Hawaii vs Washington DC

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.

Washington DC may be the best family city in America, mostly because so much of it is free. In three days with kids you can stand under real spacecraft at the National Air and Space Museum, meet the Hope Diamond and towering dinosaur skeletons at the National Museum of Natural History, and see the original Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History, all without paying admission. Some sites use free timed-entry passes, so reserve them before you go. Between museums, let kids run on the grassy National Mall, ride the carousel and picnic with food-truck lunches. Save an evening for the monuments at sunset, when the Lincoln Memorial glows, the Reflecting Pool mirrors the Washington Monument and the crowds thin out. The Metro makes getting around easy, and younger children ride free with a paying adult. With more time, see giant pandas, elephants and great apes at the free National Zoo, tour the US Capitol and the stunning Library of Congress, crack codes at the International Spy Museum, and day-trip to George Washington's Mount Vernon and the brick sidewalks of Old Town Alexandria. Spring and fall are ideal, with cherry blossoms in late March to early April.