We spent over $900 to go on a bucket-list hike hidden in the Grand Canyon region. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

Millions flock to the national parks every year to witness spectacular fall color light up the Great Smoky Mountains or to see the otherworldly geothermal pools in Yellowstone. Last year, in particular, was a banner year for national park visitation, according to newly released figures from the park service: The parks welcomed 325.5 million visitors to the more than 400 national park sites. The visitation numbers are up 4% from 2022, though not a full rebound from the years leading up to the pandemic when the parks saw nearly 330 million visitors.

The Grand Canyon has always been on my travel bucket list, with its sweeping views that warp one's sense of distance, cliff faces that tower over rugged hiking trails, and buildings steeped with history.

For skiers and snowboarders, it’s hard to do better than a trip to Park City. Not just because it's home to Deer Valley and Park City Mountain, the largest ski and snowboard resort in the US with 7,300 skiable acres. Or because it’s got one of the most action-packed ski towns as well as hotels that span everything from the cozy Washington School House right by the town lift to the St. Regis Deer Valley with its new slopeside aprés spot, the Vintage Room. It’s also because of access and convenience. Park City is one of the easiest ski towns to get to from a major international airport—just a 35-minute drive from SLC and within an hour of four Salt Lake City-area ski resorts, including Alta and Snowbird—and packs a punch as a year-round destination for dining, the outdoors, and festivals, like Sundance and the Deer Valley Music Festival.

I'm a bit of a whale-watching addict. So when I saw a TikTok of people hanging over the side of tiny boats to pet a gray whale on the head, I knew I had to find a way to experience it for myself.

By the time I reached Williams, Arizona, my hands felt permanently wrapped around my van's wheel. My back was aching, making me feel decades older than I actually am. And my legs were cramping from being confined to the same position for hours.

In the coming months, the commission will further engage federal agencies during additional field visits to learn more about best practices, pain points and opportunities to improve and grow travel. The commission’s report will be delivered later this year.

On night three of a reporting trip in Las Vegas, wearing a fur coat, plastic lei, and four-inch heels during Super Bowl weekend, I unexpectedly found myself watching U2 at the Sphere.

The chimes of my iPhone alarm reached a crescendo, signaling that it was 5:30 a.m. I longed to hit snooze but instead rolled from my bed and shuffled heavy-eyed to the coffee machine. A jolt of caffeine helped get me out the door just in time to make my 6 a.m. Pilates class. The early morning hustle would have felt routine if it weren't for the humid, plumeria-scented air, the sound of crashing waves, and the elevator-length commute to the gym.

As the geologically oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai has had quite a lot of time to refine its natural beauty. From the deep crevices of the Na Pali Coast to the eroded layers of the Waimea Canyon to the hidden underwater tunnels, Kauai is a gem like no other place on Earth. 

Steam locomotives were a widely used means of transportation in 19th-century America, but we've mostly moved on to more efficient (and less sooty) ways to get from one place to another.

A wine appellation is basically a chunk of geography that includes specific rules for making wine. Those who follow these rules can print the name of that appellation on their bottle labels—theoretically increasing sales. Or, paradoxically, sometimes not.

Last year a record number of Americans visited Turkey (or Türkiye, the new official national name). This was no coincidence.