Vancouver, British Columbia

Right after the brisk winters and right before the summer crowd, Vancouver is an excellent place to visit during Spring. You’ll enjoy an invigorating weather with reduced expenditures as travel expenses are generally cheaper before the busy summer.

What makes Vancouver an ideal place to visit during Spring is the mountain conditions for snow activities. The weather isn’t too cold and the snow is marshmallow soft making it perfect for beginners to fall on and seasoned mountain riders to carve. Check out the three major mountains in Vancouver for your next trip: Whisler Blackcomb, Grouse Mountain, and Cypress Mountain.

To truly have a taste of Vancouver you can attend the Eat! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival that is held from April 26th – May3rd. Discover new foods, learn new cooking tips and recipes, and try new beverages at one of Canada’s largest food and cooking festival. Admission tickets are only $15 online for adults, but your save room in your wallet for a large appetite!

Orlando, Florida

Orlando’s weather is most pleasant in the winter, but take a trip during Spring to get a head start on your Summer fun. The weather in early Spring averages a high of 75 degrees and can rise up to high 80s late in Spring. Expect to spend most of your time at many of Orlando’s famous attractions and waterparks.

For a festive Mardi Gras experience that caters to people of all groups and ages, Universal Studios celebrates Mardi Gras between mid-February to mid-April. Enjoy delicious Cajun food, 1.8 million bountiful beads, and 16 different concerts to spice up the festivities. For more information visit the website of Universal Studios Orlando.

Nothing beats the hot weather of Orlando than the many quenching water parks of this subtropical city. Spring season starts to garner more water traffic at the parks, but the weather will be perfect to enjoy fun water rides while splashing off the hot weather. Jump in at one of the top water parks in Orlando: Wet N Wild, Aquatica, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

If getting in the water with a galore of other people doesn’t suit you then experience the magic of La Nouba by Cirque de Soleil exclusively at the Walt Disney World Resort. Fanatics of Cirque de Soleil found that this performance is like no other because of the grand venue and the experience of it. Tickets can be purchased on VisitOrlando’s website for these Spring showtimes: March 22-24, April 5-7, and May 17 – June 1.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Even if you’ve already visited the Grand Canyon it will always be a great experience to explore this monument again with friends and/or family. The Grand Canyon remains one of the top travel destinations in the world for families.

If you haven’t visited the Grand Canyon yet, Spring is the best time to visit as temperatures begin to rise into lukewarm conditions so you can enjoy the great outdoors in comfort. You’ll want to try to visit earlier in Spring (except during spring break) since Summer becomes a tourist hotspot and you’ll be seeing more traffic than beautiful scenery.

Whether you’re traveling by car or flying into Arizona, there are numerous guides on the Internet that will help you plan your entire itinerary so you shouldn’t have an excuse to not visit one of nature’s greatest monuments. If you’re interested, here are some resources to get you started: NPS.gov, TripAdvisor, Fodor’s Travel.

Austin, Texas – SXSW

If you’re feeling extra generous to yourself then book a flight to Austin, Texas and attend South by Southwest (SXSW). SXSW is one of the largest festivals in the world housing three different events: interactive, film, and music. The event was born in Austin, Texas and continues to be held there during mid-March.

SXSW was first held in 1987 and started as a music festival to attract local artists. At the time, Austin was not a popular city for discovering the new music artists so the organizers of SXSW created the festival to allow these musicians to showcase their talent. The attraction, growth, and success of the festival led to the creation of SXSW Interactive Festival (focuses on emerging technologies) and SXSW Film Festival (focuses on indies and up-and-coming film talent), which are both held in Austin.

As mentioned, South by Southwest isn’t exactly cheap. To get access to all three festivals you will need to have $1745 ready to splurge. If you only want to go to one of these events, here are the prices and dates:

Music:

• March 17 – 22
• $895

Film:

• March 13 – 21
• $695

Interactive:

• March 13 – 17
• $1295

To learn more about South by Southwest be sure to visit their website.

There are many other places to travel to for Spring 2015, but these are 4 great picks for non-international travels. Have any other places that you think are better to travel to? Add them in the comments below!