Where to ditch the crowds for a peaceful Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. But, in many places, this long weekend in late May has also become synonymous with teeming beaches, cramped parking lots, long lines, gridlocked traffic, overflowing restaurants, and jam-packed hiking trails.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Whether you’re fed up with the crowds or just burned out from visiting the same beach year after year, know that it is still possible to have a fun, relaxing Memorial Day Weekend getaway—if you head off the beaten path a bit. Mix it up this year by visiting one of these laid-back North American destinations.

In Canada, Memorial Day is just another Monday. As such, it’s a great time to visit our neighbors to the north—and Victoria, British Columbia, in particular, really shines in late May. Take a relaxing three-hour ferry ride from Seattle across the Salish Sea onboard the Victoria Clipper, then stroll along the scenic waterfront of Victoria’s Inner Harbor. Another great place to take a walk is Fisherman’s Wharf, home to a charming community of people who live in tiny, efficient “float homes” on the water.

As summer approaches, the nearby Butchart Gardens comes alive with colorful blooms of delphiniums, roses, fuchsias, daylilies, lobelias, hydrangeas, and begonias. This tranquil, 55-acre Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best–winning garden is quiet and peaceful, with delightful scenery around every bend—the perfect antidote to Memorial Day crowds. Stay and enjoy afternoon tea at the gardens, or head back downtown for this beloved—and tasty—ritual at the Fairmont Empress.

When it comes to Victoria lodging, you really can’t go wrong no matter where you stay—our community members love more than a dozen Victoria hotels, including the Oswego Hotel, Abigail’s Hotel, the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, and Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

Grand Junction is one of Colorado’s best-kept secrets, even over busy holiday weekends. Situated at the far western edge of the state, this mid-sized town offers unparalleled access to the surrounding high-desert wilderness—more than 1.5 million acres of public lands, to be exact. Whether you hit up a mountain bike trail, go off-roading, paddle the Colorado River, or hike around, you’re likely to have acres of nature all to yourself.

And if sipping a glass of wine on a patio and indulging in fine dining are more your style, Grand Junction has that, too. It’s surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and farms, which have given rise to an off-the-charts food and beverage scene. We recommend Bin 707 Foodbar and Tacoparty—both owned by pro-snowboarder-turned-pro-chef Josh Niernberg—as well as 626 on Rood, Two Rivers Winery & Chateau, and Highlands Distillery. Book a room at The Maverick, a boutique hotel with tasteful collegiate decor situated on the campus of Colorado Mesa University.

It may not get as much attention as other Midwestern cities (yet!) but Omaha—Nebraska’s largest city—has a thriving live music scene, serene parks and nature areas, and lots of trendy restaurants and bars. It’s also super family-friendly, with uncrowded attractions like the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the Omaha Children’s Museum to keep little ones engaged for hours.

Spend an afternoon wandering around the Old Market, a historic neighborhood with picturesque brick-lined streets and local boutiques such as Nouvelle Eve and Flying Worm Vintage. Then, head to the newly revitalized Blackstone District for a meal at Butterfish, Stirnella, or the Blackstone Meatball (followed by a refreshing sweet treat at Coneflower Creamery). After watching the sun dip below the unobstructed horizon of the Great Plains, retreat to Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel or Magnolia Hotel Omaha.

It takes a little effort to get to Isle Royale National Park, but that’s also what makes this island in the northwest corner of Lake Superior such a good choice for ditching the crowds. To reach this pristine natural site—which was one of the least-visited national parks in the country last year—you’ll need to ditch your car, too, by hitching a ride on a pedestrian-only ferry or a seaplane from either Minnesota or Michigan. Hey, at least that means there’s no holiday weekend traffic.

Once you arrive, you’ll find yourself immersed in more than 132,000 acres of untouched wilderness that’s ideal for being totally unplugged and disconnected for a few days. Camping is the big draw here, but if you prefer a few more niceties, you can also stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge or the Windigo Camper Cabins. There are also two restaurants—the Lighthouse Restaurant and Greenstone Grill—as well as several retail shops with basic supplies. And before you head back to reality, be sure to hike to Suzy’s Cave, a rocky cavity formed by waves more than 4,000 years ago.

You don’t have to love spirits to have a good time in Louisville (though it definitely doesn’t hurt). This city of 630,000 residents is also ideal for sports fans. By Memorial Day, the Kentucky Derby crowds will have long gone home, but you can still explore the race’s legacy at the Kentucky Derby Museum (and watch live horse racing, without the massive crowds, at Churchill Downs, too). Learn how baseball bats get made at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, then get inspired by the life story of one of the greatest athletes of all time at the Muhammad Ali Center. You can keep the museum trend going, too, by booking a room at the top-rated 21C Museum Hotel, located along Louisville’s Museum Row.

Once you've had your fill of sports museums, take a ride on the historic Belle of Louisville steamboat and catch a show under the stars at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. And if you do want to experience a bit of what earned Louisville its “Wall Street of Whiskey” nickname, sip your way through tours at big-name distilleries like Angel’s Envy, Evan Williams, Old Forester, and others. Any trip to Louisville should also include an Old Louisville ghost tour or a history and architecture tour with Louisville Historic Tours to gape at stunning Victorian mansions and, perhaps, feel a presence from the beyond.

Make Ashland your home base for exploring southern Oregon, which is brimming with wineries, theaters, museums, and stunning natural landscapes. From April to October, this town near the Oregon-California border hosts the Tony Award–winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which has been bringing the 400-year-old words of William Shakespeare to life since 1935. (Pro tip: Buy your tickets as early as possible for the widest selection of seating options at the theater.) The Schneider Museum of Art and Oregon Cabaret Theatre round out Ashland’s rich arts and culture scene. Stick to the theme by booking a room at the top-rated Bard's Inn, a boutique lodging that’s not only named after Shakespeare, but also decorated with little nods to the Elizabethan era during which he lived.

From here, you can also easily road trip to other regional attractions, like uncrowded Crater Lake National Park. Stop and take in the picturesque scenery at one (or several) of the 30 pullouts and overlooks along the park’s 33-mile Scenic Rim Drive, or make the 1.1-mile trek to the water’s edge by hiking the Cleetwood Cove Trail.

With its sunny days and cool nights, this region produces delicious pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet franc, malbec, and other styles of reds and whites. Taste for yourself at wineries like Belle Fiore Winery, Irvine & Roberts, and Weisinger Family Winery.

Though the famed Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta isn’t until the fall, you can still enjoy riding in one—without all the crowds—when you visit this Southwestern city over Memorial Day Weekend. Book a hot air balloon tour at sunrise for a bird’s eye view of New Mexico’s desert landscape. For even more cinematic vistas, catch a ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway, which whisks travelers up to 10,378 feet among the peaks of the Sandia Mountains.

For a truly rejuvenating trip, treat yourself to a stay at Los Poblanos, a boutique hotel set on a 25-acre lavender farm. Here, the staff integrates lavender’s calming scent into everything from spa treatments to cocktails. The hotel is also an ideal jumping-off point for exploring the 16-mile Paseo del Bosque Path, which runs along the Rio Grande and is part of the city’s 400-mile network of bike trails and paths. While visiting the Southwest, don’t pass up an opportunity to feast on the region’s flavor-packed green and red chiles at beloved eateries like Frontier Restaurant and El Pinto Restaurant.