The essential guide to visiting San Diego

Spirit Airlines is adding new flights to Puerto Rico, making it easier to get to the island this spring.

The United States has more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, but where can you find the perfect patch of sand for a vacation? By analyzing its reviews, Tripadvisor ranked the top 10 beaches in the United States.

Visit California is reintroducing itself globally with a new $32.8 million tourism rebranding campaign – its first in a decade — on March 4. 

Though her work on Saturday Night Live keeps her tethered to New York City, comedian Chloe Fineman can most often be found criss-crossing the country to film in Los Angeles or back to the Bay Area, where she grew up. Recently, for her campaign with Nütrl Vodka Seltzer, she got to see a new place: Mexico City. “First of all, my brain still can’t understand how it’s a three-hour flight from LA [and five hours from New York], so I could meet all my friends in the middle,” she says. “And it was the most beautiful city. We saw luchadores wrestling, and the food was unbelievable. Some of the best meals in my life were in Mexico City!”

WHEN I WAS growing up in Stockton, Calif., in the 1970s and ’80s, there were only two special-occasion restaurants acceptable to my family. They were both on the south side of the city, in the barrio. My Mexican-born liked Mi Ranchito, and for my dad it was Arroyo’s Cafe. No matter which one we went to, my order was always the same: rib steak ranchero with rice, refried beans and leaves of undressed iceberg lettuce wilted by soupy salsa. I’d pinch torn pieces of machine-pressed flour tortillas around the slices of steak and mix in all the sides. It was a celebratory meal if there ever was one.

April brings a seasonal shift across the globe, making it the ideal time of year for exploring ancient wonders, embarking on epic adventures and savoring fresh local produce.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) took an important step forward in having giant pandas return to the San Diego Zoo by signing a cooperative agreement with China Wildlife Conservation Association and filing a permit application with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SDZWA has a nearly 30-year conservation partnership with research collaborators in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas. These collaborative efforts have had a significant impact—including, increased scientific understanding of giant panda biology, care and wellness, and what pandas need to thrive in a changing climate—contributing directly to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List downgrading the giant panda from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2021. But there is still much more work to do to secure their safe future.

With an average of 266 sunny days every year, 17 miles of world-class beaches, and adventures on tap year-round, San Diego is an ideal place for families to explore. Here are our top multi-generational picks in California’s second largest city.

Delta Air Lines added a second flight to view the total solar eclipse from 30,000 feet after the first flight the airline announced sold out in less than 24 hours.

Tenuta Licinia is a small boutique wine producer in Lucignano (Tuscany) that offers tastings and personalized tours of its vineyards and garden.

Alaska Airlines is making it easier to see April’s epic solar eclipse with a series of flights heading to destinations along the path of totality — and they're selling out. The specific routes, which fly to places like Mazatlán, Mexico, Texas, and Ohio, have seen a threefold increase in demand compared to previous years, Alaska Airlines shared with Travel + Leisure. And that increased demand has led to increasingly sold-out flights.

Anyone who’s set foot in America’s Deep South will know ‘Southern charm’ is no myth, and Savannah — Georgia’s oldest city — embodies just this. Situated at the mouth of the Savannah River in the east of the state, the city has retained its ‘olde world’ atmosphere since its founding in 1733 through its well-preserved cobblestone streets, pre-Civil War architecture, horse-drawn carriages and manicured parks. Meanwhile its more modern array of offerings, including quirky ice cream parlours, moody speakeasies, cosy coffee shops and independent bookshops, have all helped earn its more recent nickname of the ‘Hostess City of the South’. Its urban beauty is also undeniable. Though ravaged by naval blockades during the Civil War, Savannah is said to have charmed Union general William Sherman so much that he saved it from the fires being set by his soldiers during the battle, and instead offered the city as a Christmas gift to President Abraham Lincoln. Today, Savannah plays a much larger role than just being easy on the eye; it’s a vibrant cultural and historical hub for the state and the perfect jumping-off point for various coastal adventures.