With more than 300 glorious days of sun and majestic landscapes to match, it’s no wonder Colorado beckons to outdoorsy types.
18.08.2023 - 11:35 / lonelyplanet.com
The United States is vast and varied, spanning roughly 3000 miles from east to west and 1650 miles from north to south – and that’s not including Alaska and Hawaii.
You could spend a lifetime exploring and barely scratch the surface, but that just means there’s plenty to keep you busy. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventure, a relaxing beach getaway, an urban vacation or a deep dive into history and culture, you’ll never find yourself at a loss for things to see and do in the USA.
From the bright lights of exciting New York City to the steep hills of picturesque San Francisco, the nation’s urban centers are pulsing with energy and filled with diverse neighborhoods and top-notch restaurants, museums and historic sites. The capital, Washington, DC, holds the nation’s collective history and culture in trust along the National Mall with its many impressive government buildings, museums and memorials. Boston, the site of a crucible of revolution and literature, occupies an indelible place in American history and culture. Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Los Angeles, New Orleans… the list of cities worth visiting is endless.
A tremendous array of wildlife inhabits America’s varied landscapes, many of which are protected as national parks and other reserves. Yellowstone, Glacier, and other Rocky Mountain parks are top destinations for moose, bison, elk and bears, while Alaska is in a class of its own, with good chances of seeing wildlife almost anywhere you go. Maine has over 60,000 moose, while the Great Smoky Mountains shelter some 1500 black bears. Paddling or boating the Florida Everglades or Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp provides good chances of spotting alligators. Every March, roughly a million migrating sandhill cranes stop over along Nebraska’s Platte River, while Washington’s Skagit River Valley draws hundreds of bald eagles in winter.
Numerous marine mammal species frequent American coastal waters, including orcas around Washington’s San Juan Islands and humpbacks, dolphins and other whales in Massachusetts, Florida, California, Hawaii and Alaska.
Planning tip: If you plan to visit multiple parks, buy an America the Beautiful (Interagency) Pass, which costs $80 and is valid for a year at all sites operated by the National Park Service and other federal agencies. It covers the driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle or up to four adults at sites that charge per-person fees.
Though a relatively young nation in the global scheme of things, the US is full of fascinating history. Go way back in time at the ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park and Canyon de Chelly. Discover the stories of early English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts and follow Boston’s Freedom Trail
With more than 300 glorious days of sun and majestic landscapes to match, it’s no wonder Colorado beckons to outdoorsy types.
The season for pumpkin spice, cozy sweaters, and fall foliage is almost here. Ontario is beautiful in all seasons but leaf peeping in autumn is particularly special as nature puts on a vibrant colorful show with leaves of bright fiery reds, golden hues of orange, and shining yellow ambers. As temperatures start to dip it’s the perfect time to hit the open road and head to a destination to appreciate the great outdoors and fall in Ontario. Canada’s second largest province is home to rugged beauty, forests, and natural landscapes making it a great road trip journey whether you live in Canada or are coming from the United States. Here are three Ontario destinations where you can immerse yourself in the beauty of autumn.
Whether you’re already planning a getaway or simply fantasizing about fascinating horizons, the new Great Outdoors U.S.A.: 1,000 Adventures Across All 50 States(National Geographic Books) is an action-packed, info-generous, photography-rich, bright beacon. This ambitious 736-page, colorful and insightful travelogue encourages all levels of nature lovers. It illuminates fun, spirited pursuits in every state; surprising, off-the-beaten-path gems; and full-throttle epic journeys. Perhaps coolest are the heart-warming verdant oases unveiled in urban areas.
If you’ve ever been crammed into an uncomfortable coach seat, been charged extra for a bag, or had a flight delayed for no good reason, you know how much the airline you fly can impact your trip.
Summer may be coming to a close, but there's good news that comes with school being back in session: College campuses everywhere are springing back to life in full force. The Midwest is home to several of the best, with world-class museums, acclaimed restaurants, and notable festivals, boasting their own unique draws. And while autumn is always an exciting time to visit (think football and foliage), there’s enough happening in each of these destinations to warrant a getaway any time of year. From a bustling big-city suburb to a UNESCO City of Literature, here are the Midwest’s best college towns to visit now.
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The best time to visit Thailand is from December to March—though, as with any tropical destination, a short and ridiculously torrential burst of rain is unpredictably possible, even on the sunniest of days.
This story is part of the Great Bagel Boom, a Bon Appétit series celebrating the vast creative expanses of bagel culture across America—because yes, you can find truly wonderful bagels outside of New York now.
It’s been a boom year for travel thus far (to put it mildly) and the upcoming Labor Day weekend period will prove no exception. If heading out of town to celebrate this September holiday, which traditionally marks the unofficial end of summer, prepare yourself for more intense crowding and congestion than last year.
Whether they are naturally formed, cast in concrete on a rock shelf or hewn from the rock itself, tidal pools solve a problem by providing safe access to the sea. Plunging into rich saltwater in a sheltered area protected from the turbulent waves, yet still refreshed by the tide twice a day, is an unfettered joy.
There are many reasons to fall in love with the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic that’s often called the Hawaii of Europe. The islands are green; they’re lush; they’re beautiful. And there’s a lot of delicious cheese. They’re also still places that are still largely free from mass tourism, and they’re home to a growing number of delightful boutique hotels. These are some of the loveliest.
With the soaring Andes to the east, the pounding Pacific to the west, Patagonian fjords down south and an immense desert up north, Chile is the kind of diverse natural playground that adventure lovers dream about.