The best sights in Badlands National Park are found along two excellent scenic drives, offering plenty of opportunity to get out of the car and explore. Don't forget to stop by the visitors centers to enhance your experience in the park.

Badlands Loop Road

The Badlands Loop Road is the only paved road through the Badlands. It is a 23-mile road that runs between the Pinnacles Entrance in the north to the Ben Reifel Visitor Center in the southeast. The road winds between the ridges of the Badlands Wall, literally a wall of spires and pinnacles that was once the northern bank of the White River. As the river cut into the sediments of the plains, the wall was left behind.

There are several scenic turnouts along the road, all of which provide dramatic vistas of the Badlands and of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, which borders the park. Carry your binoculars and keep an eye out for wildlife. From the north, heading to the southeast, stop at the Pinnacles Overlook, the Ancient Hunters Overlook, and then, if you've packed a lunch, keep an eye out for Conata Road, which is located near Dillon Pass. There are picnic tables about a half mile south on the road. Several other turnouts are found between Dillon Pass and Big Foot Pass, and more picnic tables are at the Big Foot Pass Overlook.

White park signs along the route announce activities in the area. Be sure to stop at the Fossil Exhibit Trail. This trail is marked with interpretive signs and fossil displays and is an easy, wheelchair-accessible path that can be traversed in 20 minutes or less. It provides a nice stop for a good stretch. It also has humorous (but also rather sad) signs about the fate of some of the historic creatures that lived in the area over time. The theme? “Adapt, Move, or Die.” The road ends at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center.

Sage Creek Rim Road

The Sage Creek Rim Road is a gravel road that is located just south of the northern Pinnacles Entrance to the park. The road travels north and west through the park, and circles the Badlands Wilderness Area. Look for the Hay Butte Overlook and the Badlands Wilderness Overlook. The formations here are a little softer and less craggy than the spires located along the Badlands Loop Road, but the wildlife is more abundant. The park's bison herd is usually seen in this area.

About five miles down the road, look for the Roberts Prairie Dog Town, a large colony of black-tailed prairie dogs. They're rodents, but very cute ones, and the barking and social antics of these small animals is fun to watch. At dusk, keep an eye out for the rare black-footed ferret. Prairie dogs are the ferret's main food source.

Just past Roberts Prairie Dog Town is the Sage Creek Basin Overlook. This is a great place to head into the park for hiking. It's easy access without the sharp and steep cliffs common off the Badlands Loop Road. Heading south along this road, you will cross a bridge over Sage Creek. At this point, examine the riverbank and you'll be able to see the Pierre Shale—the oldest visible sedimentary layer in the park, dating back over 70 million years.

Seven miles past Roberts Prairie Dog Town, a left-hand turn on another gravel road will bring you to the Sage Creek Campground. There are picnic tables and pit toilets here. This is another good starting location for off-trail hiking.

Ben Reifel Visitor Center

The Ben Reifel Visitor Center (25216 Ben Reifel Rd., Hwy. 240, 605/433-5361, mid-Apr.-May daily 8am-5pm, June-mid-Aug. daily 8am-7pm, Sept.-late Oct. daily 8am-5pm, Nov.-mid-Apr. daily 8am-4pm, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) is located at Park Headquarters on the south edge of the Badlands Loop Road. Watch the award-winning video Land of Stone and Light in the adjacent theater. The video is a great introduction to the park. It is 20 minutes long and plays every 25 minutes during the day. The video features superb photography of the park, along with a narrative discussion of the wildlife, geology, paleontology, early peoples, and history of the park.

Exhibits at the visitors center examine the history, ecology, geology, and paleontology of the Badlands and include samples of fossils found in the park. There is also a bookstore on-site and restrooms.

For the kids ages 7-12, there are Junior Ranger booklets filled with activities to do in the park. And, during the summer months, there is a 45-minute Junior Ranger Program presented by a park ranger that may include a hike into the prairie, a game, or another activity. A completed activity book, or completion of the ranger-led program, will earn the participant a Junior Ranger badge.

White River Visitor Center

The White River Visitor Center (Hwy. 27, Pine Ridge, 605/455-2878, June-Aug. daily 10am-3pm as staff is available, closed in off-season) is located 20 miles south of the town of Scenic off Bombing Range Road (Hwy. 27) on the Pine Ridge Reservation. It is a remote location that services people interested in Pine Ridge and in serious backcountry camping and hiking. Exhibits at the center include fossils and Lakota artifacts, as well as some information about historic events in Lakota history.

The South Unit, or Stronghold District, of the Badlands is not easily accessible, with just one road and no hiking trails. The Palmer Creek Unit of the South Unit is surrounded by private property, and hikers must get permission to cross private lands to get there. The center has a list of property owners and maps to help hikers plot their routes and gain permissions. The Stronghold District was used as a bombing range during World War II, and there is unexploded ordnance in the area. Hikers are asked to report any finds to the Park Service. Do not touch.

Visiting Badlands National Park

The entrance fee to the park is $15 per car. Bicyclists and pedestrians can enter the park for $7, motorcycles for $10. Passes are good for seven days. The Interagency Annual Pass (America the Beautiful Annual Pass) for designated federal fee areas is valid here. The pass can also be purchased at the gate ($80 annual, $10 lifetime for seniors ages 62 and up). The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pets are allowed in the Badlands but only in “developed” areas, which include campgrounds, roads, picnic areas, and parking lots. They are not allowed on hiking trails, in the visitors centers, or in the Badlands Wilderness Area. They must be on a leash when in the park and cannot be left unattended anywhere in the park.

In many ways, Santorini is a victim of its own success. Construction has continued at a neck-breaking speed, and in many areas convenience has trumped quality. The endless throngs of people means zero privacy along the caldera; you’re often looking at something through someone else’s camera. Here are a few tips to help you avoid crowds in Santorini:

Avoid visiting in summer, especially July and August.

The months bookending the summer season (particularly May and September) are the best times to visit: you'll get milder weather and fewer crowds.

Visit Fira and Oia early in the morning.

Be sure to avoid the sunset hour in Fira—especially in the summer. To be honest, you can also skip Fira altogether.

Avoid traveling with a big rolling suitcase.

If you’re staying in Oia, don't bring a rolling suitcase unless you’ve booked a hotel on the edge of town. It already takes an eternity and a lot of cursing to navigate the crowded streets and stairs of Oia in the middle of the day at the height of summer—add a giant suitcase and you’re just asking for a bad introduction to the village.

Escape Oia and Fira.

Most of the crowds congregate in these towns, but there’s a whole island out there to explore! Get out of these hot spots and head to the lesser-known parts of the island: Emborio, Finikia, Colombo Beach, and Pyrgos all showcase the charm of Santorini without the packs of people.

Head to Anafi instead.

If you aren't set on Santorini, you can find similar views and sunsets (without the crowds!) in Anafi.

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Whether you're headed to Yosemite for your first family vacation or you've been a dozen times already, you may be looking for ideas to help your kids experience the best of this beautiful park. This list of ten activities in Yosemite is kid-approved and offers fun for the whole family.

1. Rent bikes at Curry Village or Yosemite Valley Lodge recreation centers and ride around Yosemite Valley. Don't worry about it being a tough ride; 12 miles of smooth, level paths make it easy for everybody to keep up. Bikes are available year-round, and bikes with kid-trailers attached are available for children too young to ride on their own.
2. Go for a hike on the quieter trails off Glacier Point Road. The easy trails to Taft Point and Sentinel Dome make good family hikes; each is only 2.2 miles round-trip. The Glacier Point Snack Stand is a nice stop for a tasty reward for all that hard work, and the view is amazing. If you're there in the evening, there's a ranger talk to get kids interested, and the point is a great place for stargazing with or without a telescope.
3. Sign up for rock climbing lessons at the Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service. The guides there are well equipped for beginners of all ages, and kids will always get a kick out of permission to climb all over everything.
4. Go see a live show at the Yosemite Theater. Kids' tickets are discounted.
5. Drive to Wawona to see the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
6. Take a trip through history at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona and treat everybody to a ride in a horse-drawn wagon.
7. In early summer, float in a raft on the Merced River. You'll start your river journey at Half Dome Village and meander three miles downstream to a shuttle bus that'll return you to your starting point. Since rafting is generally only safe in June and July, a nice alternative for water fun later in summer is a swim at Sentinel Beach.
8. Sign up for a guided two-hour morning mule ride at the Yosemite Valley Stables or Big Trees Stables. Calm and even tempered, mules are a great companion for kids to explore the park, and these sure-footed animals are perfect for the rugged terrain. The two-hour ride at Yosemite Valley Stables heads to beautiful Mirror Lake, and the popular Big Trees Stables two-hour ride travels the historic wagon road.
9. Go for a Junior Ranger Walk. Part of earning an official Junior Ranger badge, a Junior Ranger Walk is a one-hour expedition full of activities to keep kids hooked on the fun. Learn more about Yosemite's Junior Ranger Programs.
10. Stop in at the Yosemite Art and Education Center in Yosemite Valley to take part in children’s art classes. Watercolors are the focus here, so don't worry too much about packing paint-friendly clothes but be prepared for the inevitable face and body painting with some easy clean up wipes.

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Kapalua, Napili, and Honokowai

Winter is the best time for surfing “up north” and the waves get larger the farther north that you head. With the exception of S-Turns, however, most of the breaks on the Upper West Side are for experienced surfers. Beginners will have better luck at the breaks south of Lahaina.

Surf Spots

Beginning in Honokowai, Rainbows is a fickle break that is best for intermediate surfers. The wave is in front of the Ka‘anapali Beach Club. Parking can be found by taking the first left on Lower Honoapi‘ilani Road across from the Times Supermarket. There can often be some strong currents here, and Rainbows will only break on the largest of northwest swells or any swell which is north or northeasterly.

Pohaku Beach Park in Kahana is the epicenter of the West Side’s longboard community. The break, commonly known as S-Turns, is perfect for beginners. Travel on Honoapi‘ilani Highway until you reach the intersection with Ho‘ohui Street with the McDonald’s on the corner. Turn toward the ocean, and make a left once you reach the bottom of the hill. Drive for a quarter mile and you will see the parking lot for S-Turns on your right. When standing in the parking lot, you will notice two distinct breaks: one to the left and one to the right. The break to the left is S-Turns, and the one to the right is Mushrooms.

While Mushrooms can be a fun wave, it’s shallow on the inside section. Over at S-Turns, you’ll notice a couple of A-frame peaks a long paddle offshore. Surfing at S-Turns is as much of a paddle workout as a surfing workout, and you can be forgiven if you need to stop a couple of times to catch your breath on the way out. Beginners stay on the inside section, while more experienced surfers favor the outer peaks. Also, there have been some shark issues at S-Turns in the past, so if the water is murky and no one else is out, there’s probably a reason for that. S-Turns starts breaking on a moderate northwest swell, and on the largest of days can reach a few feet overhead.

The surf break at D.T. Fleming Beach Park is at the far northern end of the beach. The wave here is a combination of a beach break and a point break, and it can get crowded with bodyboarders during weekends. This is one of the few places on the West Side that picks up windswell, so if it’s windy and there aren’t waves anywhere else, check Fleming’s.

If you’re an avid surfer, Honolua Bay needs no introduction. The wave here is truly one of the best in the world, holding almost religious significance for the locals. Honolua is reserved for experienced surfers, but even non-surfers should come here during a large swell to watch the island’s best pull into the gaping, barreling perfection. Also, Honolua can become crowded, and if you paddle out and nobody recognizes you, your chances of getting a wave decrease significantly. Granted, on days when the surf is only about head high and the crowd isn’t too thick, there can still be enough waves for everyone—provided you know what you’re doing.

Even though Windmills is a surf break beyond the ability level of most visitors, it’s an epic spot for watching the island’s best surfers. The massive left tube barrels with such ferocity it’s been called Maui’s Pipeline. Many professional surf films have been shot here. The best vantage point is on the side of the road at the edge of a dramatic cliff. If you see cars parked on the side of the road a mile past Honolua Bay, large surf is breaking.

Rental Shops

Experienced surfers will get the best selection of boards with 808 Boards (808/283-1384), who will pick up and drop off the board at no additional charge.

Two places you can rent a board up north are at the Boss Frog’s locations in Napili (5095 Napilihau St., 808/669-4949, 8am-6pm daily) and Kahana (4310 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Rd., 808/669-6700, 8am-5pm daily). Rates are around $20/day for soft top longboards or $25/day for fiberglass boards.

For the cheapest boards you’ll find on this side of the island, little-known A&B Ocean Rentals (3481 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Rd., 808/669-0027, 9am-4pm daily) is hidden in Da Rose mall in Honokowai on the ocean side of the highway. Surfboards are only $15/day or $70 for the whole week.

Ka‘anapali

Surf Spots

The only surf break in Ka‘anapali is Ka‘anapali Point, in front of the Marriott on Ka‘anapali Beach. This is where the Ka‘anapali surf lessons take place, although the wave here is tricky because it bends at a weird angle. Also, the inside section can get shallow and rocky, so surf school students are given booties. Ka‘anapali Point can pick up both southwesterly and northeasterly swells, which means there can be surf any month of the year.

Rental Shops and Schools

While the waves in Lahaina are more amenable to learning, there are still a number of operators along Ka‘anapali Beach for those who would prefer to walk directly from the resort to the lesson. Since Ka‘anapali gets windier than Lahaina, it’s important to book the first lesson of the day for the best conditions.

For the most affordable lessons, the Trilogy beach shack in front of the Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel offers two hours for $70. On the other side of Whalers Village, lessons can be booked with Island Style (808/244-6858) in front of the Westin or with Royal Hawaiian (808/357-8988) at the kiosk at the Marriott. Both places offer two hours for $75. For rentals down by Ka‘anapali Point, expect to pay in the $20-40 range depending on the length of rental. Booties are included in the price of all lessons and rentals.

Kevin Whitton

About the

Avid surfer and nature-lover Kevin Whitton has traveled extensively throughout Mexico, Indonesia, and Australia. He’s volunteered as a trail guide in a private Costa Rican rain forest preserve and as a snowmobile guide in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. When confronted with the choice between living in the mountains and visiting the beach, or living at the beach and visiting the mountains, Kevin refused to choose, deciding to call O’ahu home instead. Now when he waits for a wave at one of his favorite windward or North Shore surf breaks, he can gaze at the verdant mountains and revel in the best of both worlds.

Kevin is the author of the award-winning Green Hawai’i: A Guide to a Sustainable and Energy Efficient Home and A Pocket Guide to Hawai’i’s Botanical Gardens. He writes for Hawai’i’s most notable publications, is active in the island’s surf media, and is the co-founder and editor of GREEN: Hawai’i’s Sustainable Living Magazine.

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Kyle Ellison

About the

Kyle Ellison began researching the island of Maui when he first moved there at the tender age of five. Back then, the island still had three sugar mills, Wailea didn’t exist, and early mornings were punctuated by the sound of bombs falling on Kaho’olawe. The island has changed considerably since then, but Kyle’s love of Maui has remained.

A Maui resident, surfer, and diver, Kyle has led groups of divers as a divemaster at Molokini, led scuba tours on the island of Lana’i, hosted hundreds of hikers on Maui, and proposed to his wife off the island of Moloka’i while diving with hammerhead sharks. Kyle’s son can usually be found splashing in the water at Baldwin Beach.

As a freelance writer, Kyle’s work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Travel + Leisure, Maui No Ka ‘Oi, Ka’anapali Magazine, AOL Travel, Escape, Journey Viator, Gadling, Afar, and the Huffington Post, and on the Travel Channel. His travels have taken him to 65 countries and 49 U.S. states. He also helped found a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for students in Cambodia.

For more info on Kyle and his travels, visit him at kylethevagabond.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @kylethevagabond.

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Moon Maui

by Greg Archer

Endless stretches of golden sand, legendary surf, and epic outdoor experiences: Discover the spirit of aloha with Moon Maui.

Price

$19.99

Price

$24.99 CAD

Format

Trade Paperback

1. ebook

Also available from:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Bookshop
• Target
• Walmart

Ready for a getaway? Los Cabos is synonymous with relaxation and indulgence. For a perfect four-day getaway, choose a place to stay in high-energy Cabo San Lucas or sophisticated San José del Cabo, or the exclusive atmosphere of the Corridor. Once settled, beautiful beaches, luxurious spas, world-famous golf courses, and glorious scenery beckon.

Day 1

Fly into the Los Cabos International Airport and drop your luggage off at your hotel before heading out to explore Cabo San Lucas. Take a quick water taxi to get a close-up view of Cabo’s iconic El Arco before disembarking at Lover’s Beach. Spend the afternoon sunbathing and snorkeling. When you return to town, grab a traditional Mexican dinner downtown at Mi Casa or Pancho’s. Then enjoy some of Cabo’s infamous nightlife with a margarita or two at Cabo Wabo Cantina or The Giggling Marlin.

Day 2

Get in touch with the local food movement in Los Cabos by heading to the rural Las Animas Bajas area, just outside of San José del Cabo. If it’s Saturday, you can check out the San José Mercado Organico, an organic farmers market. Eat brunch at one of the gorgeous farm-to-table restaurants, like Flora’s Field Kitchen or Acre. On the way back to town, stop in the Historic Art District in San José del Cabo to check out the colonial architecture, bustling town plaza, and art galleries.

Day 3

Spend a day enjoying some of the beautiful beaches in Los Cabos. Divers may want to take an organized tour to access some of the best dive spots. Snorkelers can visit Playa Chileno or Bahía Santa Maria along the corridor, where swimming is also possible. At Playa El Médano, beachgoers will find an array of activities to choose from, like kayaking or Jet Skiing. When you’ve had enough sun and sand for the day, enjoy a sunset beach dinner at a spot like The Office on Playa El Médano or Sunset MonaLisa along the corridor.

Day 4

Spend your last day truly relaxing at one of Los Cabos’ incredible spas, such as Somma Wine Spa or Spa Marquis, indulging in a facial, a massage, or an entire day of treatments. Or schedule a tee time at one of the area’s famous golf courses, such as Diamante or Cabo del Sol Golf Course, where you can enjoy beautiful ocean views on the green.

In the past ten years alone, hundreds of craft breweries have sprung up in Southern California, and on any given day, you might be tasting the best beer of your life at (nearly) any one of them. But your chances of finding The One go up significantly if you know where to look.

The hip areas in and around downtown Los Angeles boast a rapidly advancing beer scene. But to find the best brews in LA County, turn westbound and down. Heading into off-the-beaten-path sections of LA's South Bay region, the first stop sits just below the airport, in El Segundo, at its namesake El Segundo Brewing (140 Main St, El Segundo). The small, Main Street brewery specializes in a style of beer commonly associated with SoCal: the West Coast IPA. The strong hop aromas practically burst out of each crisp pint, rising to the high ceilings of the often-packed tasting room.

About ten miles south you might head to another unlikely destination: Torrance’s Monkish Brewing (20311 S Western Ave, Torrance). When the small brewery opened, it focused exclusively on Belgian-style beers—they even posted a sign proclaiming "No IPAs." That sign came down in a big way in 2016, when Monkish joined the craze and quickly mastered the hazy Northeast style of IPA. These days, hundreds of devoted fans often lead to hours-long lines.

Only twenty minutes from Torrance, Long Beach's Beachwood Brewing & BBQ (210 E 3rd St, Long Beach) stands in a class of its own. The brewpub has emerged as one of the best IPA producers on the entire West Coast, yet reigns as World Beer Cup champion on the strength of its excellent stouts. Both styles happen to pair extremely well with smokehouse BBQ, so good news! Beachwood's just as adept with ribs and pulled pork as it is with malts and hops.

Orange County hasn't long been recognized as a craft beer destination, but a spate of breweries in and around Anaheim have very much changed that. Noble Ale Works (1621 S Sinclair St B, Anaheim) also reigns as a World Beer Cup champion, even claiming gold medal in the uber-competitive American IPA category. Its hoppy beers are outstanding, and a new beer garden will make the tasting room a prime destination on warm nights.

The OC's most venerable brewery is The Bruery (717 Dunn Way, Placentia), and it specializes in—well, having no particular specialty. Barrel aged, sour, and experimental beers tend to be this creative brewer's bailiwick, but intense variety is what keeps its tasting room packed. DIY tasting menus next to the bar make for more efficient service—simply tick off five beers you'd like to try, and a beertender will set you up with a colorful flight.

Call me biased toward my hometown, but any craft enthusiast will tell you San Diego is the capital of craft beer in SoCal (and possibly the entire American Southwest). AleSmith Brewing Company (9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego), for example, has set the bar for world-class beer since opening in 1995. It boasts the largest tasting room in town, plus a vast patio, a small museum celebrating local baseball legend Tony Gywnn, and a one-of-a-kind blending bar where you can mix and match various beers to taste, just like professional brewers do.

In San Diego's North County, Stone Brewing is another godfather of the beer scene, often credited for introducing the region's brashly hopped specialty—the West Coast IPA—to the world. Its Escondido restaurant and beer garden (2816 Historic Decatur Rd #116, San Diego) is a veritable Disneyland for craft beer drinkers, and you'll find a second, Liberty Station location just behind San Diego Airport.

Stone originally opened in San Marcos, but when it outgrew its original brewery, The Lost Abbey (155 Mata Way #104, San Marcos) moved in. Named for its devotion to the style developed by Trappist monks in Belgium, Lost Abbey made a name for itself crafting the most highly-sought sour beers on the West Coast, in addition to exquisite farmhouse ales. Since it shares brewing space (and talent) with sister brand Port Brewing, you'll also find a few of San Diego's most classic IPAs on draft and in bottles.

Unlike every hop powerhouse on this list, you won't find Societe Brewing's (8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego) IPAs in bottles. The brewers who launched the Kearny Mesa business strongly believe freshness and proper handling are crucial to enjoying their beers. Consequently, its old-timey tasting room and patio has become a local favorite and a destination coveted by beer geeks across America.

Savvy marketing and quirky, stylish branding has helped Modern Times Beer (3725 Greenwood St, San Diego) grow at an unprecedented rate (open only three years, it's expanding with breweries in both Anaheim and downtown LA within the next year). But ultimately, the fantastic flavors of Modern Times' boundary-pushing beers have ushered in a new approach to SoCal craft that embraces hybrid styles, barrel aging experiments, and copious use of the word rad.

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After six years living in Norway, I’ve quickly gotten used to hearing that I’m supposed to be one of the happiest people on the planet.

Norway regularly places in the upper ranks of annual surveys about quality of life, including the World Happiness Report, which has ranked us as one of the happiest countries in the world. It has topped headlines but left many people asking one simple question: why?

Work-Life Balance

Working conditions in Norway heavily favor the employee: it’s very difficult to get fired and everyone is entitled to five weeks paid vacation. Salaries for low-skilled work are relatively high, which ensures even burger flippers can afford a smartphone and a few weeks in the Mediterranean sunshine.

In the unlikely event you lose your job, unemployment benefits are some of the most generous in the world. A short working week, extensive paid parental leave, job security, and genuine focus on work-life balance removes a lot of the stress that many people outside Norway experience with their careers.

A Return on Tax Payments

Whether it's because of quality public services or that anyone can look up how much tax someone pays, Norwegians seem to genuinely be happy to pay their taxes.

While far from perfect, the national healthcare system is easy to access and treatment costs for patients are capped at around $300 per year regardless of your condition. New investments are made in roads, rail, bridges, tunnels to get around this geographically awkward country.

The Great Outdoors

Much to love about living in Norway has nothing to do with money.

"Norwegians are born with skis on their feet," or so the saying goes. But they also seem born with a natural love of hiking, cycling, running, and spending time in mountain cabins. Norway is a naturally beautiful country and there’s a lot to be said for choosing the great outdoors over starting yet another series on Netflix. Even city-dwellers have easy access to nature: Bergen is surrounded by mountains, while Trondheim and Oslo have miles of forest trails on their doorstep.

The Downsides

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows in this corner of northern Europe. There are some downsides to living in Scandinavia that have left many of my fellow expats scratching their heads about Norway’s lofty ranking.

While milder than you may expect, Norwegian winters can be hard going. Days are short and the darkness can play havoc with your body's internal clock, so much so that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a problem across Scandinavia. Rjukan, a village in a remote central valley, has even erected giant mirrors high in the mountains to beam sunlight into the town square.

There's also the colossal elephant in the room of what happens when the oil runs dry. The industry has taken a hit in recent years and yet the government has been slow to respond. Whether Norwegians will make the necessary adjustments to become competitive in a global knowledge economy remains to be seen.

It Depends on Who You Ask

While I’m not suggesting the participants from Norway lied, Norwegians are brought up inside a behavioral bubble known as janteloven, which encourages a focus on the needs of society over the wants of the individual. It’s a similar story in the other Nordic countries, so perhaps it’s little surprise that all five of them placed in the top ten.

So yes, Norway is the happiest place on earth—but only if you're Norwegian. But for everyone else, especially if you have even a passing interest in hiking, sailing or relaxing in front of dramatic scenery, Norway is a very happy place to visit!

No two beaches are alike in Puerto Rico. Balnearios are large, government-maintained beaches with bathroom and shower facilities, picnic tables, and snack bars. Some have lounge-chair rentals, lifeguards, and campsites. Expect to pay $3–5 per vehicle to get in, and be aware that they get crowded on weekends and holidays.

There are also many wilderness beaches, which are typically remote and devoid of development and facilities. Some beaches have big waves best suited to surfing, and others are as calm as bathwater and ideal for swimming.

One thing all the beaches have in common is their accessibility to the public. There is no such thing as a private beach in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico’s Best Balnearios

Balneario La Monserrate

Balneario La Monserrate, commonly called Luquillo Beach, is considered one of the island’s most beautiful beaches. It features a wide flat crescent of sand, a shady palm grove, and calm shallow waters. A couple of food vendors sell fritters and piña coladas, among other refreshments. There are several picnic shelters, as well as toilets and shower facilities. Camping is allowed with a permit.

