Though we’re well on the road to recovery, COVID-19 has still caused Memorial Day and summer travel to look a little different this year. Some Americans are vaccinated and excited to hit the open road, while others may be opting to spend time at home with family and friends. With that in mind, we’re naming the top summer travel destinations of 2021, along with four highly-rated businesses that can bring the destination to you through their unique offerings.
Whether it’s a beautiful print from Palm Springs, California; delicious dumplings delivered to your door straight from New York City; a colorful, curated gift box of local San Antonio goodies; or specialty honeys from Savannah, Georgia – Yelp’s got you covered when you start daydreaming of your next getaway.
In a year where many of us opted not to travel and instead spend time at home, gifts like these have emerged as a great way to support small businesses, and delight loved ones with a new experience. Below, we’ve highlighted four destinations throughout the country, as well as independent businesses that offer a local flare and national shipping.
Top Memorial Day Travel Destinations of 2021, According to Yelp*:
Destination: San Antonio, Texas
How to Bring San Antonio to You: Feliz Modern San Antonio
Co-owners Mario & Ginger Diaz both come from art and design backgrounds, and wanted to create a space for colorful local and global art, gifts, and home decor with San Antonio flavor that would also appeal to a wider audience. The original shop on Olmos Drive opened in 2017 and has since expanded to a second location at the Historic Pearl Brewery, and an online store at felizmodern.com. A Latinx-owned business, Feliz Modern gives back to their city by selling products that support different organizations in the community.
Destination: Palm Springs, California
How to Bring Palm Springs to You: Shag Store Palm Springs
Known for chic hotels, and even chicer people, Palm Springs is sure to dazzle. Check out Shag Store Palm Springs to bring the glamour directly to your doorstep. Each and every print is hand signed and numbered by Shag himself, and you can peruse their online store for an Embroidered Palm Springs Pillow, a Pool Party Tote Bag, Palm Springs Coasters, and more.
Destination: Savannah, Georgia
How to Bring Savannah to You: Savannah Bee Company
Savannah Bee Company, founded in 2002 out of a passion for bees and beekeeping by expert Ted Dennard, is anchored in Savannah, GA, but has roots and hives all over the world. Best known for its flagship Tupelo Honey harvested from the Altamaha and Apalachicola River Basins of Georgia and Florida, Savannah Bee Company also has an expansive product line that includes specialty honeys and honeycomb, body care and beauty items, home goods, and more.
Destination: New York, New York
How to Bring New York to You: Mimi Cheng’s
Beloved NYC dumpling institution, Mimi Cheng’s, started when two sisters couldn’t find dumplings like the ones their mom made. Using family recipes, sisters Marian and Hannah Cheng opened the first location in 2014, and the duo added a third location earlier this year.
Mimi Cheng’s is now shipping their handcrafted dumplings nationwide on Goldbelly. Supporting a woman-owned, Asian-owned business by eating delicious dumplings? We’ll take it!
What’s your favorite summer travel destination? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @Yelp!
*To determine the list, we relied on both data – Yelp’s Data Science team looked for cities that had the highest seasonal consumer interest – as well as human curation.
