Donā€™t get me wrong, I love a good campsite. But sometimes after a big day of adventure, I crave the comfort and ease of a great hotel with a friendly staff, farm-to-table meals, gear rentals, and maybe even a sauna and cold plunge. Both in the U.S. and abroad, a plethora of brands are catering to guests who love the outdoors, such as glamping masters Under Canvas and community-centric LOGE camps.

But we all have limited vacation time and need to pick our getaway stays thoughtfully. As someone who’s on the road half the year, I can assure you that these are worth traveling for.

The newest outposts that excite me most are popping up in perfect locations, from the doorsteps of popular national parksĢż to some urban gems bringing nature indoors with innovative biophilic design. Hereā€™s my hotel hot list for 2025.

Snow Peak Campfield Long Beach

Long Beach, Washington

Iā€™ve long been a fan of the Japanese gear company , not only for its design-minded outdoor equipment, but also the creative ways it brings its brand to life. For example, the company flagship in Portland, Oregon, features an excellent, wood-fire-focused Japanese restaurant, Tabiki.

Across Japan you can stay overnight at 13 Snow Peak campgrounds, but last summer the company debuted its on Washingtonā€™s rugged Long Beach Peninsula, 110 miles west of Portland near the mouth of the Columbia River. The 25-acre siteā€”no surpriseā€”feels like an outdoor concept store, showcasing Snow Peak products like folding chairs and fire pits. Book one of 48 campsites and bring your own gear (or rent theirs), or glamp it up in spacious tent suites or minimalist wooden Jyubako cabins (the latter for up to two adults and two kids) designed by Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma.

The area is full of adventure options, like kayaking Willapa Bay and hiking in Cape Disappointment State Park. My plan is to visit this winter specifically to enjoy long soaking sessions in the campā€™s onsen-inspired .

Price:ĢżCampsites from $77, tent suites from $119, and Jyubako cabins from $219

Populus

Denver

may be downtown, but the propertyā€™s biophilic design is meant to make guests feel as if theyā€™ve entered a large grove of aspens (Populus tremuloides), with 365 eye-shaped windows that allow light to filter in. The nature immersion continues at every step: the front desk is crafted from fallen cottonwood trees, the soundtrack of birdsong recorded in nearby Estes Park plays in the elevators, and the lobby bar is adorned with hanging reishi mushroom skins.

The hotel opened in October as the nationā€™s first carbon-positive hotel. It boasts 100 percent renewable-energy, eco-friendly materials, like low-carbon concrete and leather made from reishi mushrooms, and a biodigester that composts all of its food waste, which is then returned to local farmers. Moreover, the property plants a spruce tree in Colorado for every night booked.

Its sustainable initiatives convinced me to stay, and the friendly service, stellar farm-focused food, outpost of Little Owl Coffee, and welcoming coworking space and gym have given me many reasons to return. The Populus also overlooks Civic Center Park, where the ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Festival and Summit will take place from May 30 to June 1, and ticket holders get special deals on rooms booked here through .

Price:ĢżFrom $299

Under Canvas Yosemite

Near Groveland, California

Scoring camping reservations in Yosemite can feel like winning the lottery. Donā€™t want to gamble? Treat yourself to a cushy stay at the new , slated to debut May 15 with 71 tents just ten minutes from the parkā€™s west entrance on Route 120.

The upscale glamping brand is known for hotel-worthy touches like West Elm furnishings in its spacious safari tents and daily programming that might include yoga classes or nightly sā€™mores sessions. This 85-acre site is no exception.

You donā€™t even have to deal with the stress of taking your car into the park itselfā€”this Under Canvas location is across from a Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) stop with regular park service to three major destinations.

Return at dayā€™s end to a menu of California cuisine served beneath soaring black oaks and live music by the campfire. Families will love the El Capitan Suiteā€” two connecting tents, each with ensuite bathrooms; it can sleep up to six people.

Price: From $319

Firefall Ranch at Yosemite

Near Groveland, California

The Yosemite area has never had more choice for boutique accommodations, and this is another property on Route 120 Iā€™m eager to recommend. The 300-acre opened last summer and is made for the active crowd. You can look forward to a spacious saltwater pool (complete with shave-ice service), forest disc golf, bouldering, and beach volleyball.

Pick up picnic supplies at the on-site general store or dine at the casual tavern or more ambitious restaurant, YOVA, which features dishes like salmon and caviar and boar chops, complimented by an impressive wine list.

For families, roomy accommodations include 55 standalone one- and two-bedroom cottages or three-bedroom villas with private decks and indoor-outdoor gas fireplaces.

Fun fact: this property was a stop on the original stagecoach route to Yosemite in the 1870s.

Price: From $650

Yellowstone Peaks Hotel

Island Park, Idaho

Wyoming and Montana are most often associated with Americaā€™s first national park. But 1 percent of Yellowstoneā€™s 2.2 million acres lies within Idaho (an underrated state for adventure, in my humble opinion). The parkā€™s west entrance is just 30 minutes away from the small town of Island Park, whichĢż recently welcomed the family-owned .

The propertyā€™s 19 Scandi-inspired accommodations are the epitome of cabin porn. Each A-frame cabin can accommodate up to six guests and has its own cedar-wood-fired soaking tub. Thereā€™s also a communal area with saunas and cold plunges.

While proximity to the park may lure you here, its location across the street from the fly-fishing mecca that is Henryā€™s Fork River will appeal to anglers. Nearby but off-the-radar attractions include the Caribbean-esque Wade Lake and the 114-foot-tall cascades of Mesa Falls.

Price: From $440 per night, two-night minimum

Cascada

Portland, Oregon

Portland is home to plenty of nature fixes, but the newest is the underground thermal-springs experience at the recently opened, 100-room (pronounced cascade) hotel in the Alberta Arts District. The Conservatory, the heart of the thermal-springs area, was designed by landscape experts, including members of the Portland Botanical Garden, and features a with a 25-foot-tall living wall and rare flora planted throughout the space.

Soak and socialize in the mineral-infused vitality pool, or complete a sauna, steam, and ice-bath hydrotherapy circuit in the silent sanctuary space. If youā€™re passing through the city en route to a wilderness adventure, you can still enjoy a soak, but youā€™ll need a reservation ($100 for two and a half hours). You can feel good about knowing that Cascada is committed to using ethically sourced spa products.ĢżRounding things out are an excellent restaurant, Terra Mae, that fuses the flavors of Portugal and Japan (think: tonkatsu and linguica croquettes), as well as zero-waste kitchen practices.

Guest rooms feature kitchenettes, balconies, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Price: From $299

Edgecamp Pamlico Station

Outer Banks, North Carolina

One of my goals this year is to improve my kiteboarding skills, and I canā€™t imagine a better place to get back on the water than the Outer Banks. With steady winds, an abundance of sandy beaches, and calm, shallow sounds, it lives up to its nickname as the kiteboarding capital of the East Coast.

Professional kiteboarder Rita Arnaus takes off in Pamlico Sound. (Video: Courtesy Edgecamp Pamlico Station)

Thanks to the recent debut of , a 14-suite boutique hotel at Edgecamp Sporting Club on windswept Hatteras Island, travelers finally have a stylish base that offers everything from an on-site kiteboarding school with equipment rentals and lessons to a wellness deck boasting a sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub.

I love that the suites feel like residences, each with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, living room, wood-burning fireplace, and work desk. And after a day of kiting, youā€™ll appreciate having in-room amenities like a Therabody massage gun and foam roller at your disposal.

Price: From $189

Trailborn Grand Canyon

Williams, Arizona

Iā€™m embarrassed to admit that, for as much traveling as I do, I still havenā€™t visited the Grand Canyon. I really have no excuse now that , a new outdoorsy-focused hotel brand, is opening its fourth location in the town of Williams. The 96-room hotel is just down the road from the Grand Canyon Railway, the train that deposits visitors at the South Rim entrance of the national park.

Trailborn has partnered with hiking outfitter to run guided excursions in the park, like a private day hike along the challenging, eight-mile round-tripĢż ($600) or a group excursion that takes in the South Rimā€™s greatest hits, like the ($340).

On property, a saloon-style Camp Hall hosts free concerts, movies, and bingo nights, and for $35 families can have their room transformed into a camping-inspired slumber party. This spring the property will open Miss Kittyā€™s steakhouse and bar.

Price: From $175

The Wildbirch Hotel

Anchorage, Alaska

For years I viewed Anchorage as nothing more than a gateway to epic wilderness adventures. When a cancelled flight stranded me in the city for 24 hours, I discovered that, actually, Anchorage was a destination in its own right, home to seriously great restaurants, a cool urban-arts scene, and a 500-plus-mile trail network that connects some 200 green spaces.

InĢż April, the city will get its first true boutique hotel when the opens in the Mushing District. The 252-room property will showcase works by local craftspeople, such as carved topographic maps that double as headboards, and an art collection curated by the nearby Anchorage Museum. An on-site brewery, outdoor decks with fire pits, and sweeping views of Mount Susitna and Knik Arm are sure to attract just as many locals as visitors.

With the world-class salmon fishing of Ship Creek steps away and guest rooms that overlook the ceremonial starting line of the Iditarod sled-dog race, held each March, you canā€™t ask for a better address.

Price: From $199

LOGE

St. George, Utah

During the height of the pandemic, I rooted for a few fledgling brands. , which is pronounced ā€œlodgeā€ and stands for Live ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų, Go Explore, is one of them. The original LOGE Camp launched in 2017 in coastal Westport, Washington, and I loved its adult-summer-camp vibes and affordability.

There are camp or RV sites, or choose from a variety of room configurations. All the gear and amenities you could wish for are available to rent, from Traeger grills to Wave Bandit and Lib Tech surfboards. The brand launched similar concepts in mountain towns in the Pacific Northwest, and Iā€™m stoked to see it expanding into the Southwest in 2025. Iā€™ve marked my calendar for early February, when LOGE St. George starts taking bookings for its April opening.

The hotel will be a sweet base camp less than two miles southwest from the heart of the city. Perks include a hot tub, pool, and mountain-bike rentals, and the trails of nearby Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park are a short drive away.

Later this year, LOGE will open a handful of East Coast properties. Host towns include Asheville, North Carolina; the Catskills of New York; Mount Snow, Vermont; and Southport, Maine.

Price: From $137

Foreign Properties I Have My Eye On

The Caribbean and Mexico

Salterra Resort and Spa

On February 15, American Airlines will introduce direct flights twice a week from Miami to South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos. Around the same time, this up-and-coming island will welcome , a sustainably minded hotel that will offer adventures like kiteboarding, bonefishing, kayaking, and diving. But it doesnā€™t come cheap.

Price: From $1,300

Hotel Humano

Iā€™ve been plotting a surf mission to Puerto Escondido and am hoping to base myself at the new , located steps from famous Zicatela Beach (a.k.a. the Mexican Pipeline).

Price: From $190

Amet

On a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, a guide clued me in to , an intimate new nature retreat in the town of Santiago on Bajaā€™s Central Cape. You can choose between suites or glamping tents, and excursions range from hikes to nearby hot springs to ATV drives to waterfalls.

Price: From $315

Argentina

Glamping Los Palmares

El Impenetrable National Park in northern Argentina is a wilderness mecca, home to giant anteaters and jaguars, as well as a swath of Gran Chaco, one of the worldā€™s fastest disappearing forests.Ģż recently opened on the parkā€™s northern border with just four tents overlooking the Bermejo River.

Price: From $359, all-inclusive

Finland

Kotona Manor

If youā€™ve jumped on the cool-cation travel trend, you should have Finland on your travel list and in particular. The family-owned, 11-suite waterfront property willĢż debut in the Lakeland region this summer. Seasonal activities range from bear watching to snowmobiling and sailing.

Price: From $1,530

Madagascar

Voaara

One of my favorite far-flung places is Madagascar, and not just for the mind-boggling amount of biodiversity but also for the amazing, crowd-free adventures, like kiteboarding, freediving, snorkeling, and hiking. I visited last December and got a sneak peek at the newly opened , a barefoot luxe hotel on idyllic Isle St. Marie, just off the countryā€™s northeast coast. Guests can snorkel the vibrant house reefs, whale-watch with the resident marine biologist from June to September, and learn to wing foil with pro surfer Willow Hardy.

Price: $1,230

Jen Murphy is an ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazine correspondent and frequent contributor to ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online. (Most recently, she wrote a guide to maximizing winter fun in Coloradoā€™s mountain towns and reviewed the best compression socks for long-haul flights.) Murphy has been lucky enough to stay in some of the worldā€™s best hotels, both rustic and luxe, and believes that warm service truly makes a stay.

The post 16 New Outdoor-ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Hotels We Canā€™t Wait to Visit appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Nothing ruins a ski vacation faster than no snow, and scoring a powder day can feel like winning the lottery in these climate-challenged times. While the global forecaster AccuWeather makes projections up to 90 days out, specific, precise daily reports cannot be made more than ten days in advance, according to a published in theĢżJournal of the Atmospheric Sciences. Given the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, two weeks out is probably the farthest accurate estimate we can hope for in the future.

So where does that leave travelers who want to plan ahead? Is there more we can do than just book a ski vacation to a popular winter destinationĢżand hope for the best? Yes! Diehard skiers and snowboarders and skiersā€”and I count myself in that groupā€”have discovered some tricks to line up trips with epic conditions.

The Surprising Accuracy of The Powder Buoy

In the early aughts, Mike Ruzek, a financial planner and avid skier based in Park City, Utah, had a client clue him in to thousands of miles west in the Pacific Ocean that surfersĢżwere using as an alternative to wave-forecast sites like , to estimate how bigĢżswell would get by the time it hit the Hawaiian Islands. The client, who split his time between Maui and Park City, believed the buoyā€™s movements correlated to storm cycles in Utahā€™s Wasatch Range.