Balneario Sun Bay

Balneario Sun Bay is Vieques’s crowning jewel of beaches. Pull your car to the edge of a sand dune and mark your spot on the smooth sand. Shade is spotty here, so bring a beach umbrella if you plan to stay for the day. Modest picnic shelters, bathrooms, and shower facilities are available. Camping is allowed with a permit.

Playa Flamenco

Culebra is the lucky site of Playa Flamenco, one of “America’s Best Beaches,” according to the Travel Channel. The wide, mile-long, horseshoe-shaped beach boasts fine white sand and calm, aquamarine water. Unlike Puerto Rico’s other publicly maintained beaches, Playa Flamenco is home to two hotels—Villa Flamenco Beach and Culebra Beach Villas (the latter operates Coconuts Beach Grill, serving sandwiches and beverages to beachgoers). An abandoned graffiti-covered tank on the sand is a reminder of the U.S. Navy’s presence. Camping is allowed with a permit.

Balneario de Boquerónis

In addition to its long white beach and calm waters, publicly maintained Balneario de Boquerónis exceptional because of its excellent facilities, which are bigger, nicer, and more modern than those found at most balnearios. The property is quite shady, and in addition to the usual showers, toilets, and picnic tables, there is a huge events pavilion, a baseball field, and a cafeteria.

Balneario Cerro Gordo

Balneario Cerro Gordo in Vega Alta on the north coast is a large protected cove with calm waters and a pristine sandy beach surrounded by hills covered in lush vegetation. It boasts the best campgrounds of any of the balnearios because of its spacious location atop a hilly peninsula overlooking the ocean. There’s also great surfing to be had here.

Puerto Rico’s Best Wilderness Beaches

Bosque Estatal de Piñones

Bosque Estatal de Piñones offers several miles of gorgeous wilderness beach just minutes east of San Juan. Drive along Carretera 187 and look for sandy unmarked roads along the coast where you can pull your car right up to the beach and climb down the sand dunes into the water. For lunch, grab an empanadilla and coco frio from one of the food kiosks on the way. Plan on leaving by late afternoon because the sand fleas tend to attack when the sun starts to go down.

Playa Mar Chiquita

Playa Mar Chiquita in Manatí is a tiny little protected cove located at the base of limestone cliffs on the north coast. A coral reef nearly encloses the calm, shallow basin of water ideal for taking small children swimming. When you need some respite from the sun, explore the cliff-side caves.

Culebrita

It requires a boat ride to get there, but Culebrita, a cayo off the coast of Culebra, is the place to go if you really want to get away from it all. In addition to multiple beaches perfect for swimming or shore snorkeling, there are several tidal pools and a lovely, abandoned lighthouse. To get there, either rent a boat or catch a water taxi at the docks in Dewey.

Puerto Rico’s Best Beaches for Surfing

Although surf spots can be found all around Puerto Rico’s coastline, the most popular area is the northwest coast in the municipalities of Isabela, Aguadilla, and Rincón.

Playa de Jobos

Playa de Jobos in Isabela is an island favorite. The breakpoint off Puntas Jacinto is renowned for its right-breaking tube, and a shady parking lot right on the beach provides easy access. Within walking distance are a number of casual restaurants and bars. Happy Belly offers beachside service.

Domes

Rincón is the surfing capital of Puerto Rico, thanks to literally dozens of popular surf sites. By far the favorite is Domes, located in front of the green domes of an abandoned nuclear power plant known by the acronym BONUS. This easy-access spot features long hollow waves that reach a height of eight feet. Domes is often crowded, especially on weekends.

Tres Palmas

Tres Palmas is another world-class site in Rincón. The waves here are very long and fast, and require a 10-minute hike to access.

Wilderness

Aguadilla also boasts several outstanding surf spots. One popular spot is Wilderness, located on the former Ramey Air Force Base. Just drive right through the golf course to get there. Waves break right and left, and swells reach up to 16 feet in height. Nearby El Rincón Surf Shop is a great source of information on current conditions and hot spots.

Puerto Rico’s Best Beach for Snorkeling and Diving

Puerto Rico’s best snorkeling and diving is done offshore, but there are two beaches where underwater life can be explored.

Balneario El Escambrón

The publicly maintained beach in the San Juan neighborhood of Puerta de Tierra features a small crescent beach on a protected cove. On the ocean floor is a collapsed bridge that provides an excellent site for underwater exploration.

Playa Carlos Rosario

For easy access to a site rich in marine life, visit Playa Carlos Rosario, a narrow beach flanked by boulders and a protruding coral reef in Culebra. The underwater visibility is usually quite good here, and the coral reef, where you can see all kinds of colorful fish and coral formations, is teeming with marine life.

Ask 10 people where the Huron Mountains begin and end, and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. But everyone will agree that they fall within the vague boundaries of Lake Superior to the north and east and U.S. 41 to the south and west. It’s over 1,000 square miles where the terrain rises to rugged hills and even mountains. Mount Arvon, about 15 miles due east of L’Anse, tops out at 1,979 feet, the highest point in the state.

On a map you’ll see it’s an intriguing parcel of land, virtually devoid of towns and roads. What the Huron Mountains do have, however, is peaks and valleys, virgin white pine forests, hundreds of lakes, waterfalls that don’t appear on maps, and the headwaters of several classic wilderness rivers, far more wildlife than people, and utter silence. Even by UP standards, it’s a rugged place.

The area’s preservation wasn’t the result of happy accident. Beginning around the 1880s, the Huron Mountains became the wilderness retreat of choice for several millionaire industrialists. Cyrus McCormick, head of the lucrative farm-implement company that would become International Harvester, amassed a huge wilderness estate around White Deer Lake, now part of the Ottawa National Forest’s McCormick Tract Wilderness Area. Frederick Miller of Miller Brewing owned his piece of wilderness at Craig Lake, now a wilderness state park. Dozens of others owned camps at the Huron Mountain Club, an organization so exclusive that even Henry Ford was turned down for membership when he first applied. The members easily had enough clout to stop construction of a road that was to link L’Anse with Big Bay—County Road 550 abruptly ends west of Big Bay at a gate and security guard house.

Today the 25,000-acre enclave is owned mostly by the descendants of those original members. Though locals grumble about the lack of access to the property, the Huron Mountain Club has proved to be an exceptional steward of the land. It has kept away the loggers, miners, and developers, leaving what some consider the most magnificent wilderness remaining in the Midwest. Within its boundaries lie towering virgin pines, blue ribbon trout streams, and pristine lakes. Happily, not all of the land is privately held; much of the Huron Mountains wilderness is public land.

Big Bay Area

Many people approach the Huron Mountains from the east, where County Road 550 climbs 30 miles out of Marquette to the tiny town of Big Bay (population 270). Sited above Lake Independence and within minutes of Lake Superior, Big Bay is sandwiched between wilderness and inland sea. The town has swung from prosperity to near ghost-town status more than once, first as a bustling logging outpost, then as one of Henry Ford’s company towns, home to busy sawmills. More recently, residents joke about how the local bank, well aware of the town’s volatile economy, was loath to loan money to town businesses—an overly conservative stance that proved to be the bank’s undoing. While the town’s 20 businesses are thriving, the bank closed down. Visitors now frequent Big Bay for its Huron Mountains access, Lake Superior harbor, Lake Independence fishing, and unique lodgings.

McCormick Wilderness

Once the private wilderness retreat of Cyrus McCormick, whose father invented the reaping machine, the 27-square-mile McCormick Wilderness was willed to the U.S. Forest Service by his family in 1967. Today it remains in pristine wilderness condition: remote, undeveloped, and largely unused. In other words, it’s perfect for backcountry hiking and camping. No-trace camping is permitted throughout the wilderness area. For more information, contact the Ottawa National Forest Ranger District (4810 E. M-28, Kenton, 906/852-3500).

To access the McCormick Tract, follow U.S. 41/M-28 west from Marquette about 50 miles to Champion. Just after you cross the Peshekee River, follow the first paved road north. This is County Road 607, also called the Peshekee Grade or the Huron Bay Grade. In about 10 miles, you’ll see a sign for Arfelin Lake; take the next road to the right and watch for a sign and a small parking area.

Once here, you’ll be on your own to explore this rugged terrain of high hills, rivers, muskeg, and bedrock outcroppings. Don’t expect marked and maintained hiking trails. This tract is wild, so with the exception of a well-worn path to White Deer Lake, where the McCormicks’ lodge once stood, you’ll be traveling cross-country. A compass and topographic map are absolute necessities. Wildlife sightings can be excellent as the state’s largest moose herd roams here, which in turn has attracted predators like the elusive gray wolf. You’re not likely to see a wolf, but you may be treated to one’s hollow wail at your camp in the evening.

Whether you're looking for the best place to pitch a tent for views of the night sky, RV campsites, or wheelchair-accessible options, here's where to go camping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Camping in the Foothills

Campgrounds in the Park

Conditions for camping in the Foothills region are ideal thanks to the mild weather—even in the summer, as the nights usually cool off. There are no group campsites in this part of the park.

The Potwisha Campground (year-round, $22) is right on the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and close to the confluence with the Middle Fork, offering the peaceful sounds of the river, a cool, down-canyon breeze, and a grove of trees. The 48 sites here are generally only available with an advance reservation; in winter, 38 of the sites are first-come, first-served. This is the only campground in the Foothills that’s open year-round and offers services. It’s also the closest to the Ash Mountain entrance. This is an ideal spot for hikers, fishers, and swimmers, thanks to features like food storage, flush toilets, a pay phone, and multiple nearby trailheads. Campsites 16, 18, 20 are the most beautiful and spacious, though some smaller tent sites on the upper loop are nice, too. There are pull-through sites for RVs, but no dump station. Ranger programs are offered here from July to September. The campground is about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of the Ash Mountain entrance, just off the Generals Highway.

Leave behind bustling Hospital Rock and turn down a narrow, curvy road for a riverside abode at Buckeye Flat Campground (Mar.-Oct., $22). Of the campground’s 28 tent-only sites, only one (site 20) is suitable for wheelchairs. Riverside sites are 13, 14, and 16-19. The best overall sites are 11 and 12. Picnic tables, fire rings, food storage, flush toilets, and drinking water are available. There’s no electricity. Day trippers and additional vehicles must park approximately a mile up the road. Peak season is April-September. All sites are available by reservation only.

If you’re looking for solitude—or if the other Foothills campgrounds are full, stay at South Fork Campground (year-round, no reservations, $6), a primitive campground with 10 tent-only, first-come, first-served sites. South Fork is a great base camp for hiking or backpacking the Ladybug Trail or along the South Fork of the Kaweah River. There’s no running water here, so bring your own. There are vault toilets. It’s a 13-mile (21-km) drive from Three Rivers via South Fork Drive. The road is rough and not recommended for low-clearance vehicles.

Campgrounds Outside the Park

On the shore of Lake Kaweah reservoir, Horse Creek Campground (37843 Sierra Dr., Lemon Cove, 559/597-2301, $20-40) provides boaters and fishers access to amenities like flush toilets, showers, and a dump station, but little shade or protection from scorching temperatures (100°F/38°C and above) and winds. Though tent camping is possible here, those in RVs will have more company and protection from the elements. The campground has 80 sites, available by reservation only, most of which have fire pits. Horse Creek is a 20-minute drive from the Ash Mountain entrance.

A grove of oaks hides the privately owned Kaweah Oaks Campground (42362 Sierra Dr., Three Rivers, 559/561-3602, $20) from the busy road. Book online to reserve one of the campground’s 13 walk-in, tent-only sites. Each site has a dirt pad and picnic table. No pets are allowed. There is a pit toilet, a shower, and electricity in the common area. Kaweah Oaks is about 5 miles (8 km) from the Ash Mountain entrance.

Camping in Giant Forest and Lodgepole

Campgrounds in the Park

Within view of the granite mountains above, Lodgepole Campground (Apr.-Nov., $22) provides the closest access to excellent hiking and creature comforts. With all 203 sites within earshot of the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, the campground provides rest and relaxation with a perfect soundtrack. Conveniently, several hiking trails leave right from this area: Tokopah Falls, Twin Lakes, and Wuksachi Trail. It’s also walking distance to Lodgepole’s market, restaurant, laundry, showers, and shuttle. The campground has a dump station, flush toilets, and a pay phone. Be sure to store everything that smells in a bear locker and stay within arm’s distance of your food: Bears are very active in this area. For backpackers starting or ending trips, there are some walk-up sites available. Make a reservation early (starting in November of the previous year) because this campground is very popular.

Despite some tight quarters, uneven ground, disruptions by bears, early risers, and late night singers, Dorst Creek Campground (June-Sept., $22) is perfectly located for family or solo trips. Located 9 miles (14 km) from Lodgepole and 18 miles (29 km) from Grant Grove, the 212 sites of this midway point campground are often full because of its combination of landscape and amenities, which include flush toilets, water, fire pits, picnic tables, dump station, and a pay phone. Sometimes last-minute reservations can be found, and walk up sites are available on weekdays. The campground offers group sites for 15-50 people ($50-70) and wheelchair-accessible sites. It also provides access to Muir Grove and Dorst Creek Trails.

Campgrounds Outside the Park

Two campgrounds on national forest land offer over 70 sites and access to Lodgepole and Giant Forest, Grant Grove, and Hume Lake, all within 20 miles (32 km). Perhaps because of their proximity to good mountain biking, Big Baldy, and Jennie Lakes Wilderness, as well as easy access to the amenities at Stony Creek Lodge, both campgrounds are popular. Located half a mile east of Stony Creek Lodge on the Generals Highway, both campgrounds are open from late May through late September or early October, depending on weather. You may need a permit for your campfire or stove, so check fire restrictions before you arrive. Stony Creek Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $27, $7 for extra vehicle) has 50 sites with flush toilets and an amphitheater. Across the highway, a more rustic Upper Stony Creek Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $18, $5 for extra vehicle) has vault toilets and 23 RV and tent sites.

Unlike in the national park, which only allows camping in the backcountry or in campgrounds, dispersed camping is an option in the national forest. If you plan to have a fire, pick up a free permit at the visitors center in Grant Grove, at Hume Lake Ranger Station, or online at www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia. You’ll need to bring your own water and manage your waste properly.

Camping in Grant Grove

Each standard campsite in Grant Grove comes equipped with a grill over the fire ring and a picnic table with two benches. Usually there is a tent pad large enough for two tents and parking for one vehicle. RV sites are larger, but there are no electric or water hookups in the park. Dump stations are in Dorst Campground near Lodgepole or Princess Campground on the way to Hume Lake. Reservations are recommended, especially on summer weekends and holidays. Some walk-up sites are available at Landslide, Azalea, Crystal Springs, and Princess.

The best time to nab a spot is in the morning, ideally Monday through early Friday, before the majority of the crowds appear on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Most campgrounds have bear boxes; store everything with a scent in these lockers. The bear boxes are big enough for a cooler, cooking gear, and snacks. Only burn dead and down wood for fires; do not bring in firewood from another place.

National park campsites have more amenities and generally are reservable online. Typically, national forest campsites require packing in toilet paper, sometimes water, and most cannot be reserved in advance. National forest sites sometimes provide an overflow option.

Campgrounds in the Park

In the heart of Grant Grove Village is the bustling but beautiful Crystal Springs Campground (mid-May-early Sept., $18), with 36 tent and RV sites. There are also 14 group sites (for 7-15 people, by reservation only, $40). Since the campground is conveniently close to the market and restaurant, you can pack light with just a tent and sleeping bag. Some of the sites offer more privacy than others. In summer, the sugar pines offer shade. It gets chilly in May and September. Group site F is wheelchair-accessible. Bear boxes, a fire ring, picnic tables, and potable water are available. Ranger programs are offered most summer evenings. There’s no dump station for RVs. Individual sites are first-come, first-served.

Azalea Campground (year-round, $18) is aptly named for the fragrant azaleas that bloom in summer. Best of all, this campground offers access to the General Grant Tree via a short trail. There are 110 first-come, first-served sites for tents and RVs. Sites along the western edge have the best views (60, 64, 65, 67, and 92). Site 30 is wheelchair-accessible. The campground has flush toilets and bear boxes. This is the only campground in the park that’s open during winter. Pets are allowed, but must be leashed.

Busy Sunset Campground (mid-May-early Sept., $22) is directly across from Kings Canyon Visitor Center, offering 157 tent and RV sites. This is a walkable campground, but not a peaceful one: Generators can be heard right up until quiet hours. Sites along the western edge of the campground (including 54, 80, 81, and 100) have the best views. A couple hike-in sites make for a more private experience. Sites 26 and 116 are wheelchair-accessible. Two large group sites (15-30 people, by reservation only, $50) are on a separate stem of the campground. There are flush toilets but no showers. Ranger programs are offered here during the summer.

Campgrounds Outside the Park

Princess Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-early Sept., $27) offers 88 shaded spots, 19 of which are tent-only. Just off of Highway 180, near the junction of Hume Lake Road, this Forest Service campground makes up for the sounds of passing cars and lack of privacy with its location—nestled into a small pine grove beside a lush Sierra meadow. The sites on Shining Cloud Loop are the farthest from the road and have the least traffic noise. The campground has an amphitheater that hosts weekend campfire ranger talks. It also offers access to the Indian Basin interpretive trail and the Indian Basin Grove of giant sequoias. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. Princess also has a dump station for RVs ($7 usage fee). Most of the sites are only available with advance reservations. To get here from Grant Grove Village, drive 5.9 miles (9.5 km) on Highway 180 towards Hume Lake, then take a right into Princess Campground. If you get to the turn for Hume Lake you have gone too far.

Across the highway from Princess Campground is the biggest group site in Sequoia National Forest. Logger Flat Group Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, mid-May-mid-Sept., $193) can accommodate 50 campers and 30 vehicles, including up to 10 RVs. There is drinking water and vault toilets, but no electric hookups.

At the national forest’s Stony Creek Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $27, $7 for extra vehicle) and Upper Stony Creek Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $18, $5 for extra vehicle), set along Stony Creek, there are firs and pines to hang your hammock on as you escape the heat of the Central Valley. The downsides are there’s some mosquitoes and not much privacy. Stony Creek offers 48 sites and flush toilets. (Sites 17-21 are the farthest from the road.) Upper Stony Creek has 18 sites and vault toilets. Amenities are available at nearby Stony Creek Lodge, including food and beverages. A day-use picnic area, nearby trails, and healthy forests full of twittering birds make these campsites perfect for nature lovers.

With 43 sites (15 of which are tent-only), the peaceful Big Meadow Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-late Sept., $23) is a jumping off point for exploring the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. There is ample shade, a picnic table, and a fire pit and ring at each site. The campground has vault toilets. Be sure to arrive while it’s still light out, as the sites are spread along Forest Road 14S11 and can be hard to find in the dark. If you need help, check in with the camp host at site 7. Bring your own water. To get here from the junction of Highways 180 and 198, take the Generals Highway for 6.9 miles (11 km), past Big Baldy trailhead, and turn left on Big Meadow Road or Forest Road 14S11 and continue for 2.8 miles (4.5 km).

Hume Lake Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $27-29) is within walking distance of the water and is one of just three campgrounds near Hume Lake. Sites 22-29 have lake views. The 64-site campground has drinking water, flush toilets, and a pay phone. There are laundry services and a gas station nearby.

On Forest Road 13S09, which connects Hume Lake to the Generals Highway, are two quaint campgrounds. The 11-site Tenmile Campground (Sequoia National Forest, 877/444-6777, late May-mid-Sept., $23) is small, quiet, and a 15-minute drive upstream and uphill from Hume Lake. Even smaller than Tenmile is the nine-site Landslide Campground (Sequoia National Forest, no reservations, late May-mid-Sept., $23). Landslide is about a mile northeast of Tenmile, along Forest Road 13S09. Bring your own water. Forest Road 13S09 can close due to weather conditions from late fall to early spring.

Dispersed camping is permitted in Sequoia National Forest (unless posted otherwise), but you will need a permit for any fire, open flame, or stove. Otherwise, you can nab a spot at one of the national forest campgrounds near Grant Grove, just miles from the park boundary. Heading towards Lodgepole on the Generals Highway (Hwy. 198), there are several campgrounds. This area is close to Big Baldy and Redwood Canyon.

Camping in Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove

Campgrounds in the Park

All four of Cedar Grove’s campgrounds are fairly close together and within walking distance of the Kings River, as well as the market, restaurant, and visitors center. Sentinel is the most central and has the most ranger programs. A bike trail connects all of the campgrounds to Cedar Grove Village. All campgrounds have flush toilets and drinking water. Each site has a fire ring, a picnic table, a bear-proof food storage box, and a tent pad. The campgrounds are open from spring through fall.

There are no dump stations or RV hook-ups in Cedar Grove. For firewood, gather dead and down wood near your campsite or buy it at the market. Using bear boxes is crucial for protecting the wildlife.

Reservations are only possible at Sentinel and Canyon View. Canyon View only offers group sites. The sites at Sheep Creek and Moraine are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sentinel (spring-fall, $22) is the most popular campground. Its 82 sites are fully reservable online 6-12 months in advance. Sheep Creek (spring-fall, $18) is first-come, first-served and is the closest campground to the river. Its 111 sites have plenty of shade from pine trees. The 120 sites at Moraine (spring-fall, $18) are also first-come, first-served. This campground is well named for its position on one of the hillocks of unsorted sediment left behind by the glaciers. Canyon View (spring-fall, $30-60) only offers group sites. Its 16 sites are available by reservation for tent and car camping. No RVs or trailers are allowed. If you show up to Sheep Creek or Moraine when people are leaving (8am-11am), you’ll have plenty of options for getting the site of your choice.

Campgrounds Outside the Park

Convict Flat (877/444-6777, spring-fall, free) is a small campground in Sequoia National Forest, nestled under oak trees and within earshot of the Kings River. It has five sites with picnic tables. There is a vault toilet. Bring your own water. Large trailers won’t fit in most of the sites. This is a good spot for anglers, as it’s close to Redwood Creek, a tributary of the Kings River. This is also a good campground if you’re looking for solitude among the yucca blooms. Convict Flat opens in the spring when Highway 180 opens for the season. To get to the campground from Grant Grove, head northeast on Highway 180 for 18 miles (29 km). Stay to the right as you enter the campground; all five sites are on the right side of the road.

Dispersed camping is permitted in the Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest (unless posted otherwise), but you will need a permit for any fire, open flame, or stove. There are camping spots with existing fire rings along the Kings River and the road between Convict Flat and the park boundary at Lewis Creek. You will be able to hear noise from the road, but it’s a good balance of achieving solitude while still within a short distance of your car.

Camping in Mineral King

Mineral King is a tent camper’s paradise: serene and quiet. Whether you choose to pitch your tent at Atwell Mill or Cold Springs, you’ll be minutes from world-class hiking. Both sites have potable water, vault toilets, fire pits, picnic tables, food lockers, and pay phones. No RVs can make the trip into Mineral King, which means no generators will be whirring and echoing throughout the campgrounds. Pets are permitted on leash at both campgrounds. There are no reservations accepted for either campground; all sites are first-come, first-served. For holiday weekends, arrive early on Friday. You can self-register for a campsite at the entrance to Mineral King, Lookout Point. (Be sure to clip the ticket from your registration to the post at your driveway to show that your site is paid for and occupied.)

The only campground where you can sleep beneath the stars and the sequoias is Atwell Mill (mid-June-late Oct., $12). At 6,600 feet (2,010 m) of elevation and 6 miles (10 km) from the end of Mineral King Road, 21 sites sit in a forest of sequoias away from the winds of Mineral King Valley and nestled into a pocket of meadows. This is one of the quietest places to sleep in the front country. It also provides great access to the Hockett Trail (near campsite 16). Site 11 is a wheelchair-accessible site. Site 12 is tucked away and overlooks a meadow. The nearest supplies are 1.5 miles (2.5 km) away at Silver City Mountain Resort.

As you camp along a creek with great views of all of Mineral King’s majesty, you’ll feel luckier than a miner striking pay dirt. Cold Springs (May or June-late Oct., $12) is close to the Mineral King Ranger Station and offers access to fly-fishing in the East Fork of the Kaweah River. Choose from the 31 sites with drive-up access or the 9 walk-in sites, which are 100-200 yards from the parking area, and offer more privacy. This campground opens later than Atwell; the opening date is dependent on the snow levels. Some of the best sites are available by turning right after the bridge. The nearest supplies are 2.5 miles (4 km) away at Silver City Mountain Resort. From site 6, an easy, wildflower-filled nature trail offers views of the whole valley while following the river.

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Yosemite’s regions are accessible via five park entrances: Big Oak Flat, Arch Rock, South, Tioga Pass, and Hetch Hetchy. The Arch Rock entrance (Hwy. 140) and the Big Oak Flat entrance (Hwy. 120 west) are usually open year-round. The Tioga Pass (Hwy. 120 east) entrance is just a few miles from Tuolumne Meadows and is the eastern access to Yosemite from U.S. 395. Tioga Road closes in November or December each year and reopens in the spring, usually in May or June. The Hetch Hetchy entrance is to the northwest of the park and also closes in winter. The South entrance is open year-round.

In winter it is always possible that roads can close unexpectedly and chains may be required on any road at any time. Check the park website or call 209/372-0200 for current road conditions.

Driving to Yosemite from San Francisco

The Big Oak Flat park entrance is the closest to San Francisco, accessed via Highway 120 from the west. The drive to Big Oak Flat is about 170 miles from San Francisco and takes at least four hours; however, traffic, especially in summer and on weekends, has the potential to make it much longer. Try to time your drive for weekdays or early mornings to avoid the biggest crowds. From the Big Oak Flat entrance, it’s about another 45 minutes to Yosemite Valley.

For the most efficient route to Yosemite from San Francisco, take I‑580 east to I‑205 east. In Manteca, take I‑5 to Highway 120 and follow it south to Big Oak Flat Road. The Arch Rock entrance is another option. From San Francisco, take I‑580 east to I‑205 east. In Manteca, take Highway 99 south for 56 miles to Merced. In Merced, turn right onto Highway 140 east. Highway 140 will take you right to the Arch Rock entrance.

