National Geographic Traveler USA - 08.2019 - 09.2019

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AMERICAN ISLANDS

TAYLOR GLENN/REDUX (BEACH), YAY MEDIA AS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (BISON); PREVIOUS PAGE: TED HOROWITZ/GETTY IMAGES (FLAG), TAMER KOSELI (ILLUSTRATION)

KIAWAH ISLAND

OOSouth Carolina The

theme is Low Country

luxury on this island with

40 miles of bike paths,

world-class golf courses,

and pampering spas. Claim

a table at The Ocean Room

for a tender steak paired

with a selection from the

well-stocked wine cellar.

AVERY ISLAND

OOLouisiana This bayou-

bounded salt dome island

is the home of Tabasco.

You can tour the factory-

museum and take a class

on kicked-up local cuisine

capped by a four-course

meal. Make time for the

170-acre Jungle Gardens

and its bird sanctuary.

ANTELOPE ISLAND

OOUtah The urban bustle
of Salt Lake City fades
fast on this nearby island
featuring hiking, mountain
views, and a herd of some
700 free-ranging bison.
Each July, cyclists roll up
for the 24-mile, family
friendly Antelope by
Moonlight bike ride.

FIRE ISLAND

OONew York With evoca-

tive names like Kismet and

Sailors Haven, the mostly

car-free communities here

draw families to lemonade

stands, architecture buffs

to modernist houses, drag

queens to Fourth of July

parades, and everyone to

the famously fiery sunsets.

HATTERAS ISLAND

OONorth Carolina Miles of

pounding waves and pro-

tected National Seashore

make this a destination for

kiteboarding, surfing, and

casting for red drum. Don’t

miss The Graveyard of the

Atlantic Museum with its

exhibits on shipwrecks of

the Outer Banks.

LĀNA‘I

OOHawaii Discover

natural wonders such as

the fog-cloaked boulders

at Keahiakawelo (aka “the

Garden of the Gods”),

leatherback sea turtles

in the surf, and rainbow

eucalyptus trees with their

brightly colored bark.

MACKINAC ISLAND

OOMichigan Insulated

from the outside world

by its massive Lake Huron

moat, this carless island

attracts visitors who walk,

bike, or take horse-drawn

carriages to Fort Mackinac,

Arch Rock, the butterfly

conservatory, and a dozen

shops for handmade fudge.

BARANOF ISLAND

OOAlaska After a day of

kayaking, hiking, salmon

fishing, or exploring the

Tlingit and Haida totem

poles at Sitka National

Historical Park, refuel with

local fare (topped by Sitka

Sound salt) at Ludvig’s

Bistro and well-spun tales

at the Pioneer Bar.

CAPE MAY

OONew Jersey Cape May

is both a peninsula and,

yes, an island. Designated

a National Historic Land-

mark, it’s a Victorian-era

jewel second only to San

Francisco in the number

of beautifully maintained

“painted lady” houses.

Down at the shore, the

waves are perfect for body-

surfing and skimboarding.

Lucky beachcombers find

Cape May “diamonds”—

quartz crystal pebbles that

have traveled down the

Delaware River. Birder alert:

More than 400 species

have been recorded here,

from egrets to sandpipers.

Check out the guided

tours and workshops with

naturalists from the Cape

May Bird Observatory.

MARTHA’S VINEYARD

OOMassachusetts On

this island popular with

A-listers, take in Chilmark’s

farmland, Vineyard Haven’s

shipwrights, and Edgar-

town’s dining scene (try

elegant L’Etoile). In August,

Grand Illumination Night

sets Oak Bluffs’ ginger-

bread cottages aglow.

AQUIDNECK ISLAND

OORhode Island While
Newport gets the notice
for its regattas, jazz festival,
and Gilded Age mansions,
this Narragansett Bay gem
also offers peaceful spots
such as the Sachuest Point
National Wildlife Refuge
and Green Animals Topiary
Garden, the nation’s oldest.

A Georgia barrier

island, Tybee is famed

for its sandy beaches.

CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND

OOVirginia This island is

renowned for its Tidewater

pace, oysters called “salts,”

and a horse named Misty.

During July’s Pony Swim,

a fundraiser for the fire

department, a feral herd

crosses the channel from

Assateague Island guided

by “saltwater cowboys.”