The 5 Best Trips of 2011

1. Best Urban Upgrade: Philadelphia

Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, Philadelphia. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP/Corbis

It may be better known for its cheesesteak, hoagies, and underdog sports teams, but lately the City of Brotherly Love has been gaining ground as an outdoor town. This year it’s launching a bike-share program and adding three miles of multi-use trails to its 220-mile citywide system. In 2014, it transformed 20,571 square feet of cemented wasteland into Dilworth Park. You can even do paddleboard yoga along the Delaware River with Aqua Vida (from $45).

2. Best Outfitted Trips for Families: Anywhere with Bicycle Adventures

Route of the Hiawatha with Bicycle Adventures. Photo: Joel Riner/Courtesy of Bicycle Adventures

Roughly 10 percent of Bicycle Adventures’ trips are now geared specifically toward families with preteens in tow. This year the Washington-based company launched three multi-day rides in Oregon, Idaho, and South Dakota that follow car-free bike paths and pass through kid-captivating areas like Mount Rushmore and Idaho’s Trail of the Hiawatha, with stops for ice cream, rafting, and swimming holes. Have younger kids? They’ll pedal tag-alongs hitched to adult bikes, and toddlers and infants can ride in provided trailers. From $2,295.

3. Best Place to Eat and Drink Yourself Silly: Scotland

A decade ago, when restaurants like Noma ushered in a Scandinavian culinary renaissance, a bunch of Scots headed north and took jobs in those kitchens. Now they’ve returned to make use of their homeland’s nearly 6,800 miles of coastline, abundant mushroom and strawberry harvests, and massive beef industry. Which is part of the reason the country named 2015 theYear of Food and Drink. Just about every town has at least one restaurant with a creative menu. To experience the best of it, go to the Three Chimneys, on the edge of Loch Dunvegan. Chef Michael Smith serves Sconser king scallops, Skye blackface lamb, and lobster from practically right out the door. And don’t forget to take in a Scotch distillery tour.

4. Best Places to Stretch Your Budget: Japan, Europe, and Brazil

Powder days in Japan just got a little cheaper. Photo: Steve Ogle/Getty

With the economy bouncing back, the dollar is getting stronger—especially in these three destinations, where the exchange rate has steadily improved over the past 12 months.

Japan
Three nights at the ski-centric Furano Prince
February 2014: $260
February 2015: $220

Europe
One-week tour with Cycle Italia
February 2014: $4,000
February 2015: $3,395

Brazil
Three nights in the Amazon at Pousada Uacari
February 2014: $850
February 2015: $750

5. Best Deal: Kolarbyn Hostel

Kolarbyn's sauna on Skärsjön lake. Photo: Lasse Modin

These 12 huts, located about 80 miles west of Stockholm, are made from wood and earth (you can pick blueberries off the roof) and set you up in the middle of a spruce forest straight out of Endor. Spend your days napping, hiking, or paddling nearby waterways, and end them with a visit  to the floating sauna on Skärsjön lake. $120.