Travel in state Nevada

The aroma of a tapas bar is an incongruous sensation when dressed in ski kit, but it’s the end of a long day on the slopes, and plates of grilled squid, spicy patatas bravas and plump green olives are on offer, along with a bargain glass of Rioja (€3.50/£2). It’s 6pm and the lifts have only just shut in Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski resort. The mountain town in Andalusia enjoys lots more sunshine than most ski areas in the Alps. This, admittedly, is accompanied by a fairly functional assortment of accommodation spread along a steeply winding road. Unless you’re staying right in town, walking home while carrying your kit takes quite an effort at this altitude. The resort’s hub, Pradollano, sits at 2,100 metres, while the ski area’s 65 miles of pistes extend up to 3,398 metres: the chilly summit of Veleta, Spain’s third-highest mountain. 

The White House is announcing billions of dollars in new funding for train projects from coast to coast.

In the US, embarking on a train trip means taking the track less travelled. Once the symbol of technological advancement and westward expansion, the country’s railroads have had a hard time moving into the modern era. But when you ride the rails in the US, you’re afforded the opportunity to peel back the layers of this land and experience it on a human scale. 

President Joe Biden is a self-described train fan, commuting between Washington, D.C. and Delaware on Amtrak for decades as a Senator. Now to beef up U.S. passenger rail, his administration is doling out more than $8 billion, including funds for two high-speed trains in California and Nevada.

As options for the traditional chalet ski break have dwindled and prices risen, venturing to Europe’s far corners and beyond for a ski break can reap rewards. Costs are often lower, while luxury accommodation can be similarly priced to budget options in mainstream European ski resorts. As well as being potentially cheaper, skiing in territory off the beaten track can offer a rich cultural experience, plus better flight routes, less crowded slopes, sunnier days and a friendlier welcome.

Born in Lebanon and raised in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Simaan Hawa earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“If you need to update Facebook, do it now,” the conductor announces over the tannoy. The passengers chuckle but dutifully pull out their phones. As we trundle into the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains, we’re about to enter another mobile dead zone.

When it comes to single malt whiskey, America has been, fittingly, like the Wild West. Sure, there are some basic rules that everyone follows—the whiskey must be produced from malted barley at a single distillery in the United States—but after that things have been wide open.

Northern California’s historic Gold Country is booming—for the second time. This string of former mining towns in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada burst onto the scene in 1848 during the fabled gold rush.

When Beverly Buchanan set out to create a monumental work of land art in Macon, Georgia, the foreman of her rigging crew put his hardhat on her head and promised to treat her "like a woman moving furniture". He thought he was doing her a favor. Brushing off the slight, Buchanan expertly directed the workers to position four enormous concrete footers from an abandoned restaurant in a configuration that looked accidental yet perfectly punctuated the forested grounds of Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences.

If you’re a Pink Floyd fan, you know Mono Lake. Perhaps not by name, but certainly by sight. It’s the location for the legendary Aubrey Powell “The Diver” photo (also called “Monosee”) from the inner sleeve of Wish You Were Here. Even if you’re not a Pink Floyd fan, you might have come across this photo, where a pair of legs are sticking out of perfectly still water near alien-looking rock formations. The whole thing is surreal in that way that Powell and the company he co-founded, Hipgnosis, was so skilled at creating.

The Mount Hood stratovolcano, around two hour’s drive east of Portland, Oregon, is the most transfixing ski destination you’re ever likely to lay eyes on. It’s a perfect snow-topped pyramid, pushing high through the clouds, with a belt of fir trees and pistes that crisscross the forest like strands of a spider’s web. Get closer and you’ll see the pattern is the result of several exciting ski areas: Timberline, Mount Hood Skibowl, Mount Hood Meadows, Summit Ski Area and Cooper Spur. For those who love winter sports, this region always offers another reason to stay longer. 

Every year is a big year in Las Vegas, with tourism records being broken regularly. But by any standards this is really big year–we just saw the debut of the super high-profile F1 race, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and just before that, the opening of the world’s most technologically advanced music and performance venue, the Sphere, kicking off with a run of U2 concerts that has already been extended twice. The first ever Sin City Super Bowl is coming in February, but before that there’s one other huge happening–the December 13th grand opening of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, an entirely new mega resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Airlines are trialling new techniques to shave minutes off turnaround procedures as a way to cut costs.

Nestled deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite National Park is one of the most amazing places in California. There are legendary hikes, jaw-dropping scenic vistas, and wildlife galore. It is also one of the most visited national parks, with nearly 3.7 million visitors each year. That’s a lot, but even more so when you consider it’s barely visited at all in the winter. Almost all those people are also funneled into a relatively narrow valley, it can get quite crowded.

All Las Vegas vacations are not alike. And when your primary travel goal in Las Vegas is to catch a show, game or other event at the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium — the home stadium for both the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL as well as the University of Nevada Rebels — picking one of the best Vegas hotels with a convenient location can make your visit all the smoother, particularly when it comes to navigating game day traffic and crowds.

You’re headed home for the holidays—and hopefully, barring any flight delays, you make it before the turkey hits the table or the holiday festivities get underway. A new report from Upgraded Points, a points and miles website, reveals the airports where travelers are most likely to be delayed during the winter holiday season.

Some of the coolest outdoor spaces in the American West are now open for business as part of a new concept from Open Venues—think Airbnb, but for rare and unique venues. An ochre-hued sandstone cave in Moab might be the ideal setting for your rehearsal dinner or maybe opt for a lavender meadow near the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona. The platform—which is the first of its kind—connects users with unique historic properties and outdoor landscape settings for hosting everything from a corporate event to a private wedding. The current collection of 25 venues is concentrated in the American West, but plans are in the works to take the offerings nationwide. Below are some of the coolest options in their portfolio:

Sometimes the best food critics are everyday diners and food enthusiasts. And OpenTable’s 2023 list of Top 100 Restaurants in America does just that.

Tourism to Las Vegas has made a strong recovery from the pandemic, with visitor spending hitting a record $79.3 billion in 2022.

Those who enjoy wild and lonely places will love driving Nevada's scenic and remote back roads.