One of my best friends just returned from a whitewater rafting trip on the American River.

Well, she called it "rafting."
Her version of this adventure sport involved a case of cheap beer and a lazy float down the Lower American River—a stretch of water that's occasionally mild enough to snooze on. When I heard that she'd spent more time cracking cans of PBR than actually paddling, I couldn't help but laugh a little. My own experience on that same river had left me with some of the largest bruises of my life. And I loved every second of it.

Traditionally summer is the season of travel and outdoor adventure. The kids are out of school, casual Fridays prevail at the office, and there’s a general sense of freedom and wanderlust. But here in San Francisco, summer is when the fog becomes one territorial and cold cat.

One long weekend and two agonizing breakups prompted my friend, Jamie, and I to go on a vacation therapy getaway. Much like retail therapy, which I'm also a huge fan of, vacation therapy aims to drown your sorrows in worldly comforts. However, our pitiful decisions for the weekend leave my travel expertise up for debate. Let's just blame that on the heartache that ensued.

Since our final destination was a good 10-hour drive from San Francisco, we decided to stay the night somewhere in the middle. Our choice: Weed, Calif. A stone's throw from Mt. Shasta National Forest, this area of upstate California is known for its scenic beauty and outdoor pursuits...something that I can do without.

As Chelsea Clinton’s wedding guests descend (reportedly) on Rhinebeck, New York, today, the small Hudson River Valley town is banking on a big tourism boost. But the valley is more than a wedding destination and more than a quick getaway from New York City: it’s a truly stunning part of the country, as pretty as New England and as friendly as the Midwest.

As the area’s biggest fan, I thought I’d round up my favorite places and ways to spend a day upstate:

Rhinebeck
Visit (or check into) one of the 430+ Rhinebeck sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places; see an air show at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome; and hit the local wine trails. Visit in September for the fabulous Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest.

I grew up in Panama City, Florida, running wild and free on the "World's Most Beautiful Beaches." Here's what my hometown looked like when I visited last summer. I promise this wasn't photoshopped. It really is that perfect.

Come December, East and West Coasters may flock inland to our favorite ski towns (and, let’s admit it, après-ski towns), but by spring, we’re usually headed back to our respective shores and making plans for summer travels, seaside.

It’s unfortunate that we too often relegate the Rocky Mountain states to winter-destination status; after a few years of spring and summer trips to Colorado, I’m struck by how much the area has to offer summer vacationers. Under mountains in bloom, towns put on festivals (I happened upon a great wine fair in Boulder last year), rivers welcome rafters, trails beckon hikers. Planning a Colorado vacation for summer means a ticket to a veritable mountain paradise.

While L.A. residents fight the smog and sit in traffic, many do not seem to know that just 24 easy miles away lies the island resort of Catalina. In contrast to the giant city that lies across the Pacific to the east, Catalina Island has always been something of an anachronism, where golf carts outnumber cars, the clocks move on “island time,” and a herd of buffalo still roams.

Imagine monitoring a meerkat population in the Kalahari. Picture tracking black sea turtles in Baja California. This summer, you could take a volunteer vacation with our partner Earthwatch Institute and work side by side with scientists who are doing important research in the field.

Please join us in welcoming Holly C. Corbett to The Window Seat. She is the co-writer of the blog The Lost Girls and the new travel memoir of the same name.

I’d rather spend my vacation time exploring than vegging out on a beach. Belize’s mix of lush rainforests, labyrinth of underground caves, and Mayan ruins make this Central American country the perfect place for adventure. Plus, it’s just about a two-hour flight from Miami. I wanted to go diving, hike to ancient Mayan ruins, and look for wildlife, so I headed to the former fishing village of Placencia. Located on a peninsula that’s nestled between the Caribbean Ocean and a mangrove-fringed lagoon with the Mayan Mountains to the west, it offers the best of land and sea activities.

After two visits to New Zealand, I am very familiar with travelers' number-one question: just how long does it take to get there? The answer: about 18 hours’ flight time from the U.S. East Coast, or three in-air viewings of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But here’s why Down Under is worth the long haul: once you land in New Zealand—no matter where you touch down—some of the world’s most varied and striking landscapes are a stone’s throw away. In fact, you can visit half a dozen pristine national parks in the time it took you to fly from New York to New Zealand; big on beauty and small on space, New Zealand’s geography favors travelers tight on time. Plus, all Kiwi national parks welcome visitors with free entry and hospitable overnight huts.