Driving to Yosemite from Los Angeles

Yosemite is a pretty straightforward drive north from Los Angeles. The South entrance is closest to Los Angeles and is open year-round via Highway 41. This is also the nearest entrance to the Badger Pass Ski Area, Glacier Point, and the Bridalveil Creek campground. You can reach Yosemite Valley from the South entrance in about one hour.

Plan about six hours to drive the 300 miles to the park. From Los Angeles, take U.S. 101 north, then Highway 170 north, and finally I‑5 north, following signs for Sacramento. Once past the Grapevine, merge onto Highway 99 and follow it through Bakersfield and Fresno (about 130 miles). Once in Fresno, take Highway 41 north for 60 miles to the South entrance of the park.

Driving to Yosemite from Las Vegas

If there’s any chance Tioga Pass will be closed (and between October and May there’s a good one), call the National Park Service at 209/372- 0200, then press 1 twice at the prompts for the latest weather and roads report. If the pass is open, you have your choice of a couple fairly direct routes into Las Vegas. Both start by rolling west on SR 120 through the pass to Mono Lake. If the pass is closed, prepare yourself for a tedious 8.5-hour sightseeing trip through central California (SR 41 south to Fresno, then SR 99 south to Bakersfield and SR 58 east to Barstow).

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Tracing the ridges and hillsides of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway hosts millions of visitors every year, lured by the hum of tires on the road and the whisper of mountain winds through the trees. In just two weeks, you can drive the 716 miles from Washington DC to Knoxville via one of the greatest scenic roads in the nation. You can also easily reverse this route by beginning in Knoxville and ending in DC.

Day 1: Arrive in Washington DC

Settle in to your hotel, then spend the rest of the day at museums of your choice. The museums of the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Air and Space Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and National Museum of Natural History are fascinating, as are the International Spy Museum and Phillips Collection. Try dinner at We the Pizza or Hill Country Barbecue before taking in a concert at 9:30 Club or the Black Cat or taking a nighttime bicycle tour of the Mall.

Day 2: Explore Washington DC

Pay your respects at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, then cross the river to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home, or Arlington National Cemetery, or both. For dinner, head to The Oceanaire Seafood Room, which will transform the way you look at fish.

Day 3: Washington DC to Shenandoah National Park

(70 miles; 1.5 hours)

Head to the National Mall, a grand grassy avenue lined with the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, the most iconic monuments—Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial—and, of course, views of the United States Capitol and White House. Have lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a DC institution, or one of the many ethnic restaurants like Rasika, or hit the road and dine in Front Royal, at the entrance to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. Along Skyline, 75 overlooks in the park give a sense of the vast wilderness that once blanketed the countryside. Hike to Dark Hollow Falls, and spend the night inside the park at Skyland or Big Meadows Lodge.

Day 4: Shenandoah National Park to Waynesboro and Charlottesville

(160 miles; 4.5 hours)

Head outside the park to the spectacular Luray Caverns, one of the best cave systems in the nation. When you’re finished, drive down to Waynesboro, near the end of Skyline Drive and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and check in at Iris Inn. Then take I-64 east for 24 miles to Charlottesville. Tour Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, only a few miles from downtown, then walk the grounds of the University of Virginia, which was founded by Jefferson and bears his architectural mark. If you have time, a wine tour will take you to some of the region’s best wineries. Try dinner at C&O Restaurant or Peter Chang China Grill, or eat at The Green Leaf Grill in Waynesboro and prepare for the Parkway on the morrow.

Day 5: Waynesboro to Roanoke

(132 miles; 4 hours)

Have breakfast at Iris Inn, then start your journey south along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Make your first stop the Humpback Rocks (MP 5.9) and take the one-mile trail to the namesake rocks. Stop at the James River Visitor Center (MP 63.6), the lowest point on the Parkway, and stretch your legs on one of the short walks that detail the history of the river or the diverse plant life here.

At Milepost 86, detour off the Parkway for lunch in Bedford. You can spend the afternoon in Bedford, taking a docent-led tour of the National D-Day Memorial followed by fruit-picking at a nearby apple orchard, or head to the Peaks of Otter (MP 85.9) for a quick but strenuous hike to the peak of Sharp Top (2.5-3 hours). Afterwards, continue south to Roanoke.

Enter the city via the Mill Mountain Parkway at Milepost 120 and pass by the famous Roanoke Star, then rest up at one of the B&Bs in town before heading to Lucky for dinner.

Day 6: Roanoke to Floyd

(56 miles; 1.5 hours)

It’s a short day today, so you have time to explore Roanoke. Have an egg sandwich at Texas Tavern, then wander over to the Market Square, where the farmers market will be in full swing any day of the week. Look in at the Taubman Museum of Art or shop at the downtown boutiques before heading for Floyd. Have lunch near Floyd at Chateau Morrisette, one of the oldest wineries in Virginia, before checking into Ambrosia Farm Bed & Breakfast. Time your visit to coincide with Floyd’s weekly Friday Night Jamboree, and have dinner at quirky Oddfellas Cantina.

Day 7: Floyd to Stone Mountain State Park

(85 miles; 2.5 hours)

The drive from Floyd to the North Carolina state line is one of the most beautiful on the Parkway. Stop at Mabry Mill (MP 176.1) for legendary buckwheat pancakes and a look at a working waterwheel-powered gristmill and sawmill. At Groundhog Mountain (MP 188.1), enjoy spectacular views from the observation tower. Learn how country and bluegrass music originated in these very hills at the Blue Ridge Music Center at the state line. Camp at Stone Mountain State Park, and squeeze in a quick hike to the top of the namesake bald granite dome. Head into nearby Elkin for dinner and drinks (just be back before the park is locked for the night).

Day 8: Stone Mountain To Blowing Rock

(75 miles; 2.5 hours)

North Carolina’s High Country is no joke. The mountains are steep, and the road grows aggressively curvy, making for unworldly views as you round corners with nothing but space and the Blue Ridge Mountains in front of you. Stretch your legs on the 30 miles of trails in Doughton Park (MP 238.5), which also has a picnic area, or hike the Cascade Falls Trail at E. B. Jeffress Park (MP 272). Stop at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (MP 294.1) for a look at a turn-of-the-century manor house that’s home to the gift shop of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Blowing Rock is just a few miles away, and so are your accommodations as well as dinner at Bistro Roca.

Day 9: Blowing Rock to Asheville

(93 miles; 3 hours)

Before heading to Asheville, check out the Blowing Rock, where you’ll have sweeping views of peaks, including Grandfather Mountain. Back on the Parkway, prepare yourself for one of the road’s most striking stretches: the Linn Cove Viaduct (MP 304.4). Just past the viaduct, drive to the top of Grandfather Mountain and take the Mile High Swinging Bridge to one of its lower peaks for 360-degree views of the Blue Ridge. Have lunch here, then continue down the road. Just off the Parkway at Milepost 316.3 is the entrance to Linville Falls. This waterfall requires a short hike to see and a slightly longer one for postcard views, but it’s worth the effort. At Milepost 364.6, stop at Craggy Gardens to take in the summertime blooms of rhododendrons and flame azaleas, then continue to the Folk Art Center (MP 382), just outside Asheville.

In Asheville, spend the night in the mountains at the Sourwood Inn or downtown at the swank Aloft Asheville Downtown hotel. Dinner can be fancy or affordable; there’s no shortage of places to eat in this town. Spend a late night downtown checking out the breweries and bars and listening to a little music.

Day 10: Explore Asheville

Start the day in Asheville with breakfast at the Early Girl Eatery downtown, then head over to the Biltmore Estate. Tour the home, walk the gardens, take lunch in the former stable, then head to the estate’s winery and wine-tasting room (it’s the most visited one in the nation). Sample some wine and head back to your accommodations to freshen up before hitting town again for excellent food at The Admiral and interesting beers at the Thirsty Monk.

Day 11: Asheville to Cherokee

(137 miles; 4 hours)

The winding section of the Parkway between Asheville and the southern terminus in Cherokee is quite beautiful. Before you hit the road, down a giant biscuit at Biscuit Head. Continue down the Parkway and take in the view of Mount Pisgah (MP 408.6) and hike to Devil’s Courthouse (MP 422.4)—a short hike that’s not as fearsome as it sounds and has a view you won’t want to leave. Richland Balsam Overlook (MP 431.4) is the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so stop here and mark your trip with a selfie. Stop at the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center (MP 451.2) for a four-state view and panorama of the Great Smoky Mountains. At Milepost 461.9, you’ll reach Big Witch Overlook, the last overlook before the Parkway terminates at milepost 469.1. Take one last long look before heading into Cherokee for the night. Spend the night at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, where you can gamble, visit the spa, and grab a bite in one of the casino’s restaurants.

Day 12: Cherokee to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

(43 miles; 1.5 hours)

Today you’ll drive Newfound Gap Road through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you start your drive, visit the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual in Cherokee. Stop at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center for a park map and to check out Mountain Farm Museum. The twisting Newfound Gap Road is popular for motorcyclists and is stunning in fall; along the way you’ll likely see black bears and white-tailed deer. Stop along the way at any of the overlooks—in a landscape this stunning, there are no bad views. Before you leave the park, drive out to Cades Cove, a onetime mountain community, where you might spy bears lounging in the remnants of an apple orchard. Check into a hotel in Gatlinburg, then take a walk down the main drag of this tourist haven. Grab some moonshine at Sugarlands Distilling Company and dinner at Smoky Mountain Trout House.

Day 13: Gatlinburg to Knoxville

(30 miles; 45 minutes)

Head straight from your Gatlinburg hotel to Dollywood, where mountain music, mountain crafts, mountain food, and mountain folks are interspersed with roller coasters. Spend half the day here, then head to Knoxville (45 minutes away) for lunch at Dead End BBQ before checking in to your downtown hotel. Walk the World’s Fair Park and climb to the top of the Sunsphere for the best view in town. Then, take in a concert at the historic Tennessee Theatre or stop in at the Knoxville Museum of Art and the East Tennessee History Center. Dinner at Stock & Barrel will put you in the heart of downtown, where you can explore to your heart’s content.

Day 14: Knoxville Back to Washington DC

(487 miles; 7 hours)

You’ll definitely want to make better travel time on the return drive to Washington DC. Take I-81 north through Tennessee and Virginia to I-66 east, which will carry you right into DC. This route is doable in a day, rather than two or three at Parkway speeds.

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The beaches of Lahaina are the most underrated on the island. The swimming is poor due to the offshore reef, but they are sunnier, less crowded, and more protected from the wind than most other beaches on Maui. If it’s raining in Kapalua or Napili, or windy on Ka‘anapali Beach, 90 percent of the time it’s going to be sunny and calm on the beaches of Lahaina.

Makila Beach

Also known as Breakwall, 505, or Shark Pit, this is the most happening stretch of sand in Lahaina. Most visitors access the beach from Kamehameha Iki Park, and there is beach parking in a small lot or in the back of the Front Street tennis courts. This is the area where most of the surf schools set out from. There is also a beach volleyball court which can get busy during the afternoons. Visitors are encouraged to marvel at the Polynesian voyaging canoes on display as part of the Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua Canoe Club. This area was once the playground of Hawaiian royalty. You can hear the drums of the Feast of Lele lu‘au while watching the sunset from here the north end of the beach, which can be busy. Visitors rarely wander to the south end of the beach where palm trees hang out over a secluded cove. Locals call this area Shark Pit, referencing the harmless reef sharks which hang around the offshore ledge. The swimming here is poor due to the offshore reef, although it provides calm water for wading with small children. There is one shower but no restroom at this beach.

Pu‘unoa and Mala (Baby Beach)

On the northern end of Front Street, the beach which runs along Pu‘unoa Point (and known to locals as Baby Beach) is an oasis of tranquility where you have to ask yourself if you’re still in Lahaina. Shielded from visitors by its residential location—and protected from big surf by the offshore reef—the sand running along this lazy promontory is the perfect spot for a sitting in a beach chair and listening to the waves. Numerous trees provide shade, and the calm waters are ideal for beachgoers with young children or those who want to tan on a raft.

Finding the beach can be a challenge, and parking can be an issue. For the access point with the largest amount of parking, turn off Front Street onto Ala Moana Street by the sign for Mala Ramp. Instead of heading down to the boat launch, proceed straight on Ala Moana until the road ends by the Jodo mission. From here you will see the beach in front of you, and the best section of beach will be a five-minute walk to your left along the sand. Transients sometimes hang out around this parking lot; don’t leave any valuables in your car. If you’re walking from downtown Lahaina, the quickest access to the nicest part of beach is to turn off Front Street onto Kai Pali Place where you will notice a shoreline access path. If you are coming from downtown Lahaina, this turn will be about three minutes after you pass the Hard Rock Café.

Wahikuli and Hanakao‘o Beach Parks (Canoe Beach)

On the northern tip of Lahaina, these two beach parks comprise the strip of land between Front Street and Ka‘anapali. Wahikuli is the beach closer to Lahaina, and Hanakao‘o is the one at the southern edge of the Hyatt. Of the two beaches, Wahikuli offers better swimming, although a secret about Hanakao‘o is that on the days when the main stretch of Ka‘anapali Beach is windy, Hanakao‘o stays tucked in a cove where the wind can barely reach. Hanakao‘o is also known as Canoe Beach since this is where many of the outrigger canoe regattas are held on Saturday mornings. As of the time of writing, a new beach path was being constructed so visitors can walk or ride bicycles from the south end of Ka‘anapali through Hanakao‘o, Wahikuli, and down to Front Street in Lahaina.

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California is ready-made for road-tripping. In only a few hours, you can drive from the lowest spot in the western hemisphere—Death Valley’s Badwater at minus 282 feet—to 10,000 feet in elevation near the Sierra’s crest. With saw-toothed granite peaks on one side and the arid desert on the other, this Highway 395 road trip will connect it all.

Head west out of Death Valley to US 395 at Lone Pine. At the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History, check out Hollywood props like costumes, saddles, and guns salvaged from the hundreds of Old West movies filmed in the neighboring Alabama Hills. Pick up the Movie Road Self-Guided Tour booklet and drive the Movie Road to Movie Flat, where dirt roads fan out to famous film locations—Gene Autry Rock, Lone Ranger Canyon, and Gary Cooper Rock. You’ll have big views of 14,505-foot Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States.

Next stop: Bishop. Relive the real Old West with a stop at the Laws Railroad Museum, where you can wander through twenty-eight wooden buildings crammed with pioneer curios: antique sewing machines, nineteenth-century dentist tools, blue glass medicine bottles, and Victorian wreaths made from human hair. As you head north out of town, stock up on elk and buffalo jerky—the perfect car snacks—at Mahogany Smoked Meats.

At the junction with Highway 203 to Mammoth Lakes, turn west and cruise up to California’s largest ski resort. Year-round you can ride the gondola to Mammoth Mountain’s 11,053-foot summit and view the panorama of the Sierra’s highest peaks. Don’t like heights? Rent a bike and pedal into the Mammoth Lakes Basin, or go for a hike: A steep but short trail leads to Crystal Lake, which fills a granite bowl below 10,377-foot Crystal Crag.

Continuing north on US 395, Mono Lake appears like a mirage—or maybe a land-locked ocean. From a distance, its 65-square-mile size dazzles, but get a close-up view at Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. Walk the path that skirts past knobby clusters of tufa formations at the lake’s shoreline.

In Lee Vining, drive uphill (west) on Highway 120 to see Tioga Pass and Yosemite’s glorious eastern side. Stop for a meal at the historic Tioga Pass Resort, or take a walk in the splendor of Tuolumne Meadows. Hiking trails abound, from short strolls to multi-day treks.

US 395 continues north to Bridgeport, passing Route 270 to Bodie State Historic Park—a worthy side-trip. The West’s largest unrestored ghost town, Bodie consists of 100 deserted buildings left from the days when gold fever gripped the Sierra. Peer in the windows to see tables, chairs, bed frames, and calendars that were abruptly abandoned when the mining boom went bust.

Beyond Bridgeport, 395 follows the Walker River Canyon, a raging waterway in spring and a mellow stream in late summer. Continue north into Nevada, then take the western turnoff for Kingsbury Grade (Highway 207). Climb up this steep, winding grade, then drop down to the vast blueness of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America.

If you do this road trip, tag @moonguides on social media or use the #travelwithmoon hashtag. And don't forget your copy of Moon Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon for an even bigger adventure in and around the park!

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The 1.9-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) contains a vast and wonderfully scenic collection of slickrock canyon lands and desert, prehistoric village sites, Old West ranch land, arid plateaus, and miles of back roads linking stone arches, mesas, and abstract rock formations. The monument even preserves a historic movie set (think vintage Westerns).

The monument contains essentially three separate districts: On the eastern third are the narrow wilderness canyons of the Escalante River and its tributaries. In the center of the monument is a vast swath of arid rangeland and canyons called the Kaiparowits Plateau, with few developed destinations. The western third of the monument edges up against the Gray, White, and Pink Cliffs of the Grand Staircase. These thinly treed uplands are laced with former Forest Service roads. The GSENM is the largest land grouping designated as a national monument in the Lower 48.

There’s little dispute that the Escalante canyons are the primary reason people visit the monument. The river and its tributaries cut deep and winding slot canyons through massive slickrock formations, and hiking these canyon bottoms is an extremely popular adventure. A multiday trek is a rite of passage for many devoted hikers, but you don’t have to be a hardened backcountry trekker to enjoy this landscape: Two backcountry roads wind through the area, and some day hikes are possible.

The other districts offer less-well-defined opportunities for adventure. Backcountry drivers and long-distance mountain bikers will find mile after mile of desert and canyon to explore. Grosvenor Arch, with double windows, is a popular back-road destination. At the southern edge of the park, along the Arizona border, is another rugged canyon system that’s popular with long-distance hikers. The Paria River Canyon is even more remote than the Escalante, and hiking these slot canyons requires experience and preparation.

Planning Your Time

If you only have one day, plan to drive stunning Highway 12. The Lower Calf Creek Falls hike begins right off the highway between Escalante and Boulder, and hiking it is a great way to spend half a day.

If you have an additional day or two, it makes sense to base yourself either in Escalante (convenient camping and moderately priced accommodations) or in Boulder (where it’s possible to sleep and eat in luxury). Spend your second day here exploring Hole-in-the-Rock Road, where you can hike slot canyons in the Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch and explore Devils Garden. It’s possible to stay in this area of the monument for several days, either backpacking along the Escalante River or exploring its various canyons as day hikes. If you’re at all up to backpacking, it’s only a one-nighter to hike from the town of Escalante along the river to the river’s highway crossing.

If you have more time, drive between the Kanab area and Cannonville on Cottonwood Canyon Road (be sure to check on road conditions before heading out). Stop and walk up through the Cottonwood Narrows, and at the north end of the road, visit Grosvenor Arch and Kodachrome State Park. If you want to make a loop drive, return on the Johnson Canyon and Skutumpah Roads, with a hike along Lick Wash.

Exploring the Park

There is no entrance fee to visit Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (435/644-1200). Free permits are required for all overnight backcountry camping or backpacking. There is a fee to camp in the monument’s three developed campgrounds.

Hikers in the Paria Wilderness area, which includes Paria Canyon and Coyote Buttes, are required to buy a permit, as are hikers at the Calf Creek Recreation Area.

It’s best to have a travel strategy when visiting this huge national monument. Just as important, especially for a visit of more than a couple of days, is a vehicle that can take on some rugged roads. (A Subaru wagon proved perfectly adequate in dry weather, but when the clay was wet and muddy, the back roads were virtually impassable in all but 4WD vehicles with significantly higher clearance than a station wagon.)

Only two paved roads pass through the monument, both on a west-east trajectory. Highway 12, on the northern boundary of the park, links Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks with access to the Escalante canyons. This is one of the most scenic roads in Utah—in fact, Car and Driver magazine rates this route as one of the 10 most scenic in the United States. Its innumerable vistas and geologic curiosities will keep you on the edge of your seat. U.S. 89, which runs along the southern edge of the monument between Kanab and Lake Powell, is no scenery slouch either. It is also the access road for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Three fair-weather dirt roads, each with a network of side roads and trails, cut through the rugged heart of the monument, linking the two paved roads. Before heading out on these back roads, check with the visitors center for conditions; high-clearance vehicles are recommended.

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While there are few maintained trails in the park, old mining roads, narrow canyons, and natural features offer some of the best Death Valley hikes.

Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch

Effort: Moderate
Hike through glowing Golden Canyon and past historic borax mining ruins to the spectacular views from Zabriskie Point, the stunning halfway point on this 6-mile round-trip trek. Shorter destinations include equally striking Red Cathedral.

Hungry Bill’s Ranch

Effort: Difficult
Historic Hungry Bill’s Ranch was tied to one of the biggest silver rushes in the area. The 3.3-mile round-trip hike is via Johnson Canyon, one of the most-watered canyons in Death Valley. Gorgeous canyon views and hand-built rock walls make this well worth the effort it takes to drive the rough, four-wheel-drive-only road to get here.

Ashford Canyon

Effort: Difficult
Colorful Ashford Canyon leads to the tucked away and well-preserved Ashford Mine Camp. Gold mining caught on in the area in 1907; the Ashford Mine was worked until the 1940s, when it was finally abandoned, leaving behind cabins, underground rooms, and the trappings of camp life. The steep 4.2-mile round-trip hike follows the canyon and pieces of the old mining road.

Sidewinder Canyon

Effort: Easy
Half the fun of Sidewinder Canyon is the fun of discovery. Hikes range 2-4 miles or more to explore three different slot canyons and the twisting arches, hollows, natural bridges, and sculpted narrows that make up this sinewy maze at the base of Smith Mountain. The trailhead is south of Badwater Basin off of Badwater Road.

Mosaic Canyon

Effort: Easy
Mosaic Canyon is a popular hiking destination. This 2.8-mile round-trip trek through the canyons of the Cottonwood Mountains wanders through polished marble and colorful mosaic stone. The trailhead is just outside Stovepipe Wells.

Ubehebe Peak

Effort: Difficult
Unlike other Death Valley hikes, there is an actual trail to Ubehebe Peak; miners built it as a mule trail to haul out copper ore. A difficult 6-mile round-trip climb rewards with sweeping views of The Racetrack and the Saline Valley.

Telescope Peak

Effort: Strenuous
At 11,049 feet, Telescope Peak is the highest point in Death Valley. Covered in snow most of the year, this 14-mile round-trip hike is strenuous but worth it. Plan your attempt in May or June for premium views.

Wildrose Peak

Effort: Moderate
The steep hike to 9,064-foot Wildrose Peak leads through conifer forests, offering some welcome shade for hiking. The limber and bristlecone pine-studded trail stretches 9 miles round-trip, but pays off with impressive views of Death Valley Canyon and Trail Canyon.

Surprise Canyon to Panamint City

Effort: Strenuous
The silver boom ghost town of Panamint City can only be reached via a long, strenuous hike through the scenic and well-watered Surprise Canyon. This 10-mile round-trip hike is best done as a backpacking trip: plan one day to hike in, a day to explore, and a day to hike out.

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Maine’s biggest draws are the three L’s: lighthouses, lobster, and L.L. Bean. Maine’s 64 lighthouses stretch from York’s Nubble to candy-striped West Quoddy Head in Lubec. Lobster, of course, can be found practically everywhere along the coast, but the best way to enjoy it is at a no-fuss lobster shack. L.L. Bean’s ever-expanding campus in Freeport is the massive outdoor retailer’s mother ship, but it also has an outlet in Ellsworth.

This six-day tour concentrates on the Greater Portland, Mid-Coast, and Penobscot Bay regions. Book your first night’s lodging in Portland, the second two in Damariscotta or Newcastle, and the next two in the Thomaston-Rockland area. For a real lighthouse immersion, consider splurging on an extra two nights on Isle au Haut. If you’re arriving by air, use Portland International Jetport.

Day 1

Try to arrive in Portland in time to enjoy an afternoon cruise with Lucky Catch Lobster Tours; perhaps you’ll catch your dinner. If not, you can still enjoy a lobster on the waterfront.

Day 2

Loop out to South Portland and Cape Elizabeth to visit Spring Point Ledge Light and Portland Head Light, a Maine icon. You won’t find a better setting for lunch than The Lobster Shack, with views of crashing surf and Cape Elizabeth Light. In the afternoon, consider visiting the Portland Museum of Art to view masterworks by Maine-related artists or book a sail amid the islands of Casco Bay. Still craving lobster? Try an inspired version by one of Maine’s nationally recognized chefs (reservations required).

Day 3

Get an early start and begin at famed outlet store L.L. Bean in Freeport. You might even take a Walk-on Adventure with Bean’s Outdoor Discovery School. In the afternoon, visit the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, and if time permits, take a lighthouse cruise on the Kennebec River. Perhaps mosey down to Georgetown for dinner at Five Islands or stop in Wiscasset for a lobster roll.

Day 4

Boothbay PeninsulaSpend the morning in Boothbay Harbor, stepping back in time for a visit with light keeper Joseph Muise and his family on a Burnt Island Tour. In the late afternoon, drive down to Pemaquid Point to view Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, perhaps climbing to the top. Be sure to visit the Fisherman’s Museum in the keeper’s house. End the day with lobster in the rough in Round Pond.

Day 5

Begin the day with a visit to Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum in Port Clyde, and then board the mail boat to Monhegan Island. Be sure to visit the museum in the lighthouse keeper’s house. Lunch? Lobster at Fish House Fish, of course.

Day 6

Greet the day with a sunrise walk out on the breakwater to Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. Afterward, tour the Maine Lighthouse Museum and Farnsworth Art Museum. In the afternoon, take a lighthouse-themed cruise or sea kayak tour out of Rockport or Rockland. End the day and your lobster-infused vacation at the James Beard Award-winning lobster shack Waterman’s Beach Lobster in South Thomaston. En route, take the short side jaunt out to Owls Head Light in Owls Head.

Days 7-8

Splurge with a two-night stay at The Keeper’s House on Isle au Haut. The rustic accommodations are in the keeper’s house, oil house, and woodshed at Robinson Point Light, and access is via a passenger ferry.

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Big Sur is both the name of the town and of the coastal region along Highway 1 south of Carmel and north of San Simeon. Soaring cliffs dropping to sporadic white-sand beaches exemplify the Big Sur coastline made legendary in film and literature.

