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For your European tour, ski Val Thorens and sleep at Altapura
Hunker down in a fully outfitted private cottage and brace yourself for stunning views of the country's wild majesty.
This Italian lodge boasts modern design without sacrificing retro mountain fun.
Unwind to the sound of the Snoqualmie Falls, just a half-hour drive from Seattle.
Modern with a rustic edge, Rooms Hotel Kazbegi is an adventure oasis in a country better known for chaos.
Those Big Sur views were big money to begin with, but they're even richer paired with amenities like these.
Tearing yourself away from this villa for an adventure will be hard, but so worth it.
Treehouse meets spa in one of Portugal's lush, mountainous nature parks.
Take in the views of Monte Fitz Roy after taking on the challenges of Patagonia.
Before work beats you down, escape to Oaxaca for vibrant parties, famous waves, and this beautiful beach refuge.
The country's latest luxury resort is surrounded by natural drama—from the night sky to the lava fields. Turns out, it's a pretty great place to unplug.
Stay in a lodge that would make even Buddhists take back the material world
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge is a naturalist's heaven in Volcanoes National Park
Channel your inner voyageur at the Burntside Lodge in Minnesota
Seriously. Abbey Road Farm Bed and Breakfast offers an idyllic farm experience (plus llamas) in the outdoorsy paradise of Carlton, Oregon.
On the Mount Rushmore of flight travel FAQs, this one sits between, “How do I get a free upgrade?” and “Where the blank is my luggage?” Although far from an exact science, picking the right time to book is now less of a guessing game thanks to new metrics and…
You may have found him in the pages of search books, but the fun doesn't have to end there.
Unless your idea of a great pre-flight drink involves an ersatz Irish pub or a sports bar with 18 light beers on tap, then you likely agree that America’s airport bars tend to be serviceable at best. Not that there’s anything wrong with slamming a Coors before takeoff, but a…
We’ll start by stating the obvious: with the 2014 FIFA World Cup about a week away, now is not really the best time to book your trip to Brazil so you can brag afterward about seeing soccer’s big dance in person. But you already know that—and you…
From long flights to backpacking treks, one of the ugly universal truths of travel is a condition known as stanky bottom. Toilet paper is no match for this. In fact, it often exacerbates the problem, causing chafing and other issues. When stanky bottom strikes—and strike it will—you’re going to need…
Though tourism is El Salvador’s fastest-growing industry, its long history of gang violence and civil unrest has put it on the State Department’s travel warning list. Its capital, San Salvador, has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, due primarily to bloody wars carried out…
I could care less about luggage-sorting robots or Facebook kiosks. But high-tech bells and whistles that actually elevate my hotel stay? Yes, please. Be sure to book the following forward-looking lodgings whose amenities go well beyond the usual gimmickry. Stanford Court San Francisco Hotel | (Ted…
It’s a new golden era for outdoor baseball—one in which Major League ballparks go out of their way to evoke a sense of place. Some do this by bringing the outside in. Safeco Field, home to the Seattle Mariners, features exposed steelwork—a nod to the freight trains that rumble nearby.
Are we trolling here? Of course we are. But that’s not all we’re doing. As anyone who has ever downed a High Life in the shower knows, nude drinking is an excellent way to exercise free will while toasting our birthday-suited ancestors who drank fermented stag blood by moonlight. But…
It used to be, you could get tasered for riding your bike to the airport. Thankfully, the great urban two-wheel boom has seen dedicated lanes and other cycling infrastructure added to airports worldwide. Thus, it’s no longer that strange (or seemingly suspicious—sheesh!) for a cyclist to pedal…
The Internet should make booking a trip easier. If only. Let’s not forget that today’s web is first and foremost a marketplace—and the market for travel-booking and search sites is crowded, which can make planning your next journey a little daunting. On one side, you have online travel agencies such…
The business of skiing looks a lot like the music industry these days, with giants such as Vail Resorts buying up ma-and-pa operations, and independent outfits joining forces to fight the bigs—all driven by a strength-in-numbers mentality that seeks to sell more tickets (often at discounted rates) to…
Imagine surfing on a wakeboard while a big-ass kite pulls you across the water—and occasionally out of it. This is kiteboarding in horribly reductive terms (but you knew that already). Let’s get to the part where pro kitesurfer Damien LeRoy answers the question in question. Damien…
Call it the Top Chef effect or the Michael Pollanization of America—a thoroughly modern preoccupation with where our meals come from, how they’re cooked, and who’s cooking them. A happy by-product of this national obsession is food tourism, whether you’re more inclined toward a tasting tour of Oaxaca’s legendary moles…
How light do you want to go? Unlike backpacking, which values economy above all else, multi-day canoe trips can bear more weight depending on the length of the journey and how badly you want filet mignon that first night. I go to the Boundary Waters each May…
Maybe you’re looking to visit New York on the cheap. Or perhaps the incongruous notion of camping in a seething, belching metropolis is right in your wheelhouse. Whatever’s driving your urban cowboy fantasies, you’ll be glad to know that it is, in fact, possible to sleep under the stars in…
Whether a byproduct of the “eat local” movement or simply an evolution of taste, beer is now fetishized like wine.
