Bonus points if you know where the cover picture is!

Have you been holding out on yourself for a nice summer vacation? I bet you've been planning one for years but just can't seem to allow yourself to escape the grind. Let me be the one of the first people to tell you that you, YES YOU, deserve to go out and enjoy yourself. YOU deserve to get out on that trip you've been daydreaming about during the 11th long meeting of the week. YOU deserve to relax, kick back, go out on an adventure or do whatever the heck it is that you want to do on a vacation. The time is right, you've got the time, and it's all within your power to make it happen. You just gotta make it happen!

But, like, where should you go?

We'll help you figure out some of the best places to visit in this here the United States. The US of A is full of different climates, different terrains, different cultures, and different experiences, all waiting for you to embrace it all. Here's some of our favorite spots to consider for your summer vacation. We'll be sticking to the western side of the United States for this post, but stay tuned for more vacation spots! 

San Diego 

I went to San Diego on my honeymoon. It is simply an incredible summer spot with tons to do. You've got the city, full of ethnic food and tons of nightlife activities. My wife and I visited Little Italy and stopped at about 3 or 4 restaurants there. Best bolognese I've ever had. You gotta do it. 

Coronado is awesome as well, if you want to spend a little more on your hotel. The beach is beautiful, the island is awesome--even the drive to the island is beautiful. OH MY GOODNESS, you have to try After's Ice Cream as well. They do these ice cream sandwiches, but with hot donuts instead. They have awesome flavors and toppings. That's worth the trip to San Diego alone. 

Glacier National Park 

My family and I took a trip here last year and it is simply drop-dead gorgeous. There are tons of lakes, tons of mountains, tons of natural scenery. You're pretty close to Canada as well, so you can sneak on up to Calgary if you want to take a mini trip as well. I recommend staying at Lakeside or Kalispell. It Flathead lake is amazing and seems to host less tourists than the other hot spots in the United States. The boating is terrific and peaceful. You have some spots for hunting and fishing and naturally many places to go hiking and get lost in the outdoors. 

Yellowstone 

Yellowstone National Park is an absolute treasure if you haven't been able to make it out there yet. There's bears, bison, elk, and wolves, just to name a few of the big names. You learn a ton about nature when you carefully observe how it lives, how it thrives, how it grows. It's truly magical, and it's worth going out of your way to get there. Plus, heading to Yellowstone means you get to check out some of the more popular geysers out there, which is cool. 

This part of the west is a tiny but more crowded than some of the others. Lots of people line up to see Old Faithful, which is certainly cool. The great part about being here is that the temperature is usually stellar. It may just be the best in the west when it comes to cooler summer days. You'll be able to attend some local festivals as well! 

Grand Teton 

Wyoming truly does get a bad rep. When people think Wyoming, they imagine long dessert slopes with cowboys patrolling on horses and towns with 500 people. I'm sure Wyoming does have this, but what most people overlook is their incredibly scenic spots like the Grand Teton National Park. 

It's really, really tough to be bored here. Once again we've got lots to do in the wildlife category: fishing on beautiful lakes or fly fishing in rushing streams or observing their natural habitats. You might see some bears if you're lucky! Besides that, you have some incredible drives to do and some hikes that will blow your mind. This is also an incredible place to do some rafting and boating. 

Zion National Park 

This is the place you're gonna wanna check out if you want to truly embrace the outdoors. The camping spots here are awesome, and Zion National Park is all about the outdoors. Camping ain't so bad, but I would be sure to brush up on all your gear and fire making skills. If you go all in on camping and discover some problems with it, you'll be able to stay in some great towns not too far away from Zion's! 

Arguably the best hike I have ever done in my life hiking Angel's Landing. Be wary--I would not categorize this hike as "easy". It gets pretty dang steep with the switchbacks, and if you're out of shape, you'll certainly want to take breaks so you don't get too tired. After some steep slopes, you'll be at the top, but not the top top. To truly get to the top, you have to scale the mountain holding onto metal chains. But man, the view once you get up there is absolutely breathtaking. Truly amazing.