From north to south, the Pacific Ocean changes from slate gray to a gentler blue, and the endless crash of the breakers on the shore is a constant lullaby in Big Sur’s coastal towns. The region is explored via Highway 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway, a road that hugs sheer cliffs and passes several state parks, resorts, and restaurants like Nepenthe, seemingly perched on the edge of the world.

The Big Sur Coast Highway, a 90-mile stretch of Highway 1, runs atop jagged cliffs and along rocky beaches, through dense redwood forest, over historic scenic bridges, and past several parks. Construction on this stretch of road was completed in the 1930s to connect Cambria to Carmel. You can start out at either end and spend a whole day winding your way along this road. There are plenty of wide turnouts on picturesque cliffs, which makes it easy to stop to admire the glittering ocean and stunning wooded cliffs.

Old Coast Road

Easily found on the left side of Highway 1, about 13 miles south of Carmel and just before Bixby Bridge, the Old Coast Road cuts high into the Coast Range of Big Sur. There are steep grades with areas of chunky quartz, slick muddy sections, tight turns through the redwoods, and narrow ledges. It is a little more than 10 miles to the end of the road and Andrew Molera State Park. The road is passable in dry weather, but in wet weather there are many flood-prone sections in the forest and steep loose grades. Most vehicles can handle the drive when it’s dry. The road has a handful of drainage pipes that are somewhat bumpy; like large speed bumps, low-clearance vehicles should traverse these with caution.

Bixby Bridge

You’ll probably recognize the Bixby Bridge when you come to it on Highway 1, about 18 miles south of Carmel. Among the world’s highest, Bixby Bridge is over 260 feet high and more than 700 feet long. The cement openspandrel arched bridge is one of the most photographed bridges in the nation, and it has been used in countless car commercials over the years. The bridge was built in the early 1930s as part of the massive New Deal government works project to complete Highway 1 and connect Northern California to the south along the coast. Today, you can pull out at either end of the bridge to take photos or just to view the attractive span and Bixby Creek flowing into the Pacific far below.

Point Sur Light Station

The Point Sur Light Station (Hwy. 1, 0.25 mile north of Point Sur Naval Facility, 831/625- 4419, tours 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sat.–Sun. Nov.–Mar., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wed. and Sat.–Sun. Apr.–June and Sept.–Oct., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wed. and Sat.–Sun., 10 a.m. Thurs. July–Aug., adults $10, children $5) keeps watch over ships navigating the rocky waters of Big Sur. First lit in 1889, this now fully automated light station still provides navigational assistance; keepers stopped living and working in the tiny stone-built compound in 1974.

To tour the light station, check the tour times online. Parking is off the west side of Highway 1 by the locked farm gate. Tour guides meet here to take a limited number of visitors 0.5 miles up the paved road to the light station. Once at the station, you’ll climb the stairs up to the light, explore the restored keepers homes and service buildings, and walk out to the cliff’s edge. Be sure to dress in layers; it can be sunny and hot or foggy and cold in winter or summer, and sometimes both on the same tour. Tours last three hours and require more than one mile of walking, with a bit of incline and more than 100 stairs. Take one of the moonlight tours (call for details) to learn about the haunted history of the light station buildings.

There is no access to the light station without a tour group. Tour schedules can vary from year to year and season to season; call ahead before showing up. For special assistance, call 831/667-0528 as far ahead as possible to make arrangements. No strollers, food, pets, or smoking are allowed on the property.

Big Sur Spirit Garden

A favorite among local art lovers, the Big Sur Spirit Garden (47504 Hwy. 1, Loma Vista, 831/238-1056, daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m.) changes a little almost every day. The “garden” part includes a variety of plantlife, while the “spirit” part is modern and postmodern fair-trade art from nearby and as far away as India. The artwork tends toward brightly colored small sculptures done in exuberant naive style. The Spirit Garden offers educational programs, community celebrations, and musical events.

Big Sur Station

Pull in at Big Sur Station (Hwy. 1, south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, 831/667-2315, daily 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) for maps and brochures to all the major parks and trails of Big Sur; there is also a small bookshop. Several of the smaller parks and beaches (Limekiln, Garrapata, and Sand Dollar) have no visitor services, so Big Sur Station serves visitors traveling to one of those less-visited spots. You can also get a backcountry permit here for the Ventana Wilderness.

Henry Miller Memorial Library

Henry Miller lived and wrote in Big Sur for 18 years. He began to cultivate this region as an artists colony in 1944, and his utopian 1957 novel Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch put his Big Sur dream on the map. Today, the Henry Miller Memorial Library (Hwy. 1, 0.25 mile north of Deetjens, 831/667-2574, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Wed.–Mon.) celebrates the life and work of Miller and his peers in this quirky community center, museum, coffee shop, and gathering place. You can flip through the collection of literature, be entertained by local performances, attend short film festivals, and more. The library is easy to find on Highway 1—look for the hand-painted sign and funky fence decorations.

McWay Falls (Moon Recommended)

A popular photo op is breathtaking McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (831/667-2315, daily sunrise–sunset, $10). A ribbonlike stream spews out of Anderson Canyon and falls some 200 feet to the pale beach below. The waterfall flows year-round, with heavier volume in winter and early spring. The hike is less than one mile and offers stunning views of the Big Sur coastline. The trail begins at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where the rolling hills drop dramatically to the sea and redwood forests protect the inland reaches. The trail ends at the ruins of the McWay Waterfall House, during the 1920s the home of Lathrop and Helen Hopper Brown. Today, a decaying foundation of the terrace is all that remains.

Esalen Institute

The Esalen Institute is a retreat from the world. People come from all over to this haven, sometimes called “the New Age Harvard,” for lengthy courses and classes, but massages and use of the bathhouse are available to nonguests.

Esalen isn’t a day spa. You must make an appointment for a massage (75 minutes, $150), which grants you access to the hot tubs for an hour before and an hour after your session. If you just want to sit in the bathhouse’s hot tubs, you have to stay up late—very late. Access to the Esalen tubs (831/667-3047, $20) is by reservation and is only possible 1–3 a.m.

The bathhouse, a motley collection of mineral-fed hot tubs with ocean views, is located down a rocky path on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Once you’ve parked and been given directions, it’s up to you to find your way down to the cliffs. You can choose the Silent Side to sink into the water and contemplate the Pacific, or the Quiet Side to get to know your fellow bathers. Esalen’s bathhouse area is clothing-optional. You’ll have to find your own towel, grab a shower, and then wander out to find a hot tub. Be sure to go all the way outside, past the individual claw-foot tubs, to the glorious shallow cement tubs right out on the edge of the cliff.

Limekiln State Park

There is plenty of outdoor action and good camping at 717-acre Limekiln State Park (Hwy. 1, 52 miles south of Carmel, 831/667-2403, $8). Besides the historical lime kilns, there are deep-woods hiking trails and beach kayaking, fishing, and swimming. Squirrels, deer, foxes, and raccoons are often seen, attracted by the two creeks in the park. Mountain lions, bobcats, and ring-tailed cats are much more elusive but are known to roam the area. The day-use parking is limited to 12 spots, but you can park in the pullouts along Highway 1 just above the park. Day-use activities include picnicking, good shore fishing, and kayaking from the beach. Three hiking trails start just beyond the Redwood Campground. The Limekiln Trail (0.5 mile) is a hike to the cluster of historic lime kilns. The Falls Trail branches off the Limekiln Trail and leads to a 100-foot waterfall; be prepared to get your feet wet. The Hare Creek Trail is an easy hike through the majestic redwood forest alongside the rushing water.

In the thick redwoods and along a sheltered cove are campsites (summer by reservation, winter first-come, first-served, $35) that can accommodate tents and RVs up to 24 feet. The three sections of the campground are the Beach, Lower Creek, and Redwood Campgrounds.

Piedras Blancas

Six miles north of San Simeon is the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse (15950 Hwy. 1, 805/927-7361, tours 9:45 a.m. Tues., Thurs., and Sat., adults $10, children $5, under age 5 free), named after the white rock outcropping just off the point. It was completed in 1875, and the original tower was 110 feet tall. The beach around the lighthouse is a favorite resting spot for elephant seals. If you plan to take the tour, you may want to arrive early to ensure a spot, as space is limited. Tours meet at the old Piedras Blancas Motel, 1.5 miles north of the lighthouse.

The vista point with a parking lot just beyond the Piedras Lighthouse is a famous location to view elephant seals at the Northern Elephant Seal Rookery (Hwy. 1, 805/924-1628, daily sunrise–sunset, free). Home to roughly 15,000 giant northern elephant seals year-round, you can witness them molt, breed, give birth, and— their favorite pastime—rest. Much of the time the elephant seals are quite calm, but occasional sparring matches with deep guttural growling provide the best action. Be careful not to get too close to these creatures; remember that they are wild animals and can therefore be unpredictable and dangerous. A large parking area just off Highway 1 is alongside the beach, where you can view these impressive animals.

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Chimayó, Córdova, Truchas, Las Trampas, Peñasco—these are the tiny villages strung, like beads on a necklace, along the winding highway that runs through the mountains between Santa Fe and Taos. This is probably the area of New Mexico where Spanish heritage has been the least diluted—or at any rate relatively untouched by Anglo influence, for there has been a long history of exchange between the Spanish towns and the adjacent pueblos. The local dialect is distinctive, and residents can claim ancestors who settled the towns in the 18th century. The first families learned to survive in the harsh climate with a 90-day growing season, and much of the technology that worked then continues to work now; electricity was still scarce even in the 1970s, and adobe construction is common.

To casual visitors, these communities, closed off by geography, can seem a little insular, but pop in at the shops and galleries that have sprung up in a couple of the towns, and you’ll get a warm welcome. During the High Road Art Tour, over two weekends in September, modern artists and more traditional craftspeople, famed particularly for their wood-carving skills and blanket weaving, open their home studios.

The route starts on Highway 503, heading east off U.S. 84/285 just north of Pojoaque.

Chimayó

From Nambé Pueblo, Highway 503 continues to a T-junction; make a hard left onto Highway 98 to descend into the valley of Chimayó, site of the largest mass pilgrimage in the United States. During Holy Week, the week before Easter, some 50,000 people arrive on foot, often bearing large crosses. At their journey’s end is a small church, seemingly existing in a time long since passed, that holds an undeniable pull.

Santuario de Chimayó

The pilgrimage tradition began in 1945, as a commemoration of the Bataan Death March, but the Santuario de Chimayó (Hwy. 98, 505/351-9961, 9am-6pm daily May-Sept., 9am-5pm daily Oct.-Apr.) had a reputation as a miraculous spot from its start, in 1814. It began as a small chapel, built at the place where a local farmer, Bernardo Abeyta, is said to have dug up a glowing crucifix; the carved wood figure was placed on the altar. The building later fell into disrepair, but in 1929, the architect John Gaw Meem bought it, restored it, and added its sturdy metal roof; Meem then granted it back to the archdiocese in Santa Fe.

Unlike many of the older churches farther north, which are now seldom open, Chimayó is an active place of prayer, always busy with tourists as well as visitors seeking solace, with many side chapels and a busy gift shop. (Mass is said weekdays at 11am and on Sunday at 10:30am and noon year-round.) The approach from the parking area passes chain-link fencing into which visitors have woven twigs to form crosses, each set of sticks representing a prayer. Outdoor pews made of split tree trunks accommodate overflow crowds, and a wheelchair ramp gives easy access to the church.

But the original adobe santuario seems untouched by modernity. The front wall of the dim main chapel is filled with an elaborately painted altar screen from the first half of the 19th century, the work of Molleno (nicknamed “the Chile Painter” because forms, especially robes, in his paintings often resemble red and green chiles). The vibrant colors seem to shimmer in the gloom, forming a sort of stage set for Abeyta’s crucifix, Nuestro Señor de las Esquípulas, as the centerpiece. Painted on the screen above the crucifix is the symbol of the Franciscans: a cross over which the arms of Christ and Saint Francis meet.

Most pilgrims make their way directly to the small, low-ceilinged antechamber that holds el pocito, the little hole where the glowing crucifix was allegedly first dug up. From this pit they scoop up a small portion of the exposed red earth, to apply to withered limbs and arthritic joints, or to eat in hopes of curing internal ailments. (The parish refreshes the well each year with new dirt, after it has been blessed by the priests.) The adjacent sacristy displays handwritten testimonials, prayers, and abandoned crutches; the figurine of Santo Niño de Atocha is also said to have been dug out of the holy ground here as well. (Santo Niño de Atocha has a dedicated chapel just down the road—the artwork here is modern, bordering on cutesy, but the back room, filled with baby shoes, is poignant.)

Chimayó Museum

The only other official sight in the village is the tiny Chimayó Museum (Plaza del Cerro, 505/351-0945, 10am-4pm Wed.-Sat. May-Aug., free), set on the old fortified plaza. It functions as a local archive and displays a neat collection of vintage photographs. Look for it behind Ortega’s weaving shop.

Córdova

From Chimayó, turn right (east) on Highway 76 to begin the climb up the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Near the crest of the hill, about three miles along, a small sign points to Córdova, a village best known for its austere unpainted santos and bultos done by masters such as George López and José Dolores López. Another family member, Sabinita López Ortiz (9 County Rd. 1317, 505/351-4572, variable hours), sells her work and that of five other generations of wood-carvers. Castillo Gallery (County Rd. 1317, 505/351-4067, variable hours) mixes traditional woodwork with more contemporary sculpture.

Truchas

Highway 76 winds along to the little village of Truchas (Trout), founded in 1754 and still not much more than a long row of buildings set against the ridgeline. On the corner where the highway makes a hard left north is the village morada, the meeting place of the local Penitente brotherhood.

Head straight down the smaller road to reach Nuestra Señora del Rosario de las Truchas Church, tucked into a small plaza off to the right of the main street. It’s open to visitors only June-August—if you do have a chance to look inside the dim, thick-walled mission that dates back to the early nineteenth century, you’ll see precious examples of local wood carving. Though many of the more delicate ones have been moved to a museum for preservation, those remaining display an essential New Mexican style—the sort of “primitive” thing that Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe hated. They’re preserved today because Truchas residents hid them at home during the late 19th century. Santa Lucia, with her eyeballs in her hand, graces the altar, and a finely wrought crucifix hangs to the right, clad in a skirt because the legs have broken off.

Just up the road is The Cordovas Handweaving Workshop (32 County Rd. 75, 505/689-1124, variable hours Mon.-Sat.), an unassuming wooden house that echoes with the soft click-clack of a broadloom, as this Hispano family turns out subtly striped rugs in flawless traditional style, as it has done for generations. Prices are quite reasonable.

Las Trampas

Farther north on Highway 76, the village of Las Trampas was settled in 1751, and its showpiece, San José de Gracia Church (generally 10am-4pm Sat.-Sun. June-Aug.), was built nine years later. It remains one of the finest examples of New Mexican village church architecture. Its thick adobe walls are balanced by vertical bell towers; inside, the clerestory at the front of the church—a typical design—lets light in to shine down on the altar, which was carved and painted in the late 1700s. Other paradigmatic elements include the atrio, or small plaza, between the low adobe boundary wall and the church itself, utilized as a cemetery, and the dark narthex where you enter, confined by the choir loft above, but serving only to emphasize the sense of light and space created in the rest of the church by the clerestory and the small windows near the viga ceiling.

As you leave the town heading north, look to the right—you’ll see a centuries-old acequia that has been channeled through a log flume to cross a small arroyo.

Picurís Pueblo

The smallest pueblo in New Mexico, Picurís has only about 300 members. It is also one of the few Rio Grande pueblos that has not built a casino. Instead, it capitalizes on its beautiful natural setting, a lush valley where bison roam and aspen leaves rustle. You can picnic here and fish in small but well-stocked Tu-Tah Lake. The San Lorenzo de Picurís Church looks old, but it was in fact rebuilt by hand in 1989, following the original 1776 design, a process that took eight years. As at Nambé, local traditions have melded with those of the surrounding villages, and the Hispano-Indian Matachines dances are well attended on Christmas Eve. Start at the visitors center (575/587-1099 or 575/587-1071, 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat.) to pick up maps and pay a suggested donation. The pueblo is a short detour from the high road proper: At the junction with Highway 75, turn west, then follow signs off the main road.

Peñasco

Peñasco is best known to tourists as the home of Sugar Nymphs Bistro (15046 Hwy. 75, 575/587-0311, 11am-4pm and Mon.-Thurs. 11am-8pm Fri.-Sat., 10:30am-3pm Sun., $12), a place with “country atmosphere and city cuisine,” where you can get treats like grilled lamb, fresh-pressed cider, piñon couscous, and staggering wedges of chocolate walnut fudge cake. An adjoining Peñasco Theatre hosts quirky music and theatrical performances June-September. In winter, restaurant hours are more limited, so call ahead.

This is also the northern gateway to the Pecos Wilderness Area—turn on Forest Road 116 to reach Santa Barbara Campground and the Santa Barbara Trail to Truchas Peak, a 23-mile round-trip that requires advance planning. Contact the Española ranger district office (1710 N. Riverside Dr., 505/753-7331, 8am-4:30pm Mon.-Fri.) or the one in the town of Pecos for conditions before you hike.

Sipapu

Detouring right (east) along Highway 518, you reach Sipapu (Hwy. 518, 800/587-2240), an unassuming, inexpensive ski resort—really, just a handful of cabins (from $79) and campsites ($12) at the base of a 9,255-foot mountain. Cheap lift tickets ($45 full-day) and utter quiet make this a bargain getaway.

Returning to the junction, continue on to Taos via Highway 518, which soon descends into a valley and passes Pot Creek Cultural Site (575/587-2255, 9am-4pm Wed.-Sun. late June-early Sept.), a mildly interesting diversion for its one-mile loop trail through Ancestral Puebloan ruins from around AD 1100.

You arrive in Taos at its southern end—really, in Ranchos de Taos, just north of the San Francisco de Asis Church on Highway 68. Turn left to see the church, or turn right to head up to the town plaza and to Taos Pueblo.

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While many national parks struggle with their fates as islands of wilderness surrounded by a more developed world, Isle Royale represents the opposite scenario. It has the advantage of a much larger buffer zone protecting it from outside encroachment and influence. As a result, it’s one of the most closely managed holdings in the national park system and presents some unique opportunities for conservation. Isle Royale is one of the few parks that regulates the number of visitors who pass through its gates. Though logistics have done a sufficient job of keeping numbers down thus far, the National Park Service could reduce the number further by cutting back on ferry service or on the number of campsites.

Limited access also allows the National Park Service to enforce rules more effectively. Dogs, for example, are not allowed on the island for fear they might bring rabies and other diseases to the island’s wolf pack. The National Park Service also takes great pains to preserve the island’s backcountry solitude, with a park brochure reminding hikers to “refrain from loud conversation,” “avoid songfests,” and “select equipment of subtle natural tones rather than conspicuous colorful gear.”

Getting to Isle Royale

If getting there is half the fun, you’ll be very excited by the time you arrive at Isle Royale. Travel to the island is not particularly convenient or cheap, which probably accounts for average visitor stays that are considerably longer than most other national park destinations. The average visit to Rocky Mountain National Park is a few hours; to Isle Royale, three days, including day trippers who flow off the ferry, wander around the harbor for a few hours, and leave that afternoon.

Many, however, come to appreciate even the trip to and from Isle Royale, a mental decompression chamber of sorts that eases the passage between island wilderness and the civilized world.

Your options for travel to Isle Royale are seaplane, ferry, or personal boat.

Ferry

The National Park Service operates the largest ferry, the 165-foot Ranger III, which has been in service since 1958. It departs from Houghton twice a week, at 9am Tuesday and Friday, from late May to mid-September, for the six-hour passage to Rock Harbor. The one-way cost is $63 adults, $23 ages 6-12, free under age 6. Canoes and kayaks are an additional $22-50 if they’re longer than 20 feet or weigh more than 90 pounds. Make reservations through the national park (906/482-0984, www.nps.gov/isro).

If you’d rather see more of the Keweenaw and spend less time on the ferry, drive another hour up the peninsula to Copper Harbor, where you can catch the Isle Royale Queen IV for a three-hour trip to Rock Harbor. It operates from mid-May through the end of September, with a varying schedule, adding additional departures as needed in July and August. The one-way cost is $65 adults, $33 under age 12. Canoes and kayaks are an additional $25. The Isle Royale Queen IV is highly reliable and has happily surprised weary backpackers by showing up to retrieve them on even the stormiest of days. But the ship richly deserves its nickname, “The Queasy.” In heavy seas, its hull can rock and roll at a pretty good pitch. To check the schedule and make reservations, contact the Isle Royale Line (906/289-4437).

A third and fourth ferry run from Grand Portage, Minnesota. The 65-foot MV Voyageur II (outbound Mon., Wed., and Sat., inbound Tues., Thurs., and Sun.). Outbound departures are at 7:30am central daylight time outbound and at 8am inbound. On its way to Rock Harbor, it circumnavigates the island, offering drop-off and pickup service along the way. This makes for a slow but interesting trip. Rates start at $71 one way, but vary depending on your selected destination. Voyageur II can also carry canoes and kayaks for an additional $37 each way.

The Sea Hunter III departs at 8:30am central daylight time on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from Grand Portage to Windigo in two hours, then returns four hours later for those interested in simply a day trip. Reserve a spot through Grand Portage-Isle Royale Transportation Line (651/653-5872 or 888/746-2305 Nov.-Apr., 218/475-0024 or 218/475-0074 May-Oct.).

Seaplane

Seaplane service by Isle Royale Seaplanes (21125 Royce Road, Hancock, 906/483-4991, $320 pp round-trip, $220 pp one-way) in Hancock is the most expensive and usually the quickest way to the island, although the 35-minute flight can often be delayed by wind and fog. The plane, a Cessna 206 amphibious seaplane, flies Thursday to Tuesday and can carry up to four passengers. The plane cannot carry stove fuel, but you can purchase it on the island at the park store. Luggage is limited to 50 pounds per passenger.

Private Boat

Arriving by private boat is popular in midsummer—perhaps a bit too popular for those who treasure the island’s solitude and resent the whine of powerboat engines. The Rock Harbor and Windigo marinas offer docking and refueling for powerboats and sailboats; boats also are allowed to drop anchor in a secluded bay overnight and save the marina fee. Protected harbors are plentiful on the east end of the island, although most remain exposed to an east wind, but are nonexistent on the west end. Every boat arriving at the island must first stop at a ranger station in Windigo or Rock Harbor to obtain a permit and pay the park user fee.

Those with boats under 20 feet should not to attempt a Lake Superior crossing. Even if you have a larger vessel, consider the passage only if you possess strong navigation skills and a good marine radio. Lake Superior has many ocean-like characteristics, and storms can appear with little notice.

General Information for Isle Royale

For general information on the park, camping, transportation options, and more, contact Isle Royale National Park (906/482-0984).

Isle Royale was one of the first national parks to charge a park user fee, currently $7 pp per day. If you’re traveling to the island by ferry or seaplane, the concessionaire will collect your fee. If you’re traveling by private boat, you can pay at the ranger station at Windigo or Rock Harbor, or at the Houghton Visitors Center prior to your departure.

The National Park Service has long discussed charging admission fees to national parks as a way to compensate for shortfalls in federal funding. In the past, all gate fees were fed back into the federal government’s general treasury, eliminating an incentive to levy a fee. With the new user-fee program, however, 80 percent of the monies gathered is spent at the collecting park. The remaining 20 percent is spent at national parks with priority maintenance projects. In Isle Royale’s case, that means hundreds of thousands of dollars that will be spent maintaining trails and repairing or replacing docks.

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There's plenty to do in Grindavík, Iceland, a placid fishing town steeped in fish trade history. Many of the same families have been trolling these waters for generations, and visitors can see fishers hauling their daily bounty of cod out of the harbor by day and dine on the local catch at night. But the Grindavík area’s greatest claim to fame is the giant manmade geothermal expanse of the Blue Lagoon.

Sights in Grindavík

Bláa Lónið (Blue Lagoon)

Located 23 kilometers south of Keflavík International Airport, the Blue Lagoon (Svartsengi, tel. 354/420-8800, 7:30am-9pm daily June-Aug., 10am-8pm daily Sept.-May) draws visitors from around the world, to soak in the glorious, healing waters amid a dreamlike atmosphere.

A trip to the Blue Lagoon in the winter is eerie and wonderful. Watching as snow falls from the jet-black December sky, or as northern lights dance across it, while soaking in the heated water is sublime. But the heated water, which ranges 37-39°C (98-102°F), is heavenly during any time of year. The milky waters and the misty air during the summer are lovely, especially on sunny days.

The water is not deep, less than five feet, and the bottom is covered with white silica mud, the result of a natural process of re-condensation. It’s common to see visitors cover their faces with the mud, as it’s very good for your skin. The gift shop sells Blue Lagoon skin products that have ingredients ranging from silica mud to algae found in other parts of Iceland.

For those not interested in taking a soak, there are two steam baths on the property, as well as a dry sauna and massage area. Spa treatments are also available.

Many tours feature a visit to the Blue Lagoon, but if you’re traveling independently, it makes sense to visit right after you fly in or before you head home, as it’s very close to Keflavík airport. A rejuvenating soak is a great way to kick off your trip or end it on a relaxing note.

The entrance fee is 6,000ISK for adults, 3,000ISK for teenagers, 3,000ISK for senior citizens, and children under the age of 13 are admitted free. Because of the increase in tourism over the past few years, the Blue Lagoon now requires that you book a time slot ahead of your arrival. Thousands of people visit the site every day, and it could be quite crowded during summer months. If you don’t bring your own towel, you can rent one at the front desk, along with swimsuits and bathing caps.

Saltfisksetur (Saltfish Museum)

The Saltfish Museum (Hafnargata 12A, tel. 354/420-1190, 9am-6pm daily, entrance 500ISK) is a museum that tells you exactly what Iceland’s fish trade was like from 1770 to 1965, when saltfish ceased to be Iceland’s top export. Photos, fishing equipment, and even a full-size fishing boat from the early 20th century are on display, explaining the importance of saltfish to Iceland, economically and culturally. If you’re curious about the region, would like to learn more about processing saltfish in the olden days, or would like to get a look at an old-school fishing boat, be sure to stop by.