Curious, Ruzek did some research and discovered that when the buoy went from floating on swells of around 5 to 15 feetā€”the point which followers described it as ā€œpoppingā€ā€”a storm would usually hit the Wasatch 12 to 14 days later.

Ruzek doesnā€™t have a background in meteorology, but he did know that low-pressure systems tend to produce the most snow in winter. ā€œWhen a low-pressure system rolls in [across the Pacific], it forces the water upward, making the buoy pop,ā€ he posited. ā€œAbout two weeks after a spike in the buoyā€™s wave height, Utah gets a dump of snow.ā€

Initially, Ruzek started testing the buoy to schedule ā€œsickā€ ski days from work, and he found it was surprisingly accurate. In 2013, he set up a Facebook page called Ģżto share the forecasts, and an followed that now boasts 45,000-plus followers.

A NOAA spokesperson said the organization is unaware of a specific buoy measurement correlating with this weather phenomenon so far from the buoyā€™s location. But Ruzek is not wrong. I spoke with Steven Businger, a University of Hawaii professor of meteorology, who confirmed that the slow motion of huge planetary waves in the jet stream often results in fairly long, persistent weather patterns that can effectively be determined for a location over ten days or more.

Last year the buoy was 80 percent spot-on when it came to pow predictions in Utah, saidĢżRuzek, and heā€™s heard from skiers who use its reports to predict snow 12 to 14 days out in Colorado and Wyoming. ā€œOne mountain town in ColoradoĢżhas a coffee shop that writes our reports on a chalkboard,ā€ he said proudly. Though he could charge for the readings, Ruzek loves the authenticity of keeping it free. ā€œThereā€™s enough monetization in the ski world,ā€ he said.

Trusted Intel from Powderchasers

Steve Conney also shares free winter-weather intelĢżas a side hustle called . The New York native started forecasting snowfall at U.S. ski resortsĢżfor a small email list of friends more than two decades ago, when there was no internet offering such a service. ā€œI had phone numbers for the snowplow drivers and the people who worked at Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado,ā€ he toldĢżme. ā€œIā€™d call the employees at Baked in Telluride, because I knew they were up at 5 A.M. and could report on the snow.ā€

TodayĢżPowderchasers has over 107,000 followers on Instagram, and its detailed forecasts are still free, thanks to sponsors like Ikon Pass. The posts are fun and full of stoke: ā€œEPIC ALERT: Snow Returns for South America. 3+ Feet Predictedā€ read the August 2 headline. ā€œFinal parade of moisture is overspreading the west. The firehouse is wide open over Oregon and moves east into Idaho and northern Wyoming where it is snowing,ā€ read a December 16 post, while itsĢżrecently offered intel on projected conditions through the end of the month, suggestions on where to head based on its forecasts, feedback from Powderchasers staff about places they were already skiing, and estimated snow accumulation for various regions of the U.S. and Canada.

Conney now has a small weather-obsessed team to help him. ā€œWe read the same models as everyone else, but we understand what skiers and snowboarders want,ā€ he said. ā€œThe deepest snow is not always your best chase. We look at winds, potential closures, snow density, and other factors.ā€

If youā€™d prefer more in-depth, personalized forecasts and custom trip planning, the company has what are called concierge packages that range from $149 for one trip to $699 for forecasts for eight trips. ā€œThis is for the fanatics who can only get out on the slopes once or twice a year for that big ski trip,ā€ he said.

Jen Murphy splits her time between Colorado and Maui and now relies on The Powder Buoy to track swell and snow. SheĢżrecently wrote about her love of solo travel, and about how compression socks are the one piece of clothing travelers need for a long flight.Ģż

The post How to Plan Your ā€œSickā€ Powder Days Two Weeks in Advance appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

My partner and I always fight while packing the car for a road trip, especially around the holidays. It brings out the worst in us. Our stress and anxiety turn into arguments about how to organize the trunk, andā€”not kiddingā€”whether he really needs to bring his espresso machine. Help! How can we avoid another packing meltdown this month? ā€”Road Weary

As a minimalist packer, it drives me bonkers when people stuff their car to the ceiling with nonessentials. My mom is a notorious overpacker and lives in constant fear of not having enough snacks when she travels. Because I loathe driving, Iā€™ve just accepted that on even the shortest road trip with her, my knees will be crunched against the dashboard to accommodate gallons of water and a cooler of food jammed behind my seat. (If we ever got caught in a storm, weā€™d survive comfortably for a few days.)

My best friend, Katherine, usually argues with her husband, Carmino, about packing for their annual December road trip from Brooklyn to South Bend, Indiana, to visit his grandmother. Fights ensue because they think they have more room in their Jeep Gladiator than they actually do. ā€œYet every year we still pack it to the brim,ā€ she says.

Carmino is a wanna-be chef, so he insists on traveling with his own kitchen supplies, including a 25-by-25-inch wooden cutting board and numerous pasta-making machines and tools. Additionally, they head out with a Yeti cooler packed with artisanal New York City treats and return with his grandmotherā€™s homemade Polish sausage and pierogies to share with family on the East Coast. ā€œIā€™m talking like 90 pierogis,ā€ Katherine says.

In fairness, Katherine packs her own pillows, and sometimes blankets, for their hotel stays en route to Indiana, which drives him crazy. Getting rest during family holidays is essential, she rationalizes. ā€œAt least I use them all week long, versus one day,ā€ she says.

Why Does Packing for a Holiday Road Trip Feel Particularly Tense?

One of the biggest fights ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų editor Mary Turner ever had with her father was over a casserole dish that she placed in the trunk of the car when he wasn’t looking as they were about to drive to a relative’s house for Thanksgiving. “He discovered it right before he closed the trunk, and all hell broke loose,” she says. “He is super analĢżabout what goes where in the car, and I apparently hadn’t followed those rules.”

Vacations, travel, and packing are cognitively stressful, says Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science at the University of California at Irvine. ā€œWe have to juggle a lot of mental tasks and questions,ā€ she says. For example: What needs to be packed? Will it fit? What am I forgetting? Will I really need this? Excessive cognitive load, she says ā€œcan be tiring, distracting, and potentially diminish our patience.ā€

Holiday travel especially is a pressure cooker of stress, says Los Angelesā€“based therapist Laurel Robert-Meese. ā€œYouā€™re often trying to get everyone elseā€™s needs met,ā€ she says. ā€œWhen youā€™re rushing out of the house to get to your parentsā€™ or in-lawsā€™, and know you might be out of your routine for a few days, stress is heightened.ā€

A huge trigger of travel stress is unrealistically high expectations, says Pressman. ā€œWe want everything to be absolutely perfect during the holidays or on a major vacation,ā€ she says. ā€œWhen our expectations arenā€™t metā€”for example, in a chaotic packing situationā€”itā€™s easy to be disappointed and lash out at whoever is around us.ā€

To diffuse the situation, ask yourself whatā€™s more important: that the car is packed a certain way or that you get to your destination safely and relatively on time, says Robert-Meese. ā€œAnd do you want to be right, or do you want to stay married?ā€ When someone throws a tantrum about a backpack being on top of the suitcase, or between suitcases, that typically represents something bigger, she says. ā€œIf someone is anxious about somethingā€”like seeing their parentsā€”that may manifest in criticizing something trivial, like where the suitcase was placed.ā€

Does Car Size Matter?

My friend Carly and her husband, Ross, live in Boulder, Colorado, and love road-tripping with their two girls, but they hate the Tetris of configuring everything just right into their vehicle. In 2017, they purchased a bare-bones but roomy Sprinter cargo van that they refer to as their mobile garage. But they quickly learned that when you have a bigger vehicle, you want to pack your entire house, including the espresso machine, a giant cooler that contains the contents of their fridge, a case of wine, plus all of their familyā€™s adventure gear. ā€œPretending we have a Subaru instead of a Sprinter might help with quantity control,ā€ she admits.

Tiny cars in Europe are a personal affront to many Americans used to SUVs. Yet when my friends and I go on ski trips to the Continent, my frugal friend Michael, who lives in New York City, inevitably always rents the smallest car. We manage to make it work after what Michaelā€™s wife, Meredith, calls ā€œthe great packing saga.ā€

Meredith is a pro when it comes to packing any size car. ā€œThe biggest or most angular or geometric piecesā€”like skisā€”go in first,ā€ she says. ā€œAnything that fits neatly in the corners of the trunk. Then itā€™s Jenga with smaller bags or soft bags. And finally, you plug every crack and crevice with small bags, extra coats or sweatshirts, or sneakers.ā€ Her personal bag, usually teeming with snacks and extra clothes, stays up front within easy reach.

Who Should Get the Final Say?

Delegating one person to pack the carā€”and being responsible for knowing where everything isā€”can reduce stress, says Pressman. ā€œSometimes one person has a special skill of optimizing the available space. So let them be the one to make those decisions instead of randomly throwing things in or fighting over what goes where,ā€ she says.

If one of your travel partners is super organized and wants to decide what goes where in the car, let them, says Pressman. Decide what your priority is. ā€œPick your battles to maximize happiness, and figure out who should be in charge based on personal strengths and preferences,ā€ she says.

Michelle and Andy Gilbert of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, are a perfect example. Michelle says she always forgets to pack all kinds of stuff: ā€œWe’ve had to stop for bras, toothbrushes, hair products, underwearā€¦. You name it, I’ve forgotten it.ā€ Her husband, on the other hand, is a meticulous packer; he makes a checklist on his phone and ticks things off as he packs.

ā€œWe are very different people,ā€ she says. ā€œHe laughs at me but never gives me a hard time. Itā€™s an unspoken rule that he’s in charge of any important documents, as well as packing the trunk or back of the car, especially if we have a lot to bring. I’m in charge of the front area of the car snacks, blankets, the fun stuff.ā€

If you anticipate going head-to-head about one specific travel issue, set some rules beforehand. For example, maybe the driver gets to decide what feels safest for their comfort in terms of car organization, but the passengers can take control over what goes in the back seat. What’s most important is establishing clear lines of communication and talking through individual priorities before packing and loading begins, says Pressman. Consider compromises, and work together to create a plan that will make everyone happy.

Kelli Miller, author of , suggests using a sliding scale between one and ten to determine who is more emotionally invested. ā€œIf youā€™re a seven when it comes to organization and your partner is a two, you take the lead,ā€ she says. Miller agrees that clear, constant communication is key.

How to Make Packing the Car Less Stressful

Plan Ahead

When we procrastinate, and then feel like we don’t have time to do what we need, that activates our stress response, says Pressman. ā€œThis heightens negative emotions and makes us more irritable and reactive,ā€ she says.

Carly says her familyā€™s packing history confirms this. If itā€™s done at the last minute on the day of a trip, it always results in tears, the silent treatment, and, inevitably, leaving an hour later than intended.

Miller recommends starting to pack at least three days ahead, to give yourself time to shop for necessities, decide who is responsible for what, and determine what nonnegotiable items have to make it into the car.

Assign Roles

When people have specific responsibilities, things feel more controlled and communication is high, says Pressman. ā€œMy husband and I typically make a shared Google Docs packing list of what we need and who is packing what,ā€ she says. ā€œThis reduces surprises and conflicts over forgotten items. I often find myself asking him the day before, ā€˜What am I forgetting?ā€™ And nine times out of ten he’ll remember something I forgot.ā€

But Make It a Team Effort

Carly tries to make packing a family affair. ā€œI recently discovered that I can give my eight- and ten-year-old daughters a packing list and put them in charge of their own bags,ā€ she says. ā€œThis relieves some stress, as Iā€™ve outlined what they need, and they are expected to execute. If they forget something, itā€™s on them.ā€

Everyone also helps haul bags and gear from the house to the van, and then her husband loads it.

Take a Breath and Laugh

If youā€™re fighting about how to pack the car, don’t feel like you have to push through while panicking, says Pressman. ā€œNegative emotions focus our attention and make it harder to find creative solutions to problems,ā€ she says. ā€œTake a breath, take a five-minute break, and talk about the good things that will happen on your trip. Even a quick knock-knock joke can do wonders to diffuse the tension and help you get back to the grind in a more helpful mood.ā€

One of her favorite jokes: Why did the tire get invited to all the road trips? Because it always knew how to roll with it!

Jen Murphy is the travel-advice columnist for ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online. She grew up in New Jersey, the only state where itā€™s still illegal to pump your own gas. Sheā€™ll cope with a messily packed car as long as she doesnā€™t have to fill the tank.Ģż

The post Use This Smart Advice to Avoid Fights When Packing a Car for a Road Trip appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

In traveling, Iā€™ve always chosen to go it alone rather than not go at all. Over the years, friends have called me fearless. Donā€™t you get scared? they ask. Very rarely. Lonely? Honestly, never, even before the days of social media. And isnā€™t it more expensive to travel by yourself than with others? Traditionally, yes. Solo travelers often got slapped with single-supplement, or premium, hotel and tour fees, but since the pandemic, companies have started courting solo travelers. Priceline even held its first-ever .

, safety, loneliness, and expense are the three biggest reasons people hate to travel solo. But Iā€™ve been adventuring on my own for more than two decades, and I find it freeing. I can travel at my own pace and on my own budget. I can easily score a table for oneā€”even at top restaurants that often require bookings weeks in advance. And I connect more with locals.

More people are catching on to the appeal of solo travel, however, especially Gen Zers and Millennials. Google searches for solo travel have increased 223 percent over the past decade, and according to a , 50 percent of Americans planned to travel alone in 2024. And while women have led the indie trip trend in recent years, men are joining the ranks. A from the travel booking site Omio found that 30 percent of men, compared to 23 percent of women, have solo journeys planned for 2025.

