Arthur Frommer: My Choices for the 10 Most Memorable Destinations
Posted on 02/05/2018, 3:30 PM
As a professional travel writer, I was required to travel to far more destinations than the average American does. In my youthful years, I literally lived on an airplane, in constant motion, often traveling to several countries each week. And I loved every bit of that life—especially these 10 particular destinations. Here, based on that experience, are my choices of the world’s 10 most mem...
Now Flying: A Zip Line Over the Grand Canyon
Posted on 01/18/2018, 9:00 AM
A brand-new zip line has opened on a spur of the Grand Canyon, sending harnessed thrill seekers flying 1,000 feet over the earth. The Zip Line at Grand Canyon West near Peach Springs, Arizona, actually comprises two zip lines—one that's 1,100 feet long, another that's 2,100 feet long—to churn up adrenaline as passengers hurtle up to 45 miles an hour past Quartermaster Canyon. It's the perfect add...
French Polynesia’s Best-Kept Secret: Tahaa
Want to get away from it all in the South Pacific? Crowds are small at this Tahitian island—it doesn't even have an airport—but the snorkeling, sunsets, and French Polynesian culture are richly rewarding.
To Visit This Island Paradise You Have to Pledge to Protect the Environment
Posted on 01/04/2018, 8:45 PM
In order to enter the island nation of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean, visitors must now sign a "passport pledge" to protect the environment. The mandatory vow was enacted to counter the negative effects of tourism on the country's 200 islands and their coral reefs, volcanic hills, rich biodiversity, and cultural sites. The move makes Palau the world's first nation to change immigration law...
Days When You Can Visit U.S. National Parks for Free in 2018
Posted on 01/04/2018, 9:00 AM
Each year, the National Park system throws open its gates for a few days and spreads the good word by admitting everyone without charging entry fees. It's a great way for low-income families, students, and seniors to experience the parks, and hundreds of thousands of Americans take advantage of the invitation annually. The Department of the Interior has announced the free days for 2018—and they'v...
Want a Cannabis Vacation? Now There's a Whole Town for That
Posted on 01/03/2018, 12:00 AM
One day after California, America's most populous state, made recreational cannabis consumption legal, the Los Angeles Times reported on an entire town where getting stoned is the whole point of the joint. It's called Nipton—as in Nipton in the bud. The village was purchased last September by American Green, a publicly traded, Arizona-based cannabis company. Nipton is a speck of a century-old mi...
Huge Nature-Themed Light Show Illuminates Winter Nights in Japan
Posted on 01/02/2018, 1:00 PM
Each winter at Japan's Nagashima Resort in the city of Kuwana, millions of LED lights are used to create ravishing nighttime nature scenes. Held in the gardens of the complex (which also has an amusement park and hot springs), the Nabana No Sato display has previously depicted Mount Fuji and the Northern Lights, among other wonders. For 2018, the focus is Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture. As CNN rep...
A Cherished National Monument Was Just Reduced by 85%—Is a National Park Next?
Posted on 01/02/2018, 12:00 AM
On a recent trip to Utah, on which he was accompanied by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, President Donald Trump reduced the acreage of the Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and reduced the size of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument by half. For some idea of the scale of that reduction, the elimination of land from Bears Ears is equivalent to the size of the Grand Teton National Park. ...
Arthur Frommer's Travel Resolutions for the New Year
Posted on 12/28/2017, 12:00 AM
Because they often seek to regulate all of human activity, I find most New Year’s Resolutions to be rather unsatisfying. Here’s an attempt to limit these rules to the world of travel, which—to me—is badly in need of a little moralizing at this moment in our history. So here goes. In the year ahead: I shall fight, as a citizen and as a voter, to preserve the right of every American...
In January, Learn to Ski—for Less—in Michigan
Posted on 12/19/2017, 12:30 AM
It might surprise you to learn that Michigan has one of the highest concentrations of ski areas in the United States. There are around 40 places to hit the slopes in the state. According to the Detroit Free Press, only New York has more (take that, Colorado and Vermont). In January, 28 ski areas across the state are banding together to offer affordable introductory packages for downhill skiing...
Paid Reservations Now Required to Visit California's Muir Woods
Posted on 11/30/2017, 12:00 AM
From Dubrovnik to Machu Picchu, popular tourist destinations around the world are devising new sign-up strategies to combat overcrowding caused by hordes of temporary visitors. The latest spot to add to the list, as Frommer's reported would happen back in 2015: Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, California, north of San Francisco. Starting on January 16, 2018, each visitor who arrives...
Why It's Good Most Big Ski Resorts in North America are on Multi-Resort Passes
Posted on 11/28/2017, 5:45 PM
Skiing has always been a pricey vacation activity. But today, it’s difficult to know whether one’s investment will pay off. You reserve a room months in advance, buy your lift tickets, maybe make reservations for good après ski meals, and show up at the mountain—only to find it’s brown instead of white. True, many resorts are expert at snow making. But as dedicated skiers and snowboarders know, the...
Free National Park Entry on Nov. 11 & 12, But for Which Parks?
Posted on 11/06/2017, 5:15 PM
This weekend, Nov. 11 and 12, entry to many (but not all) national parks will be free in honor of Veterans Day. The National Park Service has posted a state-by-state list of the free parks at this link. If you love these free days as much as we do, buckle up. The U.S. Government is floating a plan to vastly increase their entry costs. Despite the fact your income taxes go to support these pristin...