Fishermen Memorial

A sad part of Iceland’s fishing history is the stories of men that went out to sea to never return. There’s a moving memorial in downtown Grindavík, in the main garden near the Saltfish Museum, showing a mother with her son and daughter waiting for their fisherman husband/father to return home from sea. It’s a reminder that the fish used for consumption and trade has come at a high price for many families over the years. The memorial was created by sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson.

Sports and Recreation in Grindavík

Biking

Reykjanes has several well-maintained trails perfect for cycling. Arctic Adventures (tel. 354/562-7000) operates a popular mountain biking tour that departs from Reykjavík by bus. Biking begins at the Blue Lagoon. The easy bike ride takes tourists on trails that run along volcanic craters, rugged lava fields, and bubbling hot springs throughout the peninsula. The tour runs mid-May-mid-September for 33,000ISK and ends with a dip in the soothing, geothermally heated water at the Blue Lagoon.

Camping

Tourists can camp from mid-May to mid-September at Grindavík’s Campsite (Austurvegur 26, tel. 354/660-7323, 1,200ISK) by the harbor. A popular campsite, Grindavík’s location offers laundry facilities, a common eating area, and a playground for children that has swings and a spider net for climbing. The campsite accommodates tents, RVs, and campers, with access to hookups. The grassy field is an open space with beautiful views of mountains. There’s also a paved entrance to the campsite and a large parking area. Close by is an area to empty camper port-a-potties.

Golf

Just four kilometers southwest from the Blue Lagoon, Húsatóftir Golf Course (Húsatóftum, tel. 354/426-8720, 5,000ISK) is an 18-hole golf course where visitors can golf from late May to early September, depending on the weather. The course sits on a scenic part of the southern part of the country with picturesque views of the landscape. However, the course can be busy with locals during the high season of June-July. Be sure to call ahead for a tee time.

Swimming

Grindavík is home to one of the best pools in South Iceland. The Grindavík Swimming Pool (Austurvegur 1, tel. 354/426-7555, 7am-8pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm Sat.-Sun. June-Aug., 400ISK) has a 25-meter pool, hot tubs, tanning beds, a water slide, children’s pool, and fitness center.

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An exciting dose of culture shock is an easy 15 miles from Corozal. Chetumal, capital of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, is a relatively modern, midsize city of more than 200,000—nearly as many people as in the entire country of Belize! If you don’t come for the culture (wonderful museums, a few parks, a zoo, and a delicious seafront), then you must be here to shop in the new American-style mall or see a first-run film in Chet’s brand-new air-conditioned Cineplex, located in the Plaza de las Américas mall.

Chetumal can be visited as a day trip from Corozal or used as a base from which to visit the many Yucatecan archaeological sites—including Tulum, just up the coast. It’s also a gateway to Mexico’s well-known Caribbean resort areas: Cancún, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Akumal. Chetumal presents the businesslike atmosphere of a growing metropolis without the bikini-clad tourist crowds of the north. A 10-minute walk takes you to the waterfront from the marketplace and most of the hotels. Modern, sculpted monuments stand along a breezy promenade that skirts the broad crescent of the bay. Explore the backstreets, where worn, wooden buildings still have a Central American-Caribbean look. The largest building in town—white, three stories, close to the waterfront—houses most of the government offices. Wide tree-lined avenues and sidewalks front dozens of small variety shops.

Sights

Do not miss the Museo de la Cultura Maya (9am-7pm Tues.-Thurs. and Sun., 9am-8pm Fri.-Sat., US$5), located at the new market; it is an impressive and creative experience by any standard. The Museo de la Ciudad (Av. de los Héroes 108, no phone, 9am-6pm Tues.-Sat., 9am-2pm Sun., US$12) is excellent as well, with a great deal of contemporary Mexican art.

On Avenida Héroes, five miles north of the city, is Calderitas Bay, a breezy area for picnicking, dining, camping, and RVing. Tiny Isla Tamalcas, 1.5 miles off the shore of Calderitas, is the home of the primitive capybara, the largest of all rodents. Twenty-one miles north of Chetumal on Highway 307 is Cenote Azul, a circular cenote over 200 feet deep and 600 feet across and filled with brilliant blue water. This is a spectacular place to stop for a swim, lunch at the outdoor restaurant, or just to have a cold drink.

Getting There and Around

Corozal-based Belize VIP Transfer Services (tel. 501/422-2725) and George & Esther Moralez Travel Service (tel. 501/422-2485) will arrange Chetumal transfers (and other Mexican attractions) and trips to local ruins.

Bus

Buses from Belize City to Corozal and Chetumal travel throughout the day all the way through the border (you’ll need to get off twice to pass through immigration controls and pay a US$19 exit fee) to the Nuevo Mercado Lazaro Cardenas in Chetumal. A local Chetumal bus from Corozal costs US$1.25; a taxi to the border costs US$10. If it’s running, the express bus to Chetumal from Belize City takes about four hours and costs US$11. Also check with the various kiosks and travel agents in and near the Water Taxi Terminal by the Swing Bridge in Belize City for direct bus service to Chetumal.

If you’re traveling by bus from Belize, you will pass the main ADO bus terminal on Avenida Insurgentes; ask the driver to stop at the Pemex gas station on the corner of Avenidas Insurgentes and Héroes. Bus travel is a versatile and inexpensive way to travel the Quintana Roo coast—there are frequent trips to Playa del Carmen and Cancún, and a new fleet of luxury express buses is a treat after Belize’s school bus system. Chetumal is part of the loop between Campeche, Cancún, and Mérida. Fares and schedules change regularly; currently the fare to Cancún is about US$30. It’s about a 22-hour bus ride from Chetumal to Mexico City.

Boat

Chetumal can also be reached by water taxi on the San Pedro Belize Express (tel. 501/226-3535, US$45 one-way from San Pedro), which departs for Chetumal at 7:30am daily (or 7am from Caye Caulker) and returns at 3pm. San Pedro Water Jets Express (tel. 501/226- 2194, US$60 one-way) leaves San Pedro at 8am daily and returns from Chetumal at 3pm.

Car

A good paved road connects Chetumal with Mérida, Campeche, Villahermosa, and Francisco Escárcega. Highway 307 links all of Quintana Roo’s coastal cities. Expect little traffic, and you’ll find that gas stations are well spaced if you top off at each one. Car rentals are scarce in Chetumal; go to the Hotel Los Cocos for Avis (Av. Héroes, tel. 52/983-835-0430, 9am-5pm daily). Chetumal is an economical place to rent a car (if one is available), since the tax is only 6 percent. If you’re driving, watch out for “No Left Turn” signs in Chetumal.

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Like other countries, Argentina and Chile suffer from environmental degradation, though not all indicators are negative. Here are a few of the concerns regarding environmental issues in Patagonia.

Air, Water, and Noise Pollution

Aging diesel buses may be the primary culprit in deteriorating urban air quality, but private vehicles and taxis contribute more than their share (many taxis and private vehicles, though, run on natural gas). Superannuated factories, with subsidized smokestacks, are another source but, especially in Chile, the widespread use of firewood for cooking and heating is a public health issue.

In Patagonia, a different sort of atmospheric problem is critical. Deterioration of the Antarctic ozone layer has exposed both humans and livestock to dangerous UV radiation in summer. Though ozone depletion from aerosols is a global problem over which Argentines and Chileans have relatively little control, they suffer the consequences of the growing ozone hole.

Just as motor vehicles cause urban air pollution, so do they produce most of its noise pollution, due partly to inadequate mufflers. Buses and motorcycles are the worst offenders, but Jet Skis and other personal watercraft on otherwise limpid, placid lakes are a source of growing concern.

Drinking water is normally potable, but a historical legacy of polluted waterways derives from, first, the proliferation of European livestock, followed by the processing of hides and livestock, and then by industry. Mining is also a factor. Near the city of Esquel, Chubut, there was vociferous opposition to a Canadian project that would have used cyanide, which might find its way into streams and aquifers, to extract gold from local ores.

Salmon farming, a booming and increasingly concentrated industry, causes problems with runoff, from Chile’s Andean lakes region south into Aisén. Moreover, salmon often escape to colonize streams and seas at the expense of native fish, and some farmers have been accused of killing sea lions that prey on the caged fish.

Solid Waste

Like other urban and rural areas, Patagonian cities can produce prodigious amounts of garbage. Though the landfills are isolated, gusting winds can carry their contents for dozens of kilometers or more.

Despite the disposal problems, city streets are relatively clean even if, in the rush toward “development,” there’s an unfortunate reliance on disposable beverage containers and other undesirable packaging. The Patagonian towns of El Calafate (Argentina) and Pucón (Chile) have banned plastic bags.

Energy

Argentina has been nearly self-sufficient in fossil fuels and has substantial hydroelectric resources in the subtropical north and along the Andean foothills, but recently it’s had to import petroleum from Venezuela because low prices have discouraged local producers from exploration and extraction. Now it’s encouraging fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in Neuquén’s Vaca Muerta shales, north of the town of Zapala.

Argentine governments have promoted nuclear power since the 1950s. Not known for its transparency, the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA, National Atomic Energy Commission) is located in San Carlos de Bariloche.

Even hydroelectricity is no panacea, as it threatens key natural sites in both Argentina and Chile. The most threatened areas are the basins of Chile’s Río Futaleufú, one of the world’s top white-water rivers, and the isolated Río Baker, but Argentina’s Río Santa Cruz is due to become the site of a major Chinese-built dam.

Deforestation and Soil Conservation

Native forest conservation is a hot-button issue for many Chilean activists, who have led determined and successful opposition to schemes like the Cascada Chile wood chip project in Region X (Los Lagos), which was canceled in early 2001. Clandestine logging of protected alerce trees in the Andean lakes district has caused occasional scandals.

According to the industry-oriented Corporación de Madera (Corma), 90 percent of the timber that arrives in Chilean factories comes from forest plantations and only 10 percent from native forests. This figure is misleading in that plantations of eucalyptus and Monterey pine have replaced heavily logged native woodlands. Moreover, of the 10 million cubic meters of wood used annually for heating and cooking in Chilean households, 70 percent comes from native forests. Hydroelectric projects proposed for Aisén, near the town of Cochrane, would require a 2,300-kilometer power line that would deforest a lengthy strip along the Carretera Austral.

Centuries of livestock activities, both grazing and trampling, have already caused serious erosion even in areas where there were never native forests, such as the Pampas and the Patagonian steppes. Even today, some forested national parks, most notably Argentina’s Lanín and Los Glaciares, have failed to eliminate grazing. There has been pressure to create presumably sustainable forest-exploitation projects in Tierra del Fuego’s Magellanic woodlands, and road-building in these areas has caused substantial damage.

Fishing

What happens beneath the seas may be less observable than deforestation or air pollution, but there is serious concern that both small and large fisheries are overfished on both sides of the Andes. Pelagic species such as the Patagonian toothfish (often known as Chilean sea bass) are vulnerable to industrial overfishing, and inshore shellfish such as locos (false abalone) are traditionally at risk of exploitation.

This has repercussions in the region’s natural assets. Overfishing for squid, for instance, may have contributed to Magellanic penguin deaths in the Falklands, but this controversial issue is a reasonable hypothesis rather than proven fact. Such issues, unfortunately, often get tied up in political disputes, such as Argentina’s territorial claims to the Falklands or Chilean fishers’ assertions that predation by sea lions is reducing their catches.

For most of the Falklands’ history, the big environmental issue had been the deterioration of overgrazed pastures, due to high stocking rates and insufficient fencing. In the 1980s, though, the “Squid Rush” of Asian and European fishing fleets forced the British government to declare a conservation zone and licensing regime in offshore waters that had previously been a free-for-all. Commercial fishing has revolutionized the economy and given the islands some of the world’s highest per-capita income and living standards. At the same time, some have worried that the fishery could collapse if, under pressure to maintain those standards, authorities grant too many licenses.

Meanwhile, petroleum exploration in the Falkland Islands’ turbulent offshore waters could also put fish and other wildlife at risk.

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Some people say “You see one beach, you’ve seen ’em all.” Well, not on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Most Gulf Coast beaches are entirely unique. There is a diverse amount of sand types, sea life, and natural settings and an equally wide range of waterside activity. In Florida you’ll also find an extremely large number of barrier islands off the coast of the mainland. Many times these barrier islands are very thin, and in a few minutes time you can walk from the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the beaches on the bayside, two very different and equally interesting and beautiful environments. Here’s a list of the Florida Gulf Coast’s most “sandsational” top picks.

Naples, the Everglades, and the Paradise Coast

• Naples Municipal Beach and Fishing Pier (Naples): Take a break from the shopping on Fifth Avenue and walk a few blocks toward the sound of waves to find yourself sitting on one of the most beautiful beaches on the Florida Gulf Coast. Nestled among an upscale neighborhood, this beach and pier is known for its superb people watching, excellent swimming, and close proximity to some of the best fine dining and fancy boutique shops in the city.

Fort Myers, Sanibel, and Captiva

• Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island): Head to Bowditch Point Regional Park on the northern tip of Estero Island and enjoy the excellent beaches that border both the Gulf and Hurricane Bay.
• Lovers Key State Park (Fort Myers): This very secluded beach park is spread out among four stunning barrier islands. The state park’s pet-friendly policy brings beach-loving pet owners to the 2.5 miles of beaches.
• Captiva Beach (Captiva): Hands down the best beach for sunsets on the Gulf Coast. Search for shells or just enjoy the rolling dunes and clear water of the Gulf that is perfect for swimming.

Sarasota County

• Turtle Beach (Siesta Key): Tucked among villas and a residential district, this family-oriented beach has excellent picnic facilities and is much less crowded than the more popular Siesta Key Beach to the north on the island, yet it still has that special sugar-white sand that makes this barrier island a big draw for beach hunters.
• Siesta Key Beach (Siesta Key): This beach is always drawing praise for its superiorly white sand. It gets crowded in the summer, but the exceptional size of this beach leaves sun seekers with plenty of spots to spike a shade-supplying umbrella or spread out a super-sized beach towel.
• Venice Beach (Venice): This beach is famously regarded as the place to go to hunt for fossilized sharks’ teeth. The super-convenient location close to the heart of Venice makes this beach just a bike ride from most of the popular inns and villas. A great beach for families, it has nice picnic pavilions and shower facilities.

St. Petersburg and Pinellas County

• Clearwater Beach (Clearwater): Go to this urban beach surrounded by seaside hangouts and hotels during the day to find the epicenter of oceanfront activity around Tampa. Sunsets from the beach pier are phenomenal, and by night the beach transforms into a fun spot with a nice mix of family fun and beach bar nightlife.
• Fort De Soto Park (St. Petersburg): Take a break from the city and explore the seven miles of pristine, preserved beaches at this beautiful park. You can camp, hike, fish, launch a boat, and explore the historic fort on the southwest tip if you get tired of lounging on the sugar-white-sand beaches and the great swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.

The Forgotten Coast

• St. Joseph Peninsula State Park (Apalachicola): Do you love long, quiet walks on the beach? The white sand and exceptionally tall sand dunes stretch down this preserved peninsula for more than seven miles. Combine that with one of the best oceanfront campgrounds in the state of Florida and you’ve found a special slice of paradise. If you only go to one beach in your life, go here.

The Emerald Coast

• Panama City Beach (Panama City): Known as the headquarters for spring-break mania, this beach also has pretty beaches if you can look past the short-sighted development. The oceanfront has the same wonderfully white sand as the more upscale destinations like Destin to the west, but the rockbottom hotel and motel prices draw a large portion of tourists headed to the Emerald Coast each year. It’s the place to party, with more beach bars, dance clubs, and all-day-breakfast diners than anywhere else on the Gulf Coast.
• Grayton Beach State Park (Grayton Beach): It’s a favorite beach for those visiting the idyllic, affluent beach communities like Seaside and WaterColor found along Highway 30A. The pristine vibe of this preserved beach make it a perfect spot to camp or find yourself in beautiful beach-bliss. Pensacola
• Pensacola Beach and Fishing Pier (Pensacola): Just follow the three-mile bridge to the iconic beach-ball water tower and you’ll find yourself at the center of Pensacola’s beach activity. Surrounded by beach bars and restaurants, the beach and fishing pier is a favorite among surfers, sun seekers, and swimmers.
• Gulf Islands National Seashore (between Pensacola and Navarre): This preserved beach is managed by the National Park Service and is a wonderful choice for beach lovers looking to shore fish, swim, or just lounge on the beach in an undeveloped setting away from all the hubbub found on Pensacola Beach. Hikers can also explore a section of the Florida Trail that traverses through the large, rolling dunes on the sound side of the park.

Alabama Gulf Shores

• Gulf Shores Public Beach (Gulf Shores): Surrounded by beach hangouts, restaurants, and beach shops, this beautiful beach with excellent picnic pavilions is popular among tourists and young folks looking for a beach party.
• Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (Gulf Shores): Whether you drive or hike in to the preserved beaches at the refuge, you’ll find miles of secluded rolling dunes and white-sand beaches. Enjoy hiking the inland trails around Little Lagoon for some excellent fishing and bird-watching in this beautiful sanctuary for wildlife.

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Two weeks in British Columbia allows the opportunity to travel throughout the province, including to the northern region. Of course, you can always add to your itinerary with more time in Vancouver and Victoria—but you’ll find more adventure traveling farther afield.

Day 1

Arrive in Vancouver for a two-night stay. Spend the rest of your first day exploring Gastown and the waterfront area, including English Bay. Rent a bike for an evening ride through Stanley Park.

Day 2

Spend the day in the bustling resort town of Whistler, a 90-minute drive north of Vancouver along Highway 99, returning to Vancouver in time for dinner atop Grouse Mountain.

Day 3

Take the 90-minute ferry ride across to Vancouver Island and visit Victoria sights such as the Royal BC Museum and Butchart Gardens, then explore the urban oasis of Goldstream Provincial Park.

Day 4

Make Tofino, a three-hour drive from Victoria along Highways 1 and 4, your final destination on Day 4. Even with a visit to Cathedral Grove and a short walk along the driftwood-strewn beaches of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, you will have time to enjoy a relaxing evening in Tofino.

Day 5

Rise early and make your way north up the island to Telegraph Cove, a four-hour drive from Tofino via Highways 4 and 19. Go whale-watching in the afternoon and continue north for 60 kilometers (38 miles) to Port Hardy.

Day 6

The morning ferry from Port Hardy gets into Prince Rupert in the late afternoon, linking up with the overnight ferry to the Haida Gwaii.

Day 7

Even after 24 hours and two ferry trips, you’ll be invigorated by the uniqueness of the First Nations history and total wilderness of Haida Gwaii.

Day 8

You have all day on the island to explore the beaches of Naikoon Provincial Park and First Nations attractions like the Haida Heritage Centre. Ferries depart Haida Gwaii for Prince Rupert in the evening (book a cabin to get a good night’s rest on board).

Day 9

Arriving in Prince Rupert at dawn, take breakfast at the Cow Bay Cafe while waiting for the Museum of Northern British Columbia to open. Head west, stopping at ‘Ksan Historical Village. Aim for an overnight stay in Prince George—an eight-hour drive from Prince Rupert—but don’t push it; the more driving you get done today, the quicker you will reach the mountains the following day.

Day 10

After the long haul across northern British Columbia, the first views of the Canadian Rockies, two hours’ driving beyond Prince George, are a relief. As Mount Robson comes into view, you will be wowed. Short hikes to viewpoints and waterfalls will fill your afternoon.

Day 11

Drag yourself away from Mount Robson and head south on Highway 5 for four hours to the river city of Kamloops, then east along the Trans-Canada Highway to Revelstoke. Even if you’re not a railway buff, Craigellachie (site of the last spike on the transcontinental railway) is a pleasant stop along this two-hour stretch of road.

Day 12

Drive the Meadows in the Sky Parkway near Revelstoke and continue east along the Trans-Canada Highway for two hours to Yoho National Park. This may be the night for a splurge at the Emerald Lake Lodge (at the very least, walk around this beautiful lake).

Day 13

Head south along Highway 95 for three hours through the Columbia Valley. Stop at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area before veering west along Highway 3 to the artsy city of Nelson.

Day 14

It’s a seven-hour drive to Vancouver from Nelson via Highway 3. En route, the wineries, golf courses, and abundance of water sports in the Okanagan Valley will tempt you to linger a day or two longer.

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You may be enthralled by Yosemite’s scenery—waterfalls leaping thousands of feet over granite cliffs, giant sequoias as wide as your living room, delicate wildflowers painting grassy meadows with a kaleidoscope of color—but your kids may be a tougher audience. Let’s face it, children like different stuff than adults like. And as much as we try to expose our kids to grown-up fun, sometimes it’s a good idea to cater to a kid’s idea of a good time. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities in Yosemite for kids to enjoy. Here’s a five-day itinerary that includes lots of fun kid stuff.

Day 1

In the morning, rent bikes at the Yosemite Valley Lodge or Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village) and ride around Yosemite Valley. With 12 miles of smooth, level paths to pedal, bikes are a great equalizer between children and adults. If your kids are too young to ride on their own, parents can rent bikes with kid trailers attached. When you return the bikes, trade them in for an inflatable raft, life jackets, and paddles. You’ll put in to the Merced River near Half Dome Village, then float three miles downstream, where a shuttle bus returns you to your starting point. For dinner, get an extra-large pizza at Half Dome Village and sit outside on the patio. (Bike rentals are available most of the year; rafting is usually only possible in June and July when the river is at a safe level and flow.)

Day 2

Go for a hike. But forego the crowded trails on the valley floor and instead head to the quieter trails off Glacier Point Road. The easy trails to Taft Point and Sentinel Dome make good family hikes; each one is only 2.2 miles round-trip. After your hike, get a bite to eat at the Glacier Point Snack Stand to replenish the kids’ calorie stores, then hang around and gaze at the view from Glacier Point. If you pack along a picnic, you can have dinner at Glacier Point, then stay for the sunset and evening ranger talk. On many nights, amateur astronomers set up telescopes for stargazing.

Day 3

Experience the ultimate in family bonding by signing up the whole brood for an introduction to rock climbing class. Yosemite Mountaineering School guides offer instruction suitable for beginners of all ages. After an exhausting but fun day learning the basics of climbing, go see a live show at the Yosemite Valley Theater (kids’ tickets are discounted).

Day 4

Take a drive to the south end of the park, where even the most jaded kids will be duly impressed by the size of the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove. If your kids don’t want to hike, buy tickets for the open-air tram that tours through the big trees (again, kids’ tickets are discounted). After being suitably awed by the sequoias, take a trip through history at the Pioneer Yosemite History Museum in Wawona. Kids will love the carriage rides in horse-drawn wagons. Finish out the afternoon with a swim in the South Fork Merced River. If it’s a Saturday, head to the Big Trees Lodge (formerly the Wawona Hotel) for the weekly barbecue dinner and dance outside on the lawn. Kids of all ages will want to take part in the square dance; even novice “do-sidoers” will figure out the basics in no time.

Day 5

Sign up for a two-hour morning mule ride at the Yosemite Valley Stables, the largest public stable in the western United States. Then, head for the Miwok Indian Village near the Valley’s Visitor Center to see the daily demonstrations of traditional Miwok and Paiute basket weaving, beadworking, acorn grinding, and games. If your kids have an artistic bent, stop in at the Yosemite Art and Education Center in Yosemite Valley to take part in free children’s watercolor classes. Finish out the day by heading to El Capitan Meadow, where with a pair of binoculars your kids can watch the rock climbers on El Cap.

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Enjoy the brightest season with this one-week road trip itinerary that takes you through New England’s fall foliage displays. Keep in mind that fall color depends on fickle weather conditions, but the season typically starts in mid-September in Vermont and New Hampshire, and spends the next two months working its way south. Rhode Island hits its stride in the last two weeks of October.

Day 1: New York City

Hit the Big Apple and enjoy classic NYC: Hop a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, get panoramic views of from the One World Observatory, then pick up bagels and lox for a picnic in Central Park, which is stunning under a canopy of colorful leaves.

Days 2-3: The Berkshires

(140 miles, 2.75 hours)

Follow the Hudson River Valley toward Great Barrington, Massachusetts, then leave the highway behind for the winding roads through the Berkshires. Stretch your legs on a hike up Monument Mountain, where you’ll see bright leaves rolling through a series of quiet valleys. Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum for a glimpse of autumns past—many of his canvases feature bright New England falls. Settle into Stockbridge for a cozy evening of live music by the fire in The Red Lion Inn’s pub.

Keep pointing north on back roads—or trade your car for a bike on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail—leaving plenty of time to stop at farm stands along the way. Route 8 is particularly scenic from Pittsfield to North Adams, winding past the Cheshire Reservoir and slopes of Mount Greylock. In fine weather, drive all the way to the summit of Mount Greylock, which looks out over a landscape of brooding evergreens and colorful deciduous trees, but if you find yourself a cold, rainy afternoon, warm up in MASS MoCA, the sprawling modern art museum in the heart of workaday North Adams.

Days 4-5: Southern Vermont

(120 miles, 2.25 hours)

Visit the site of Vermont’s most famous Revolutionary-era battle in little Bennington, then follow Route 9—whose changing elevation offers a varied palette of colors—to Brattleboro, the hippie heart of southern Vermont’s creative culture. Try to catch a circus show or gallery walk while you’re there, join a tasting of unusual sour beers at Hermit Thrush Brewery, or spend the afternoon picking heirloom apples at Scott Farm Orchard, which offers a magnificent combination of fall fruit and foliage.

Take a roundabout way toward the town of Woodstock, tracing a route that includes tasting aged cheddar in Grafton's time-warp village center. Skip across to scenic Route 100, which ducks through deep valleys and over rushing mountain streams on its way to the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. The historic site is tucked into a quiet hollow that’s stunning in autumn and a good place to hear Yankee lore about the Vermont-born president. Then visit Long Trail Brewing Company, which often features special autumn brews like the Harvest Barn Ale.