If youā€™ve hesitated to give solo travel a go, let me alleviate your concerns and suggest some of my favorite places for awesome adventuring on your own.

Always Consider Safety First

Certain destinations lend themselves to solo travel more than others. Certainly, safety is top of mind.

I scan the U.S. State Departmentā€™s and avoid countries of conflict. I also browse the (GPI), an annual ranking of nations based on factors like the absence of violence or fear of violence, a nationā€™s level of harmony or discord, and its degree of militarization. Coming into 2025, Iceland, Ireland, and Austria are the safest three countries in the world, according to the overall GPI score.

, which also researches and ranks the safest places to visit each year, is another great resource. Rankings are based on an average of ā€œall measures from [BHTPā€™s] State of Travel Insurance research,ā€ and factor in other indices including the Global Peace Index and information from sources like , a destination database that scores living conditions. Berkshire Hathaway puts Iceland, Australia, and Canada as top three for safety, with Ireland close behind.

In addition to its list, Berkshire Hathaway provides write-ups that touch on smart considerations to take into account in each of the high-ranking nations, from dangerous wildlife like box jellyfish in Australia to driving on the left-hand side of the road in Ireland to expensive emergency-evacuation costs in remote destinations of northern Norway.

My 6 Favorite Solo-Travel Destinations

Some of my picks are at the top of the Berkshire Hathaway and Global Peace Index lists, but I cast a wider lens to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations. In particular, such places have satisfied my craving for big doses of nature and adventure.

Portugal

The GPI ranked Portugal the seventh-safest country in the world in 2024. Itā€™s also a bargain compared to most Western European countries (a draft of craft beer cost me $3 in Lisbon compared to $8 in Paris), and the effortlessly connects the northern and southern regions.

Iā€™ve visited this country solo four times and have always found the locals extremely hospitable. On my first trip, I checked out the beach town of Sagres in the southern region of Algarve and met two couples from Lisbon who offered to drive me back to the city. One of the women took off work the next day to be my tour guide, and that evening she and her husband threw a dinner party for me at their home.

I love making solo surf trips up and down Portugalā€™s coast. Hotels like (from $200) in Santa Cruz and (from $73), just north in the town of Peniche, have a clubhouse vibe and offer activities and eventsā€”like rooftop music sessionsā€”that make it easy to meet new friends. Both places can arrange board rentals, lessons, and English-speaking guides.

If you, too, fall hard for the country, Portugalā€™s recently introduced makes it easy to pursue residency while working remotely.

Costa Rica

Pura vida vibes have always made me feel welcome in Costa Rica. The State Departmentā€™s Level 2 advisory recommends that trip-goers use increased caution here, due to petty crime risks and natural hazards like earthquakes (which are common-ish here, with events of magnitude 7 about every decade). For 2025, Berkshire Hathaway Costa Rica the sixth-safest place in the world for female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ travelers.

Surf towns such as Nosara and Santa Teresa along the Pacific Coast attract a lot of Americans and have small expat communities. , a hotel brand catering to digital nomads with coworking spaces as well as rooms, has eight outposts in Costa Rica, including in Nosara, Santa Teresa, and Monteverde (shared dorms from $24). These properties host music events and arrange local experiences for guests.

On the Caribbean Coast, Iā€™m a big fan of the boutique hotel (from $365), which is part of the sustainability-focused Cayuga Collection. The hotel works with local guides and outfitters to arrange snorkeling excursions and hiking day trips in Cahuita National Park, including for solo guests. The place also offers free bike use, which I love for exploring the nearby town on my own.

CanadaĢż

Canadians have a reputation for being incredibly friendly, and that as well as proximity to the U.S. and our shared language are bonuses. highlighted the countryā€™s low crime rate and noted that wildlife like bears and moose posed some of the biggest dangers to visitors.

Vancouver and Montreal, great jumping-off points for the wilderness, ranked two and three, respectively, on a that see the most solo-travel searches on the travel site Kayak and the most solo-dining reservations on OpenTable.

Canada has 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves, as well as two beautiful coasts. Iā€™ve made friends while soaking in the swimming-pool-sized hot tub at (from $250) in Albertaā€™s Banff National Park. Iā€™ve also plotted solo snowboard trips to , British Columbia, to coincide with the Natural Selection Tour freestyle competition, knowing Iā€™d meet like-minded travelers.

If youā€™re wary of wandering the wilderness alone, sign up for a guided trek with a local outfitter. I like the .

Another low-stress option is crisscrossing the country via rail. The Rocky Mountaineerā€™s from Vancouver to Banff takes just two days and is staffed with storytellers who can shed light on indigenous sites and wildlife. It offers single-berth accommodations from $1,752.

Australia

Australia has long been a magnet for backpackers. I spent nearly a year in my twenties backpacking mostly solo around the countryā€™s east coast, and the biggest dangers were crocodiles, snakes, and jellyfish. Despite its resident poisonous critters, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection scored AustraliaĢż the second-safest place in the world to travel for 2025.

Affordable and clean hostels, like (from $140) in Queenslandā€™s Daintree Rainforest, abound and are filled with other solo travelers. is a beach-club-vibe hostel brand with Queensland locations in Noosa, Cairns, and Airlie Beach (from $32 for a spot in a mixed dorm).

Australia is a fantastic destination for hiking. is a collection of 13 treks that you can do yourself or with a guide. I spent four days traversing the wildlife-filled in Tasmania, opting for a guide via the local outfitter the because I wanted to learn more about the flora, fauna, and culture on the island (from $1,900, all-inclusive). The first two nights we stayed in secluded, simple bush camps near the beach ($7), and the final night we were pampered in the recently renovated historic-home-turned-hotel, Bernacchi House.

If youā€™re sticking to the mainland, the in the state of Victoria is a very doable 27 miles over four days along the Great Ocean Road, with campsites en route. The walk is suitable for hikers of any experience and takes in the shipwreck-dotted coastline, wild beaches, and Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.

Austria

Austria is a fantastic option for solo alpine adventures. The country is ranked third on the Global Peace Index and fifth worldwide in terms of safety by the . Most locals speak English, and a great public transportation network makes it easy to travel car-free. If youā€™re deciding between alpine destinations, consider that the cost of living in Switzerland is higher than in Austria, and that affects tourism; in general, expect lodging and meals in Austria to cost half of what youā€™d pay in Switzerland.

The runs a network of more than 170 huts, where itā€™s easy to engage with other hikers. Most mountain resorts, such as or or have guided hiking, biking, and paddling tours that allow you to mingle with others. And many villages offer special . I met some friends on a solo trip to the , held each September.

Bhutan

Solo travel, for me, has been the perfect way to do some soul searching when Iā€™m making big decisions or going through a transition. And one of the most soulful places Iā€™ve ever visited is the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is a place of beauty and spirituality, and travelers here are required to have a guide, which is an exceptional way to become familiar with the culture.

Six years ago, I went on assignment on a solo ten-day guided trip of this Southeast Asia nation and learned so much, including the proper way to throw a dart (this is a traditional sport in Bhutan) and about dating habits here (yes, thereā€™s Tinder in Bhutan). I still keep in touch with my guide, who was a woman, on WhatsApp.

Bhutan is ranked 21 on the Global Peace Index, and itā€™s a mecca for hiking and mountain bikingā€”the king is an avid mountain biker, and my guide and I spotted him one day on the trail. While getting there from the U.S. isnā€™t cheap, nor are costs within the country, visits are slightly more affordable since the kingdom halved its daily tourist fee from $200 to $100 last year.

Phil Bowen of should be your go-to logistician to find a guide, driver, and accommodations, which can range from homestays to splurge-worthy hotels. (from $550, half-board, meaning room, breakfast, and one other meal) is one of the most memorable places Iā€™ve stayed in throughout my global travels.

5 Tips for Solo Travelers, From a Pro

Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of a solo trip.Ģż

Share Your Plans

I always email my mom my rough itinerary. It includes the contact information for any hotels Iā€™ve already booked or the names of campsites where I plan to stay. I also regularly check in with her or a good friend via Whatā€™s App or email to let them know Iā€™ve reached a destination safely and when Iā€™m moving on to my next stop.

Eat at the Restaurant’s Bar

I absolutely love dining alone at the bar. Itā€™s usually easy to score a single seat, and before long Iā€™m chatting with some fascinating local characters. Bartenders are often fantastic sources of local intel and can direct you to good restaurants and the best hiking and mountain-biking trails. Finally, happy-hour specials are a great way to save a few bucks.

Watch and Post on Message Boards

If youā€™re craving companionship, you might post on social-media channels like Facebook and Instagramā€”you never know who in your circles, or your friendsā€™ circles, is headed to the same place as youā€”or use the Friends setting on apps like Bumble. Many hotels and hostels, and often the local grocery store, still have bulletin boards with postings for local activities, like free yoga sessions or group hikes.

Pack Meds

Being alone isnā€™t so great when you fall ill in a far-flung place. In many countries itā€™s manageable: you can walk into a pharmacy, explain your symptoms, and get what you need. But I recently suffered through a debilitating urinary-tract infection in Morocco, and now I never travel without the broad-spectrum antibiotic I needed. I convinced my doctor to prescribe one in case I get that sick on the road again.

Donā€™t Second-Guess Yourself

Trust your gut. If something feels unsafe, it probably is. The very few times Iā€™ve gotten food poisoning have been when actions went against my instinct. Donā€™t be afraid to be impolite. Once, in Varanasi, India, an elderly woman offered me a glass of sketchy looking lassi. I felt rude saying no, and all it took was one sip to give me Delhi Belly. I knew better.

You should also follow your intuition. When I meet strangers and feel genuine good vibes, I will accept an invitation to share a ride or join for a meal in someoneā€™s home. These chance encounters have rewarded me with some wonderful friends and experiences over the years.

Jen Murphy is °æ³Ü³Ł²õ¾±»å±šā€™s online travel-advice columnist. She has had some of her most memorable adventures while traveling solo, from dancing with a local tribe in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia to joining members of the Indian army on a run in Delhi. Her journal and a good book have always served as great companions. She has also recently written an ultimate guide to winter fun in a choice selection of mountain towns in Colorado, a guide for anyone new to adventure travel in Costa Rica, and the funniest things travelers ask their adventure guides. There are doozies.

The post Iā€™ve Been Traveling Solo for Decades. Here Are My Pro Tips and Favorite Countries to Visit. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

If sitting is the new smoking, then flying in economy must be the equivalent of a pack a day.

Remaining seated for extended periods, whether youā€™re working at a desk or road-tripping hundreds of miles, causes blood to pool in your legs. Sitting on a plane exacerbates this, because air-pressure changes in the cabin lowers the oxygenation of your blood, which can adversely affect circulation, . In some alarming cases, it can even lead to (DVT), a rare yet serious condition in which a blood clot forms in your leg and travels to your lungs; this could result in a pulmonary embolism.

Compression socks for flying can help. Tightest near the ankle, and still pretty snug at the top of your calf, theyā€™re designed to gently squeeze your lower legs to stimulate blood and lymphatic fluid from your feet to your heart, explains Andrew Jagim, director of sports-medicine research at the Mayo Clinic.

Before you balk at paying upward of $20 for a pair of tight socks, consider how economical this purchase is compared with a business-class seat that lets you fully recline. The lie-flat option is often 100 times more expensive, which is why Iā€™ve come to rely on compression socksā€”what I call the poor manā€™s upgrade.

How Compression Socks Came to Be Viewed as Essential for Travel

Conrad Jobst, a German engineer who lived in Ohio and suffered from varicose veins, is credited with inventing modern compression socks around 1950. His therapeutic designs helped alleviate symptoms associated with poor leg circulation, post-surgery swelling, and DVT, among others. are still sold today.

That decade, experts began to recognize that prolonged periods of immobility during long-distance travel, particularly by car or train, could cause blood clots to form and started using the term ā€œtravelerā€™s thrombosis.ā€ In 1954, American surgeon John Homans cases of people who had experienced venous thrombosis after long-distance flights.

The media and general public were alerted to the connection between flying and DVT in 1974, when then U.S. president Richard Nixon developed a blood clot while flying during a diplomatic visit overseas. Complications required hospitalization and prevented him from being able to attend the Watergate trials.

A few years later, two British researchers studying the risks of DVT on flights coined the term ā€œeconomy class syndromeā€ā€” a misnomer, as DVT can occur in any class of travel, but highly influential in drawing attention to the risks of air-travel-related DVT, says Bob Bacheler, managing director of the medical-transport service Flying Angels. ā€œHaving more space to stretch your legs or lie flat is better than being cramped in economy, but you still need to make the effort to move,ā€ he says.

Who Should Wear Compression Socks, and When

According to the , anyone traveling four-plus hoursā€”be it by air, car, bus, or trainā€”can be at risk for blood clots. Occurrences of a blood clot are between 1.5 and 4 times more likely on a long-haul flight (four hours or more), according to a that was updated in 2021. That said, most people who develop travel-associated blood clots are generally those with one or more health risks; for example, theyā€™re over 40, obese, pregnant, or recovering from a recent surgery.

Jagim says that wearing compression socks on any flight longer than an hour can yield benefits, like minimizing lower-leg and ankle swelling. Bacheler, who frequently serves as a flight nurse on flights of 12 to 24 hours, says he always wears compression socks. Of the two dozen flight attendants I polled during my own recent travels, all but one said they wear them, even on flights as short as one hour.

