead of time.
Des Moines, Iowa
In August, Iowa will show off its range. We saw the state prove its indie bonafides in June with Gays & Faes, a pride-themed music festival in Decorah that drew the region’s young, cool crowd. The first weekend of August, Iowa will again lure a hip crew with the Hinterland Music Festival in Saint Charles, where Hozier, Vampire Weekend, Noah Kahan, Chappell Roan, The Japanese House and more will play. Hinterland only has between 12,000 and 15,000 attendees, so this may be your best chance to actually get near the stage at a Chappell Roan performance. The following week, head to nearby Des Moines for some down home, midwestern fun at the Iowa State Fair. There will be carnival rides, stall after stall of fried food, performers like Thomas Rhett, Ne-Yo and the Avett Brothers, and good ol’ fashioned husband calling. Don’t know what that last thing is? Do yourself a favor and Google it.
Bar Harbor, Maine
This destination is a little more remote, but the August heat makes Maine lobster rolls taste that much better. Now is the time to head to Bar Harbor, a town that harnesses every major New England impulse. You’ve got your old money, your lobstermen and, best of all, the only national park in the region, Acadia National Park, an exemplar of the conifer and pine-lined mountains that make this part of the country so beautiful. That is to say, you’re coming here for the classics. Lobster rolls. Beer. Puritan-style houses. Deep breaths of fresh air. You can lean into the nature, biking the carriage roads at Acadia or kayaking in the ocean; or you can lean into the town, stopping by Sherman’s, Maine’s oldest bookstore, and Reel Pizza Cinerama, where all of the theaters have perfectly broken-in couches. On the drive up, stop by the Maine Lobster Festival, made famous by author David Foster Wallace. And if you want a closer spot, try Portland, the city some call the Brooklyn of Maine. The point is: Maine.
