5 Best U.S. Labor Day Weekend City Destinations

With summer fast fading, it's time to make the last of vacation days memorable ones that can be savored through the rest of the year. Based on my own travels, here are several suggestions for great places to spend a Labor Day weekend and say goodbye to the summer:

Las Vegas

You can't go wrong by choosing Las Vegas. However, if you really want to go wrong, Sin City is the best place to let it all hang out over the Labor Day weekend. My pick is always Caesars Palace, as I think they offer so many options from hotel rooms to dining and activities, all at a luxury standard. For an old guy like me, it can be a luxurious Labor Day experience; for the wilder travelers, they offer options like a topless pool. The Venus Pool Club is part of Caesars' amazing Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis area.

New York City

Enjoy everything the Big Apple has to offer. When I'm there, I try to see several Broadway shows and use the well-known secret of the TKTS booth. Although the line can be long, the organization behind the booths is actually a non-profit (Theatre Development Fund) that supports the live theater community, and the sales benefit the organization. To enjoy the late summer scenery, I often take a bike ride through Central Park, and pay a visit to the Statue of Liberty.

San Francisco

Enjoy all the wonders of the beautiful City by the Bay. You get the best views when you hike across the Golden Gate Bridge. My favorite San Francisco experience is enjoying dinner in a Chinatown restaurant with local families, I simply look for the most hidden, out-of-the-way spot I can find. I often ride the cable cars and take the one-hour cruise tour to Alcatraz Island.

Several times, I've taken the 30-minute drive to Muir Woods National Monument and marveled at the magnificent thousand-year-old giant redwood trees. I always have my camera along to record those wonderful San Francisco Labor Day weekend moments I've enjoyed for many years.

Grand Canyon National Park

I wouldn't make a favorite Labor Day weekend list without including at least one national park. Living 20 post-retirement years in Arizona gave me many opportunities to spend time at this magnificent site. The beginning of September is the most beautiful time of year there, with the oak, aspen, and other trees turning to their fall colors. I've hiked and even rode a mule down the Bright Angel trail to the banks of the Colorado River. Visiting the Grand Canyon is a great way to end summer and go home with memories of the wonders it offers.

Philadelphia

The birthplace of liberty makes an excellent setting for your final vacation of the summer. I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love, and I go back often to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and other historic landmarks. Fairmount Park and the banks of the Schuylkill River provide many comfortable sites for your Labor Day picnic. A new addition to the area is the Barnes Foundation, a museum gallery with one of the great collections of art ever assembled.

You can follow travel writer Ted Sherman on Twitter @travel4seniors and check out his blog travel4seniors.com.

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