This winter's forecast: plenty of snow and travelers fleeing it. That was the message of this year's America's Favorite Cities survey. Every year, Travel + Leisure readers vote on dozens of qualities in 35 US cities -- from the best microbrews and museums to the most pet-friendly vacations.
Last year, Salt Lake City took the gold medal in the winter category, but this year, the snowy Utah city -- along with Denver -- skidded down the mountain of readers' affections, while warmer cities took their places, literally, in the sun. Compounding the situation, The Farmers' Almanac is predicting another big-snow winter for parts of the US, especially in the Northeast.
"More people appear to be flocking to warmer climates," confirms travel agent Tim Joseph, who is seeing an uptick in snowbird-style bookings from Suffolk County, New York, this winter. "But I suspect it has as much to do with the weather as the economy." Caribbean destinations, he points out, offer many affordable all-inclusive resorts -- and that's one reason he loves Puerto Rico's San Juan, a top five city in the survey.
San Juan may be getting a little more crowded this year, along with classic snowbird destinations such as Miami, Honolulu, and Phoenix, which all landed in the top ten. --Katrina Brown Hunt
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Regards
dental tourism
To set the record straight, San Juan, P.R., is not an American city, but the capital city of the Caribbean nation of Puerto Rico, which has been under colonial rule of the United States since it invaded the island in July 25, 1898, 113 years ago. It is a proud and humble country, proud of its Latin American culture and heritage, which greets its visitors with warm hospitality.
Gervasio Morales-RodrÃguez
San Juan, Puerto Rico
-- They are a wild bunch and it's like Spring break for the seniors and their lawnbowling all over the place .
I like a little peace and quiet .
From Guam, travels to Asia is just few hours away...
Long time ago, I went to another lagoon near Guanica. I was a teenager. I remember that it was totally dark and when we entered the bay I saw suddenly in awe hundreds of fish of different sizes swimming in the water in all directions. They were totally white and bright like neon lights.
The guy steering the boat asked us to take water with our hands and our hands turned bright for few seconds. Then he asked to pour water inside the boat and the floor became bright as in a ghostly movie. Sadly the living light of this lagoon died due to contamination but the other one in Vieques is alive. Though locals are selling tours to this dead bay, avoid it since you won't see one spark.
Reservations must be done way in advance for Vieques and there is another one alive in Fajardo. Vieques is the best.
Again if you go to PR don't miss this wonder of nature that may not last due to the threat of contamination.