Forget Art: Avocado Museum to Open This Summer

Labor Day is right around the corner, and what better way is there to kiss summer goodbye than with one last adventure? Right now, a handful of travel companies are coming in clutch with late summer deals, while others are looking ahead to fall, winter, and beyond to make sure you have something to look forward to when the temperatures start dropping.

If you needed any more proof that San Diego has turned into a foodie town, just head to Westfield UTC in La Jolla, where the internationally acclaimed Ramen Nagi has just opened its fifth U.S. location. Don’t worry about finding it in the huge outdoor mall – your nose will happily lead you there.

It may be the heart of summer, but JetBlue is already looking ahead to fall, and putting one-way flights on sale starting at just $39 to celebrate.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed a park road due to bear activity during a time when the animals are foraging for food.

It’s the end of an era for plastic water bottles at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Long distance couples, meet long distance sex toys. If you've ever spent an extended period of time away from your partner or lover, you probably know how difficult it can be to maintain intimacy when erotic satisfaction and sensual touch are not provided—at no fault but that of the miles and time zones between you both. Yet thanks to sex tech, proximity doesn't need to be the end all be all of sexual connection to your person. Remote access to erotic sensation and unwaveringly great orgasms are not only a thing, they've become a staple in teledildonics—receiving and transmitting intimate touch through the internet—as the market demands more ways to be close to our partners at a distance (USD 31.4 billion was the sextech market size in 2022, it's only growing). Meaning: remote access sex toys are here to stay. TSA, be warned.

In the heart of the enchanting Chianti wine region in Tuscany, Italy, stands an exquisite 16th-century stone farmhouse called "Villa Ardore." Transformed into a luxurious sanctuary for love and acceptance, this remarkable venue is a testament to the enduring power of passion and the triumph of progress over adversity.

While the downtowns of many American cities have stagnated since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Las Vegas Arts District is staging an impressive comeback. The area, once known for bail bonds, pawn shops and wedding chapels, boasts artist studios, bars, clubs, tattoo shops, bookstores, coffee roasters, vintage clothing shops, and now a $4 million restaurant from Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, 1288 Main.

Today’s announcement that Southwest has a new marketing relationship with a rideshare company was no surprise. As rideshare services have become an ever-larger part of the travel landscape, such tie-ups have proliferated. It won’t be long before every airline and hotel loyalty program has a rideshare company on its roster of points-earning partners.

We’re proud to announce the winners of the 2018 SmarterTravel Editors’ Choice Destination Awards. We’ve scoured the world to find the best places to go in 2018.

One year ago, Harvard Business School researchers released findings about the home-share rental platform Airbnb—and they weren’t good. The university created Airbnb user profiles under names that are common among African-Americans, and found they were 16 percent less likely to be accepted for a booking. Real Airbnb users of color said they weren’t surprised. Black users shared stories of repeated cancellations and failed booking attempts, using #AirbnbWhileBlack on social media.

Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.