Tagged: national-park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Reopens Walk-Through Lava Tube

After nearly two years, one of the most popular attractions at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island has reopened to the public. Nahuku-Thurston Lava Tube, a walk-through…

The Best Vacations to Take with Grandkids

A travel trend that has emerged in recent years is grandparents vacationing with their grandkids and leaving the middle generation—the parents—at home. Ditching the middleman offers a…

U.S. National Park Fees Leap Higher Overnight

When Americans woke up this morning (June 1), they discovered it would cost them a lot more to enter their national parks.Nearly all the major parks hiked their entry rates by a hefty…

The Best National Park Lodges in the U.S.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns calls our National Parks "America's Best Idea." One could argue that Burns also meant the concept of the park lodge. Designed for easy access to nature,…

The RIGHT Way to Do Denali National Park (Get OFF The Darn Bus!)

In 1917, when Denali National Park in Alaska was created, just 7 hardy souls managed to make the grueling, long, roadless trek to see the wonders of the new park.Today, thanks to…

Passports with Purpose: Send Your Money on a Trip to Help Those in Need

We're taking a break from the regularly scheduled deal-of-the-week column to tell you about something that's in keeping with the holiday season: giving back. In 2008, that's just what…

7 Frequent-Flier Tricks Worth Learning

I honestly don't know how some frequent fliers manage. Travel can be so discombobulating and disruptive, yet some road warriors spend half their lives on planes (sometimes just to…

Travel Troubleshooter: The Vikings are Real on This Riverboat

When Michelle Rothstein tries to arrange a special side-trip for her husband before a Seine river cruise, their company nixes the idea. It insists the family arrive when everyone else…

Travel Troubleshooter: An Australia Tour That Wasn't Meant to Be

First her flight is canceled. Then she misses another flight after her bus breaks down. Finally, Rebecca Canter decides to cancel her Australia tour. But her tour operator refuses…

Travel Troubleshooter: A Not-So-Magical Disney Vacation

Troy Pelias and his extended family have a disastrous Disney vacation, featuring everything from a broken-down monorail to confusing meal plans. But his complaints are being ignored.…

Posting Power: 7 Tips for Blogging Your Way to a Better Trip

Had a problem with your last trip? Fire up your PC and post something online.Go on. You just might change the travel industry like Carl Larson did. When he tried to check a…

Travel Troubleshooter: A Few Points Short of a Ticket

Kim Bouck is wary of the fine print on the "free" ticket offer by American Express. So she gets a few of the company's promises in writing. When the promises are broken, however,…

Arizona in Technicolor: National Parks Beyond the Grand Canyon

While hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the Arizona side of the Grand Canyon each year, fewer venture to Arizona's other remarkable national parks -- Petrified Forest and…

6 Travel Issues the Next President Should Care About

Whether you're a Democrat, Republican or pondering a protest vote for an independent presidential candidate in November, what you do at the ballot box may be meaningless as far as…

North by Northwest: Canada and Colorado Offer the Best Spring Skiing

It's still cold and still snowy in much of Canada and Colorado, destinations that comprise our focus this week for ski deals. If you aren't sure where you want to go in Canada, two…

Travel Troubleshooter: Not Satisfied With My Choice Hotel Room

A recent stay at a Comfort Inn in Vancouver does not impress Richard Simms. His room is filthy, the shower runs lukewarm and the coffee maker is busted. But when he tries to invoke…

Global Ski Report: Chile in the Summer, Birthday Discounts and More

Book Now to Ski Chile Next Summer If the Chilean resorts of Valle Nevado (tel. 800/669-0554; www.vallenevado.com), Termas Chillan (tel. 866/237-4119; www.skichillan.cl) or Portillo…

Must-Have Summer Spa Treatments

Rapper Nelly was probably not talking about the stresses of summer heat when he said, "It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes." But, there's no denying that when…

Launch Party: New Ships and Industry Expansion

Much as I and a lot of other people would prefer to see cruising as a self-perpetuating Fantasy Island, removed from the everyday world, the fact is that it's a big capitalist…

All Our National Parks Can Be Accessed with the Use of Handy Annual Passes

If you plan to visit a number of national parks and monuments within a year, a National Parks Pass, which still costs just $50, will save you a bundle. The passes are good at all…

Winter in Yellowstone: A Caldera of Your Own

  Want to tour Yellowstone National Park in near solitude? Visit in winter. With a fraction of the summer's visitation—only 140,000 during the winter season compared to almost 3…