Tom Rosenbauer caught a bonefish on his first try. If you know anything about the notoriously elusive saltwater species, you know this is as impressive as it is unlikely. Rosenbauer was fishing off Christmas Island, near Indonesia, at the time. He was feeling pretty proud of himself—until…
As a lifelong fresh air addict, my secret shame is an inability to name roughly 99 percent of the flora and fauna I see while paddling, hiking, snowboarding, and the like. By valuing adrenaline over a more complete understanding of my surroundings, I often feel disconnected from nature while having…
Hotels are constantly adding new bells and whistles to get a leg up on the competition—think access to fancy guitars and complementary museum passes. Now, many venues are starting to keep their cycling guests happy with premium-ride loaners. Bikes at Twin Farms. Kimpton Hotels &…
In its first decade of existence, the Transportation Security Administration was the tiger mom of government organizations—overbearing to the point of invasiveness, and about as fun as an ankle sprain. The sane lane. The TSA finally loosened up a little in October 2011, when it launched…
There’s something Pac-Man-esque about floating through the saw grass–lined sloughs and mangrove stands of South Florida. Like the classic arcade game, the Everglades are filled with mazes and monsters to challenge even the most seasoned paddlers. But if you can navigate the tides and the uncompromisingly flat terrain, avoid alligators and…
A loppet is an unusually lonely muppet. Or so I assumed until Cross Country Canada, the umbrella organization for the country’s national ski team, set me straight. Cross country skiers take part in the world’s largest skijor loppet, part of the Cities of the Lakes Loppet. CCC’s…
Step one: Read the essential texts. Rock-star alpinist Conrad Anker, who leads The North Face’s dream team of globetrotting expeditionists, recommends Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. First published 54 years ago by The Mountaineers climbing club in Seattle, the how-to guide…
Is there a more abused word in the travel writer’s lexicon than “escape”? But it really does describe a Belizean vacation. Belcampo: Room 1 and the room of your dreams. The Central American country has all the makings for a timeout from reality, including multiple ecosystems to explore (swampy planes,…
People who cruise and those who don’t are the Bloods and the Crips of the travel and leisure class. The former breathlessly defend the virtues of “all-inclusive” and “pre-planned,” while the latter—if they’re up on their cruise drama—envision floating cattle cars covered in microbes and piloted by inebriates. I’ve seen…
The short answer is yes (or “YES!” depending on your point of view). Thanks to an ordinance adopted in September, retail marijuana sales become legal in Colorado on January 1. The ordinance piggybacks on Amendment 64, which passed in November 2012, allowing adults 21 and older to grow up to…
Each winter, snow covers the peak of Mauna Kea, a 14,000-foot dormant volcano located on Hawaii’s Big Island. And, yes, this “pineapple powder,” as locals call it, is ready to rip. DCIM1GOPRO Just don’t expect chairlifts, or any amenities for that matter. The barren, moonlike summit—which…
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” —Nelson Mandela
I’m visiting Seattle and Portland in January and would like to go sea kayaking while I’m there.
How do I look smart—but also practical—while traveling the world?
My iPhone is my worst enemy and my job is destroying me—where can I live like a monk for a bit while I repair my damaged soul?
Are e-cigarettes a good alternative? If so, what's the best one for the adventure traveler?
I’m traveling to Mexico City and Bangkok. How do I sample their famous street treats without battling Montezuma and whichever dead ruler haunts the bowels of tourists in Thailand?
You don't need to spend a fortune to have a great adventure. With a few tweaks, you can avoid the 10 biggest—and often most expensive—travel mistakes.