Turtle Bay, a 1,300-acre North Shore property once held by the Hawaiian royal family, stands out among adventure resorts.
Runner-Up: Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu
Southwest Texas' rugged terrain doesn't seem like a good place for a great float trip. Yet, the Devils' pure spring water flows through a magnificent limestone canyon inhabited to black bears, mountain lions, cacti, and yucca.
River Winner: Devils River, Texas
The Catawba River, one of the nation's newest whitewater getaways located an hour from Charlotte, North Carolina, is the basis of Great Falls' vitality.
Great Falls Whitewater Project, South Carolina
While U.S. 395 passes through four states between the Mojave Desert and the Canadian border, the roughly 200 miles that pass by the granite giants of California's eastern Sierra deserve special attention.
Highway 395, Eastern Sierra, California
A climatologist at the University of Puerto Rico measured the average color of the sunbeams that shine throughout this renowned Caribbean vacation, yielding a gorgeous red-orange tint known as Puerto Rico Sunshine.
Sunshine Route, Puerto Rico
The Colorado Plateau is often considered to be the most impressive natural playground in the United States, since it is home to thirty national parks, monuments, and recreation areas.
The Colorado Plateau
This wild national treasure celebrated its 75th anniversary in December all the more incentive to schedule a visit. During the dry season, November through April, stay at the Ivey House Everglades Adventure Hotel in Everglades City (from $179).
Everglades National Park, Florida