Savannah and Charleston vs Seattle and Portland

Two of the South's most beautiful old cities sit just two hours apart, making them an easy pairing for a four- or five-day trip. Start in Savannah, Georgia, where 22 leafy squares shaded by Spanish moss-draped oaks break up a historic district made for wandering. Stroll to the white fountain in Forsyth Park, tour a historic house that tells the full story of the enslaved people who lived there, and end the day on cobblestoned River Street watching container ships glide past. Then drive about 110 miles up the coast to Charleston, South Carolina. Walk past the pastel facades of Rainbow Row and the grand homes on the Battery, cool off at the Pineapple Fountain in Waterfront Park, and dig into lowcountry seafood: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup and fresh oysters. Plantation tours such as Magnolia, Boone Hall and McLeod Plantation are part of any visit, and the best of them center the histories of enslaved people and the Gullah Geechee culture they built. With extra days, add Sullivan's Island, the beaches of Tybee Island and Kiawah, and the quiet waterfront town of Beaufort. Spring and fall bring mild weather, blooming azaleas and comfortable walking.

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.