Day 6: White Mountains

(120 miles, 2.75 hours)

Take on the twists and turns of the Kancamagus Highway, where each roller-coaster dip brings fresh views of the rugged, high mountain landscape. There are plenty of trails and riverside picnic spots to relax at along the way, but save some daylight for an afternoon adventure: Peak baggers can zip to the top of Mount Washington, which feels like a slice of early winter with views of fall foliage in the surrounding valley floors. For a lower-elevation view of the trees, head to Flume Gorge, where a covered bridge glows bright red against a backdrop of vivid yellow and orange leaves.

Day 7: Boston

(145 miles, 3 hours)

Get an early morning start, and plan to drop your car off before exploring Boston on foot. With an afternoon in the city, plan to walk the Freedom Trail, winding from the bright trees of Boston Common through Revolutionary sites to the historic North End and concluding at the Bunker Hill Monument.

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From Naxos to Mykonos, Greece’s many islands are temping to cover all in one trip, but the best way to enjoy them is by choosing 3 to 5 at a time to fully relax and enjoy what each island has to offer. Here's your guide to the best Greek island-hopping trip:

Athens

Day 1

If you’ve arrived in Athens the night before, take a day to soak up some of the city’s most important sites, including the Acropolis and Parthenon, a quick walk through Anafiotika, and a glass of wine from one of the city’s many delicious wine bars.

Naxos

Day 2

Take the earliest possible ferry from Piraeus port (southwest of central Athens; easily accessed via metro from Athens, but arrive early to avoid missing your boat!). You’ll arrive a few hours later in fertile Naxos, the largest of the Cycladic islands. Visit the Temple of Apollo and go have lunch at Yema Agapis. Spend an hour or two walking around Hora and up in the Kastro. Eat dinner at Axiotissa Taverna, the best restaurant on an island full of amazing food.

Naxos

Day 3

Get the blood pumping with an early morning hike through Mt. Zas’ loop from Arai Spring. The first half is well-marked; beyond the cave you’ll just follow the beaten foot path. Then, drive over to the cozy seaside village of Moutsouna for a grilled fish lunch, before heading down to Psili Ammos for a relaxing afternoon by the sea.

Naxos

Day 4

Devote a day to exploring the mountainous interior of the island, where charming traditional villages dot the landscape and the view. As you drive up increasingly winding road, the scenery becomes more and more breathtaking. A good trip is to go from Sangri to Halki (you must try the custard pie from To Spitiko Galaktobouriko) to Apiranthos, before stopping in Koronos for a very late lunch at Matina & Stavros’ Taverna. Consult the map beforehand; the most circuitous route is often the safest and best paved road to travel.

Naxos to Mykonos

Day 5

Spend the morning relaxing on Alyko Beach and exploring the many coves and abandoned hotel covered in artistic graffiti. In the late afternoon, take the fast boat to Mykonos, where you can catch the sunset at the aptly named 180 Degrees Sunset Bar in Hora. Hunker down in your hotel; Mykonos is going to get you good tomorrow.

Day Trip to Delos Archaeological Site

Day 6

Take the 9am boat to Delos and spend your allotted four hours wandering around this amazing piece of living history. On your return, head directly for Super Paradise Beach and spend the afternoon sipping champagne and dancing with beautiful people. Cap off the evening with some debauchery at Jackie O.

Mykonos

Day 7

You’ve probably felt better, huh? Take a leisurely car drive through the island’s interior roads, and head to one of the more secluded beaches, such as Agios Sostis on the northern coast, where you can enjoy a delicious meal at the seaside taverna. Before sunset, head to Scorpios for a cocktail, and then let the night take you…

Anafi

Day 8-9

Head out of Mykonos to Anafi (the easiest way is to take a boat through Santorini; the whole journey takes 5 hours). It would defeat the whole purpose of Anafi if I were to give you an itinerary. Instead, spend your days lounging around the beach, occasionally walking the trails. If you see only one beach, make it Megalos Roukounas. If you do nothing else, you’ve done it correctly.

Anafi to Athens

Day 10

Take the ferry back to Athens (8 hours) feeling relaxed and completely rejuvenated.

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This detailed one-week Death Valley itinerary covers the area's most popular sights, notable landscapes, hikes, and more. You'll have options for hotels and camping along the way, and you will need a car to make the drive to and through the valley.

Day 1

Fly into Las Vegas, Nevada, and rent a car for the road trip to Death Valley. From Las Vegas, travelers will access the eastern side of the park, a drive of about 2.5-3 hours (150 miles) to the park hub of Furnace Creek.

Day 2

Set yourself up in Furnace Creek, the main park hub, to enjoy Death Valley’s most iconic sights. The casual Ranch at Death Valley and the upscale Inn at Death Valley are your only accommodation options. Texas Spring is the most scenic campground, but it can get crowded; make sure you’ve lined up your space early.

Just south of Furnace Creek, Badwater Road offers a scenic driving tour. Fill up with breakfast at The Wrangler or the 49’er Café in Furnace Creek before heading out. Your first stop is Golden Canyon, where you can beat the heat (and the crowds) with a lovely morning hike.

Continuing south along Badwater Road, take a quick side trip to enjoy the relaxing and scenic drive along Artist’s Drive and through the colorful, jumbled rock formations.

Just over 6 miles south of the Artist’s Drive exit along Badwater Road, the Devil’s Golf Course surprises with its bizarre salt formations, but you can only see these if you stop and get up close.

Two miles south is the turnoff to an easy stroll through impressively large Natural Bridge. Continue 4 miles south on the park road to admire Badwater Basin’s surreal salt flats, 282 feet below sea level and the lowest point in North America.

From Badwater, turn around and retrace your route north to the junction with Highway 190 and turn right (east). Follow Highway 190 to its junction with Dante’s View Road to end at Dante’s View after 22 miles for sweeping views of the valley below. Retrace your steps and make a detour through Twenty Mule Team Canyon 17.7 miles north of the viewpoint. Finish your scenic driving tour at Zabriskie Point for more spectacular views of the valley below and up close views of the eroded badlands below the point.

Leave yourself enough time to enjoy the warm spring-fed pool at the Ranch before heading to dinner. Reserve a table at the Inn at Death Valley for a sunset meal at one of the outdoor tables or in the historic dining room. The Inn also has a cocktail lounge where you can enjoy the same view.

Day 3

Today, explore the Stovepipe Wells and Nevada Triangle region. The short hike through Mosaic Canyon is a great introduction to the canyons—wander through polished marble, colorful mosaic stone, and satisfying narrows. Just across Highway 190, the sculpted sand dunes of Mesquite Flat are visible from Stovepipe Wells, but are definitely worth a closer view.

From Stovepipe Wells, head east for 26 miles along Daylight Pass Road to Beatty, Nevada, the jumping-off point for your next adventure. Beatty is a good place to fill up on gas and food. Try the Happy Burro Chili & Beer, a charming saloon-style bar and restaurant with an outdoor patio.

The ghost town of Rhyolite is just four miles west of Beatty. Wander the impressive ruins of this once-rich gold mining town, then stop at the Goldwell Open Air Museum next door to peruse the hauntingly beautiful outdoor art exhibits set incongruously against the desert backdrop.

The crowning point of your day will be driving the Titus Canyon Road—the most popular backcountry route in Death Valley. The one-way access point begins 2.1 miles south of Rhyolite, just off Daylight Pass Road. The washboard road winds 27 miles past rugged rock formations, sweeping canyon views, petroglyphs, and even a ghost town to eventually end at Scotty’s Castle Road, 20 miles north of Stovepipe Wells.

End your day with a celebratory drink at the Badwater Saloon back in Stovepipe Wells Village. Enjoy a dip in the pool or a casual dinner before retiring to one of the basic motel rooms.

Day 4

You’ll need an early start to explore Scotty’s Castle and Eureka Valley. Pack your car with all the food and water you’ll need for a full day, and bring your camp gear.

Continue north to the Eureka Dunes, a drive of nearly 50 miles from Mesquite Spring Campground. It’s a two-hour haul to the northernmost destination in the park, but it’s well worth it to enjoy the isolated and pristine setting. The Eureka Dunes are the tallest dunes in Death Valley, rising from the Eureka Valley floor and framed by the Last Chance Range.

When you’ve had your fill, head back down to Scotty’s Castle Road (a one-hour drive) and camp at Mesquite Spring. The sites at this quiet, pretty campground are dotted with its namesake trees and sheltered along a wash. If you’re not camping, Stovepipe Wells has the closest accommodations, but this will add an extra hour of driving.

Day 5

Today’s destination is the Racetrack Valley. (If you’ve camped at Mesquite Spring, you’re well positioned for this trip.) The long, gravel high-clearance Racetrack Road begins just beyond Ubehebe Crater. Make a quick pit stop at this colorful volcanic overlook before heading south toward the Racetrack Valley. The destination for most people is the Racetrack, 26 miles in.

At 19 miles, the colorful Teakettle Junction signpost comes into view. Take a left turn at Teakettle Junction for a quick detour to the picturesque and weathered cabin of the Lost Burro Mine (at 3.2 miles, you will reach a four-way junction; park and walk along the right spur, which ends at the Lost Burro Mine in 1.1 miles).

Head back to Racetrack Valley Road and turn left to continue to The Racetrack. This dry lake bed, or playa, is famous for its moving rocks, which glide across the surface and leave mysterious trails. Soak in the surreal sight, then tackle the ambitious hike to Ubehebe Peak. The trail starts at The Grandstand parking area, then switchbacks up the side of the mountain with increasingly spectacular views of the Racetrack and the surrounding valley. Leave enough time for the hike back down and the long drive back out.

Spend another night camping at Mesquite Spring, or drive the 66 miles (1.5 hours) south to the Panamint Springs Resort on Highway 190. Tuck into a rustic cabin, motel room, or campsite and enjoy a relaxing dinner on the stone patio. Swap stories of your day’s adventure with the other visitors at this friendly outpost on the western side of the park.

Day 6

Fill up on breakfast at Panamint Springs before heading out for a full day of exploring and hiking in the Emigrant and Wildrose Canyons on the western side of the Panamint Range. The first stop is the historic Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. Once used to make charcoal for the mining efforts in the area, they now stand as works of hand-engineered beauty.

The Wildrose Peak trail starts from the Charcoal Kilns parking area. This colorful forested trail leads through juniper trees to a big payoff at Wildrose Peak and its panoramic views.

Wind down with two final stops on your way back to Panamint Springs Resort. Located off Aguereberry Road, Aguereberry Camp provides a great perspective of a small mining camp and life in the desert. Enjoy the spectacular views from Aguereberry Point across Death Valley below.

You’ve definitely earned your relaxing dinner at Panamint Springs Resort after this day. If you’re camping, Wildrose Campground is a great choice, tucked away in Wildrose Canyon.

Day 7

From Panamint Springs, it’s about 50 miles west to Lone Pine, an outpost of civilization on U.S. 395 and your western exit from Death Valley. Spend a few hours exploring the town before driving south to Los Angeles (3 hours, 200 miles) or return to Las Vegas (5 hours, 300 miles) for your flight home.

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If you like to have a good time, you’re in the right place. Savannah is known for its heavy year-round schedule of festivals, many of them outdoors, as well as its copious variety of watering holes hosting a diverse range of local residents and adventurous visitors.

Savannah is a hard-drinking town, and not just on St. Patrick’s Day. The ability to legally walk downtown streets with beer, wine, or a cocktail in hand definitely contributes to the overall joie de vivre. Bars close in Savannah at 3am, a full hour later than in Charleston. A citywide indoor smoking ban is in effect, and you may not smoke cigarettes in any bar in Savannah.

Bars and Pubs in Savannah

Waterfront

Rocks on the Roof: One of the best hotel bars in the city is Rocks on the Roof, atop the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront on the waterfront. In good weather the exterior walls are opened up to reveal a large wraparound seating area with stunning views of downtown on one side and of the Savannah River on the other.

Top Deck Bar: One of the better rooftop bars in Savannah, the Top Deck crowns the Cottonsail Hotel, itself in a restored waterfront warehouse. The bar area wraps around the whole roof, giving great views of both the Savannah River and downtown, depending on where you’re sitting.

Chuchills: Solid British pub-style food and decor is paired with old-school taps and cocktails at this Bay Street institution. There’s a rooftop bar up top for those who want some fresh air.

City Market

Moon River Brewing Company offers a menu of handcrafted beers in a rambling old space that housed Savannah’s first hotel back in pre-Civil War days. The particular highlight these days, however, is the dog-friendly enclosed beer garden, with frequent live music and a congenial alfresco atmosphere, as well as access to the full menu.

In the City Market area, your best bet is The Rail Pub, one of Savannah’s oldest and most beloved taverns. This multifloor spot is a great place to get a pint or a shot or do karaoke in a quite boisterous but still cozy environment. You’ll receive roasted peanuts with your drink; just let the shells fall on the floor like everyone else does.

In the modernist Andaz Savannah hotel overlooking bustling Ellis Square, 22 Square is a great place for an upscale cocktail and for meeting interesting people from all over. Try the refreshing Savannah Fizz or one of their mean Sazeracs.

A great shaded patio is the highlight of Congress Street Social Club, a popular hangout with several bar areas both inside and out, and occasional live music. Grab some late-night eats from the hot dog grill in the courtyard.

Historic District North

No, Lincoln Street in Savannah isn’t named for Abraham Lincoln. But dark, fun little Abe’s is on Lincoln Street, and it’s also the oldest bar in town, with a very eclectic clientele and a good, dog-friendly patio area.

For swank partying on Broughton Street, head to Chive Sea Bar and Lounge, which backs up its tasty menu with a high-end bar in a wonderful, modernist space.

Circa 1875 is a hip hangout with an excellent menu—the burgers are as good as the martinis. The vintage vibe takes you back to the days of the Parisian salons.

Without question, the place in Savannah that comes closest to replicating an authentic Irish pub environment is tiny, cozy O’Connell’s, where they know how to pour a Guinness, feature Magners cider on tap, and the house specialty is the “pickleback”—a shot of Jameson’s followed by a shot of, yes, pickle brine. In classic Emerald Isle tradition, most seating is bench-style, to encourage conversation.

Historic District South

For 65 years, perhaps Savannah’s most beloved dive bar has been the Original Pinkie Master’s. For decades this has been a gathering place for local politicos; according to local lore, this is where President Jimmy Carter stopped during his visit for St. Patrick’s Day (even though he’s a teetotaler). The kitschy dive bar motif is replete with historic memorabilia.

The rooftop bar on top of the boutique Perry Lane Hotel, Peregrin was the first of the wave of rooftop bars crowning Savannah hotels in the past decade and is arguably still the best. The views are fantastic, the bar scene top-notch, and the location of the hotel itself is central. Fair warning: Peregrin is very popular with the bachelorette parties that are a fixture of downtown Savannah, so there may be a line at the ground floor elevator to get up there.

Sofo District

The real hipsters hang out in ironic fashion drinking PBRs at the American Legion Bar, located in, yes, an actual American Legion post. While the Legionnaires themselves are a straitlaced patriotic bunch, the patrons of “the Legion,” as the bar is colloquially known, tend toward the counterculture. That said, in a clear nod to tradition, no profanity or public displays of affection are allowed. Fun historical fact: The building housing the Legion was the birthplace of the U.S. 8th Air Force during World War II.

The signature development in the Starland District, a historic dairy repurposed into an entertainment zone, is the ambitious Starland Yard. This multiuse space, framed by old shipping containers, features a large bar area, a pizza restaurant, cornhole, patio areas, and a rotating schedule of visiting food trucks. There’s no cover fee, but you’ll need to show your ID and set up a tab with your credit or debit card to enter. Then when you’re done, you check out via the stored card. The crowd here tends toward the preppy side.

A cozy, delightful, mostly-locals hangout in the up-and-coming Starland District, Lone Wolf Lounge focuses on artisanal cocktails—probably the best in the city—and conversational opportunities both at the bar and at surrounding table space. The vibe is wood-paneled kitsch, with adventure movies on the flat screen.

The retro tiki bar craze has officially hit Savannah with Water Witch Tiki Bar in the Starland District area. The decor is as over-the-top as you’d expect. The cocktails run the gamut, from the signature Water Witch (a rum and whiskey cocktail) to the classic zombie.

LGBTQ Bars in Savannah

Any examination of LGBTQ nightlife in Savannah must, of course, begin with Club One Jefferson of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fame. Come for the famous drag shows upstairs in the cabaret or the rockin’ 1,000-square-foot dance floor downstairs. Cabaret showtimes are Thursday-Saturday 10:30pm and 12:30am, Sunday 10:30pm, and Monday 11:30pm.

Live Music and Karaoke in Savannah

Despite the retro disco ’70s vibe, the live music acts at El Rocko Lounge (City Market) tends more toward indie, punk, and shoegaze rock. For beverages, go straight for one of their signature premixed cocktails, such as the Scorpion Tea.

Savannah’s undisputed karaoke champion is McDonough’s (Historic District South), an advantage compounded by the fact that a lot more goes on here than karaoke. The kitchen at McDonough’s is quite capable, and many locals swear you can get the best burger in town here. Despite the sports-bar atmosphere, the emphasis is on the karaoke, which ramps up every night at 9:30pm.

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Nestled in a high bowl of lush alpine meadows, Lake O’Hara, 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the nearest public road, is surrounded by dozens of smaller alpine lakes and framed by spectacular peaks permanently mantled in snow. As if that weren’t enough, the entire area is webbed by a network of hiking trails established over the last 90 years by luminaries such as Lawrence Grassi. Trails radiate from the lake in all directions; the longest is just 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles), making Lake O’Hara an especially fine hub for day hiking. What makes this destination all the more special is that a quota system limits the number of visitors.

Getting to Lake O'Hara: Book the Bus

It’s possible to walk to Lake O’Hara, but most visitors take the shuttle bus along a road closed to the public. The departure point is a signed parking lot 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) east of Field and three kilometers (1.9 miles) west of the Continental Divide. Buses for day visitors depart between mid-June and early October at 8:30am and 10:30am, returning at 2:30pm, 4:30pm and 6:30pm. To book a seat, call the dedicated reservations line (250/343-6433). Reservations are taken up to three months in advance, but as numbers are limited, you will need to call exactly three months prior to get a seat; even then, call as early in the day as possible. Phone lines are open 8am-4pm Monday-Friday April-May and 8am-4pm daily June-September.

The reservation fee is $12 per booking and the bus fare is $15 per person round-trip. The procedure is simple enough, but to be assured of a seat, it’s important you get it right: For example, to visit on September 25 (when the larch are at their colorful peak), start dialing at 8am on June 25 (with a credit card ready). Reservations are only required for the inbound shuttle; outgoing buses fill on demand.

All times—bus departures and reservation center hours—are mountain standard time.

Other Considerations

After the 20-minute bus trip to the lake, day hikers are dropped off at Le Relais, a homely log shelter where books and maps are sold, including the recommended Gem Trek Lake Louise and Yoho map. Hot drinks and light snacks are served—something to look forward to at the end of the day, as this is also the afternoon meeting place for the return trip (no reservations necessary).

Several overnight options are available at the lake—including a lodge, a campground, and a rustic hut—but each should be booked well in advance.

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Ancient Hawaiians worshipped Madame Pele, the fire goddess whose name translates equally well as Volcano, Fire Pit, or Eruption of Lava. When she was angry, she complained by spitting fire, which cooled and formed land. And so the Hawaiian islands were born.

The Land

The islands’ volcanic origins have a basis in science as well as myth. From a stationary hotspot in the earth’s mantle, the islands of Hawaii are created as molten lava rises though weak points in the earth’s crust. On the Big Island, Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest mountain, reaches to 13,796 feet above sea level, or 31,000 feet tall when measured from the ocean floor, almost 3,000 feet taller than Mount Everest. And it’s still growing.

Once islands move past the hot spot on the Pacific Plate, volcanic activity ceases, and they begin a slow process of erosion, moving northwest across the vast Pacific Ocean. Over thousands of years, the mountains erode to shoals and atolls (barrier reefs just below the ocean surface), returning to their underwater origins. The Lo‘ihi Seamount, located southeast of the Big Island, is likely to be the next Hawaiian island. Emerging from the flank of Mauna Loa, its summits are about 50 miles apart. Lo‘ihi is roughly 3,000 feet below sea level and isn’t expected to become a full-fledged island for at least 10,000 years or longer, depending on volcanic activity.

Lava comes in two distinct types, for which the Hawaiian names have become universal geological terms: ‘a‘a and pahoehoe. They’re easily distinguished by appearance, but chemically they’re the same. ‘A‘a is extremely sharp, rough, and spiny. Conversely, pahoehoe is billowy, ropelike lava that can mold into fantastic shapes. Examples of both are visible across the islands.

Geography

About 2,400 miles from the nearest continental shore, Hawaii is most isolated group of islands on the planet. There are eight main Hawaiian Islands: Ni‘ihau (the Forbidden Island), Kaua‘i (the Garden Isle), O‘ahu (the Gathering Place), Moloka‘i (the Friendly Isle), Lana‘i (the Pineapple Isle), Kaho‘olawe (the Target Isle), Maui (the Valley Isle) and Hawai‘i (better known as the Big Island). The Hawaiian archipelago consists of 132 islands, islets, and atolls, stretching roughly 1,500 miles from northernmost Kure Atoll to the still-growing Big Island of Hawai‘i at the southeastern end of the chain. The eight main islands have a total area of 10,931 square miles. The Big Island is the largest island, accounting for about 63 percent of the state’s total landmass; the other islands could fit within it two times over. Next largest is Maui, followed by O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i. There are approximately 750 miles of coastline in the state. The main Hawaiian Islands are located in the Tropic of Cancer.

Hawaii’s landscape is extremely diverse, offering everything from dry arid desert to snowcapped mountains. There are rivers, streams and waterfalls, vertical cliffs, extinct tuff cone volcanoes, tranquil bays and high-elevation plateaus. Because of their dramatic rise out of ocean depths, the islands include examples of 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones.

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A long weekend in Austin is the perfect amount of time to explore. The city is so alive and accessible that it takes little effort to be completely immersed in its life and culture.

Day 1

This is probably the only day you will wake up early. First thing on the agenda is a hearty breakfast at the Magnolia Cafe. To walk off all the calories you just consumed, head straight out the door of Magnolia Cafe and down the street to Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake). Enjoy walking the overgrown trails, watch the turtles and ducks putter in the lake, and take in the stunning view of Austin’s skyline. Along the trail you can pay homage to Austin music legend Stevie Ray Vaughan at his famous statue.

Next make your way to one of the most popular record stores in the United States, Waterloo Records, and check out their extensive collection of Texas music. After buying a Willie Nelson CD, walk across the street to Whole Foods world headquarters and buy some granola, energy bars, or dried fruit to consume the following day on a hike.

Just as a Catholic must first visit the Vatican upon arriving in Italy, a first day in Austin must include a visit to the Texas State Capitol. Walk the grounds, stand beneath the dome, and take in the gubernatorial history. If it’s between 2pm and 4pm, make your way over to the Governor’s Mansion for a tour of the historic home that some think is haunted.

Before evening descends, get a copy of the Austin Chronicle and look at the entertainment section. Pick a show—any show—and plan to have your socks blown off by a great night on the town. For an authentic Austin night out, catch a country band at the Broken Spoke. If you have the guts and gumption, try your hand at two-stepping.

Day 2

The first half of Day 2 is devoted to an education in Texas pride by visiting the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Mull over the exhibits, experience the multimedia show in the Spirit Theater, and buy some souvenirs in the gift shop.

After you’re all Texased out, have lunch at nearby Texas Chili Parlor, then walk over to Austin’s world-class repository for art, the Blanton Museum of Art. After admiring the Picassos, make your way down to the Driskill, Austin’s famed haunted hotel. Even if you don’t stay here you can marvel at the architecture and the creepy vibe, and get a confection at the 1886 Café & Bakery.

Cross over Lady Bird Lake and keep going until you arrive at the city’s most popular strip, South Congress Avenue, which is lined with funky shops, trendy boutiques, and restaurants. If you get hungry, order a margarita with shrimp fajitas at popular Güero’s Taco Bar. Check out the oddity shop Uncommon Objects and marvel at the $3,000 cowgirl boots at Allens Boots. As a side note, staying at one of the trendy hotels on South Congress is highly recommended.

By this time the music scene is getting revved up. Check out music listings in the Austin Chronicle and catch some live music at the Continental Club on South Congress or any of the venues on 6th Street or Red River Street, such as Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, The Mohawk, or The Parish. Peruse the music listings for Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. This is a great way to see a world-class act and get close to the famous Austin City Limits stage.

Day 3

Kick off today with a trip to the most visited presidential library in the United States, the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. You’re sure to be moved by the exhibit about the president’s life, and may well up with tears when you walk into the JFK assassination exhibit, or feel a sense of pride at seeing the pen LBJ used in signing the Civil Rights Act. Follow up the LBJ experience with lunch at Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ for some smoky beef brisket. If it’s not over 100 degrees, make your way to Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, which is close by. Walk the hills and learn about Central Texas flora and fauna through interpretive trails. At the end of the trail be sure to sit on the bench and enjoy the view of the city skyline for as long as you can.

Once you’ve acquired peace of mind, take a walk through Zilker Botanical Garden. Consider how this area was the stomping grounds of dinosaurs in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and then get a bite to eat at nearby Shady Grove Restaurant. Once you’ve filled up on great Tex-Mex, head downtown to famous Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Order a pitcher of beer and watch a random movie or attend a Michael Jackson sing-along.

Day 4

Your final day in Austin will start with a trip to Zilker Park, where you’ll take a ride on the Zilker Zephyr. This mini-train takes both mini and full-size passengers throughout the park. If you’re lucky your train ride will include a brief performance by “the man with the guitar in the cutoff shorts.” Assuming it’s a hot summer day, get off at the Barton Springs stop and jump in Barton Springs Pool. Plan to splash around in the constantly 68-degree water and people-watch for a couple of hours.

