Tagged: outdoor

National Park Free Days in 2025: When All U.S. National Parks Waive Entry Fees

Around 100 of the more than 430 sites in the U.S. National Park System charge entrance fees—and those include many of the most-visited parks. But on a few select dates each year, the…

Alaska by Ferry: See Incredible Places for a Fraction of What Cruises Cost

I honestly don't know what made me open my eyes. Traveling aboard one of Alaska’s state ferries from Juneau to Petersburg, I'd dozed off in the outdoor solarium—enjoying the mix of…

On This New Barefoot Hiking Trail, You Can Forget About Lacing Up Your Boots

A new outdoor attraction in Arizona is being billed as the first "grounding park" in the United States. Grounding, in this context, simply means walking barefoot on natural surfaces.…

Where The Best Beaches in Europe for Water Quality Are

Weather forecasters say it's gonna be another summer of brutal heat waves in Europe—maybe the hottest season ever, according to some predictions.  But at least there's some reassuring…

Would You Climb This Scary Ladder "Floating in Thin Air" Above Norwegian Fjords?

As climate change pushes Southern Europe's summer temperatures past the proverbial boiling point, many travelers have begun to look northward to Scandinavia for outdoor vacation…

Waterfall Lovers, This Is Your Year: California's Snows to Bring Gushers Worth Traveling For

Two years ago, California's rivers ran so dry that outdoor tour companies that depend on the state's waterways had to close shop in midsummer. But in 2024, the cyclical weather pattern…

Camping at Woodstock Festival Site Now an Option—Minus the Mud and Bad Acid (We Hope)

August 2024 marks the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock festival, a landmark event of baby-boomerdom dedicated to peace, love, mud, and a once-in-a-lifetime musical lineup that…

Which National Parks Require Reservations in 2024?

Overcrowding remains a problem at the most popular U.S. national parks. Just ask the folks at Yosemite.  After dropping the California preserve's timed-entry permit for summer 2023,…

The 10 Best Caribbean Snorkeling Spots

Updated January 10, 2024 Ready to don fins and jump into the clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean? Snorkeling is one of the region's most popular activities—and one of the most…

A Cruise on Maine’s Coast with American Cruise Lines: Our Review

Heidi Sarna is the cofounder of QuirkyCruise.com, a guide to small-ship cruising.     From popular Pacific Northwest routes along the Columbia and Snake rivers to sailings on the…

Doing Niagara Falls If You're Stuck on the American Side

The legendary Niagara Falls, one of the greatest natural attractions in North America, straddles the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York State. In an ideal tourism situation,…

The Best Nude Beaches in the World Named in New Ranking

In the 2004 sex comedy EuroTrip, one character cites Frommer's as a reliable source for info about nude beaches, in a scene we can't show you here for reasons summed up in the movie's…

A New Trail Connects the Best Waterfall Hikes in a Region with Hundreds of Them

If you ask us, spotting a waterfall is one of the best reasons to go on a hike, ranking right up there with breathing pristine mountain air and sampling all the latest innovations in…

These New Hikes in Switzerland Are Led by a "Mountain Air Sommelier"

Plenty of travel experiences focus on showing you the sights, but how many specialize in sniffing the scents? To help address the sensory imbalance, Switzerland's Graubünden region…

Natural Bridge Caverns Near San Antonio Opening Huge Hidden Cave for the First Time

The considerable charms of the Texas Hill Country, which include bluebonnet-blanketed meadows, natural swimming pools, and vineyards, even extend underground. In the region's elaborate…

Best National Parks in the USA

What are the best national parks?  There are dozens of U.S. national parks to choose from, starting with the first national park (and still one of the best national…

National Parks That Require Reservations for Spring and Summer 2023

Over the past few years, several of the most popular national parks in the United States have begun requiring advance reservations—not just for congested drives and hiking trails but…

New Online Hub for Finding Native American Experiences in California

A new online hub for cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, breweries, resorts, spas, and other tourism businesses and attractions tied to California's Native American communities…

Apple Is Making It Easier for Some iPhone Users to Get Help When Lost

Nowadays we tend to rely on our cell phones to get us out of any jam—getting lost, needing a ride, needing a distraction from the creeping existential dread that otherwise accompanies…

Days in 2023 When All U.S. National Parks Are Free to Enter

Sometimes you need a little motivation to plan that trip you always wanted to take. Fortunately, every year the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) sprinkles some incentive across the…

Fun Things to Do with Kids in Door County, Wisconsin

From cave kayaking along the cliffs of Lake Michigan to biking through Peninsula State Park and enjoying succulent lobster bakes and fish boils, Wisconsin’s Door County has no shortage…

Pickleball Paradise: 5 Top Resorts for Playing America’s Fastest Growing Sport

December 1, 2022 If dink, divorce alley, and volley llama are in your lexicon, chances are you’re hopelessly smitten with pickleball.  You and more than 4 million other Americans.…

Wanna Scale America’s Mighty Mountains? Via Ferratas Make Climbing Less Intimidating

Let’s say you crave the thrill of climbing an awe-inspiring peak—or you crave the thrill of impressing your friends with your outdoor prowess—but you have little to no experience when…

Vast Sculpture in Nevada Desert Finally Opens After 50 Years

An immense outdoor sculpture that's been in the works for more than 50 years finally opens to visitors this week in the desert expanses of eastern Nevada's Basin and Range National…

Spend Less for Outdoor Vacations at These Family-Friendly Canadian Resorts

It’s no secret that in Canada the great outdoors is especially, well, great. Families from the U.S. who head north for vacations in Canadian nature-focused resorts benefit as well from…