MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
12 Great Memorial Day Getaways
We've rounded up 12 convenient Memorial Day escapes from coast to coast to ensure that you spend more time enjoying your blues festival (or pool party) than you do deciding where to go.
D.C. is the most patriotic place to celebrate Memorial Day with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance taking place during special military ceremonies.
Thinking about taking a break for Memorial Day? Now is the time to start planning. To point you in the right direction, we looked for celebrations across America that offered something special in honor of the Memorial Day holiday, be it a unique patriotic tribute, a celeb-worthy pool party, an epic blues festival, or a vineyard tour. But reading about a party that's taking place miles and miles from home is frustrating, not fun. That's why we highlighted places that are easily accessible no matter where you are in the U.S. (all of the cities called out under "easy getaway" are within either a 1.5-hour flight or four-hour drive from the featured destination). Consider this your guide to three-day weekend bliss.
See photos of the places
Palm Springs, Calif.: For guaranteed summer weather
WHY GO THIS WEEKEND While most beach seasons are just beginning, Memorial Day marks the end of bearable temps in the desert, so hotels and operators are running specials for the holiday. Though other parts of California will be in the midst of "May Gray" and "June Gloom," Palm Springs still has nonstop sunshine—plus dozens of vintage shops, acclaimed restaurants such as Copley's on Palm Canyon (where celebrity chef Andrew Copley whips up So Cal comfort food like lobster pot pie) and an enduring love for all things mid-century (its hotels and private homes offer some of the best examples of 1950s modern architecture in the country). It also makes a great base camp for exploring the striking desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park through hikes, mountain biking, or rock climbing.
WHERE TO STAY Book one of the 155 pet-friendly rooms, with pool or mountain views and breakfast included, at the hip and affordable Palm Springs Travelodge. Call and mention "Budget Travel" for 20 percent off bookings over the weekend. From $115 per night, palmcanyonhotel.com.
EASY GETAWAY FROM Los Angeles; San Francisco; Phoenix; Las Vegas.
Washington, D.C.: For patriotism, pomp, and circumstance
WHY GO THIS WEEKEND As you might guess, D.C. is the most patriotic place to celebrate the holiday, with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance taking place during special military ceremonies. The Thursday before Memorial Day, soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery put flags before each gravestone. On Memorial Day, a wreath-laying ceremony happens at the Tomb of the Unknowns—President Obama spoke at last year's ceremony—and the U.S. Army Band, Pershing's Own, performs. Men in uniform also march in the National Memorial Day Parade along the National Mall. Don't miss the National Memorial Day Concert Sunday on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol from 8 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.
WHERE TO STAY Kimpton Hotels is running a Memorial Day weekend special in five of its hip properties. Check in Thursday or Friday and stay for three nights for the $120 a night rate at the Helix, $130 per night at the Rouge, $140 a night at Topaz or the Madera, or $150 per night at the Palomar Washington D.C., all in northwest D.C. near The White House, when you mention booking code "PMEM" (that's over 25 percent savings off of normal rates). From $120 per night over Memorial Day weekend, kimptonhotels.com.
EASY GETAWAY FROM Albany, N.Y.; Baltimore; Boston; Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Hartford; Louisville, Ky.; Nashville; New York; Providence.
Las Vegas: For free rock concerts and parties by the pool
WHY GO THIS WEEKEND Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas is one of the busiest times of the year, along with New Year's Eve. Parties held around the resorts' elaborate pools are the big event, and become daylight nightclubs with DJs, drink carts, bottle service, cabanas, and more. To get in on the action, grab a chaise at the Venus Pool Club at Caesars Palace (if you're a guest, there is no cover charge for hunkering down poolside until 1 P.M., at which point women pay $10 and men $30 to attend. Caesars Palace is one of the few properties that allows non-guests to enjoy the party for a cover charge—women get in free until 1 P.M. and pay $10 after that, while men are charged a $30 cover all day) The Tropicana Las Vegas opens its brand new Bagatelle Beach & Nightclub this Memorial Day weekend, featuring Mediterranean food and comfy daybeds to lounge in by day, and offers poolside dining and a new nightclub by night. The XS Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas & Encore Resort will host DJ Tiesto Friday night and David Guetta on Monday night among other electronica superstars over the weekend—tickets can be purchased ahead of time starting at $30 per person. The Rock of Vegas free summer concert series also kicks off this weekend at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, and runs every Saturday night thru Labor Day with performances by Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Poison front-man Brett Michaels, and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister.
WHERE TO STAY The Orleans Hotel & Casino is just off the main drag and offers free shuttle service to and from the Strip every 30-45 minutes from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 A.M. The hotel offers its own casino, comedy club, cabaret lounge, Irish pub, movie theater, bowling alley, and playgrounds and arcades for the kiddies. From $95 per night over Memorial Day weekend, orleanscasino.com.
EASY GETAWAY FROM Los Angeles; San Francisco.
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