Before evening sets in, make your way to Lady Bird Lake and watch the bats of Congress Avenue Bridge, which take flight just before sundown. A great way to view them is by taking a ride on Lone Star Riverboat, a genuine double-decker paddle wheel riverboat. Follow this up with a visit to Austin’s burgeoning Warehouse District. Grab a pint at The Draught House Pub & Brewery and enjoy the English-pub atmosphere. It’s your last night, so if you still have ears for music, check out some more bands and musicians. Or if you prefer a calm evening, walk over to Halcyon Coffeehouse to roast marshmallows and make s’mores at your table.

Day 5

If you can squeeze one more day into your long weekend, a trip to San Antonio to visit The Alamo is essential. The drive is just two hours to downtown. After exploring Texas’s most sacred site, walk down to The Esquire Tavern, a spot famous for pub grub and for having the longest bar in Texas.

Or better yet, have Tex-Mex food and amazing guacamole (made tableside) at Boudro’s, on the River Walk near the ducks. Afterward, enjoy a stroll on San Antonio’s greatest feature, the River Walk. If you still have some time to kill before heading back to Austin, drive the Mission Trail.

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A dense rainforest at the end of the downtown peninsula, Stanley Park is a green refuge, incorporating First Nations culture and heritage, woodland and waterfront trails, the city’s aquarium, and spectacular urban and harbor views.

Sights in Stanley Park

The Seawall, a 5.5-mile (9-kilometer) walking and cycling path, circles the perimeter of Stanley Park and passes many of the park’s attractions. You can also follow the park’s outer edge by car along Stanley Park Drive. It’s also worth exploring the park’s interior trails, many of which pass through old-growth rainforest.

Among Stanley Park’s highlights are the totem poles at Brockton Point and Siwash Rock, an offshore rock formation that figures in First Nations legends. A family-friendly stop is the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (845 Avison Way, 604/659-3474; 9:30am-6pm daily July-early Sept., 10am-5pm daily early Sept.-June; adults $36, seniors and students $27, ages 4-12 $21), which is Canada’s largest aquarium.

On a finger of land jutting into the harbor on Stanley Park’s east side, the red and white Brockton Point Lighthouse was built in 1914. The Seawall travels under the lighthouse, through archways that support the lighthouse tower.

From Prospect Point, the highest spot in Stanley Park, you have great views of the Burrard Inlet, the North Shore mountains, and the Lions Gate Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges.

A giant western red cedar, roughly 800 years old, is one of Stanley Park’s best-known landmarks and the source of much controversy. Known as the Hollow Tree, the massive cedar on the park’s west side stopped growing in the 1800s and was essentially a 42-foot-tall (13-meter) tree stump. A 2006 windstorm damaged the tree, causing it to lean precipitously. The historic tree was eventually stabilized with a steel core and a foundation of underground steel “roots.” The tree is along Stanley Park Drive, north of Third Beach.

Tours in Stanley Park

The park has a long and rich First Nations heritage. Several First Nations, including the Burrard, Musqueam, and Squamish people, made their home in the park for several thousand years. To learn more about the park’s aboriginal connections, take the 90-minute guided Talking Trees Walk with First Nations’ owned Talaysay Tours (604/628-8555 or 800/605-4643; 10am and 12:30pm daily May-Sept.; adults $35, ages 4-18 $28).

One option for getting around Stanley Park is on a trolley tour. The Vancouver Trolley Company (604/801-5515 or 888/451-5581) runs a year-round hop-on hop-off tour (one-day pass adults $45, seniors and ages 13-18 $42, ages 4-12 $28) that takes visitors to eight stops within the park and to 27 other locations throughout the city. From late June through early September, the company also operates the Stanley Park Shuttle (11am-6pm daily late June-early Sept.; adults, seniors, and ages 13-18 $10, ages 4-12 $5), a narrated ride that makes 15 stops within the park.

Stanley Park Beaches

Along the Seawall on the west side of Stanley Park, you can swim or sun at busy Second Beach. This sandy cove is also a pretty spot to watch the sunset. There’s a seasonal snack bar and a children’s playground near the beach. Third Beach at Ferguson Point on the west side of Stanley Park is a quiet stretch of sand with views toward the North Shore.

Water Sports on Stanley Park

A unique way to explore Stanley Park is from the water. Rent a kayak from Ecomarine Paddlesports Centre (1700 Beach Ave., 604/689-7575 or 888/425-2925; 10am-dusk Mon.-Fri., 9am-dusk Sat.-Sun. late May-early Sept.) on the beach at English Bay, paddle past Second and Third Beaches, and see Siwash Rock from the water. If you don’t want to navigate the route on your own, take their 2.5-hour guided kayaking tour (9:30am Thurs. and Sat., June-early Sept., $69 pp).

Hiking in Stanley Park

Some of the park’s interior trails include Tatlow Walk, which cuts across the southwest corner of the park, between Third Beach and the north side of Lost Lagoon; Rawlings Trail, open to cyclists and pedestrians, which parallels Park Drive on the west side of the park and takes you past the Hollow Tree; and the Beaver Lake Trail, which circles the lake of the same name near the center of the park.

The City of Vancouver publishes a Stanley Park trail map on its website (http://vancouver.ca). Don’t hike alone on these interior trails, as they can be surprisingly secluded even when the Seawall and beaches are busy.

Cycling in Stanley Park

Vancouver’s most popular cycling route runs along the Seawall, and the most scenic section of the Seawall is the 5.5-mile (9-kilometer) loop around Stanley Park. The paved path passes many landmarks, including the totem poles at Brockton Point, Prospect Point, and Siwash Rock.

The Mobi bike share program (778/655-1800) has a number of locations that are convenient to Stanley Park. You can also rent bikes from several West End shops, just outside the park’s boundaries:

• Spokes Bicycle Rentals (1798 W. Georgia St., 604/688-5141; 9am-5:30pm daily; starting at $8-17/hour)
• Bayshore Bicycle Rentals (745 Denman St., 604/688-2453; 9am-dusk daily; starting at $6-14/hour, 2-hour minimum)
• English Bay Bike Rentals (1754 Davie St., 604/568-8490; 9am-6:30pm daily; starting at $9-$15/hour, electric bikes $18/hour)

Practicalities

All of the parking lots are fee-based ($3.25/hour Apr.-Sept., $2.25/per hour Oct.-Mar.). If you purchase a daily pass, you can use it at any parking lot within the park. You can enter Stanley Park on two sides: from West Georgia Street, near Coal Harbour, or from English Bay, near the intersection of Denman and Davie Streets.

Just above Third Beach, the Teahouse in Stanley Park (Ferguson Point, Stanley Park, 604/669-3281) serves a crowd-pleasing menu of west coast favorites, from smoked salmon and Pacific sablefish to burgers and steaks. The patio is particularly lovely on a sunny day or at sunset.

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Spend four days touring San Francisco and the coast with this Northern California road trip itinerary.

Day 1

Start your trip in San Francisco, where you can fly into San Francisco International Airport and rent a car. If you'd like to explore the city, try these suggestions for spending a day in San Francisco like a local.

Day 2

Your journey north begins with a drive on U.S. 101 over San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. After five miles, turn off U.S. 101 to Highway 1 at Mill Valley. On the slow, four-hour drive up the coast (around 160 miles), make time to stop at Fort Ross State Historic Park to explore the re-constructed Russian settlement.

End the day in the community of Mendocino with a view of the sunset at Mendocino Headlands State Park or a pint at the lively Patterson’s Pub. At night, dine at the historic MacCallum House Restaurant.

Day 3

Follow Highway 1 north to Fort Bragg then continue inland to connect with U.S. 101 (about one hour). Take the Avenue of the Giants, a breathtaking drive through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Even though it’s only 31 miles, the trip could take a few hours if you get out of your car to ponder the big trees.

Get back on U.S. 101 and head an hour north (60 miles) to Eureka. Stop to wander the Blue Ox Millworks and Historic Park before continuing north another 10 minutes or so to charming Arcata. Wander through Arcata Plaza, then grab a drink at The Alibi. Afterward, dine at one of several restaurants surrounding the lively plaza.

Day 4

Start your morning with a tasty crepe from Arcata’s Renata’s Creperie before hitting U.S. 101 north on your final day. About 20 minutes (15 miles) north of Arcata, exit to the scenic coastal city of Trinidad. Walk down to the beach at College Cove or explore the rugged coast by kayak.

After another half hour north on U.S. 101 (26 miles), turn onto Newton B. Drury Scenic Drive to explore Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. If you have the energy, drive out Davison Road to Gold Bluffs Beach, where Roosevelt elk roam the sands. Continue on the dirt drive to hike the one-mile round-trip up Fern Canyon, which passes through a steep canyon draped in bright green ferns.

Head back out to U.S. 101 to drive the 45 minutes (38 miles) to Crescent City, where you can get a hotel room and a full night’s sleep.

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The drive from Vancouver to Seattle is 141 miles and takes about 2.5 hours, though border delays can vary.

Leave downtown Vancouver by taking Granville Street south over Granville Bridge. Continue south on Highway 99 through the residential neighborhoods of greater Vancouver. Despite the frequent stoplights, traffic moves quickly outside of rush hours.

Follow Highway 99 south as it turns left on Park Drive and then south on Oak Street. Highway 99 crosses the Oak Street Bridge to become the Vancouver-Blaine Highway through the Richmond suburbs. Speeds slow at the Canada-U.S. border and cars are directed into waiting lanes to be questioned by border control agents. Once clear of customs, pass the massive white Peace Arch monument, which claims to be the first monument built and dedicated to world peace.

The route is now called I-5, a freeway that runs from the Canadian border to Tijuana, Mexico. Follow I-5 south through the town of Bellingham, Washington and the expansive Skagit Valley, home of a spring tulip festival. Freeway traffic may start to slow around Everett, an industrial hub 30 miles north of Seattle and home to some of Boeing’s largest airplane factories and runways.

Express lanes, which change direction depending on time of day, may be open about 8 miles north of downtown Seattle. They are often faster than the freeway, but offer fewer off-ramps. The multilane I-5 narrows as it enters downtown Seattle, where the freeway darts through tunnels and under buildings, with exits springing both left and right.

Stopping in Bow

Leave I-5 at Bow Hill Road for a detour to the towns of Bow and Edison; both are located off scenic Chuckanut Drive/Highway 11 which connects to I-5 in Burlington. Each tiny town boasts bakeries, cheesemongers, and cafés. Ask for a local pint at the Edison Inn (5829 Cains Ct., Bow, 360/766-6266, 11:30am-11pm Sun.-Thurs., 11:30am-midnight Fri.-Sat.). Then follow Chuckanut Drive north to find fried oysters and a Samish Bay view at Taylor Shellfish Farms (2182 Chuckanut Dr., Bow, 360/766-6002, 9am-6pm daily Apr.-Sept., 9am-5pm daily Oct.-Mar.) before returning to I-5 at Burlington.

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The Hawaiian islands remained forgotten for almost 500 years until the indomitable English seafarer, Captain James Cook, sighted O‘ahu on January 18, 1778, and stepped ashore at Waimea on Kaua‘i two days later. At that time Hawaii’s isolation was so complete that even the Polynesians had forgotten about it. The Englishmen had arrived aboard the 100-foot flagship HMS Resolution and its 90-foot companion HMS Discovery. The first trade was some brass medals for a mackerel. Cook provisioned his ships by exchanging chisels for hogs, while common sailors gleefully traded nails for sex. Landing parties were sent inland to fill casks with freshwater. After a brief stop on Ni‘ihau, the ships sailed away, but both groups were indelibly impressed with the memory of each other.

Almost a year later, when winter weather forced Cook to return from the coast of Alaska, the Discovery and Resolution found safe anchorage at Kealakekua Bay on the kona coast of the Big Island on January 16, 1779. By the coincidence of his second arrival with religious festivities, the Hawaiians mistook Cook to be the return of the god Lono. After an uproarious welcome and generous hospitality for over a month, it became obvious that the newcomers were beginning to overstay their welcome. During the interim a sailor named William Watman died, convincing the Hawaiians that the haole were indeed mortals, not gods. Inadvertently, many kapu (taboos) were broken by the English, and once-friendly relations became strained. Finally, the ships sailed away on February 4, 1779.

After plying terrible seas for only a week, Resolution’s foremast was badly damaged. Cook sailed back into Kealakekua Bay, dragging the mast ashore on February 13. The natives, now totally hostile, hurled rocks at the sailors. Confrontations increased when some Hawaiians stole a small boat and Cook’s men set after them, capturing the fleeing canoe, which held an ali‘i (a nobleman) named Palea. The Englishmen treated him roughly, so the Hawaiians furiously attacked the mariners, who abandoned the small boat.

Next, the Hawaiians stole a small cutter from the Discovery that had been moored to a buoy and partially sunk to protect it from the sun. For the first time, Captain Cook became furious. He ordered Captain Clerk of the Discovery to sail to the southeast end of the bay and stop any canoe trying to leave Kealakekua. Cook then made a fatal error in judgment. He decided to take nine armed mariners ashore in an attempt to convince the venerable King Kalani‘opu‘u to accompany him back aboard ship, where he would hold him for ransom in exchange for the cutter. The old king agreed, but his wife prevailed upon him not to trust the haole. Kalani‘opu‘u sat down on the beach to think while the tension steadily grew.

Meanwhile, a group of mariners fired on a canoe trying to leave the bay, and a lesser chief, No‘okemai, was killed. The crowd around Cook and his men reached an estimated 20,000, and warriors outraged by the killing of the chief armed themselves with clubs and protective straw-mat armor. One bold warrior advanced on Cook and struck him with his pahoa (dagger). In retaliation Cook drew a tiny pistol lightly loaded with shot and fired at the warrior. His bullets spent themselves on the straw armor and fell harmlessly to the ground. The Hawaiians went wild. Lieutenant Molesworth Phillips, in charge of the nine mariners, began a withering fire; Cook killed two natives.

Overpowered by sheer numbers, the sailors headed for boats standing offshore, while Lieutenant Phillips lay wounded. It is believed that Captain Cook stood helplessly in knee-deep water instead of making for the boats because he could not swim. Hopelessly surrounded, he was knocked on the head, then countless warriors passed a knife around and hacked and mutilated his lifeless body. A sad Lieutenant King lamented in his diary, “Thus fell our great and excellent commander.”

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Less than an hour northwest of Cuenca, the rugged landscapes of the Parque Nacional Cajas are pristine. The 28,000 hectares (69,200 acres) of the park, ranging 3,160-4,450 meters (10,370-14,600 ft) in altitude, are reminiscent of the Scottish highlands, with rocky green mountains interspersed with crystalline lakes and streams. Most of the vast landscapes are covered in wildflower-strewn páramo, with some of the only remaining polylepis trees in the country. In stark contrast to the city, the only sounds are running water, the calls of birds, and the wind.

The páramo here acts as a giant sponge, forming 786 bodies of water within the park, 165 of them over a hectare (2.5 acres) in size. Here are born two of the rivers that cross Cuenca and provide its drinking water, the Tomebamba and the Yanuncay. Due to the large number of lagoons, the presence of migratory birds, and the importance of the water sources, Cajas has been recognized as a Wetland of International Importance. Despite this, it is currently threatened by mega-mining.

Visitors stand a good chance of seeing wild horses and the llamas that were reintroduced to the park in the late 1990s. Other mammals in the park include rabbits, mountain wolves, deer, and pumas. Among the 157 bird species are condors, parrots, Andean toucans, tanagers, and hummingbirds.

El Cajas was used by the Cañaris, who inhabited the area before the Incan invasion, as a passage between the Sierra and the coast. Later, the Incas built a road here, the remains of which can be visited on a guided hike.

Visiting El Cajas National Park

The main route to El Cajas from Cuenca is along the main road to Guayaquil, which climbs to 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) before dropping down dramatically to sea level in just 1.5 hours. Buses to Guayaquil leave from the terminal terrestre every half hour. Ask the driver before boarding to let you off at the national park. Buses to Cajas also leave from outside the Feria Libre. To return to Cuenca, flag down a bus on the main road outside the park entrance (they pass every half hour) or stick out a thumb.

Though there are many paths crossing the park, ranging from three hours to two days in duration, only two are recommended to undertake independently: the trails around Laguna Llaviucu and Laguna Toreadora. The other trails are not well marked, there is no cell phone signal in the park, and the weather can change in minutes, reducing visibility to near zero. It is very easy to get lost, and, with nighttime temperatures below freezing, deaths from exposure have occurred.

Just 18 kilometers (11 mi) from Cuenca is the entrance to Laguna Llaviucu, where a well-marked 1.5-hour trail takes visitors around the lake. This is a more scenic walk than the more popular Laguna Toreadora trail, with good bird-watching. Ask the bus driver to let you out at Llaviucu and register to enter the park at the office. Be aware that the office and lake are 2.8 kilometers (1.7 mi) from the highway, from where it’s a three-hour round-trip walk.

The main entrance to the park is 34 kilometers (21 mi) from Cuenca at the Laguna Toreadora visitors center, where there is a well-marked, two-hour trail around the lake and a restaurant serving delicious locro de papa (potato soup), trout, and a set lunch. You can stay overnight at the refuge (tel. 7/237-0126), but there is capacity for only six people, so advance booking is advisable. Camping is also possible. Both the Llaviucu and Toreadora visitors centers are open until 4pm, so make sure to arrive in time to complete the walks.

Wherever you go, stick to the paths. The páramo is covered with fragile, slow-growing vegetation that takes a long time to regenerate. Although it heats up considerably when the sun comes out, it’s generally pretty cold. Even if the sun is blazing when you set out, it can be hailing within minutes. Bring plenty of layers, rain gear, and waterproof hiking boots (waterproof boots are not needed for the trails around Laguna Llaviucu and Laguna Toreadora). It’s especially wet from mid-March through April. Be aware that it is tiring to walk at high elevation, so bring high-energy snacks and plenty of water. If you’re traveling up from the coast, it’s a good idea to spend a day or two acclimatizing in Cuenca before hiking in El Cajas.

Tour Guides

For some hikes within the park, it’s necessary to go with a guide. Mateo Coellar (tel. 99/290-6777) is a friendly local and a member of a local mountaineering club who walks every week in El Cajas. He takes tourists on a stunning three- to- four-hour hike that starts at Tres Cruces, the highest part of the highway a few kilometers past the Laguna Toreadora visitors center. From there, the trail descends past a series of lakes before ending on the highway near Laguna Luspa. He can also take visitors to climb the peak at Paragüillas, the location of the highest meteorological radar in the world at 4,450 meters (14,600 ft), from where it’s possible to see Chimborazo on a clear day. It’s a fairly steep one-hour ascent and the same time to descend. Mateo, who speaks a little English, charges $25 per person with discounts for groups. This includes transport on the bus. Reserve a day before. Meet Mateo at the terminal or his mother’s café, Moritas, which is an excellent place for a pre-hike breakfast.

All agencies in Cuenca offer daily group tours to the national park for $50-55 per person, including transport, bilingual guide, and lunch. The tours usually last 8am-4pm. The route varies depending on the weather, but all include Laguna Lluviacu. Other hikes can be booked as private tours, including a technical 2.2-kilometer (1.4 mi) climb to the summit of Cerro San Luis (4,264 m/13,990 ft) and a two-day, 18-kilometer (11-mi) trek on the Inca road to a series of lakes.

Polylepis Tours offers bird-watching tours in the national park, plus a Wild Cajas tour for those looking for a challenging eight-hour hike off the beaten track.

The Club de Andinismo Sangay is a local mountaineering club that offers occasional group hikes in El Cajas National Park ($20).

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From the Mayan Tzaten-a-ha (“give me the water”), Sarteneja was named after the 13 Mayan wells found in the area, carved into limestone bedrock and providing potable water. In addition to being a picturesque fishing village, Sarteneja is the only place on mainland Belize where you can watch the sun set over the water. The spot was first settled by the Maya as an important trading area. It is thought to have been occupied from 600 BC to AD 1200, and period gold, copper, and shells continue to turn up in the area. Mexican refugees from the Yucatán Caste Wars settled here in the mid-19th century, again attracted by the availability of drinking water. The village took a pounding from Hurricane Janet in 1955 but rebounded and became known for its boat builders and free-diving lobster and conch fishers.

Today, 80 percent of Sarteneja’s households remain reliant on the resources of the Belize Barrier Reef. Tourism is creeping in, and Sarteneja offers one of the more off-the-beaten-path experiences in the country. Located on Corozal Bay, it is a well-kept secret in Belize, and few travelers have heard about its breathtaking sunsets, sportfishing, turquoise swimming waters, and importance as a protected area for manatees and bird-nesting colonies in the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. This is slowly changing, as more travelers now stop here on their way to the Northern Cayes. Bring your swimwear—the water is beautiful, and a stop here feels like an island getaway.

Wooden Boats

Sarteneja is known for the annual Easter Regatta, during which newly painted sailboats of the artisanal fishing fleet, crewed by local anglers, race against each other in a tradition that has continued since 1950. The regatta, on Easter weekend, includes live music, food, and fun local “catch the greasy pig” games. Master boat builders Juan Guerrero and Jacobo Verde handcraft traditional wooden vessels at their workshops in Sarteneja—the wooden boat-building tradition is unique in Belize and also in all of Central America. During fishing season, these boats dock in Belize City by the Swing Bridge. If you’re interested in culture and boats, ask around for the Mitzi-Ba Wooden Boat Building workshop to see master builder Juan Guerrero at work. If you’re lucky, you’ll witness one being designed from scratch.

Things to Do in Sarteneja

Sarteneja’s location is ideal for fishing, kayaking, sailing, or exploring the nearby reserves. You can rent kayaks from the office of the Tour Guide Association (Front St., US$5 per hour double kayak, up to 5 hours maximum), or ask about its Manatee Day tour to go manatee spotting (US$20 pp). The beach on the long, pretty coastline offers swimming and relaxing. The farther east you go, the prettier and more isolated the swimming areas get. Rent a bicycle from Brisis Bike Rental (Front St., no phone, 10am-4pm) if your guesthouse doesn’t provide one. Other options include hiking in the Shipstern Nature Reserve, exploring the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve on the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, or fishing along Corozal Bay (US$30 pp for 2 people) with Ritchie Cruz of Ritchie's Place (Front St., tel. 501/668-1531).

With access to nearby Mayan sites and ties to the barrier reef at Bacalar Chico, Sarteneja has a lot to offer the adventurous traveler in search of the real Belize. The community is aware of its resources, and groups have joined forces to form the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (N. Front St.), which comanages Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Local anglers, now trained as guides, offer a number of guided tours, both marine and inland. Contact Evanier Cruz, the president of the Sarteneja Tour Guide Association (tel. 501/635-1655). The office is located on the seafront; take a left from the arrival dock. It can also help visitors find a licensed local tour guide.

Sarteneja is also the location of the Manatee Rehabilitation Centre, run by Wildtracks, a local NGO that takes in and rehabilitates orphan manatee calves as part of a national program to protect this threatened species. The center is not open to visitors.

Getting To Sarteneja

Sarteneja has been linked to the rest of Belize by land for less than 40 years—roads are rugged and dusty and, during rainy season, often flooded and rutted. The road from Corozal to Sarteneja was recently upgraded through a European Union-funded project; although the road remains unpaved, it was a significant improvement. Still, expect a few rough spots after a heavy rain.

Getting to Sarteneja By Boat

Most visitors get to Sarteneja by boat from Corozal or San Pedro. The water taxi Thunderbolt (tel. 501/422-0026, cell tel. 501/610-4475, captain’s cell 501/631-3400), a well-run and locally owned operation, will stop in Sarteneja on its once-daily Corozal-San Pedro run. It departs Corozal at 7am, arriving in Sarteneja 40 minutes later before heading on to San Pedro. The San Pedro-Corozal boat (about 90 minutes) departs at 3pm from San Pedro, stopping at Sarteneja at approximately 4:30pm.

Note that Sarteneja is an on-request-only stop on the way back, so let the captain and crew know as you board if you’re heading to Sarteneja only on a day trip from Corozal, to be sure to get picked up in Sarteneja on the 4:30pm return boat (Corozal-Sarteneja US$12.50 one-way, US$25 round-trip, San Pedro-Sarteneja US$22.50 one-way, US$42.50 round-trip). The Thunderbolt runs every day of the year except Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Getting Sarteneja By Air

Tropic Air (tel. 501/226-2012, U.S. tel. 800/422-3435) has two flights a day that will stop at Sarteneja’s tiny airstrip on request. Flights leave San Pedro at 7am and 4:45pm daily, arriving in Sarteneja 10 minutes later, as part of the San Pedro-Corozal schedule. Flights will stop later in the day if there is more than one passenger requesting to be dropped off or picked up in Sarteneja.

Getting to Sarteneja By Bus

The bus from Belize City is often full of returning anglers and is the most exciting way to get here. The distinctive light-blue Sarteneja buses leave Belize City from a riverside lot next to the Supreme Court building. Four buses make the three-hour ride (US$5 one-way), the first at noon and the last at 5pm Monday-Saturday. All buses stop just before the bridge at the Zeta Ice Factory in Orange Walk to pick up more passengers.

Buses depart Sarteneja for Belize City (via Orange Walk) between 4am and 6:30am. There is a direct bus from Chetumal, via Corozal and Orange Walk, which runs every day, including Sunday, leaving Chetumal at noon or 1pm (depending on whether or not Mexico is on daylight saving time). It departs for Corozal and Chetumal at 6am daily. Buses from Corozal are intermittent, so it’s best to check with the Corozal bus station first. There is also local traffic going to Sarteneja from Orange Walk via San Estevan.

Getting to Sarteneja By Car

From Corozal, head south and turn left at the sign for Tony’s Inn. Follow this road, veering right until you come to a stone wall; then go left. Follow this road until you reach the first ferry across the New River, an experience in itself and free of charge. Sometimes there are lineups on Friday and Monday, so anticipate a bit of a wait. After crossing, continue on the unsurfaced road until you reach a T junction. Turn left toward Copper Bank, Cerros, and the ferry to Chunox.

