Hi, Fodorites! Looking for trip suggestions for this time next year. Husband and I are in our mid-fifties, with no international travel and limited domestic US travel. Looking for 7 day trip, avoiding hurricanes ( ie no Carribean cruises..lol) with the most value for our money. We have passports, so International travel is not ruled out. We are geeks who love museums, outdoors, good food, but no alcohol due to medical conditions. Appreciate all suggestions from the forum. Thank you!

London was a nice intro to overseas travel for me. Although 7 days will be but an intro!

DH and I LOVED New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston and cooking school at the Inn at Meander Plantation. Except for the Inn, 7 days are not sufficient either!

Did you have something in mind? Venice, Italy would be a lovely visit.

Where would you be flying from?

Atlanta, GA is our hub.

Okay then, easy flight to Costa Rica!

Santa Fe, NM has good food, weather is nice that time of year, has nice museums, interesting Pueblo Indian villages to visit, could drive up to Taos, see Bandelier, etc.

Costa Rica is nice, we have visited three times, but
the food is fairly bland.

Riviera Maya has good food (skip the AI scene) and Mayan ruins to visit but you do get rain sometimes in the late afternoon.

Fly to San Fransisco and spend three nights in the city, then three in the Monterey Bay area including day trips to Point Lobos, Hearst Castle, and some redwoods north of Santa Cruz, then the last night back in the SF area. Redwoods, museums, historic sites, wildlife, incomparable scenery, whale watching, great food.... Google the places on this map - https://goo.gl/maps/w11aKnqqCWx

Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, Montreal, Reykjavik, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam

I would go the second half of September if you have the choice.

Third weekend in September is a traditional getaway long weekend with friends. I just got back from Boston although this time we skipped museums and did a food tour of Boston's South End, walked the Rose Kennedy Greenway and saw a little bit of Chinatown's Lantern festival, magic show at the Shubert, etc. This was the third food tour in Boston we've been on. I thought all three were terrific.
Last year it was a food tour of Providence RI plus Waterfire. We got an air b&b halfway (Warren I think) to Newport so did two Newport Mansion Tours. RI is beautiful. Highly recommend Beneath the Breakers tour.
Another year we did Chicago but except for historic reference to Worlds Fair, the food on the food tour was average. It was fun from a historic point of view plus we had read Devil in the White city for background. The museums are great. Public transportation is great. We also did a free Chicago Greeter tour.
Montreal is another possibility but we did that city quite awhile ago.

Thanks, Everyone. Looks like we will be staying in the US for our trip. 😁

New York City should be very nice this time of year. So many museums to explore, sights to see, Central Park to enjoy and food of all types.

OK... change of plans... US only suggestions then...
New England states for early fall colors, a loop from Boston up into NH/VT is lovely
Portland or Seattle
San Francisco
New Orleans