But these special socks arenā€™t a magic fix. Whether youā€™re sprawled out in the spacious Qsuites of Qatar Airways or packed like a sardine into economy on Frontier or Spirit (tied for the at 28 inches), itā€™s important to get up and walk to keep the bodyā€™s interstitial fluidā€”the stuff between our blood vessels and cellsā€”moving. The getting up once every two to three hours. Jacob Erickson, a sports-medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says that even flexing your calf muscles and moving your feet and ankles around while sitting can help blood flow.

And donā€™t forgo hydration. Kill two birds with one stone by getting up, walking down the main aisle, and asking a flight attendant for water. ā€œStaying hydrated complements the effects of compression socks by ensuring your blood remains fluid and your body maintains overall balance,ā€ says Bacheler.

How to Shop for the Right Compression Socks

As a travel writer, I fly a lotā€”most recently, 13 flights in three weeksā€”and have tested dozens of compression socks to determine which are best at preventing my legs from inflating like balloons. The most important consideration, according to Bacheler, is a good fit. Too tight and theyā€™ll cut off circulation; too loose and theyā€™ll fail to compress sufficiently. Most medical-supply stores will have a variety you can try.

Understanding Mm Hg

Every compression sock offers information about mm Hg on its packaging, so you should know what it means. The measurement stands for millimeters of mercury (what we use to gauge blood pressure), and it reflects the amount of pressure the socks provide.

Most brands tend to use the following general ranges of mm HG. Finding the right fit might take some trial and error, but go by what feels best to you.

8 to 15 mm Hg: Light compression that can relieve aches and minor swelling from prolonged sitting or standing; considered a loose fit.

15 to 20 mm Hg: Mild compression suitable for everyday use.

20 to 30 mm Hg: Moderate compression used in medical-grade socks; a very snug fit.

My Travel-Socks Hack

On a recent trip from Madagascar to Denver (four legs, 31 total hours in the air), I paired my mild compression socks with Band-Aid-size electrical-stimulation devices (from $48), for the marathon 15-hour leg from Doha, Qatar, to Seattle. The devices send out tiny pulses that stimulate the peroneal nerve in the leg to increase blood flow.

The winning combination prevented swelling and left my legs feeling like I’d never left the ground. If you check out the brandā€™s website, youā€™ll see that this is something used by hundreds of sports teams that travel on the regular.

My Favorite Compression Socks for Flying

2XU

Price: $45
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
Iā€™ve long worn 2XU flight-compression tightsĢżto help recover from long runs or tough workouts, so I decided to try the brandā€™s flight-compression socks on that recent 15-hour leg, and Iā€™m hooked! Each pair is assessed on Salzmann testing apparatusā€”the most technically accurate device for compression measurement in fabricsā€”to ensure graduated squeezing. A vented toe panel provided breathability, and they were easy to pull on and off. One downside is that they lose their compression characteristics after a few machine washes, so hand-wash yours.

Bombas Everyday

Price: From $28
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
Many compression socks pull up to just the base of the knee. But if you have sensitive knees, you may find the squeeze at that point irritating or even painful. Bombas Everyday socks are a nice alternativeā€”theyā€™re designed to hit a few inches below the knee yet still stay snugly in place. I tend to get cold on flights, and was pleased to note that the Everydayā€™s cotton blend was warmer than others Iā€™ve tried. I give the brand bonus points for its colorways, which range from neutral (black, gray) to colorful (plum, ocean).

Comrad CloudCotton

Price: $32
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
Comfy enough to wear all day long, these socksĢżare crafted from supersoft combed cotton and tree fibers, and they almost feel like slippers on your feet. I appreciate the extra toe and heel cushioning, which helps with shock absorption. And the moisture-wicking, odor-fighting fabric means you can kick your shoes off mid-flight, worry-free. I couldnā€™t decide whether to buy a small or medium and wrongly chose the latter, but the Comrad guarantee allowed me to exchange for a different size for free (or return them for a refund) within 30 days of purchase.

Levsox

Price: From $25 for two pairs
Compression level: 20 to 30 mm Hg
Thanks to their breathable fabric, LevsoxĢżdonā€™t feel like theyā€™re strangling your legs, but they still deliver the firmer fit I prefer. Their extra arch support is akin to getting a massage while you walk. If you like socks with personality, youā€™ll love the options: stripes, animal patterns, and psychedelic prints. Levsox also makes a model suited for wide calves.

Sigvaris Motion High Tech Calf Highs

Price: $68
Compression level: 20 to 30 mm Hg
Bacheler and three flight attendants I spoke with all swear by Sigvaris compression stockings.ĢżMost medical-grade models resemble your grandmaā€™s hosiery, but these particular knee-highs look like sporty socks, and they pop in bold hues like lime green and steel blue. They apply more compression in the calf area than other socks on this list, which kept my legs feeling energized when I deplaned and had to race to my next flight.

Jen Murphy credits compression socks for allowing her to fly ten-plus hours and then go run five miles without aches or pains.

The post Why I Always Wear Compression Socks on Long Flights appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

When it comes to ski resorts and wintery adventures, the mountain towns in Colorado have an embarrassment of riches. Growing up in New Jersey, my family would drive nearly five hours to ski the resorts of Vermont. Sometimes my dad would pile us in his van and do a 10-hour round trip in a single day. I have so many fond memories of chilly outdoor time with my family as a kid. Then, I headed west later in life.

Why I Love These Mountain Towns in Colorado

When I moved to Boulder, Colorado I was blown away to learn that I had nearly a dozen resorts within a two-hour drive and another dozen more just a bit further. The initial allure was, of course, the downhill. But then I began to discover the other adventures on offer, from fat tire biking along stunning singletrack and Nordic skiing past old gold mines, to snowmobiling and dog sledding in the backcountry.

Every ski town has its own personality, plus quirky annual events that I try to time my visits around. The properties from ā€”a hip hotel membership club that started in Breckenridge and now has outposts in Vail, Winter Park, and Steamboat Springsā€”is my typical go-to stay for the hyperlocal vibe, convenient co-working spaces, athlete-worthy gyms, and restaurants with high-quality cocktails and food (from $169 to $299 minimum per night).

If you prefer a vacation rental, has properties in Vail, Beaver, Creek, Aspen, and Snowmass and recently introduced Peak Pursuits, an adventure-focused concierge service that can arrange activities such as heli-skiing and sleigh ride dinners. Hereā€™s my cheat sheet on how to navigate the on and off-piste winter thrills of the most beautiful mountain towns in Colorado.

Best Things to Do in Aspen-Snowmass

I have a soft spot for Aspen. If you look past the glitz and glamor you can still find a soulful mountain town with epic adventures on offer. A free public transportation system transfers you between the resortā€™s four mountains, each with its own personality and appeal (Buttermilk for families; Aspen-Highlands for its mythic bowl). And Heroā€™s, the new terrain expansion on Aspen Mountain, will push your edge with chutes and gladed areas. You can be part of the downtown aprĆØs scene, but I prefer to get my culture fix after skiing and visit the or .

Where to Play

In my opinion, Aspen-Snowmass has Coloradoā€™s best . A season uphill pass costs $69 ($10 of the fee goes to Mountain Rescue Aspen) and gives you access to dedicated routes on Buttermilk and Snowmass mountains all day, and you can uphill Ajax Mountain and Aspen Highlands when the lift isnā€™t spinning. The Roaring Fork Valley is also a , boasting 60 miles of free cross-country and snowshoe trails between Aspen, Snowmass, and Basalt.

I like to work up an appetite, skate skiing the so I can splurge on the burger at Woody Creek Tavern or Iā€™ll pay for a $25 pass at Ashcroft Nordic Center, set across from an old ghost town, so I can cross-country ski out to for their pre-fixe lunch menu. They also have an option to reach the restaurant by horse-drawn sleigh.

For unreal views without a lot of effort, book a with T Lazy Ranch (from $275).

Where to Stay

Aspen has no shortage of ritzy hotels with see-and-be-seen crowds but I prefer the low-key properties in both Aspen (from $629 a night) and Snowmass (from $569 a night). Rooms are outfitted with Smeg fridges and microwaves, banquette seating for dining or remote working, plus plenty of hooks and cubbies for ski gear. In the morning, youā€™re treated to a complimentary breakfast buffet. After skiing, you can soak in the hot tub or heated outdoor pool then hit the bar for live music and wood-fired pizza.

Where to Eat

The former log cabin recently underwent a renovation and expansion and this season will be accessible by foot off of Snowmassā€™s new Coney Express Lift. You can ski in for lunch or extended aprĆØs hours, which feature shotskis and charcuterie boards, or book an evening snowcat dinner.

I buy an uphill pass just so I can attend the monthly at the Cliffhouse at Buttermilk.

, a new dive bar in Aspen, was recently opened by two locals and affordably-priced food was a term of the restaurantā€™s deed-restricted lease. A beer and beef slider will cost you less than $10; a steal in Aspen.

And if youā€™re flying in or out of the airport, a detour to , tucked away in the Aspen Airport Center, is a must. Her flavorful dishes, like vegetable maffe, a West African peanut curry, and seafood gumbo, pay homage to her French and Ivory Coast roots.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

Buttermilk Mountain will host the Winter X Games January 23-25, 2025 and the and the Visa Big Air January 30-February 6. But Iā€™m most excited for the inaugural halfpipe event of Olympic snowboarder Shaun Whiteā€™s new Snow League, happening March 7-8.

Best Things to Do in Breckenridge

Just 80 miles west of Denver, Breckenridge is one of the stateā€™s most popular Front Range ski resorts. Some lament the crowds, but I find once youā€™re on the mountain, itā€™s easy to spread out. Five peaks boast more than 180 trails webbed across nearly 3,000 skiable acres of terrain, ranging from high-alpine bowls to beginner-friendly tree runs.

I like to rise early and warm up with a yoga class at and always build in a down day to explore the boutiques, restaurants, and public art and studios of the in Breckā€™s charming Victorian downtown.

Where to Play

Rent a fat bike (they also have e-fat bikes) from and explore the nearly 20 miles of groomed trails at the Gold Run Nordic Center (half-day rentals from $65). The outfitterā€™s guided rides to and are great because they provide transportation back to town so you can imbibe worry-free (from $85).Ģż

Where to Stay

The feels more like a restaurant with rooms. The Euro-style inn has just four, Scandi-minimalist suites stocked with useful amenities like Topo Designs backpacks and yoga mats. Two of the town’s best eateries are just below the rooms. The seafood-centric, ground-floor restaurant features a raw bar and items like fish and chips and lobster roll sliders; the basement-level speakeasy-inspired tavern serves comfort foods like cheesesteaks and fried chicken sammys. (From $399 per night.)

Where to Eat

Matt Vawter, chef and owner of , was recently named the James Beard Awardsā€™ best chef in the mountain region. The mega accolade, often called the Oscars of the food world, has made reservations to experience his exceptional tasting menu a must.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

, a wacky celebration of the Norse god of snow, takes place December 12-14, 2024 with a colorful parade of costumed revelers. This year, Breck will try to lure 1,370 participants to help reclaim the unofficial worldā€™s longest shotski record from Park City. I hope to be there.

Best Things to Do in Crested Butte

I live in one of the greatest mountain towns in Colorado, but I still get mountain-town envy every time I visit Crested Butte. The soulful vibe and lack of big brand hotels and chains have earned it the reputation as Coloradoā€™s last great ski town. If youā€™re seeking rowdy terrain, Crested Butte Mountain Resort delivers. Known as the North American birthplace of inbounds extreme skiing and riding, it boasts more than 560 acres of expert terrain. Want bragging rights? Tackle Rambo, a 55-degree-pitch run considered the steepest lift-served, tree-cut trail in the U.S. Beyond the resort, the surrounding Gunnison Valley offers a treasure trove of backcountry adventures to satiate all types of outdoor lovers.

Where to Play

Cat skiing with local outfitter on 1,000 acres of powder-blessed terrain just ten miles out of town ranks as one of my all-time snowboard days (private cat for up to 10 people costs $8,500 or buy a single seat for $850).

If thereā€™s a dry spell, is a perfect alternative to downhill skiing and grooms a number of areas around town that are free to access. The maintains nearly 35 miles of trails that can be accessed with a $25 day pass. The six miles of trails at the Town Ranch and on the Rec Path can be accessed for free.

Where to Stay

Ski-in/ski-out has an on-site ski rental shop, a sprawling spa, spacious rooms, and a lounge in partnership with local film company Matchstick Productions that hosts screenings and athlete activations (from $230 a night).

Where to Eat

Carb up at the , a dive-y pizza spot. I love that the menu at the has healthy options like the completely satisfying quinoa-spiked power salad, as well as the not-so-healthy stuff you crave after a day slaying pow, like a burger topped with pork belly and fried onions.

On Sundays, in-the-know locals Nordic ski or snowshoe to , located one-mile from the Peanut Lake Trailhead Loop.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

, an outrageous costumed American Birkebeiner qualifying Nordic event, takes place February 1, 2025 and the course winds through the heart of downtown making it a favorite spectator event.

Best Things to Do in Steamboat Springs

Ski Town USA is known for both its ultra-dry, trademark ā€œchampagne powderā€ and Old Western cowboy character. In the last few years, the resort has been re-imagined with a new base area, complete with a skating rink and food hall, and a dedicated beginner area, Greenhorn Ranch. Advanced skiers once bemoaned the lack of expert runs. No more. Last year the resort debuted Mahogany Ridge & Fish Creek Canyon, some 650 acres of test-your-mettle terrain.

A free bus runs every 20 minutes between the village and town, making it easy to explore galleries and shops like stalwart western wear.

Where to Play

Channel your inner cowboy (or girl) on a snowy trail ride at , led by fifth-generation wrangler (and enthralling storyteller) Ray Heid ($150). Then warm up with a steamy soak. I like the ease of ($29) but clothing-optional-after-dark is an experience ($20, cash only). If you donā€™t have 4WD and snow tires, book a to reach the secluded springs ($50 round-trip, entry fee included).

