Hawaii vs Seattle and Portland

Hawaii is the ultimate winter escape for Americans: no passport, no currency exchange and 80°F (27°C) days while the mainland shivers. Choosing an island is the first decision. Oahu is the energetic hub, with Waikiki's beach scene, the moving USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, the Diamond Head crater hike and the North Shore, where winter swells send 30-foot waves rolling into Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline. The Big Island is raw and vast, with active volcanoes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, night snorkeling with giant manta rays off Kona and stargazing near the summit of Mauna Kea. Maui, with the Road to Hana and Haleakala sunrise, is the romantic middle ground and deserves its own trip. This 7-day plan pairs 3 nights on Oahu with 4 nights on the Big Island, linked by a short inter-island flight of about 45 minutes. Book the key reservations early: Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona Memorial program, Diamond Head entry for non-residents, and a manta ray tour. Pack a light jacket for volcano evenings, mineral reef-safe sunscreen for the reefs, and plenty of patience for traffic in Honolulu.

Two of the Pacific Northwest's most likable cities sit just three hours apart, framed by volcanoes, evergreen forests and waterfalls, which makes Seattle and Portland a natural pairing. Start in Seattle at Pike Place Market, where fishmongers toss salmon, flower stalls spill onto the cobblestones and the waterfront opens onto Elliott Bay. Ride the 1962 monorail to the Space Needle for views of Puget Sound and, on clear days, the snowy cone of Mount Rainier. Then go see that mountain up close on a day trip to Paradise, where summer wildflower meadows and glaciers line the trails. Board the Amtrak Cascades train or drive about three hours down I-5 to Portland, a city of bridges, bikes and coffee. Lose an hour or three in Powell's City of Books, hike the ferny Wildwood Trail in Forest Park and graze your way through the city's famous food cart pods. Finish in the Columbia River Gorge at Multnomah Falls, which needs a timed permit in summer. Longer trips can add Portland's gardens, the Oregon Coast, Mount Hood and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Come July to September for the driest weather, and pack a rain jacket the rest of the year.