I've been to 20 Caribbean islands. Here are 5 things you must do when you visit the region — and 2 you can skip.

It's easy to appreciate the enormity of a skyscraper as it's being built in plain sight, each floor constructed atop the one below — but what about a cruise ship? The newest megaships are just as massive lengthwise as skyscrapers are tall, and they're equally complex. But you never see cruise ships being built on-site at a cruise port.

You don’t hear about Central Florida very often, and when you do, chances are it has something to do with Walt Disney World. But just over an hour north of the famed resort complex is the mid-sized city of Ocala, a destination bursting with superlatives, including “America’s largest spring” and “horse capital of the world.”

The condors appeared at 5,000 meters. They were not real.

As a travel writer specializing in tropical destinations, I've been lucky enough to have visited 30 islands around the world. Because of my extensive travels, people often ask me which islands I'd return to.

Racheli Evanson had a magical childhood. She grew up on Turtle Island in Fiji, which was immortalized in popular culture when it appeared in the 1980 Brooke Shields film Blue Lagoon. Racheli’s American father, Richard, purchased the island in 1972 and turned it into a private resort, where Racheli, her siblings, and her Fijian mother lived until she left to attend boarding school in Australia. Now living in Brisbane with her partner Will Perrins, an Australian in industrial property development, she works remotely for the resort, and the couple has traveled there many times. So there was only one place where Will wanted to propose—and only one destination where they knew they’d marry.

Pantone is just like us, in the sense that they, too, are setting their intentions for the year — one filled with strength and energy. The Color of the Year for 2023 is Viva Magenta, which the company describes as powerful and empowering. “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration… [It] revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint.” A year surrounded by joy and self-expression sounds like a year well spent to us.

Though I am arguably biased as a local, Chicago in the summer is one of the greatest cities in the world. Part of that is due to the number of events on a given weekend, including Chase Sapphire events.

On the ponderous, three-hour train journey between Romania’s capital Bucharest and the town of Brasov, I’m reading what is probably the most famous book set in the country. 

Claire Sturzaker took her first solo backpacking trip for free. Now, she's been to 40 countries and has tips for other budget travelers like her.

You've probably heard of Royal Caribbean's cruises. But you might not know that it has two sister brands — and they're nothing alike.

Also known as “Lefkas”, Lefkada is distinct in that it requires no ferry or boat journey to access it—instead, you simply drive over a causeway a short distance from Prevaza airport on the mainland. Part of the Ionian Islands, mountainous Lefkada is densely forested (providing welcome shade when it’s hot) and has some beautiful beaches that are virtually empty during the shoulder seasons. Compared to better-known Greek islands, Lefkada remains crowd-free and uncommercialized (there are no international hotel brands here yet), so keep the secret to yourself. It’s also a good jumping-off point for celebrity magnet Meganisi, where you can visit Fish Taverna Errikos for lunch.

Tourism is an important part of life in Alaska. In fact, last year, tourism brought in nearly $158 million in revenue for the state.