California Desert Caves Soon to Reopen to the Public
Posted on 09/30/2017, 1:45 AM
The only limestone caves in the California state parks system will soon reopen to the public, the Los Angeles Times reports. Located in the remote Mojave Desert in the southeastern part of the state, the Mitchell Caverns had been a tourist attraction since the 1930s until the site was closed in 2010 due to budget cuts. Vandals later damaged a visitor center and other facilities related to the ...
Florida Keys to Reopen to Tourists October 1
Posted on 09/25/2017, 8:30 PM
The Florida Keys will reopen to tourists on October 1, government officials there have announced. The archipelago just off the southern tip of Florida was hit with extreme force by Hurricane Irma on September 10, when the Category 4 storm made landfall, destroying an estimated 25% of homes on the islands. In the immediate aftermath, officials advised travelers to postpone trips to the area w...
2018 Inca Trail Permits Will Sell Out Early Because of New Rules
Posted on 09/19/2017, 9:30 PM
If you were thinking of making 2018 the year you finally realize your dream trip of hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you'll need to start planning right now. Normally, Peru's limited allotment of permits for the trail goes on sale early in the calendar year—and they usually sell out quickly—but for 2018 trips, they will go on sale October 1, 2017. That means you'll need to start planning fo...
One U.S. Virgin Islands Resort Stands a Good Chance of Reopening First
Posted on 09/15/2017, 5:15 PM
Back in July, it was announced that a new management company had taken over the unique tented community known as Cinnamon Bay on the gorgeous island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The news was greeted with enthusiasm by the tens of thousands of unpretentious, cost-conscious tourists who, over the years, have used large tents as their beachfront accommodations in St. John. The new...
Up-to-the-Minute Online Tool Finds Wisconsin's Best Fall Foliage
Posted on 09/11/2017, 10:45 PM
New England states get all the attention when it comes to fall foliage, but there are other leafy places worth peeping during Pumpkin Spice Latte season. One of the best in the Midwest is Wisconsin, where vivid displays in spots like the Kettle Moraine State Forest (pictured above) provide beautiful backdrops for scenic drives, waterfall hikes, and stops at orchards in small farm towns. Travel ...
Canada Completes World's Longest Hiking Trail
Posted on 09/07/2017, 8:45 PM
After 25 years of trying, officials in Canada have managed to stitch together a network of hiking, biking, and paddling trails that stretches across the breadth of the country from coast to coast. With a total length of 14,000 miles, the Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans-Canada Trail, is now the longest hiking route in the world. By way of comparison, the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to ...
Bringing Plastic Bags to Kenya Could Land You in Prison
Posted on 09/04/2017, 12:00 AM
While some world cities have been dabbling in the reduction of plastic bags by charging customers if they want one or switching to paper, Kenya has just instituted the harshest plastic bag ban in the world. Now, importing plastic bags to Kenya could result in fines of up to $31,000 or even prison time. Plastic bags, which take as long as 1,000 years to break down, make their way into oceans, wher...
Wildflowers Now in Bloom at Chile's Atacama Desert, the Driest Place on Earth
Posted on 09/01/2017, 12:00 AM
The driest place on earth is currently blanketed in purple wildflowers. Northern Chile's Atacama Desert typically gets a measly 0.6 inches of rain in an entire year. Nevertheless, every five to seven years—usually along with El Niño weather patterns—multitudes of beautiful mallow flowers fill the arid landscape with a surreal expanse of color. It's like finding a botanical garden on Mars (it so h...
The World's Most and Least Expensive Campsites
Posted on 08/18/2017, 12:15 PM
Camping is one of the most affordable options for spending a night on the road, and, thanks to glamping, it can be a budget-busting splurge as well. Highlighting what has to be one of the biggest price ranges in travel is a new report from Campsy, an online campsite booking service based in Berlin. The company has named the world's most and least expensive campsites, using data from 30 countries...
Toppled Rock Formation in Malta Now a Popular Scuba Diving Site
Posted on 08/16/2017, 12:00 AM
The Mediterranean nation of Malta lost one of its most recognizable—and most Instagrammable—landmarks in March, when the Azure Window, a 92-foot limestone arch(pictured above) on the island of Gozo went tumbling into the sea after heavy storms. But the natural icon didn't just vanish into thin air. It now lies in enormous boulders under the surf at depths ranging from 16 to more than 100 feet. T...
New Reservations Website for California State Parks
Posted on 08/03/2017, 12:00 AM
A new website for making reservations for campsites and activities at California's state parks debuts this week. From now on, you'll need to go to ReserveCalifornia to book tent space in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, a beach cottage at Crystal Cove in Orange County, a tour of Hearst Castle (pictured above) in San Simeon, or facilities at more than 100 additional sites across the state, with aroun...
8-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Female to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
Posted on 07/31/2017, 12:00 AM
AUGUST 1, 2017 FLORIDA GIRL SETS KILIMANJARO RECORD (Travel + Leisure) An 8-year-old Florida girl has made history as the youngest female ever to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. After a weeklong ascent, Roxy Getter reached the summit of the 19,341-foot Tanzanian peak alongside her 10-year-old brother, Ben, and their parents, Sarah and Bobby. The family trained by trudging up and down stairs at parki...
