Summer has begun to sprinkle its essence upon us as we relish in warm breezes, pool days, patio lunches, and if you’re lucky enough to live on the coast, I imagine picture perfect beach days complete with sandy toes and salty air. Most kids are out of school for the summer too, and as much as they want to enjoy the summer, so do us adults!

As much fun as there is to be had right in our communities during the summer, it is refreshing to get out and explore our country and world beyond the square mileage of our cities. Whether you come from a sleepy little town, or a bustling city, this holds true for everyone. There is something wondrous about exploring things beyond us, and so eye-opening for your littles for those of you that will have kids that will be in tow with you.

Self-care and vacations There’s lots of talk of the importance of being diligent in your self-care routines these days, and for good reason, it’s absolutely, undeniably true! Everybody needs to make sure they’re doing things to rejuvenate their souls, rest their minds, and remind themselves of the beauty in the world and in themselves. You may be starting to think this is an article on self-care, and I tricked you into clicking on this with the phrase “travel destinations” in the title. 

I assure you this is not the case though. Since we are a company that provides custom scrubs to  nurses, doctors, and the like, I truly wanted to hit home that while summer travel is fantastic and exciting, for people who work in these professions, it is as essential to your life as oxygen.

Am I exaggerating, I don’t think so. We work arduous, grueling schedules. Sure, people glorify the 3-4 day work weeks some of us get as nurses, but they don’t understand the hours, physical, emotional, and mental drain our profession can have on us. And that half the time we spend catching up on much needed sleep in our time off.

Alas, I won’t keep you lingering on each paragraph hoping to get some travel ideas. So here we go!

What type of vacation do you want? When talking about summer vacation destinations the possibilities are endless: do I travel within my state, see a different part of the country, go abroad? Do I want a beach vacation? To see historical monuments? Immerse myself in a different culture? I would start by asking yourself these types of questions. Don’t ask, “Where do I want to go?” Instead ask, “What do I want to get out of my vacation?” May seem simple, but I guarantee your answer is different than Karen’s sitting next to you.

For starters, I grabbed the top three travel destinations according to travelchannel.com, but they have a list of ten, so feel free to pop over and check out their list, too!

1-Paris France- Paris is known for romance, and if you visit you will see why. The city will leave you swooning for more. It is incredibly rich in culture and history, the city itself is gorgeous, and there’s nothing quite like sitting in little corner cafe in Paris. The energy of the people there is just different, and you will be in love with the city before your scheduled departure for sure.

While this may be a bit pricier of a trip, it can also be a must-see if you're a history buff, lover of architecture, or a mom convinced to impart some sort of culture or 

knowledge upon her children this summer!

Paris is well-known for the Eiffel Tower, Le Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Elysees. Paris is a superb choice if you’re seeking culture and history out of your summer travel destination.

2-NewYork, NewYork-Looking to get out of town, but not the country? New York, New York is listed at #2 on travelchannel.com’s Top 10 Vacation Spots. This isn’t going to be your top choice if being a beach bum is your primary vacation goal (Although you can have water views! New York City is nestled up to where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. I mean, you can go to the beach, but I prefer Florida or somewhere more tropical for that type of vacation.), but New York is vast in what it has to offer. 

There’s loads of shopping and restaurants, you can relish in the urban oasis that is Central Park (and who doesn’t want to pretend they’re in an episode of Friends??), visit the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, and the forever iconic Rockefeller Center.

If you’re going to drive to New York, I highly recommend taking a detour to upstate NY and viewing Niagara Falls. If you’ve never been, it’s beyond breathtaking. My personal goal is to visit, the Canadian side!

3-Rome,Italy-Taking things back abroad with Rome. When in Rome...eat the pasta, drink the wine, savor the gelato, and embrace the historical abundance. Side note: sauce is considered a topping on your pizza in Rome; if you don’t order sauce, there will be none on your pizza!

There are so many fascinating parts to Italy, but of course Rome has tremendous amounts of culture. Piazza Navona is gorgeous, and a must go to if you traverse your way to Rome. It is an elegant square of fountains, bars, and restaurants. Sitting on a patio sipping Italian wine and people-watching is magnificent. Even more awe striking in the evening under the stars! There really is too much history to list everything to visit here, but some popular attractions are the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain.

4-Cancun, Mexico-I think this one speaks loudly for itself. Cancun is known for the never-ending party life, and miles and miles of pristine beaches. Looking for a pina colada type of vacay?? Look no further! With Cancun trips you can search and get great deals on your trip. I think I don’t need to do much to sell you on this one: relax, enjoy warm beach days and palm trees, skip the itinerary and chill out!!

5-St. Louis, MO-Okay, if you’re local to us this isn’t the vacation spot for you. But for all you reading this in the other 49 states, St. Louis has tons to offer. If you have kids, the St. Louis Zoo is consistently ranked one of the top zoos in the country. It is massive, and there is NO admission fee. Of course there are things you can do within the zoo you pay for, such as: train rides, going into the childrens’ zoo section, food and beverages. The City Museum is a playground on steroids. Seriously! Huge slides that you climb up to get to, sliding down and having part of the slide outside, and a 30 foot ferris wheel.

Grant’s Farm has animal encounter shows, you can ride camels, pet massive Clydesdales, and there’s a nice little beer garden at the end for Mom and Dad. The city itself has endless dining and bar options, and if you want to take that Italy trip because of the food, but can’t, just come visit The Hill in St. Louis. And alas, you have to go up in the Gateway Arch that climbs 630 feet above the Mississippi River.

6-Myrtle Beach, SC-This destination made travelchannel.com’s top 10 as well. They had Miami and Orlando listed above Myrtle Beach, but there is just something about the charm of South Carolina. You still get sprawling beaches, phenomenal sunsets, water and amusement parks, but the charm of Myrtle Beach over these other beach destinations is second to none!

Whether you are single or going as a family, the beach, the boardwalk, restaurants, and nightlife won’t disappoint. Ripley’s Aquarium is also a frequented stop if you travel to Myrtle Beach. It has fish exhibits and underwater experiences. If you over indulge on your vacations and need  your scrubs a bit more custom upon return, we got you;)