Articles

National Parks

Article / Slideshows

These Stunning Milky Way Photos Will Make You Want to Take a Stargazing Trip ASAP

About 100 billion stars make up the Milky Way Galaxy, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center . But out here in our suburban solar system—located 25,000 light years or so from…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Alaska Cruises Are Back! Congress Saves the 2021 Season and Trips Are Already on Sale

Vacationers had written off the 2021 cruise season in Alaska as another casualty of Covid-19. Canada, seeking to protect the health of its population, banned big cruise ships from…

Article / Photography

Haunting Images of Abandoned WWII Weapons Scattered Around the World

Proof of World War II's truly global scope can be found in the scattered remnants of the conflict left everywhere from Europe to Asia. More than 75 years after the war's conclusion,…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

Tips for Avoiding a Snakebite While Hiking

Minimize your chances of falling victim to a pair of fangs and know what to do if the worst happens with these simple precautions. 

Article / Passportable

The Best Time to See the Great Smoky Mountains’ Magical Firefly Spectacle

For a roughly two-week period each spring, fireflies put on a magical light show at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. After dark, lightning bugs in the…

Article / Slideshows

Meet the USA's Newest National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads

What makes a great road trip? The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has an answer for that. In designating roads that are truly worthwhile for travel and preservation, the agency…

Article / Passportable

Washington, D.C.'s National Mall Finally Has a World War I Memorial

More than a century after World War I ended, the nation's capital has opened its first official government memorial devoted to the Americans who served in that conflict. The U.S. flag…

Article / Passportable

Acadia National Park to Require Reservations for Popular Drive

Planning a national park vacation in the U.S.A. this summer? Be sure to actually plan! As we told you a few weeks ago, popular Western parks Yosemite, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain all…

Article / Slideshows

Which Galapagos Islands Are Best to Visit? Finding The Animals

Ecuador's Galápagos Islands comprise a national park unlike most others: To visit the majority of sites, you are required to be escorted by a pedigreed guide and travel by boat. This…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The Gentrification of Nature—and What to Do About It

America’s wide-open spaces should be open to all. But more and more, the great outdoors are becoming a playground for the rich. Mind you, nature has long had a luxury market hawking…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

When and Where to Go Whale Watching in the USA: Four Seasons of Cetaceans

Whale watching can result in rewarding glimpses of majestic marine mammals leaping into the air (aka breaching) or spouting geysers of mist or gracefully flapping their enormous flukes…

Article / Family & Kids

Make Your Summer Vacation Reservations Now—Or You Could Overpay or Get Shut Out

2021 is turning into a year unlike any other. With so many people vacationing domestically, it's never been more important for travelers to make early bookings.

Article / Slideshows

World's Smallest Islands

Small islands, big escapes! The world is full of tiny islands you've never heard of. Though it may require a little extra effort to reach one of these remote islands by ferry, charter…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Yosemite, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks to Require Reservations This Summer

Even in the great outdoors, social distancing can be a challenge—especially in peak vacation season. To keep national park visitors safer, rangers at Yosemite National Park (pictured)…

Article / Health, Insurance, Security

How Soon After Receiving the Vaccine Can You Travel?

Can you start traveling as soon as you're vaccinated for the coronavirus? The answer is complicated, balancing personal risk and the safety of others. 

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Vaccinated People May Travel, Says the CDC

It's the news Americans have been waiting to hear for more than a year. Fully vaccinated people are cleared to travel domestically, according to updated guidance from the U.S. Centers…

Article / Slideshows

Five Big Challenges Confronting Travelers During the Pandemic Recovery

Some of the ways Covid-19 has changed travel are obvious. When we plan almost any adventure now, first we take into account safety protocols like social distancing and masks. The…

Article / Passportable

Cruise Companies Are Still Touring Alaska This Summer—Without Cruise Ships

Barring the unlikely success of emergency legislation in the U.S. Congress, there won't be ocean cruises to Alaska this summer. Due to longstanding laws requiring foreign-flagged ships…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

The Three Mistakes Campers Should Avoid When Picking a Place to Pitch a Tent

To help hikers locate good tent sites, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has developed some easy advice. Soon, you'll be able to set up camp like an outdoor pro. 

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

In the Loire Valley, New Visions of Gardens and the Life of Leonardo da Vinci

With so many indoor amusements rendered verboten by the pandemic, even many confirmed urbanites got into nature this past year. Because of a new widespread appreciation for the open…

Article / Passportable

Minneapolis Gets a New Park Celebrating Food From Its Native and Pioneer Past

The world did not freeze in place last spring when we were all sent to our rooms for a pandemic "time out." In fact, some destinations are changing quite drastically. Take, for…

Article / Passportable

WATCH: Kangaroo Bounds Around Australian Pub Like He Works There

One bar in Western Australia is among the rare places on earth where visitors can sip brews and look at roos. According to Australia's Escape travel site, the John Forrest Tavern in…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The New Official National Parks Trip-Planning App Gets a Rave from Us

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has released a new official app—and it's exciting. After years of forcing users to track down current information at each individual unit's website…

Article / Slideshows

Where to See Alaska Glaciers Without Taking a Cruise

If seeing a glacier up close is on your bucket list, Alaska is the place to do it. The state is filled with glaciers, but many tourists mistakenly believe they can only spot them from…

Article / Slideshows

12 of America’s Most Overlooked National Parks

Yellowstone , Grand Canyon , and Yosemite are well-known for their striking landscapes and their reputations attract millions of visitors every year. But sometimes it’s hard to truly…