Where to Stay

The historic recently renovated its 35 rooms and has a hard-to-beat downtown location walking distance to shops and restaurants. (From $199 a night.)

Where to Eat

Options abound. On the hill, you can choose from ramen, pizza, tacos, and subs at the . In town, the offers Jamaican jerk chicken, poke bowls, classic cocktails, and more. Brunch at is worth a late start on the slopes, particularly for the banana foster French toast and smoked tomato and pesto Benedict.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

Like a rodeo on the slopes, the annual , January 20, 2025, always leaves me in stitches as I watch cowgirls and cowboys in their chaps and Stetsons speed down a dual slalom course, hit jumps, then lasso a person, saddle a horse, and ski across the finish line.

Families shouldnā€™t miss the oldest west of the Mississippi. Celebrating 112 years on February 7-9, 2025 the festivities include ski racing, skijoring, and a fireworks-studded night show featuring the famed Lighted Man, who shoots fireworks from his pyrotechnic suit while skiing down the hill.

Best Things to Do in Telluride

Telluride looks like it was meant for a snow globe. Nestled in a picturesque box canyon within the jagged San Juan Mountains, it isnā€™t the easiest resort to reach in winter, which means you rarely find crowds. If you make the effort, youā€™re rewarded with quad-burning slopes and a darling downtown lined with Victorian homes, art galleries, indie boutiques, and some seriously great dining.

A free, pedestrian gondola makes it effortless to bounce between the mountain and the historic downtown while soaking in awesome views.

Where to Play

can access more than 200 square miles of high-alpine skiing and its single-day heli-trip promises six runs with up to 14,000 feet of leg-quivering vert (from $1,875 per person).

I always like to build in a mellow activity to temper all of the adrenaline and one of my favorite experiences over the years has been dog sledding the snowy trails of the Uncompahgre National Forest with family-run company, . (Prices vary, for current rates.)

Where to Stay

I like the convenience of the ski-in/ski-out (from $399 a night), and appreciate their massive fitness center. Intimate, five-bedroom (from $550 a night) is steps from the town gondola and feels like a fancy B&B, complete with complimentary wine, beer, and snacks, and hearty breakfast spread.

Where to Eat

Sometimes I opt to stay downtown just so I can be walking distance to the , an institution beloved for its monster-sized, made-from-scratch baked goods (the homemade pop tarts are addictive).

On piste, , North Americaā€™s second highest elevation fine-dining restaurant, channels Italyā€™s Dolomites with its charcuterie and cheese spreads, deep wine list, and killer mountain views. I still havenā€™t experienced the omakase menu at , a stellar sushi spot in town, but their happy hour is one of the best deals around with half price sushi rolls.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

Many Colorado resorts now host a , but Tellurideā€™s (February 22-March 1, 2025) stands out for its raucous pool parties and kick-off event, the Telluride Aids Benefit fashion show gala.

Best Things to Do in Vail

People like to hate on Vail because its parent company is a mega ski conglomerate. That shouldnā€™t take away from its seriously great terrain. Iā€™ve lived in Colorado for a decade and am still discovering all that the resortā€™s seven back bowls have to offer in its 2,785 acres of terrain. And in the last few years, the Bavarian-inspired village has been reinvigorated with new bars, restaurants, and the wild entertainment venue, .

Where to Play

Skiing the Minturn Mile, an out-of-bounds run that spans three miles and drops 3,000 vertical feet, is a right of passage for hard-charging locals.Ģż I usually think of Nordic skiing as a killer workout, but turns it into an adventure by leading half- and full-day tours into the White River National Forest where youā€™re likely to ski past abandoned mines and wildlife (from $160).

Where to Stay

I love how the celebrates the resortā€™s 1960s heyday. Design details, like framed 10th Mountain Division pins in the rooms, nod to the regionā€™s alpine heritage. After a day on the hill I head straight to the downstairs recovery lounge, equipped with massage guns, leg compression sleeves, and a Himalayan salt room. (From $469 per night.)

Where to Eat

Matsuhisa has some competition now that upscale sushi spot has opened in the Grand Hyatt Vail. This winter, Denverā€™s award-winning Italian restaurant, , opens in the Four Seasons. On the mountain, I can never resist the smell of barbecue wafting from , accessible off chairlifts 3, 17, and 7.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

Iā€™ve marked my calendar to see the action at the at neighboring Beaver Creek December 6-15, 2024. Music fans wonā€™t want to miss , a weekend concert series April 4-5, 2025 featuring DJs like Interplanetary Criminal and Don Fuego (tickets from $99).

Best Things to Do in Winter Park

Iā€™ll admit, the initial appeal of snowboarding at Winter Park was that I could bypass traffic by hopping on the , a stress-free, direct train service that runs Friday through Sunday throughout the winter from Denverā€™s Union Station to the base of the resort (tickets from $19 to $39).

Widely considered Coloradoā€™s original ski resort, it strikes a rare balance of being both a destination yet feeling like locals still rule the hill. Iā€™ve been a devotee since my first trip. Youā€™ll find newbie and kid-friendly groomers and some super fun glades at Winter Park and neighboring peak Mary Jane is known for its thigh-burning moguls and hike-accessed Cirque terrain.

Where to Play

Head to to snow tube ($35 an hour), fat bike ($20 per hour), and snowshoe (rentals $25 per day).

On select Saturday evenings this January through March, you can uphill by headlamp for an alpine dinner at , a vintage lodge near the Explorer Express and Prospector lifts, then descend under the stars.

Where to Stay

I satisfy my cabin fantasies by staying at the . This collection of 31 Instagram-worthy, mid-century-inspired cabins feature Malm fireplaces and deep soaking tubs and the restaurant has an Argentinean gaucho grill that cooks tomahawk ribeyes and wagyu for the decadent burger to perfection. (From $299 a night.)

Where to Eat

The main drag of the town of Winter Park is about three miles from the resort and even on snowy nights I brave the drive just to have the fiery curries at . And the French fries (yes, the fries) at are so good I sometimes just have a whopping serving and an old fashioned and call it dinner.

Donā€™t-Miss Event

The annual Spring Bash and Splash is a rowdy series of bluegrass concerts, costume contests, beach parties, and pond skims held every weekend from the end of March through April.

Any time Jen Murphy gets frustrated sitting in Coloradoā€™s I-70 ski traffic she has flashbacks to traffic jams enroute to the icy slopes of Vermont and the 30-second descents of the Poconos, the stomping grounds of her youth. Jen is a regular ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų contributor and our travel-advice columnist who has recently written a beginnerā€™s guide to Costa Rica, a story on how she used AI to plan a trip to Maui, and shared tips on how to get refunded for vacationsĢżbunked by bad weather.Ģż

The post Your Ultimate Guide to Winter ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų in Coloradoā€™s Top Mountain Towns appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

For decades, American alpinist Kitty Calhoun made a name topping out on some of the worldā€™s highest peaks, including the West Pillar of 27,766-foot Makalu in the Himalayas. But what stayed with her more than any summit view were the alarming effects of climate change.

At such elevations, she often noticed melting ice, a hindrance to her ascents. But in the high deserts of Utah, the repercussions were causing real daily struggles for those living on the Navajo Nation, something she became aware of while mentoring an Indigenous climber whoā€™d grown up there.

For over a century, natural resources like oil, coal, and uranium extracted from Navajo land have powered the American West, yet approximately one-third of the Navajo Nation, roughly 13,500 families, live without power. That indignity on its own is hard to fathom, but climate change has also exacerbated the aridity and seasonal heat in this region, forcing families to endure more triple-digit days without respite.

With that in mind, last year Calhoun persuaded Utah-based Lion Energy to donate 35 solar-powered kitsā€”lunch-box-size generators that can be charged in as little as four hoursā€”and raised $32,500 to buy an additional 65 for families in one of the reservationā€™s most disadvantaged areas, remote Navajo Mountain. Equipped with 100-watt solar panels, a single kit can run a mini fridge for 16 hours, charge a laptop 11 times over, and last up to 20 years.

Calhoun then reached out to Norman Lameman, the Native founder of , a nonprofit devoted to preserving tribal values, to lead the distribution efforts. ā€œI didnā€™t want to force kits on people,ā€ Calhoun says. ā€œIf they were interested, Norman could explain how the technology worked in their language.ā€

Angelo Baca, a Navajo-Hopi distance runner and filmmaker, and Sahar Khadjenoury, a Navajo-Persian producer and director, documented the project using a grant Calhoun received from Protect Our Winters for a film called Navajo Solar Sunrise.

ā€œItā€™s important for us to take care of people. From an Indigenous perspective, the people are part of the land,ā€ Baca said. ā€œItā€™s important to step away from extractive resourcesā€”our people are still dealing with the effects of uranium contamination on the reservation. And solar isnā€™t the end-all solution, but itā€™s an important first step.ā€

In October of 2023, the trio traveled with Lameman to oversee installation and document the myriad ways the kits can improve lives. Families were able to run fans when temperatures soared and refrigerate food, medication, and breast milk. They could rely on electric blankets and small space heaters to keep them warm in winter, and access the internet to apply for jobs, government programs, and educational opportunities. They could charge their phones. Before the kits, Calhoun says, many residents relied on car batteries to power such necessities.

ā€œLiving simply should not mean living in poverty,ā€ she says.

To donate for more solar generators in the Four Corners region, .Ģż

The post Many in This Navajo Community Didnā€™t Have Electricity. An Unlikely Foursome Collaborated to Make a Difference. appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Exploring a new destination is fun, but the rigamarole to get there, not so much. Plane travel can be exhausting, packing fraught, and ensuring you have what you need to stay safe and connected during your trip means taking a lot into consideration before you step out the door. Weā€™ve all been there many times.

But travel shouldnā€™t be so stressful. And those whoā€™ve made a profession out of it, like our travel writers, have many tricks they turn to on every trip that make their journeys bearable, and even enjoyable. ā€œWhat are the hacks we should be using?ā€ we asked them. Their answersā€”and their anecdotes about why they changed the way they pack or entertain their kidsā€”wowed us in these 16 ways.

Gear Hacks

The Problem: You hate packing a regular toothbrush, and your electric one only plugs into the wall
The Solution: The Suri e-toothbrush

Having to pack a regular old toothbrush is always such a letdown. I went electric a long time ago. At home I use an Oral B, but itā€™s bulky, the battery rarely lasts more than a week, and itā€™s prone to spontaneously buzzing and vibrating in my bag. Awkward.

Then I got a Suri. These electric toothbrushes are sleek, and their slender hard case has a built-in USB-C-powered UV light that disinfects. You can power it in the case, tooā€”not that youā€™ll likely need to. The company claims the battery lasts 40 days on a single charge. Iā€™ve not personally tested this, but mine worked every day of the two weeks I just spent hopping between Oregon, Colorado and Virginia.

Suri is good for your conscience, too. We throw away upward of four billion regular brushes annually, and most electric versions are still heavy on single-use plastics. Suriā€™s are made of eco-friendly materials like cornstarch and castor beans. The handle is aluminum. All of it can be recycled for free. Now it too just lives in my bag. ā€”Tim Neville

The Problem: Youā€™ve yet to find a sizable carry-on that fits in the overhead compartment or under the seat
The Solution: The Cotopaxi 35L

Friends assume Iā€™m a champion bag-packer. They might be right. In 2019 I spent three weeks circumnavigating the globe, with three stops (the South Pacific, Middle East, Scandinavia) in three climates, and all I brought was a carry-on. That was the first time I really put the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L ($225) to the test, and itā€™s since been my go-to bag for almost every travel adventure.

The zippered clamshell design has two interior mesh compartments for clothes and two smaller mesh pockets that stash my notebooks and batteries. Thereā€™s also an exterior laptop sleeve and another pocket that nicely accommodates my toiletry bag and sunglasses.ĢżI can wear the Allpa like a backpack or carry it like a briefcase.

While I love roller bags, a soft-sided backpack is really the right way to fly. I jam the Allpa into those half-size overhead bins on regional flights, and if I donā€™t pack it to the gills, it fits under the seat in front of me (though The Allpa 28L is better for that). Critically, itā€™s subtly ruggedā€”its rubberized exterior adds neither bulk nor weight but has repelled snow, rain, and cat pee, as well as endured abuse in boats and one very dusty truck bed on an all-night trip across Zimbabwe. Five years in, mine looks pretty much the same as the day I bought it. ā€”T.N.

ĢżThe Problem: You canā€™t fit everything into your suitcase
The Solution: Thule packing cubes

To buy or not to buy packing cubes isnā€™t a question, because the answer is: absolutely. Not only can I cram more stuff in my luggage, with space-saving cubes of underwear and T-shirts, but having everything organized keeps me sane, and that makes life a million times easier on the road. Instead of rummaging around to find socks, I jump right to that cube. When flying, my family saves on baggage fees by bringing one big suitcase filled with everyoneā€™s cubes to divvy up later. Packing cubes are super handy on river and backpacking trips too.

Iā€™ve gravitated to Thuleā€™s for everything but nicer shirts and pants; those I put into an Eagle Creek Pack-It garment folder that keeps them (mostly) wrinkle-free. Thereā€™s a ā€œclean/dirtyā€ Thule cube fashioned withĢża soft plastic barrier, perfect for a damp bathing suit, shoes, or dirty clothes. One could argue that cubes are cubes, but Thuleā€™s are sturdy, allowing me to compress a maximum number of items into a dense packet without blowing out the zipper or stitching. ā€”T.N.

