Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
You’ve saved up a lot of vacation days. Here are four perfect trip ideas for the next 12 months, from sports to ancient history, to the great outdoors.
In three months…
The Masters Tournament, Georgia
Normally a staple of the April sports calendar, the Masters was postponed to November 12–15 this year.
Consequently, things will look a little different when the pros tee off at the Augusta National Golf Club: The course’s dogwoods and azaleas won’t be in bloom, but its Japanese maples and redbuds may well be blazing in crimson and gold.
With temperatures averaging about 10 degrees cooler in the fall than in the spring, the champion may want to wear an extra layer under his green jacket.
In six months…
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
First protected by Congress in 1832, this stretch of geothermal pools in the Ouachita Mountains is the oldest site maintained by the National Park Service, and 2021 marks its centennial as an official national park.
The adjacent resort town of Hot Springs is home to historic Bathhouse Row, featuring namesake structures that date as far back as 1892.
After warming up in the waters—which remain a steamy 143 degrees Fahrenheit year-round–stop by the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery in the world that uses thermal spring water to make beer.
In nine months…
Eleusis, Greece
One of three European Capitals of Culture for 2021—alongside Timisoara, Romania, and Novi Sad, Serbia–Eleusis was also one of the five sacred cities of ancient Greece.
While the town was the birthplace of Aeschylus, your trip there should be anything but tragic, as it’s only about 11 miles from Athens.
Learn about the famed Eleusinian mysteries (secret initiation rites for the cult of Demeter and Persephone) at the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis (above), and then explore the neighboring ruins.
In one year…
The Summer Olympic Games, Tokyo
Although the next Summer Olympics continue to be branded as “Tokyo 2020,” the games are now slated to be held a year from now, between July 23 and August 8, 2021.
Other aspects holding over from the original plans include the Olympic debuts of sports such as surfing, karate, sport climbing, and skateboarding; the return of baseball and softball; and the inauguration of a new stadium designed by architect Kengo Kuma.
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