Holiday Gift Guide 2023: 11 Great Gifts For National Park Enthusiasts

Between the enchantment of snow-coated landscapes and the hush that comes with it, winter reveals a different world of national parks with significantly fewer crowds. 

For the past few months I’ve been converting a 2014 Ford Transit Connect into a campervan. I installed solar panels, batteries, built a bed, and more. Now it was time for a test run. I had intended to take more time with the build, but I had an important work-related trip coming up that required the van to be in at least livable condition.

Americans are always on the search for great national parks—and this week, Google released its Year in Search trends for 2023, along withsome unpublished data shared directly with Condé Nast Traveler, confirming exactly which parks were searched the most via Google Maps over the past year.

If there’s one park in the US National Park system that displays how beautiful the western states can be, it’s Zion National Park. And it’s well-loved: the national park is the most visited in Utah and one of the most popular in the entire park system.

Yosemite National Park is bringing back its reservation system. During peak times next year, travelers won’t be able to enter the park without a reservation, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

Closets organized by seasons, labeled containers in the pantry, shoes laid out by style and color—we all have that friend or loved one who can’t help but organize every element of their life. If you happen to be shopping for such a person this holiday season, there’s no doubt that they’re just as tidy when they travel. Thankfully, there are plenty of accessories to help them maintain their propensity for orderliness while on the move. From a thoughtfully designed toiletry bag to premium TSA-approved containers, these are the best gifts for organized travelers.

America’s national parks are some of the most beautiful spots in the entire country, and next year travelers will be able to visit them all for free on six different days. 

New Year, new national park to check off your must-visit list? Mark your calendars: The park system just announced a half dozen “free days” for 2024 that are spread throughout the year, beginning with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2024.

Skipping the buzz—and the calories – has gotten much more enjoyable. Even in the past six months, the non-alcoholic wine space has improved dramatically, with new offerings showing surprising complexity. My list this year includes a couple of debuts and some old favorites. I’ve noted how these beverages were made – some start with fermented grapes – actual wine—then use complex chemistry to remove the alcohol. These might hew closer to a traditional wine to many palates. Then there are beverages that use a mixture of teas, juices, spices or other elements to give the experience of wine – mouthfeel, complex nose and palate. These alternatives are generally not meant to emulate a particular varietal, but rather give the drinker a pleasing adult beverage to enjoy in situations where you’d normally drink wine. Here are this year’s top picks.

Japan is already primed and ready to be the hottest travel destination in 2024.

Aptly known as “The Sweetest Place On Earth,” Hershey, Pennsylvania pays homage to the cocoa bean 365 days a year, with specially designed chocolate-inspired activities for the holidays. Visitors can delight in such festivities as Decorating with Mrs. Claus, visiting Hershey’s Holiday Chocolate House or by hopping on the Holly Jolly Trolley. Of course, each activity contains an element of delectable chocolate.

Civitatis has seen 115% growth since 2019, with a 31% surge from 2022 to YTD 2023. Civitatis’ top selling destinations are, in descending order, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, London, Porto, Barcelona, New York, Budapest, and Prague.