A first-timer's guide to Napa Valley

Alberta is home to some of the most awe-inspiring scenery on the planet: rugged snow-capped mountains, massive glaciers, thick forests, impossibly blue lakes, vast prairies and other-worldly badlands filled with dinosaur bones. It’s a nature lover’s paradise, but that's only one side of this remarkable destination.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.

The New River Valley in Southwest Virginia is a scenic vacation spot and the home to Virginia Tech, a large public university in Blacksburg, Virginia. It’s located in Montgomery County which touches three river drainages – New River, James River, and Roanoke River – so there’s an abundance of outdoor activities available. You’ll also find a classic cinema, a charming bookstore, an innovative arts center, and lots more. Here are the things you shouldn’t miss when you visit the valley.

Sleeper trains are making a welcome comeback and it’s easy to see why; they’re more environmentally-friendly and sustainable than air travel, as well as being a fun and, often, comfortable way of traveling. 

Once dismissed as a sleepy retirement home for aging Anglophiles, Vancouver Island has acquired a racier profile in recent years, courtesy of its free-spirited surfing towns, pastoral wineries, community-built biking networks and extravagantly eccentric accommodations.

Heavenly Zion National Park is the holy grail of Utah’s "Mighty 5" and one of the most-visited national parks in the country. 

The terms “toiletry bag” and “cosmetic case” are often used interchangeably although toiletry bags are usually larger and hold more than cosmetics.

Napa Valley has long been a mecca for wine lovers. Who doesn’t fantasize about sipping wine while overlooking a vineyard? But wine country vacations are getting expensive: tasting room fees have risen sharply since 2019, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 Direct to Consumer report. With premium tasting experiences often costing an average of $128 per person per winery, a weekend getaway can quickly add up. And long gone are the days of traversing Highway 29 and popping into places on a whim; reservations, a practice that gained traction during the pandemic, remain firmly in place.

While it might be tempting to shop for a gift with a big wow factor this Mother’s Day, why not spring for something practical—an item your mom will actually use on a regular basis?

Amid velvety green valleys and oak-covered hills, more than 425 wineries flourish on 63,000 acres of vineyards, producing some of the nation’s best pinot noir, zinfandel and chardonnay — 99% of which are sustainable. Welcome to laid-back Sonoma, located an hour north of San Francisco (depending on traffic), yet a world away. 

Anyone who appreciates fine wine is spoiled for choice in California.

The Willamette Valley in Oregon is famous for two things: scenery and its wine. And rightfully so.