I feel- it is not always the “where” that matters to make or break the enjoyment of traveling, but who you are with. A looong ass road trip- say through Nebraska driving alone suuuucks, but with a good co-Pilot can make it tolerable. Lol. But to your larger point: my philosophy- do at least 2-3 nearby trips (say w/in 1 day’s travel) & at least one big long trip per year that might require multi day drive or flights. But that’s just me :) I’m a sucker for new places and old familiar faces