ĢżThe Problem: When you fly, your legs and feet swell uncomfortably
ĢżTheĢżSolution: Compression socks

Rarely do I have the luxuryā€”or luckā€”of flying to a far-flung destination in a lie-flat bed. Which is why Iā€™ve come to rely on compression socksā€”what I call the poor manā€™s upgrade. Remaining seated for extended periods causes blood to pool in your legs, and that , so by the time you deplane, perhaps your feet have swollen to an alarming degree. Compression socks are the solution; designed to gently squeeze your ankles and calves, they stimulate better blood circulation, which in turn reduces swelling and lowers the risk of a serious condition called .

Bob Bacheler, managing director of the medical-transport service Flying Angels recommends compression socks on any flight of four or more hours. The most important consideration, he says, is a good fitā€”not too tight or too loose. When I wear compression socks, my legs feel fresh rather than achy or tired.

I like Bombasā€™s colorful Everyday compression socks, which pull up just below the knee and deliver mild compression (15 to 20 mm Hgā€”a unit used to measure pressure). I tend to get cold on flights, and these thick cotton socks are warmer than others Iā€™ve tried. Levsox compression socks have a snugger fit (20 to 30 mm Hg) but they still donā€™t feel like theyā€™re strangling my legs, and their extra arch support makes me feel like that part of my foot is getting a massage when I walk in them (and walk you shouldā€”the getting up every two to three hours). To reap the biggest benefits, Bacheler recommends staying hydrated, which increases blood circulation throughout your body, enhancing the effectiveness of the socks. ā€”Jen Murphy

The Problem: You want to practice yoga on your trip, but your roll-up mat is too big to bring
ĢżThe Solution: The foldable Kama Mat

I first saw a Kama mat on a camping trip, when a friend unfolded this origami-style pad and placed it outside her camper van like a welcome mat where visitors were invited to leave their dirty shoes. Folded up, it resembles a large pizza boxā€“size trapezoid, but it pulls apart like youā€™re undoing a paper crane. Laid out, the mat is big enough for a downward dog. The Kama comes in three sizes: the largest option is seven feet by five feet unfolded, while the smallest looks more like a doormat at four by two feet. I was immediately won over by all the possibilities.

My Kama goes everywhere with me now. Itā€™s a picnic blanket I stash in the back of my car, a beach pad that keeps my feet from getting sandy while Iā€™m taking off my wetsuit after swimming or surfing, and a comfy place for my dog to sleep outdoors near the tent. The mat is half an inch thick, with a similar feel to a cushy sleeping pad, and itā€™s way more durable than your average yoga mat, thanks to its tough 100 percent Cordura material, a synthetic made entirely from recycled bottles thatā€™s easy to clean. Youā€™ll want to on how to fold it correctly, unless origami comes naturally to you. Theyā€™re not cheapā€”the smallest size is $98 and the largest $233ā€”but they last and Iā€™ve yet to find something that compares. ā€”M.M.

Tech Hacks

ĢżThe Problem: You need a long-lasting, reliable power bank thatā€™s allowed on airplanes
ĢżThe Solution: OtterBoxā€™s Fast Charge

A working phone is indispensable on the road. It stores boarding passes, train passes, and itineraries in . With eSIMS opening the door to cheap data overseas, I now use my phone in places that were too expensive before, like Azerbaijan. All of this to say: I need a good TSA-approved power bank.

OtterBoxā€™s Fast Charge has kept me going for about two years now. It weighs a pound, is the size of a thin brick tile, and stores a significant 20,000 milliampere-hours that you can tap through two ports, a USB-A and a USB-C. Thatā€™s enough oomph to resuscitate a flatlining iPhone 12 Pro at least three times. On river trips, it keeps my inReach satellite device alive for a week.

It charges things quickly, tooā€”3.6 times faster than your standard five-watt transformer, according to OtterBox. Iā€™ve found that juicing my device for just five to ten minutes can push it well out of the red. In airplane mode I can fully charge my phone in about 45 minutes. When paired with OtterBoxā€™s 72-watt wall charger, the Premium Pro Fast Charge, I can power a laptop and phone simultaneously from one outlet. The only bummer? The power bankā€™s 18 watts canā€™t bring a laptop back to life. For that I rely on BioLiteā€™s Charge 100 Max, which stores 25,000 milliampere-hours, puts out 100 watts, and is designed with five ports and a wireless charging deck. ā€”T.N.

ĢżĢż

ĢżThe Problem: Your devicesā€™ countless cords and cables arenā€™t organized
ĢżThe Solution: GoTubbs

One of the last things I used to pack, because I hated it so much, were all the cords, adapters, and wall chargers required to travel with my laptop, Kindle, phone, voice recorder, and watch. What a mess and hassle. Iā€™d rather untangle spaghetti.

But Iā€™ve been turned on to plastic containers from Humangear called GoTubbs. Each is circular and transparent, with a fantastic, deep-sided lid that I can squeeze open with one hand. Marketing pictures showed them holding snacks and vitamins, but I saw their true calling instantly: here were the perfect containers for my gadgetsā€™ power cords, chargers, batteries. And today I keep these containers inā€”you guessed itā€”a packing cube.

For something more purpose-built, Eagle Creek recently redesigned its E-Tools Organizer Pro, which combines sleeves with zippered pockets in a clamshell design. Incase has a Nylon Accessory Organizer ($50) with thoughtful features like elastic rings to hold your wall chargers. Both are great and light-years better than rubber bands or a Ziploc. ā€”T.N.Ģż

ĢżĢż

ĢżThe Problem: You canā€™t sleep in trains, planes, and automobiles
ĢżTheĢżSolution: Earphones (or buds) and Background or Sleep Sounds

I can doze off anywhere, even as a six-foot-seven giraffe shoehorned into economy. I just need the right tools to help it happen. For years my sleep kit was little more than a neck pillow, ear plugs, and a free eye mask I scored on an upgrade. But now I use AirPod Pro 2ā€™s and my iPhone for a trick Iā€™m about to recommend that keeps me sleeping soundly on anything that moves.

First, find the feature called Background Sounds thatā€™s embedded in any iPhone running iOS 15 or newer. Android phones have . (A quick web search will help you find where, or whether, this feature is located on your phone.) These are basically white-noise machines that provide various pleasing sounds that also mask or absorb any distracting sounds that can make sleep tough.

Once activated, you can choose from eight sounds on an iPhone that range from ā€œbright noiseā€ to ā€œdark noise,ā€ as well as natural tracks like the ocean, rain, a stream, and night. Android users can access three sounds or anything from Spotify. Set up with this soothing tool of modern technology piped into my AirPod and Iā€™m out before takeoff. ā€”T.N.

ĢżThe Problem: Youā€™re nervous the airlines will lose your checked luggage (it happens!)
ĢżThe Solution: AirTags

These discrete trackers felt a little creepy to me when they first came out, despite their practical benefits when it came to finding lost keys and bags. But my editors suggested I try them, and I admit to being won over on a recent trip to Africa. I put an AirTag inside a checked bag, launched the Find My app native to iPhones, and watched with glee as it made its way between planes during layovers and eventually to baggage claim. While airlines like United have an app that allows you to track a checked bag each time a handler scans its tag, it isnā€™t always clear whatā€™s happening. With an AirTag, however, I could see exactly what was going onā€”and with a weekslong trip ahead of me, that reassurance was very valuable. ā€”T.N.

Website and App Hacks

ĢżThe Problem: You want to tip your guide after a tour, but you lack local currency or access to an ATM
ĢżThe Solution: Bepo

If youā€™ve ever hired a guide, perhaps to help you climb a mountain, ski to a backcountry hut, or paddle down a remote stretch of river, you know itā€™s common practice to give them a gratuity at the end of your trip. American guides are usually happy to accept a Venmo payment as thanks, but internationally, there hasnā€™t been an easy way to tip guides without getting cash in their local currency. Which often means you wind up struggling to find an ATM, then carrying around a wad of cash.

But I recently discovered , started by a travel-loving entrepreneur named Ian Sweeney in 2022 to offer seamless digital tips to service workers and guides. You can transfer funds via credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Venmo (Bepo charges a 1 percent fee on all transactions), and the person youā€™re tipping can cash out directly into their own Bepo account.

The site is growing 15 percent each month in the U.S. and Canada, and Bepo intends to expand globally in 2025. Best of all, you donā€™t have to download yet another app; just head to the website, create a free profile, and then scan your guideā€™s QR code to make a secure payment via whatever method suits you best. Tipping has never been so simple. ā€”Megan Michelson

ĢżThe Problem: Youā€™ve been camping or road-tripping for days and need a few hours to recharge with hotel amenities
ĢżThe Solution: A daycation with ResortPass

When youā€™re traveling, access to a few nice amenities can make all the difference, be it fast Wi-Fi and a comfortable place to check email, a gym and showers, a hot tub to soak in and relax, or laundry facilities. Basically, if you could just check into a hotel for a few hours and use their perks, life would be golden. Thatā€™s the idea behind , which offers day use to over 1,600 properties across the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean for as little as $25. No membership fees are required; instead, just purchase a day pass the day you need it. Properties include everything from urban hotels to far-flung resorts. Some passes come with upgrade options like spa treatments, access to the fitness center, or poolside cabanas and water parks.

While on a long-haul camping trip through the Pacific Northwest with my kids last summer, I bought a day pass to a hotel in Bend, Oregon, just to get access to a swimming pool and a shower. TheĢżtotal price for three of us was, incredibly, just $35. We spent the afternoon living like high-end hotel guestsā€”ordering food and drinks poolside and using fancy shampoos and fluffy towels in the spaā€”before returning to our campsite that night. ā€”M.M.

ĢżThe Problem: Taking melatonin or eating a big breakfast upon arrival have failed to cure you of jet lag
ĢżThe Solution: FlyKitt

The best way to beat jet lag is to not get it at all, but for most travelers who fly, thatā€™s usually not possible. Or is it?

Fount, a human-performance R&D company, purports to have discovered a way to make jet lag ā€œa choice.ā€ To make the right one, you need FlyKitt, a system that will have youĢż wearing blue-light filtering glasses, eating supplements, taking naps, and drinking coffee and electrolytes, all at specific times generated by a free app.

Curious, I ordered one for an upcoming trip from my home in Oregon to South Africa. The pouch, the size of a toiletry bag, included everything Iā€™d need for one round-trip journey. I plugged my flight info into the app, and a rather intense routine was laid out for me: starting with the morning of my first flight, I had to consume more than 20 capsules of things like tart cherry powder, vitamin C, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids over the course of the next 24 hours. Iā€™d take the last pill the day after I arrived in Johannesburg, nine time zones ahead of home.

The results were shockingā€”and I say that as someone who has tried all kinds of jet-lag remedies. I had one 15-minute spell of grogginess after arriving in Johannesburg. But upon my return to the U.S., I had zero jet lag. It was as if Iā€™d never left. Typically, Iā€™m wrecked for days, both ways.

Others have tried FlyKitt without success. One reviewer for The Points Guy felt silly wearing the light-filtering glasses in public and skipped that part and also didnā€™t take all of the supplements. However, another reporter, from the Seattle Times, tried it out and had the same results as I did. I worried that consuming 41,667 percent of vitamin B12ā€™s daily value might upset my stomach, but it didnā€™tā€”and a doctor later reassured me that this dose isnā€™t dangerousā€”so I stuck to the routine. I certainly plan to use FlyKitt again. ā€”T.N.

ĢżThe Problem: Getting an infection in a remote place, days or miles from medical help
ĢżThe Solution: Carry amoxicillin

In general, Iā€™ve never needed antibiotics, but there was a time that my kid did, and I didnā€™t have them. Iā€™m not doing that again. Once, on a three-day float trip down Oregonā€™s remote John Day River with family and friends, my 11-year-old curled up in the bow and went to sleep for the entire morning. This was worrisome. She loved river trips and typically wanted to spend every minute kayaking.

That afternoon, pain set in. She complained that it felt like an ice pick was chiseling away at her skull below one eye and above her teeth. My wife and I pumped her full of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, but nothing helped. Then her face began to swell.

Iā€™m deeply wary of using any medicine willy-nilly, and Iā€™m no doctor, but I knew she needed antibiotics. Decades before, on a remote island in the Philippines, Iā€™d languished for a week with a ruptured eardrum that was horrifically infected. That could have been avoided with antibiotics. And fortunately for travelers, in many countries, you can walk into a pharmacy, explain your symptoms, and walk out with what you need. But occasionally, we find ourselves seriously sick in remote locations and in need of powerful medicine, like my daughter that day on the river.

We eventually got her to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with a tooth abscess. Sheā€™d need a root canal, but amoxicillin cut the pain quickly. And thatā€™s why I never travel without it now. For antibiotics in the U.S., youā€™ll need a doctorā€™s prescription, so I suggest making an appointment ahead of time if you know youā€™ll be somewhere remote and are concerned about medical resources in that area and no better recourse. In my experience, itā€™s worth asking for more than youā€™ll need to keep stashed in your Dopp kit. ā€”T.N.

Kids Entertainment Hacks

ĢżThe Problem: You’re road-tripping with the kids and want them to enjoy the scenery without screens
ĢżThe Solution: Play just the audio of their favorite film

Playing movies on road trips has become a staple in my family. But not watching themā€”listening to them. When my daughter was really young, this kept her entertained, and my wife and I loved how it stoked her imagination without a screen. The trick was to download a favorite film, like Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda, or. Penguins of Madagascar. Because sheā€™d already seen it a million times, she could picture it entirely by sound: Thatā€™s Rico eating the snow globes. Thatā€™s the penguins bouncing in the bouncy house. Other forgettable sounds became hysterical, like a chicken clucking after Kevin Hartā€™s character explodes in Jumanji.

