Ready for the Next Extreme-Weather Catastrophe? Here’s How to Pack a ‘Go Bag.’

Quark Expeditions helicopter pilot Jonathan Mutch is working his third season in Antarctica, flying high-paying tourists to some of the planet's remotest places.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrew Jernigan, CEO of Insured Nomads. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I love kids, but it's tough for me to relax in a hotel full of them. Peaceful moments by the pool are often interrupted by splashing water. Occasional youthful screams in communal spaces startle me. And sunsets on the balcony may be accompanied by crying children and scolding parents in the room next door.

When Helga Crane, the main character in Nella Larsen’s novel “Quicksand,” walked through the streets of Copenhagen, people were amazed. “Her dark, alien appearance was to most people an astonishment,” wrote Larsen, an acclaimed Harlem Renaissance author. “Some stared surreptitiously, some openly, and some stopped dead in front of her in order more fully to profit by their stares.”

Maybe it's just me, but planning my family's theme park vacations brings me almost as much joy as the vacation itself. I don't go overboard planning out a structured itinerary for every minute of our trip, but choosing which parks we will visit each day and where we will stay adds to the excitement of our theme park visits.

A new gift idea for the traveler who has it all just landed.  Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent recently unveiled two new private jet itineraries for 2026, and updated two existing ones. The programs will take travelers on curated journeys to off-the-grid, or hard to reach destinations. The firm operates the month-long excursions in February, May, September, and October and they sweep through multiple counties and destinations around the world on a private jet. 

JetBlue Airways is redrawing its route network — and there is some good news for Europe-bound flyers.

Dec 11, 2024 • 5 min read

I didn't grow up in a family that traveled. The first time I vacationed outside the US was on my honeymoon, and just a few years after getting married, our first child was born, significantly slowing down our travels. It's only been since my kids got older that I've been traveling to spots I've always wanted to visit, like Italy and Mexico's Baja California peninsula .

Emme Hayes wasn’t happy with the “buy, use, and toss” flow of gear in the outdoor apparel industry. With constant pressure from brands and social media to buy the latest and greatest gear, the industry she loves and has worked in for much of her life wasn’t exactly living up to her – or its – values. Footwear and clothing account for some 8 percent of total carbon emissions, and though gear brands love to tout mantras of ever-increasing sustainability, buying new stuff constantly is never going to be as sustainable as using what you have for longer, and repurposing it when you’re done. In 2021, the climate activist and former apparel designer decided to do something about it, founding the digital platform Articles in Common as a marketplace for recreators to repurpose their outdoors gear and clothing to keep it out of landfills.

We’ve all gone gaga for eclipses. Whether total, partial, annular, solar or lunar, we want to see them all, preferably from the best vantage point. For some, that means planning a few days in a prime viewing location, while for others, that translates to booking a special eclipse flight like the ones Southwest and Delta organized for the April 8, 2024 celestial event. Some go as far as booking cruises like the sailings Princess Cruises and Holland America Line scheduled earlier this spring specifically for the phenomenon.

Visiting Alaska in winter seems like a crazy idea. Extreme weather conditions in the northernmost state in the nation last around seven months, between October and April, and are not for the faint-hearted. However, there’s a way to travel around Alaska during that time and enjoy the frozen and snowy landscapes in comfort and without having to wear heavy snow boots and a dozen woollen layers: the train. The Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Winter Train is your ticket to see the magic of Alaska in winter, including the northern lights, without getting frostbites.