Photo courtesy of Pillar Wealth Partners
Where is your favorite summer getaway?
Summer in Alexandria means longer days, easy weekends, and, for a lot of us, the itch to get out of town. We asked our team to share the one place they love to escape to when the temperatures rise. From quiet Carolina beach towns to the dramatic canyons of South Dakota, here's where we're dreaming of this season.
Alex
Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Alex's favorite place to visit is Sunset Beach, a cute, small, and quiet beach town she grew up going to at the very southern tip of North Carolina's coast, just before the South Carolina line. Unlike its bustling neighbor Myrtle Beach, Sunset Beach has no high-rises and no boardwalk crowds, just a laid-back, four-mile stretch of sand backed by dunes and marsh. The town is only accessible by a swing bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, which somehow makes arriving feel like stepping into slower time. Golf carts outnumber cars, families gather for sunset walks near Bird Island, and the pace of life is unhurried in the best way. It's always been beautiful and a welcome break from more crowded spots. If you're looking for fewer crowds without giving up classic beach-town charm, this is the place.
Charlotte
Photo courtesy of Pillar Wealth Partners
Sea urchins in Castine, Maine.
Castine, Maine
Castine, Maine takes the top spot for Charlotte, and it's easy to see why, the summer weather there is hard to beat, with cool ocean breezes and none of the humidity you'd find further south. Perched on a peninsula where the Bagaduce River meets Penobscot Bay, Castine is a historic seafaring village with white clapboard homes, elm-lined streets, and a harbor full of sailboats. There's something for everyone: hiking up Wadsworth Cove, fishing and boating right off the harbor, wandering the charming Main Street shops, and browsing the farmers market for just-picked produce and fresh-baked goods. It's the kind of coastal Maine town that feels frozen in the best possible way.
Cheyenne
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
For Cheyenne, it's all about the Lake of the Ozarks, a sprawling, 1,150-mile-shoreline lake tucked into the rolling hills of central Missouri. It's a true choose-your-own-adventure destination: spend the day boating and tubing on the main channel, tee off at one of the area's many golf courses, or explore the underground formations at Bridal Cave. Ha Ha Tonka State Park adds a dose of natural drama with its castle ruins perched above the water and miles of hiking trails. And when the sun goes down, the lake's marinas and waterfront bars turn into some of the liveliest nightlife in the Midwest. Between boating, water sports, golf, caves, a state park, and hiking, there's no shortage of ways to fill a day or a whole trip.
Nazz
Chicago, Illinois
Nazz's pick might surprise you: Chicago. The weather is excellent in the summer, certainly a welcome change from the city's brutal winters, and it's a chance to see family. Days are spent at the pool with the kids, with trips into the city for deep-dish pizza, Italian beef, or a stroll along the Riverwalk. A Cubs game at Wrigley Field is practically a rite of passage, and the lakefront along Lake Michigan gives the city a surprisingly beachy feel for being landlocked. It's proof that a great summer destination doesn't have to involve sand at all.
Baden
The Badlands, South Dakota
Baden's favorite is a bit further off the beaten path: The Badlands. It's one of his favorite trips for anyone who loves the outdoors. The Badlands offers a unique, otherworldly landscape of jagged canyons, layered rock formations, and towering spires carved over millions of years by wind and water, and you can actually climb on them, thanks to the park's open hike policy. Visitors get frequent wildlife encounters with bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs, and at night, some of the darkest skies in the country make for incredible stargazing, with the Milky Way often visible to the naked eye. It's also just an hour and a half from Mount Rushmore, making it easy to pair the two into one unforgettable South Dakota road trip.
Whether it's a quiet stretch of Carolina coastline, a lakeside weekend, or a hike through canyon country, our team's summer plans prove there's no single "right" way to spend the season. Where are you headed this summer?
If you’d like help putting a plan in place to save up for your next getaway, we’ve got you! Contact us here: https://www.pillarwealthpartners.com/contact.