This hack isnā€™t just for kids. I use it myself on long drives at night when Iā€™m tired of podcasts. A favorite? Interview with a Vampire. The gurgling, slurping sounds; Brad Pittā€™s breathiness; and Christian Slaterā€™s nasalness are all so bad itā€™s incomparably greatā€”maybe even better than watching it on screen. ā€”T.N.

Airline Hacks

ĢżThe Problem: Your flight is delayed or you have a general complaintĢżabout your carrierā€™s service
ĢżThe Solution: Pipe up when things go wrongā€”it often pays off

Over the past year, airfare has , but airline reliability has plummeted. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, of domestic flights were delayed or canceled in the first half of 2024. Only 50 percent of the 63 flights Iā€™ve taken this year left on schedule. Whatā€™s your recourse?

First, know your rights: the Department of Transportation posts a listing the services or amenities domestic airlines promise clients affected by delays and cancellations. Armed with this information, you can then reach out to a representative of your air carrier and ask for compensation. Itā€™s worth noting that every major U.S. carrier offers meal vouchers for delays of three hours or more (talk to your gate agent). Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest provide a travel credit or voucher for a delay of more than three hours. Only Alaska, however, promises frequent-flier miles in addition to a travel credit.

Things should improve in the next five years, thanks to a new federal regulation requiring airlines to refund customers, or offer credits that last up to five years, for flight delays greater thanĢż three hours for domestic travel and six hours for international trips. Until then, a quick email complaint can go a long way, Iā€™ve found, particularly with United Airlines. It takes less than three minutes to fill out and submit a grievance, whether itā€™s a delay or annoying hiccups like a broken seat that wonā€™t recline or spotty Wi-Fi. Nine times out of ten, I receive some type of compensation; in fact, last year I was awarded close to 20,000 miles, earned nearly $2,500 in Iā€™m-sorry vouchers, and was even refunded the $8 I spent on faulty Wi-Fi. I appreciate this service. It takes some of the sting out of plans gone awry ā€”J.M.

The Problem: You want to travel with your own bicycle but donā€™t want to pay hundreds to check it
ĢżThe Solution: Choose an airline that lets your bike fly free

Airlines have mutilated a number of my surfboards, so Iā€™ve never been willing to gamble on flying with my much pricier road bike. Iā€™m far from a pro, and rentals are way better than they used to be; plus, I like to support local bike shops. But I know that serious cyclists suffer separation anxietyā€”and for you I have intel.

If you donā€™t want to be charged an oversizeoverweight fee of upward of $200, you need to make sure your rig and its box weigh 50 pounds or less and are smaller than 80 inches. A nice carbon road bike tends to weigh between 17 and 20 pounds. Factor in a light case and remove the front wheel, and you can just make the cut.

But the airline beloved by many cyclists bringing bikes is Southwest. Itā€™s the only domestic airline that grants two free checked bags, regardless of loyalty status. If your bike meets the proper dimensions (62 inches or less and less than 50 pounds), itā€™s counted as a free checked bag.

Itā€™s also worth considering Delta and United if you have status with those airlines. On Delta, those with Medallion status or Delta Amex cardholders can check a bicycle for free if it meets dimensions (62 linear inches) and itā€™s the sole piece of checked luggage. On United, status members are granted an extra 20 pounds per checked bag, which can make a difference if youā€™ve sprung for a hard-shell case to keep your beloved bike free from dings. ā€”J.M.

Tim Neville and Megan Michelson are ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų contributing editors, and Jen Murphy is a longtime ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų correspondent. All spend weeks of the year traveling around the country and abroad and reporting back to us. Neville recently recounted his scary multi-night stay in a dark cave in Oregon, Michelson rounded up the best outdoor festivals, and Murphy wrote about the countless ways to explore Costa Rica.Ģż

Looking for more great travel intel?

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One of the most biodiverse places on the planet, Costa Rica is a carefully preserved paradise for adventure travelers. The countryā€™s government has protected one quarter of its land by designating parks, refuges, and reserves, and safeguarded approximately 30 percent of its marine area, too.

I first started traveling to Costa Rica nearly two decades ago, drawn to its then sleepy, surf-swept Pacific coast. As more people started to discover the pura vida vibes of laid-back beach towns like Malpais and Nosara, I ventured further inland and visited the wildlife-packed natural parks and cloud forests in the north. More recently, I scoped out the Caribbean coast, home to stellar waves, snorkel spots, and hiking trails, and a totally distinct cultureā€”food, music, architectureā€”that made me feel like I was rediscovering a country I thought I knew.

On my latest trip last year, I hiked the countryā€™s 174-mile, coast-to-coast with outfitter (from $565). This cross-country trail is the ultimate showcase for Costa Ricaā€™s cultural and natural diversity, crossing four provinces and seven microclimates. (If you donā€™t have time to complete the entire 16-day hike, you can piece together an itinerary that delivers just as much variety in a shorter time frame.)

Bottom line: I donā€™t think Iā€™ll ever tire of traveling to Costa Rica. From kayaking freshwater canals and surfing barrel waves to zip lining through clouded forests and scuba diving colorful reefs, Costa Rica offers the best adventure travel options. Hereā€™s a cheat sheet to experiencing the countryā€™s highlights, including six must-know tips from a local expert if youā€™ve never been before.

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Map of Costa Rica: Regions and National Parks to Visit

This interactive map of Costa Rica highlights the country’s diverse regions, and pinpoints each national park I mention belowā€”all musts for first-time visitors. (Map: Erin McKnight)

Costa Rica Travel: A Word on Getting Around

Newbies should know that most of the countryā€™s coolest spots require a car to get there. You can rent one at airports for a DIY road trip, or hire a driver to take you from region to region. Below, I share both flight and car options to reach each of destination. Plus, how renting the right rig and interpreting weather forecasts can dramatically impact your experience. Now, to the good stuff.

Costa Ricaā€™s Pacific Coast

Surf swept coastline, laid back beach towns, and intensely biodiverse protected areasā€”both on land and at seaā€”make this one of the most popular areas for adventure.

Where to Go in the Nicoya Peninsula

Nosara

One of five official Blue Zones, geographically designated areas people statistically live longer, the Nicoya Peninsula offers an endless choice of dreamy beach towns including Santa Teresa, Malpais, and Manzanillo. But, Nosara stands out for its long, wide, golden sand beach, Playa Guiones, which has perfect waves for longboarding. Youā€™ll find countless surf schools, including ($8,300 per week including room and meals), (lessons from $125; board rentals from $25 for a half-day) and (lessons from $120; week-long retreats from $5,642), where you can finesse your pop up or have a guide take you wave hunting up the coast. And there are plenty of delicious restaurants to refuel you, like (its fish tacos are a must).

How to Get There: Guanacasteā€™s Daniel Oduber QuirĆ³s International Airport, also known as Liberia International Airport (LIR) is roughly 2.5 hours by car. Juan SantamarĆ­a International Airport (SJO) in San JosĆ© is a five to six hour drive.

Where to Stay: Family-friendly is a five-minute walk to Playa Guiones and has its own surf club and school and offers mountain bike rentals and tours (from $168 per night).

Where to Go in the Osa Peninsula

Corcovado National Park

Located in the southernmost region on the Pacific coast, Corcovado National Park packs 2.5 percent of the worldā€™s biodiversity into .001 percent of its surface area. The countryā€™s largest park covers more than 30 percent of the Osa Peninsula and protects mammals like the two and three-toed sloths, cougar, and giant anteaters, birds like the endangered Bairdā€™s tapir, several types of hummingbirds, and one of the largest populations of scarlet macaws, and some 220 species of butterflies. Trails range from the mellow .8-mile out-and-back Quebrada San Pedro that leads to a view of a waterfall to the day-long, 6.3-mile out-and-back La Leona Madrigal, a bird watcherā€™s dream with epic sea views.

How to Get There: Sansa Airlines has daily 50-minute flights from San JosƩ to Puerto JimƩnez airstrip (PJM). The drive from San JosƩ is around seven hours.

Where to Stay: Founded in 1993, is often called Costa Ricaā€™s original eco-lodge. Rooms are nestled amidst the treetops of a 1,000-acre private reserve of Central Americaā€™s last remaining tropical lowland rainforest that skirts the park boundary (from $823 per night).

Where to Go in the Central Pacific

Manuel Antonio National Park

This seven-square-mile protected area combines beautiful beaches, rainforests, and wildlife. The resort town of the same name has all the amenities youā€™d want from an access point to such pristine nature. Wide, golden beaches including Escondido Beach, Manuel Antonio Beach, and Espadilla Sur can be reached via the main, 1.3-mile flat trail. The government recently capped daily visitors at 1,200 people and you must . The park is closed Tuesdays.

How to Get There: From San JosĆ© itā€™s a three-hour drive or a 20-minute flight on Sansa to the gateway town of Quepos (XQP).

Where to Stay: Splurge on a stay at , a sustainable, community-minded resort set on an 11-acre, trail-laced, private nature reserve. After a ten-minute walk from the property, a short trail unfurls to the north end of the beach, and the resortā€™s team of naturalists took me on nature walks to point out sloths and fiery-billed aracari (from $610 per night).

Marino Ballena National Park

One of the countryā€™s newest national parks has a distinctive whaleā€™s tail shape and is committed to conserving the marine systems within its boundaries. Twice a year (mid-July to October and December to March) humpback whales migrate to these waters. Book a whale-watching tour with (from $78). The local outfitter also offers snorkeling tours to Isla de CaƱo, which lies just outside of the protected area but promises sightings of dolphins, turtles, and colorful fish. hosts camps (one week from $1,795) and one-off surf lessons (from $65) at beach breaks in the park. The park has four entrance points, but head to Uvitaā€”the main gateway to Whale Tail Beach where boat tours depart.

How to Get There: From San JosĆ© itā€™s around a four-hour drive or connect via a 20-minute flight on Sansa to Quepos, then drive one hour.

Where to Stay: Perched high atop a steep hill, has unparalleled views of Uvita town and the national park from its eight suites, open-air restaurant, and infinity pool (from $788 per night). And the more affordable in Uvita has just 12 rooms, each with terraces from which guests can spot hummingbirds and toucans (from $155 per night).

Costa Ricaā€™s Caribbean Coast

The less trodden east coast offers all of the natural beautyā€”wildlife-filled rainforests, virgin beachesā€”of the west, but has fewer crowds and a distinct Afro-Caribbean culture. Expect to hear Patois spoken alongside Spanish, dance to Calypso music, and dine on Jamaican-influenced cuisine like saltfish fritters and rondon, a rich coconut stew.

Where to Go in the Northern Caribbean

Tortuguero National Park

This nearly 50,000-acre patchwork of canals, lagoons, dense jungle, thick mangrove forest, and beaches on the northern Caribbean Coast often draws comparisons to the Amazon. The name is a nod to the thousands of turtles that nest on its shores, mainly from July through October. In addition to leatherback, loggerhead, hawksbill, and green sea turtles, you can see around 400 species of birds, including toucans and spoonbills, 60 some species of mammals, and over 100 reptiles. Within hours of a recent visit, I ticked off sightings of capuchin monkeys, a sloth, red dart frogs, howler monkeys, and the emerald basilisk. A night boat tour along the canals revealed the glowing eyes of crocodiles, a coiled boa in a tree, and my eagle-eyed guide spotted a common potoo camouflaged in a cluster of broken branches.

How to Get There: The park can only be accessed by boat or plane. From San JosƩ, you can drive two hours to the La Pavona Dock and catch a two-hour scenic boat transfer. Sansa has a daily 40-minute flight to Tortuguero Airport (TTQ). Most lodges in the parks can arrange van and boat transfers from San JosƩ.

Where to Stay: is a collection of 11 humble, off-grid bungalows immersed in jungle and perched in front of the Madre de Dios lagoon. Guests have free use of kayaks and canoes and can join day and evening boat tours guided by wildlife experts (minimum two-night stay from $700).

Where to Go in the Southern Caribbean

Note: These three destinations below are accessible day trips from LimĆ³n, so you can pack each hot spot into a span of a few daysā€”or better yet, take more time and relish the diverse nature of each. Our tips below on how to get there and where to stay apply across the board here.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

In fall, expert surfers flock to this lively beach town to test their mettle riding Salsa Brava, arguably Costa Ricaā€™s biggest barreling wave. The black sands of Playa Negra are ideal for lounging beneath palm fronds and an excursion to the nearby , which rehabilitates and rewilds the cats, is a must. You can get a taste of the regionā€™s signature Afro-Caribbean flavors and sign up for Afro-Latin dance classes at locally loved . The town is also a jumping off point for Cahuita National Park and Gandoca-Manzanillo National WIldlife Refuge.

Cahuita National Park

Set aside one day to explore the coastal wildlife trails that reveal sloth, monkeys, keel-billed toucan, and paca, a rodent that resembles a big guinea pig. The other should be devoted to chilling on the unspoiled beaches or snorkeling and diving the largest system of reefs in Costa Rica. In autumn the waters are calm and clear, making it easy to view stingrays, reef sharks, and 35 types of coral. guides boat trips to snorkel the reef of Cahuita National Park ($90).

Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge

Stretching south nearly to the border of Panama, this collection of unique habitats includes a six-mile swath of golden sand, two swamps, a vibrant coral reef, and 740 acres of trail-laced rainforest. The reef teems with brain coral, Venus sea fans, neon anemones, electric blue parrot fish, and along the coastline youā€™ll find rare mangrove oyster beds. On land, you may spot endangered ocelot, the elusive harpy eagle, and from March to May four species of turtles come to nest here.

How to Get There: From San JosĆ©, you can drive five and a half hours, or Sansa offers multiple daily 35-minute flights to LimĆ³n International Airport (LIO).

