Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it’s permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people’s lives. Trains bring us up close and personal—both inside and outside the carriage. On board, passengers chat politics in Finnish dining cars, clamber into couchettes above strangers on the Trans-Siberian, and share samosas on India’s many raucous mail trains. Outside, the world flashes by, a slideshow of rivers growing into oceans, deserts rising into mountains and cities sprawling then receding into darkness as the train thunders on through the night.
Rafting a Western River With the Next Generation
06.09.2024 - 13:53 / nytimes.com
Rivers soak into your bones.
I was 12 when my father and I received an invitation from a group of his friends to raft the remote Selway River in Idaho. A city kid from the Northeast, I was unaccustomed to the loamy smells of the Western wilderness and astonished by these roughshod river rats who spent their days joyously chasing water. One of their raft trailers featured a hand-painted sign that read, “No matter where you at, there you are.”
My father and I would later accompany this crew on some of the West’s great rivers — the Snake, the Clearwater, the Salmon, the San Juan. We rafted Desolation Canyon in Utah and Colorado’s Gates of Lodore, a red rock chasm that seems to defy gravity above the jewel-like Green River.
A river seduces you from the very first moment you push off from shore, when you sense that first insistent pull of current, the frenetic churn of white water giving way to the hypnotic stillness of an eddy. Each night at camp, after a day of chasing water, after the best meal of your life, you drift into a dreamless sleep against the gentle hush of the river on its way to whatever tomorrow will bring.
This past summer, our family was invited to a wedding in Bozeman, Mont. I now had two boys of my own, Holt, 10, and Max, 7, and wanted them to feel the current’s steady tug, to taste that first jet of white water as it leaped from the river and smacked you in the face. So I looked into the possibility of a river float in Montana.
I found a three-day, two-night trip run by Glacier Raft Company down the Middle Fork of the Flathead, named for the Salish (Flathead) people who lived in the watershed alongside the Kootenai and Kalispel. The Middle Fork hugs the southern border of Glacier National Park just beneath the Continental Divide, weaving through alpine forests of lodgepole pine, western larch and black cottonwood.
Bikes + Water: 5 Rides Perfect for the Fall
Late-day sunlight bounced off the rapids in the river below. The water sang different notes as it splashed up and over rocks. As I cycled along the riverside path, heading downstream just like the current, the flowing water and the route it carved over eons along the valley floor presented an ever-changing landscape.
I toured first-class cars on the Rocky Mountaineer train, where tickets cost $2,269 and come with a luxe bar that's off-limits to other passengers
In May 2022, I rode the Rocky Mountaineer — one of the world's most luxurious trains. The Canadian train company operates four routes, and I was on its US route heading to Moab, Utah, from Denver.
Our Gear Editor Found the Best Pair of Waterproof Hiking Boots
For dwellers of the mountains or high desert, a good pair of hiking boots is essential. As a gear tester and editor at Matador, I’ve worn many pairs from brands both established and new, and given that I hike hundreds of miles per year, have become quite picky about what I want in a pair of boots for the trail. I recently acquired a pair of Oboz Cottonwood Mid Waterproof hiking boots, listed with the term B-DRY on the REI website, after demoing them at a trade show, and after a month of constant trail use, the boots have earned their place in my gear collection as my new pair of go-to hiking boots. Here’s why.
Jackson Hole’s First Adults-Only Hotel Recently Opened With the Only Unobstructed Views of the Tetons
Sipping an Old Fashioned with an unobstructed view of the Tentons without worrying about the kids sounds like heaven on Earth. And you can now do that in style at a stay at Jackson Hole’s first adults-only hotel, Hotel Yellowstone.
This US Budget Airline Lets You Fly With One Case of Wine for Free
At a time when most airlines, budget or otherwise, are determined to make you pay through the nose for any piece of luggage you want to bring with you on a flight, Avelo Airlines, is going against the grain. Since May 25, 2024, Avelo, a US-based budget airline, lets adult passengers departing from Sonoma County Airport (STS) fly with one case of wine for free. As of September 16, 2024, however, the airline will be expanding its Wine Travel Free program to and from all its routes in the Western US.
Montana's Aspens Are Turning Gold. Here's Where to See the Best Foliage in the State
Fall is the ideal time to visit Montana if you’re looking to get away from the crowds and into nature. The shoulder season welcomes the colorful displays of foliage, crisp, clean air, rivers teeming with fish, and active wildlife. Because Big Sky Country is vast, we’ve put together some top spots to see fall colors in all their glory. From the shimmering golden tapestry of aspen groves and deciduous trees in the southwestern and central regions, to the golden hues of the wheat fields against the backdrop of the setting sun over the northern and easter plains, here are some of the best places to visit in fall and where to stay.
The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch Strikes an Ideal Balance of Secluded, Social, and Spirited
Stepping into The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, Colorado, just outside of Vail, feels like entering a cozy alpine oasis. This year-round resort destination is tucked into the mountain up on a perch among the majestic Rocky Mountains, peering down to showcase the scenic beauty of the Vail Valley. The property, with rooms from around $1,000 during ski season and far less during shoulder seasons, looks – and feels – like something straight out of a sophisticated Swiss postcard, albeit with Colorado’s rugged Wild West spirit.
Delta cuts another US destination, adds new Boston routes in latest network shake-up
The network planners at Delta Air Lines have been quite busy.
52 Hours Aboard the California Zephyr, the Longest Train Ride in the US
Nobody understands the magic of Amtrak's California Zephyr train quite like Brad Swartzwelter, better known to passengers as Conductor Brad.
These are 10 of the most haunted hotels in the world — and you can actually sleep in them
Looking to celebrate Halloween in a truly spooky fashion? Why not try and brave a night at one of the most haunted hotels in the world?
19 of the best places to visit in Utah
Sep 19, 2024 • 7 min read