Where to Stay: has 15 boho-chic rooms nestled on a forest-fringed beach in Puerto Viejo. Iā€™m a fan of the complimentary bikes and snorkel gear, and applaud the hotelā€™s commitment to hiring employees and sourcing ingredients locally. The national park is just 25 minutes away and the wildlife refuge, ten minutes; the hotel can arrange tours of both. (Rooms from $365 per night.)

Costa Ricaā€™s Northern Region

You could spend a lifetime park hopping in the north. First timers wonā€™t want to skip Costa Ricaā€™s crown jewels: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve and Arenal Volcano. Miravalles Volcano National Park, Tenorio Volcano Park, and waterfall mecca Juan Castro Blanco National Park are less known but equally spectacular.Ģż

Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve

The cloud forests of Monte Verde, a more than 35,000-acre reserve in the Cordillera de TilarĆ”n mountain range, contain approximately 50 percent of the countryā€™s flora and fauna, including over 420 types of orchids, 200 species of ferns, rare birds like the three-wattled bellbird and iconic resplendent quetzal, and charismatic mammals like the sloth. You can get a birdā€™s eye view of the wildlife from walkways suspended in the canopies or on a zip line tour. leads night walks in nearby Monteverde Wildlife Refuge where you can observe nocturnal animals like ocelot, sloth, and armadillos (tickets from $25).

How to Get There: Itā€™s about a 2.5-hour drive from either San JosĆ© or Guanacaste airports.

Where to Stay: A hanging bridge connects (from $265 per night) to Aguti Wildlife Reserve and guests get free admission. The reserve is minutes away and the hotelā€™s in-house naturalists take guests on tours of the adjacent expanse.

Arenal Volcano National Park

The parkā€™s namesake stratovolcano soars 5,357 feet towards the clouds and is one of the northern regionā€™s most popular attractions. But thereā€™s plenty else to see and do in the 30,000-acre protected area including zip lining, river rafting, horseback riding, and hiking. The Heliconias, Coladas, Tucanes, and Los Miradores trails provide views of flora and fauna as well as the remains of volcanic lava tracts. Outfitter offers a trip that combines a hike through the park with a scenic boat ride on Lake Arenal (tickets from $88).

How to Get There: The gateway town of La Fortuna is around a 2.5 to 3-hour drive from either San JosƩ or Guanacaste airports.

Where to Stay: Adults-only is a luxe option in the heart of the park; villas come with private hot spring-fed soaking pools (from $396 per night). And carbon neutral is nestled at the base of the volcano, so you get the up-close experience (from $375 per night). Day passes to TabacĆ³nā€™s massive hydrotherapy circuit are also available for non-guests.

Costa Rica Travel: 6 Expert Tips for First-Time Visitors

Even though Iā€™ve been to the country over 20 times, I know Iā€™ve barely scratched the surface. So I called Javier Echecopar, co-founder of travel company , to share his top tips for smart travel, to get that extra localā€™s intel Hereā€™s what he says every Costa Rica first-timer should be aware of to make the most of your trip.

1. Know Your Seasons

Despite the size, Costa Rica has two distinct weather patterns. December through April is hot and dry in most of the country, but rainy on the Caribbean side. May through November is wet and green across the country, but dry on the Caribbean side.

2. Ignore the Daily Weather Forecast

Ask any Tico (a colloquial term for native inhabitants of Costa Rica) and theyā€™ll tell you normal day-by-day weather forecasts are pretty much useless. For example, the forecast might show rain every day for a week but those tropical showers will only last one hour each afternoon.

3. Consider Using a Driver

Costa Rica is one of the safest places to travel but the roads can be challenging. While driving along the coast is easy, you might consider hiring a driver to explore the mountains and rainforest, which can be more challenging with tight roads, sudden rainfall, and early nightfall.

4. If You Do Drive, Choose Your Rig Wisely

Try to rent a high-clearance SUV with all-wheel drive, and if you need extras like a car seat for kids or roof rack for surfboards, book with . Itā€™s the only company that offers all of the above for no fee. Locals avoid Google maps which has been known to confuse rivers for roads. Instead, follow instructions on Waze.

5. Donā€™t Expect Late Nights

Costa Ricans are early risers. Sunrise is usually around 5:30AM, year-round. And it will be dark by 6PM as well. Expect to shift your day a little earlier to make the most of your time here. If you want nightlife, head to the capital, San JosƩ.

6. Carry Small Bills for Tips

American dollars are widely accepted. ā€œI havenā€™t touched a colĆ³n in a long time,ā€ says Echecopar, referring to the local currency. You can pay almost everything with a card, but keep some smaller bills in either currency for gratuities.

Jen Murphy has visited Costa Rica more than 20 times and feels like she has still barely scratched the surface of all the country offers. Last year she trekked the Camino de Costa Rica from the Caribbean to the Pacific Coast and encountered fewer than five other tourists on the trail.

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I am a total luddite. So when ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų proposed I test the latest artificial-intelligence travel-planning tools, I groaned. When it comes to researching trips, my MO remains steadfastly old-school. I still read books to learn the history of a destination and look to recent magazine and website articles for restaurant and hotel suggestions. I scan local news sites to get a pulse on upcoming events. Mostly, I rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and colleagues in the travel industry.

But around 70 percent of Americans are using AI for travel planning, according to a conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the personal-finance app Moneylion. That stat convinced me it was time to give AI a try myself. Wouldnā€™t it be awesome if it could save me hours of research? What if a quick ā€œconversationā€ with a chatbot could deliver intel on par with what I get from real people and my reporting? I decided to give it a go with an open mind.

My AI Trip-Planning Test

Maui is my part-time home, and because I know it so well, I chose it as the logical destination for this experiment. I honed in on the islandā€™s west side, curious to see if AI would direct travelers to the islandā€™s main tourism hub, the town of Lahaina, which is still recovering from the decimating wildfires of August 2023.ĢżI havenā€™t visited this area since then, and while some parts of Lahaina remain closed to the public, several restaurants and businesses have reopened, and the tourism board has encouraged visitors to respectfully return.

I tested four free AI tools in mid-August. All were incredibly easy to use, even for a tech-phobe like myself. For most, I simply typed in my vacation wish list: I wanted to take an adventurous weeklong solo trip to west Maui in October, and I wanted to experience ocean sports, cultural activities, great food, and fun hikes. In seconds I was usually presented with a thorough itinerary. I could continue to ask more refined questions (like intel on the best food trucks) to fine-tune the details.

Some AI tools, however, started by asking me a handful of quiz-like questions, which is helpful if you need a bit of travel inspiration. The more specific ones queried where exactly I wanted to travel, approximate dates, with whom, my budget, my interests (the beach, nightlife, shopping) and my travel style (i.e., On a sliding scale between adrenaline rush and peace and quiet, what is your ideal vacation?). The nitty-gritty questions resulted in a more robust itinerary.

Results for these AI trip-planning tools ranged from the comically wrong to the simply outdated. None completely nailed the trip planning. All included what AI users call hallucinationsā€”false facts that this technology makes up when it doesnā€™t have an answer. But one did seem to stand out among the rest.

Here are how the ones I tested fared.

A Ranking of the AI Trip-Planning Tools I Tested, from Worst to Best

Ģż pitched me the most hilarious hallucination. This trip-planning app provided me with four prompts: Inspire me where to go, find cheap flights, show me amazing hotels, and build me an itinerary. I chose the latter for west Maui, and it generated a chummy reply: ā€œAh, Hawaii! Aloha vibes all the way.ā€ It then spit out a seven-day itinerary for the entire Caribbean. Day one, for example, suggested I visit the Blue Hole, in Belize. That same afternoon, the itinerary had me sunning on Seven Mile Beach, in the Cayman Islands. When I reached out about my experience, a spokesperson replied that current models are prone to hallucinations.

Ģż asked me several questions up front, in an effort to account for my preferences, but the process never allowed me to specify that I wanted to focus my trip on the west side of Maui. Instead, the tool generated a generic, island-wide itinerary, peppered with Mauiā€™s biggest tourist attractions, such as Haleakala National Park and Wailea Beach. Both are beautiful places, but enjoying them means knowing when to go to avoid the crowds. Day one was entirely devoted to Lahaina, with no mention of the fires. The suggested accommodations were nearly an hourā€™s drive from the sites the bot wanted me to visit. And when I clicked on specific recommendations, like Lahaina Harbor, I was booted to Viator, an online marketplace for tours and activities, where I was given a selection of island-wide tours to book.

has a dynamic interface that allows users to cross-check suggestions with maps and reviews. I appreciated that. You can view the suggested plan as a printable itinerary or in calendar mode; plus, everything is shareable.

It prompted me with a straightforward: ā€œWhere to today?ā€ At first I typed in that Iā€™d like to take a weeklong vacation in Maui, and within seconds I was given a list of attractions, activities, hotels, and restaurantsā€”including the shuttered Lahaina Grill. I mentally docked it a point for that. When I refined my ask to the west side of Maui, I was told: ā€œUnfortunately, due to the heavy damage from the fire in 2023, there are currently no tourist services operating in Lahaina,ā€ which isnā€™t true. The Royal Lahaina resort is open, as are a handful of businesses, such as Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate.

Company spokesperson Michelle Denogean admitted that this particular aspect needed updating. She said that recommendations Mindtrip users receive are informed by a combination of ChatGPT and the companyā€™s proprietary knowledge base, which contains over 6.5 million frequently updated places. ā€œWe are continuously adding new ones, updating important information like opening hours, and flagging ones that are permanently or temporarily closed,ā€ Denogean said.

Ģż,Ģża chatbot from the media brand Matador Network, is available via Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and has over one million users. It was my favorite. I liked the ease of messaging and that I could ask for more details or tweaks to its initial itinerary. The tool cross-checks its suggestions with content from Matadorā€™s 130,000-plus online articles.

Matador founder Ross Borden told me over a phone call that when the platform launched in spring 2023, it was accurate about 85 percent of the time, meaning the AI would get confused or provide inaccurate information approximately one out of six conversations. GuideGeek has since drastically reduced the occurrence of hallucinations and now boasts 98 percent accuracy. Vigorous human intervention is key to minimizing hallucinations, he told me, and more staff have been hired to follow this issue. The technology has also relied on users flagging misinformation; errors are logged and then addressed before regular updates, he said.

Like other AI tools, GuideGeek produced a broad itinerary of Mauiā€™s greatest hits, including the snorkel spot Turtle Town and the Road to Hana. However, I found that many of its suggestions, particularly tour operators, were spot-on, and I was impressed to see it mentioned newer offerings, like the Mangolani Inn, a recently renovated hotel in the North Shore town of Paia. It also provided booking links to hotels and offered useful tips like, ā€œHeads up bring cash as there isnā€™t an ATM in this area.ā€

But when it came to Lahaina, its information wasnā€™t up-to-date. I queried GuideGeek about cultural activities on the islandā€™s west side, and its two recommendationsā€”the Baldwin Home Museum and Lahaina Heritage Museumā€”had both burned to the ground in the fires.

When I told Borden about this outdated information, he said it comes down to fielding enough input to create updates. The company receives regular feedback from users, as well as 20 or so tourism boards or destination management companies that pay Matador to create custom versions of GuideGeekā€™s AI tool.

I shared my suggested GuideGeek itinerary with Lei-Ann Field, a member of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, which does not partner with GuideGeek. ā€œOverall the itinerary is pretty good, but there are other nuances that are missing, like considering guided tours for the Road to Hana and necessary online reservations for Haleakala sunrise,ā€ she said.

Will I Be Using AI Going Forward?

My takeaways: I was impressed by how seamless and fast these AI tools were. And itā€™s key to remember that the more specific questions you ask, the better the responses will be. Most are a good starting point, offering an overview of a destination, and they create a loose plan way faster than I could have using my traditional methods. That plan is a good enough outline to modify and build upon with further research.

My issues: Every AI tool suggested the same attractions in Maui, which contributes to overtourism. The personal touch is noticeably missing; for example, Iā€™d tell a friend who wanted to visit Maui to opt for lunch instead of dinner at Mamaā€™s Fish House, a North Shore spot where itā€™s nearly impossible to score reservations; to skip the downhill mountain-bike sunrise Haleakala experience (a recipe for injury); to stay overnight in Hana if you really want to make the most of that drive; and to make a point of engaging with locals and being aware of cultural and environmental sensitivities.

I asked Jack Ezon, founder of the travel agency Embark Beyond, if he thought AI would ever be able to deliver the accuracy of a human travel agent. ā€œEven in its infancy, in just a few seconds AI is able to create itineraries that are about 80 percent of what a true expert can create,ā€ he said. ā€œSoon it will be able to suggest the right place for someone to stay and the best experiences they can consider.ā€

That said, he doesnā€™t believe there will ever be an equivalent to best the advice of travel agents or friends. He sees AI as a tool agents will use to deliver even more customized advice for clients, though. To wit, Embark Beyond recently launched an AI-powered ā€œclientelingā€ tool for advisers that examines all experiences, cultural events, and promotions in the marketplace and then suggests clients that would likely be interested and why.

WIll I be using AI to plan future trips? If Iā€™m heading to a popular place like Paris or London or even Moab, Utah, for the first time and donā€™t want to miss the star attractions, itā€™d be a something Iā€™d look to initially. But I like to get off the beaten path when I travel, and Iā€™m not convinced AI would get me to that less-trafficked trail or mom-and-pop breakfast spot thatā€™s only advertised via locals in the know. For now, Iā€™ll remain a luddite and stick to good old word-of-mouth travel planning.

Jen Murphy is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Onlineā€™s travel advice columnist. She prefers to be off her devices when she adventures and believes a townā€™s local bartender often has the best recommendations for restaurants.

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