On entering Copper Bank, keep driving until you see the signs for Donna’s Place (an excellent eatery) and the Cerros ruins. If you’re not stopping to eat or visit the ruins, turn left at the ruins sign and proceed until you see the sign for the ferry crossing. After crossing, continue until you reach another T junction. Turn left for Sarteneja, or right for Chunox and the grinding drive through Little Belize back to Orange Walk.

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Halifax is a prime location for a long weekend. As a major destination for conventioneers (modern facilities, well-priced accommodations, centrally located for delegates from both North America and Europe), business travelers frequently hang around for a few days when the last meeting wraps up on Friday. For leisure travelers, many flights to other parts of Atlantic Canada are routed through Halifax, so it will cost little or nothing to have a stopover before continuing to Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, or elsewhere.

Whatever brings you to Halifax, take advantage of your time in the city with four days of car-free exploring.

Day 1

You’ve been staying at an upscale downtown Halifax hotel such as Four Points by Sheraton Halifax, and suddenly it’s not business anymore. No worries; rates drop dramatically come the weekend, so you won’t break the bank by staying another two nights. Join the after-work crowd at the Seahorse Tavern, and then plan on dining next door at the Economy Shoe Shop.

Day 2

Visit Halifax Citadel National Historic Site to get a feel for the city’s colorful history, then walk over to the Public Gardens. After lunch, learn about the Titanic tragedy at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic before visiting the graves of some of the victims at Fairview Cemetery. For a casual seafood dinner with a sublime view, walk along the waterfront to Salty’s.

Day 3

The local tour company Ambassatours operates an excellent full-day trip along the South Shore. It hits the highlights—scenic Peggy’s Cove and the beautiful waterfront churches of Mahone Bay—while also allowing time to wander through the historic streets of downtown Lunenburg, where there’s time for shopping and lunch. You’ll be back in Halifax in time for dinner at Chives Canadian Bistro, which features lots of fresh seasonal produce.

Day 4

Check the sailing schedule of the Bluenose II and make reservations for a morning cruise if this grand old lady is in port. Otherwise, you could start out with breakfast at the Coastal Cafe, followed by shopping at downtown stores as varied as Nova Scotian Crystal and Rum Runners Rum Cake Factory. Golfers may want to squeeze in a tee time at Glen Arbour Golf Course, which is on the way out to the airport.

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When planning foreign travel, knowing the ins and outs of practical day-to-day money matters counts. Familiarizing yourself with the local currency and general exchange rates is key, as is knowing how to access your money, common methods of payment, and even banking laws and tipping customs.

Colombian Currency

Colombia’s official currency is the peso, which is abbreviated as COP. Prices in Colombia are marked with a dollar sign, but remember that you’re seeing the price in Colombian pesos. COP$1,000,000 isn’t enough to buy a house in Colombia, but it will usually cover a few nights in a nice hotel!

Bills in Colombia are in denominations of $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, and $100,000. Coins in Colombia got a makeover in 2016, so you may see two different versions of the same coin amount. Coins in Colombia are in denominations of $50, $100, $200, $500, and $1,000. The equivalent of cents is centavos in Colombian Spanish.

Due to dropping oil prices, the Colombian peso has devalued to record levels, making the country a bargain for international visitors. In early 2020, one U.S. dollar was the equivalent of COP$4,000.

Most banks in Colombia do not exchange money. For that, you’ll have to go to a money exchange, located in all major cities. There are money changers on the streets of Cartagena, but the street is not the best place for safe and honest transactions!

Travelers checks are not worth the hassle, as they are hard to cash. Dollars are some-times accepted in Cartagena and other major tourist destinations. To have cash wired to you from abroad, look for a Western Union office. These are located only in major cities.

Counterfeit bills are a problem in Colombia, and unsuspecting international visitors are often the recipients. Bar staff, taxi drivers, and street vendors are the most common culprits. It’s good to always have a stash of small bills to avoid getting large bills back as change. Tattered and torn bills will also be passed off to you, which could pose a problem. Try not to accept those.

Consignaciones

Consignaciones (bank transfers) are a common way to pay for hotel reservations (especially in areas such as Providencia and remote resorts), tour packages or guides, or entry to national parks. It’s often a pain to make these deposits in person, as the world of banking can be confusing for non-Colombians. On the plus side, making a deposit directly into the hotel’s bank account provides some peace of mind because it will diminish the need to carry large amounts of cash. To make a consignación you will need to know the recipient’s bank account and whether that is a corriente (checking) or ahorros (savings) account, and you will need to show some identification and probably have to provide a fingerprint. Be sure to hold onto the receipt to notify the recipient of your deposit.

ATMs

The best way to get cash is to use your bank ATM card. These are almost universally accepted at cajeros automáticos (ATMs) in the country. Cajeros are almost everywhere except in the smallest of towns or in remote areas. Withdrawal fees are relatively expensive, although they vary. You can usually take out up to around COP$300,000-500,000 (the equivalent of around US$150-250) per transaction. Many banks place limits on how much one can withdraw in a day (COP$1,000,000).

Credit and Debit Cards

Credit and debit card use is becoming more and more prevalent in Colombia; however, online credit card transactions are still not so common except for the major airlines and some of the event ticket companies, such as www.tuboleta.com or www.colboletos.com. When you use your plastic, you will be asked if it’s <credito (credit) or debito (debit). If using a tarjeta de credito< (credit card) you will be asked something like, “¿Cuantas cuotas?” or “¿Numero de cuotas?” (“How many installments?”). Most visitors prefer one cuota (“Una, por favor”). But you can have even your dinner bill paid in up to 24 installments! If using a tarjeta de debito, you’ll be asked if it is a corriente (checking) or ahorros (savings) account.

Tipping

In most sit-down restaurants, a 10 percent service charge is automatically included in the bill. Wait staff are required to ask you, “¿Desea incluir el servicio?” (“Would you like to include the service in the bill?”). Many times restaurant staff neglect to ask tourists about the service inclusion. Of course if you find the service to be exceptional, you can leave a little extra in cash. Although tipping is not expected in bars or cafés, tip jars are becoming more common. International visitors are often expected to tip more than Colombians. In small-town restaurants throughout the country, tipping is not the norm.

It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. But if you feel the driver was a good one, driving safely and was honest, or if he or she made an additional stop for you, waited for you, or was just pleasant, you can always round up the bill (instead of COP$6,200 give the driver COP$7,000 and say “Quédese con las vueltas por favor” (“Keep the change”). Note that sometimes a “tip” is already included in the fare for non-Colombian visitors!

In hotels, usually a tip of COP$5,000 will suffice for porters who help with luggage, unless you have lots of stuff. Tips are not expected, but are certainly welcome, for housekeeping staff.

Value Added Tax

Non-Colombian visitors are entitled to a refund of value-added taxes for purchases on clothing, jewelry, and other items if their pur-chases total more than COP$300,000. Save all credit card receipts and fill out Form 1344 (available online at www.dian.gov.co). Submit this to the DIAN office (tel. 1/607-9999) at the airport before departure. You may have several hoops to go through to achieve success. Go to the DIAN office before checking your luggage, as you will have to present the items you purchased.

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You will often notice what appears to be a backward apostrophe inserted in the middle of Hawaiian words such as Lana‘i and Ka‘anapali. This marking is known as the okina, and rather than letting it confuse you even further, use the okina to help in determining the proper pronunciation.

To a professional linguist the okina denotes a glottal stop, which in layman’s terms essentially means that you pronounce both of the vowels it’s sandwiched between. To use the above examples, when pronouncing the name of island of Lana‘i you would verbalize both the “a” as well as the “i,” for a phonetic pronunciation of “Lah-NA-ee.” The incorrect pronunciation is to blend the final two words together and say “Lah-Nai,” which in the Hawaiian language means “a porch,” and is spelled lanai.

Similarly, the major resort area of Ka‘anapali is correctly pronounced by verbalizing both the first as well as the second “a,” which phonetically looks like “Kah-ah-naw-PAW-lee.” The incorrect way to pronounce the word is to slur the two vowels together by saying “KAW-nah-paw-lee,” or even worse, the dreaded “Ka-NAH-poli.”

The okina serves as an instructional guide as to which vowels to pronounce individually and which to blend together. The town of Lahaina—which you notice does not have an okina—is correctly pronounced as “Law-HIGH-nah,” whereas if it were to be spelled with an okina such as Laha‘ina, it would then be pronounced as “Law-HUH-ee-na.”

Make sense?

Diamonds and platinum may be a sign of luxury in the U.S. Mainland, but in Hawaii it’s Ni‘ihau shell jewelry. The rare and highly valued shells (kahelelani, laiki, momi, and kamoa), are found on the beaches of Ni‘ihau and crafted by the island’s residents into various styles of lei, earrings, and bracelets, equaling one of Polynesia’s most precious art forms.

Captain Cook returned from Hawaii with a Ni‘ihau shell lei that now resides in the British Museum. The jewelry is mostly sold on Kaua‘i, while some of it makes it to shops on other islands. A large amount is sold in stores on the west side and made by the shop’s owner or relatives on Ni‘ihau.

It’s not uncommon to encounter a clerk at one of Waimea’s shops and ask where she got her jewelry, only to hear that her niece or nephew made it. Here’s an opportunity to purchase the jewelry directly from its crafter, as many of these people are happy to give you a phone number to contact the person who made it.

The shells wash up on the beaches mostly October-March, when winter swells bring waves big enough to wash them ashore. This is when islanders rush to gather the shells and either make the jewelry on the island or send the shells to family on Kaua‘i to craft. The tiny shells are sorted by size and color, and only the best are kept; around 80 percent are thrown away. Many of the pink kahelelani that are found are a dull flesh color, worn rough, or are broken. The shell colors include bright pink, deep red, white, yellow, blue, and, rarely, gold. Holes are delicately drilled into the small shells, and they are then strung in a traditional fashion to make various types of jewelry. Most common are the necklaces and lei. Roughly twice as many shells than go into a lei are needed because around half are expected to break during the process. The lei are usually a combination of many strands, either hanging below each other or spiraling around each other.

The making of the jewelry, along with the entire process, is an intricate task and can take up to six months to complete. The Ni‘ihau women usually do the work, and whole families are involved in collecting, but I recently had a Waimea Big Save cashier tell me that her nephew made the beautiful earrings she was wearing and that he sells them, too. Ni‘ihau shell lei are the only shell necklace in the world that can be insured. Shells are used for Ni‘ihau lei because the dry island doesn’t have a sufficient environment to grow the abundance of flowers the other islands have.

To see a museum-type collection of Ni‘ihau shell work, visit the Hawaiian Trading Company in Lawa‘i, Kaua‘i visible from Highway 50. For a rare and valuable souvenir, Ni‘ihau jewelry is the perfect thing. The best book on Ni‘ihau jewelry is Ni‘ihau Shell Leis, by Linda Paik Moriarty, published by the University of Hawai‘i Press.

More information about Ni‘ihau including videos of artisans making shell lei, visit the Ni‘ihau Cultural Heritage Foundation website.

If you’re planning to visit Tikal on your own, have a strong dose of patience and be prepared. If traveling from the Belize border, bring your passport, exit tax (US$15), and the PACT conservation fee (US$3.75).

Getting to Tikal by Air

Tropic Air (tel. 501/226-2012, U.S. tel. 800/422-3435) offers flights from Belize City’s Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE, 10 miles west of Belize City, tel. 501/225-2045) to Flores (US$304 round-trip). Vehicles head to Tikal from the Flores airport, but be sure to reserve a reliable driver or tour operator ahead of time.

Getting to Tikal by Bus

There are no direct buses to Tikal from Benque Viejo del Carmen on the Belize border. There are chicken buses that will pick up from the Guatemala side and head to Flores as well as taxis (US$20 pp, depending on the number of people). You’d then have to find your way to Tikal from Flores.

Another option is to catch the bus to Flores, get off at the crossroads in Ixlu, and then wait for another bus heading north to El Remate or all the way to Tikal. However, the wait could be long as the schedules are not published. It’s also generally safer to arrange a ride with a recognized guide than going it alone.

It’s possible to catch the bus all the way to the Cayo District, then all the way to Benque Viejo del Carmen and the border, and then wing it once you make it past immigration. But if you’re not fluent in Spanish, or would rather play it safe (recommended), there are several tour companies with buses heading directly to Flores and Tikal from Belize City’s Water Taxi Terminal (by the Swing Bridge), as well as by the San Pedro Belize Express terminal, a couple of blocks farther down.

First try S&L Travel Tours (91 N. Front St., Belize City, tel. 501/227-7593), a very reliable company, or contact Atlanta Tour Express Bus Service (inside the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi Terminal, Belize City), with direct service to Tikal and Flores via the Guatemalan Línea Dorada buses. The journey to the border takes about 4.5 hours. If you’re lucky, crossing the border will be smooth and painless, although lines can occasionally get long.

Getting to Tikal by Car

If you decide to rent a car, check out Crystal Auto Rental (Mile 5, Northern Hwy., Belize City, 501/223-1600, from US$65 per day), one of the only companies that allow you to take a rental vehicle into Guatemala (be sure to inquire about insurance).

Tours to Tikal

Most tour guides in San Ignacio offer regular trips to Tikal, almost daily during the busy tourist season (Dec.-Apr.). If you opt for a tour, you won’t have to worry about anything except bringing your passport, paying for the tour, and hopping in a van—the rest is taken care of, from border crossing to entrance fees. I highly recommend Pacz Tours (tel. 501/824-0536, cell tel. 501/604-6921 full-day US$145, all-inclusive overnight US$400 with hotel, meals, guide, taxes, and fees), with its own resident Tikal expert.

When Europeans first began to explore what is now Rhode Island in the 1500s, there were five indigenous groups living here: the Pequots, the Nipmucs, the Niantics, the Narragansetts, and the Wampanoags.

Among the five, the Pequots—who lived mostly in what is now southeastern Connecticut but also in southwestern Rhode Island—exercised the greatest degree of autonomy and defiance of the settlers. This warlike mentality quickly led to their near-extinction as colonists killed them and even turned friendlier tribes, such as the Narragansetts and the Connecticut Mohegans, against them.

In the 1630s the Pequots killed a pair of British merchants whom they encountered sailing up the Connecticut River on a trading mission. They further raised the ire of the settlers when they killed the respected explorer John Oldham off the coast of Block Island in 1636, an act that led to immediate reprisals in the form of burnings and raids by English troops. The Pequots continued to strike, attacking and murdering several Wethersfield families during the winter of 1636-1637 and unsuccessfully attempting to establish a warring pact with their neighbors, the formidable Narragansett Indians of nearby Aquidneck Island.

These tensions escalated the following spring into the great Pequot War of 1637, during which about 130 European settlers from the Connecticut River towns, along with 70 allied Mohegans, developed a plan to destroy their enemy. Believing it wise to approach from the least likely side, the group attacked from the east, sailing to Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay and marching west with a force of about 400 Narragansetts looking on.

The Pequots were concentrated in a pair of encampments near what is now Norwich, Connecticut, each of these a several-acre enclosure of a few dozen wigwams. The settlers, led by John Mason, struck the largest Pequot community at dawn and killed most of its inhabitants, burning the wigwams and shooting any who attempted to flee. The second Pequot encampment attempted to thwart the invasion but was easily driven to retreat. During the next two months, the remaining members of the severely crippled Pequot league moved west toward New York but were met in a massive swamp, which would later become Fairfield, by Mason and his battalion. Again most of the Indians were killed, with the remaining 180 Pequots taken hostage and brought to Hartford.

The Pequots could not have been conquered without the assistance of the Mohegans and the Narragansetts, with whom the English signed a treaty of friendship in 1637. But peace between the Native Americans and the English would last only a few decades, until King Philip’s War.
The Nipmuc Indians lived principally in central Massachusetts but also occupied some land in Northern Rhode Island. Their fate after King Philip’s War, in which they battled the colonists, is little documented, but it’s believed that most survivors fled west into Canada, and those who stayed behind joined with the few Indian groups that remained friendly to the colonists.

Rhode Island’s Niantics, distinct from but related to the Niantics of southeastern Connecticut, lived in the southern part of mainland Rhode Island, where the sea borders modern-day Westerly and Charlestown. Their leader, Ninigret, managed to prolong their viability by keeping distance from the Native Americans who rebelled against the colonists. Ninigret met on several occasions with colonists, and he even refrained from participating in King Philip’s War. This tribe of Narragansetts (as colonists increasingly came to call all Rhode Island Indians) continued to live on their land through the late 1800s. By that time, their numbers had dwindled, and eventually their final bits of land were taken from them.

Rhode Island’s modern-day Narragansetts are mostly of Niantic descent, but they’re joined by some who descend from the actual Narragansett nation, which was perhaps the largest tribe in Rhode Island during the 17th century. By the time of King Philip’s War, there were 5,000 Narragansetts living throughout Rhode Island. Their larger numbers are explained in part by their not succumbing to the diseases that brought down the more powerful Wampanoags, who lived mostly in southeastern Massachusetts but also in part of eastern Rhode Island. As the Wampanoags declined, the Narragansetts took over their territory on the islands of what is now Narragansett Bay.

It was with Narragansett and Wampanoag leaders that Roger Williams socialized and negotiated a land treaty on his arrival in the 1630s. Canonicus was the sachem, or ruler, of the Narragansetts and would become a close friend of Williams until his death in 1647; Massasoit headed the Wampanoags, and Williams assisted in bringing some degree of peace between these two nations. He also made peace between the Native Americans of Rhode Island and the colonists of Massachusetts, who had arrested and banished Williams in the first place.

By the 1670s, the Narragansetts were led by a descendant of Canonicus named Canonchet. The leader of the Wampanoags, Philip, the son of Massasoit, sought to unify New England’s many Native American groups in an ambitious and perhaps desperate attempt to overthrow the Puritan grip on the region. An Indian who was a Christian convert loyal to the settlers betrayed King Philip’s intentions and was quickly killed by Philip’s men. The settlers escalated the conflict by capturing and killing the people who had killed the informant, and so began King Philip’s War, which would ultimately seal the fate of Native Americans in the northeastern United States.

The war was fought near the Rhode Island-Massachusetts border, where the Wampanoags occupied a fort at Mount Hope, today part of the Rhode Island community of Bristol. After several colonists in the town of Swansea were killed, thousands of colonial troops descended on Mount Hope. The Indians managed to destroy about a dozen colonial settlements and significantly damage another 40; in all, roughly half the English villages in New England during the 1670s were damaged. More than 800 colonists and about 3,000 Native Americans were killed. The Indians lost about 15 percent of their total population, while the colonists lost perhaps 1.5 percent.

In the end, although many colonists were killed, all of the region’s Native Americans were ultimately contained. At the onset of the war, Canonchet and his Narragansetts adopted a neutral stance, but the colonists attacked the Narragansetts preemptively, and Canonchet then led several of the violent raids against the colonists, destroying houses in Providence and Warwick. King Philip spent time in northern New England attempting to unify other tribes into a greater resistance. Canonchet was captured and executed near Stonington, Connecticut, in 1676. Soon after, King Philip was captured and killed near Mount Hope. The last remaining Narragansett royal, Quaiapen, sister of Niantic leader Ninigret, died shortly thereafter in a battle at Warwick. By summer 1676, the Narragansetts had been broken and the Wampanoags decimated; Philip’s surviving family members were sold into slavery. The end of King Philip’s War signified the end of the Native American way of life in Rhode Island as it had existed before European settlement.

For travelers seeking to learn more about Rhode Island's Indigenous culture and arts (historic and contemporary), visit the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter. The museum is operated by the Narragansett Tribe.

Moving to Thailand means not only getting used to a whole new set of rules and social customs, it means navigating an entirely new physical country too. While a general overview of the lay of the land is helpful for a traveler, for an expat, it's one of the keys to a successful life.

Country Divisions

Thailand is divided into 75 provinces, called changwat, and one special administrative area that is home to Bangkok and surrounding areas. Although the country is officially divided into six different regions—northern Thailand, northeast Thailand, central Thailand, western Thailand, eastern Thailand, and southern Thailand—many break it down into just four, combining western and eastern Thailand with central Thailand. Each province is further divided into districts, called amphoe, of which there are a little over 900 if you count Greater Bangkok’s different districts (which are confusingly referred to as khet). Within each amphoe are subdistricts called tambon, and within a tambon are moobaan, or villages.

Each of the country’s provinces is named after the province’s capital district, so for example, Chiang Mai is a province and also a capital district. How can you tell whether someone is referring to the province or the district? The former is referred to as changwat Chiang Mai and the latter amphoe muang Chiang Mai.

Geography of Thailand

Located in the center of the Southeast Asian Peninsula, Thailand’s irregular shape defies any easy analog in nature, but it has loosely been compared to the shape of an elephant’s head, with the northern part of the country the animal’s face and ears and the thinner southern part in the Malay Peninsula its trunk. The country is bordered by Burma on much of its western side, with the lower western region bound by the Indian Ocean, by Burma and Laos in the north, and by Laos and Cambodia in the east. The Gulf of Siam cuts a horseshoe shape into the lower central part of the country, and the far southern border is shared with Malaysia.

Thailand covers 512,000 square kilometers (198,000 square miles) of land over four geographical regions. The central region, home to the country’s capital, is the southern part of the river basin of the Chao Phraya River. The northernmost region is mountainous and forested, with four major rivers flowing north to south. The northeast region is mostly flat plateau lands, and the southern region is the Malay Peninsula, with coastline on both sides and hundreds of small islands flanking the landmass.

Thailand's Climate

With the exception of the southern region, Thailand has three seasons—cool, rainy, and hot. To someone used to a temperate climate, it may be difficult to notice any difference between them, as regardless of the time of year or part of the country, most days are as hot or hotter than a typical North American summer day. The cool season, from November to February, is generally mild, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s Celsius (70s to 90s Fahrenheit). Although there may be occasional showers, this time of year usually sees little rainfall and less humidity. In the north and in the mountains, weather patterns are similar, though temperatures can drop into the low teens Celsius (high 50s Fahrenheit) at night. At the highest elevations these lows can be even colder.

The hot season spans March to May, and it’s during this time of year that temperatures in Bangkok during the day will soar into the mid-30s Celsius (high 90s Fahrenheit), sometimes breaking 38°C (100°F). Chiang Mai won’t feel much better; in fact, temperatures can climb slightly higher there than in the capital. Although it is not the rainy season, rain begins to pick up in April, and May is sometimes one of the wettest months of the year. The rainy season spans June to October, generally peaking in September across the country, when average rainfall in Bangkok is 330 millimeters (13 inches). This is a season of frequent flooding, even in major cities.

The southern part of the country is essentially a tropical rain forest climate, with average temperatures around 30°C (85°F) throughout the year. Rainfall follows a similar pattern as in the rest of the country, though on a slightly different schedule. December through May are the region’s driest months, with little or no rainfall. Beginning in April, rainfall picks up, and the wet weather continues through November.

I’d been living in Quito for a few months when the year-end holidays rolled around. I was eight months pregnant at that point—too far along to travel to Seattle or Rome to spend Christmas and New Year’s with either my family or my husband’s. Instead, a friend of ours flew in from New York City to visit us in the mitad del mundo, or so-called “middle of the world,” to escape the cold and spend New Year’s together.

Given my advanced state, we decided to cook dinner and stay in that night. But despite being in our own apartment, it still felt like we were far from home—instead of wearing gloves and heavy jackets when we stepped out onto our balcony, I simply threw a purple pashmina over my sleeveless top. And instead of singing "Auld Lang Syne" when midnight struck, we set a dummy on fire.

Ecuador’s biggest tradition on New Year’s Eve is that of the año viejo—a masked dummy stuffed with sawdust or paper and cardboard and dressed in old clothes. Año viejo means “old year” and the effigies represent the misfortunes of the past year. They are set on fire at midnight and must be burned completely, or else it is believed that any bad situations that plagued you during the previous year will return. Handmade papier-mâché masks in the likeness of political figures, movie characters, sports stars, animals, and more are sold everywhere. I remember seeing masks of everyone from the Ecuadorian president to the American commander-in-chief, from SpongeBob to Spider-Man.

We had picked out our dummy earlier that day while walking down Avenida Amazonas. The boulevard had been closed to traffic and was filled with people admiring giant dummies, or monigotes, set up in theatrical scenes on stages—decrying political scandals, asserting salvation through Jesus, supporting political movements, and generally providing a platform for social protest and proclamations. There were tables selling effigies of all sizes and rows of masks. We chose a small dummy and a dog-faced mask to burn, and we picked out masks for ourselves for fun.

An additional custom is to burn the effigy in the street and jump over it as it burns, once for each month of the year, to bring good luck. The fire can get big as the effigy burns, and dummies that have firecrackers stuffed inside are a special challenge. Leaping over a live fire while I had a belly bigger than Santa’s seemed beyond foolish, so we decided to ignite our dummy in the barbecue on our balcony instead.

Once the fires have been lit, those out on the street past midnight will be accosted by the viudas, or “widows,” of the smoldering remains—men dressed in drag who dance in the street and beg for money to pay for the “funerals” of their recently cremated husbands. (These funerals look suspiciously like beer binges!)

There was no “funeral” for us that night—just one small sip of champagne for me—but we had taken the tradition and made it our own. There’s no better way to make a new place start to feel like home.

Although a thorough exploration of Pittsburgh and its environs would require at least a week, the city is compact enough that its best sights and activities can be experienced easily in two days. The following itinerary assumes a Saturday-morning arrival in Pittsburgh; with the exception of a visit to the Strip District, which is at its best on Saturday mornings, the following activities can easily be shuffled around at will.

Day 1

Start your visit with an early-morning trip to the Strip District. Stop by Pamela’s Diner for breakfast and then join the throngs of shoppers searching for kitschy souvenirs along Penn Avenue.

Spend an hour or two at the Senator John Heinz History Center and browse in the gift shop on your way out; you’re unlikely to find a better selection of books about Pittsburgh anywhere else in the city.

If the weather is cooperating, treat yourself to a trip up Mount Washington on the Duquesne Incline—there’s a gift shop and small museum in the upper-level station—and then to one of the best views of the city along Grandview Avenue. The eastward walk along Grandview is one of the nicest strolls in town.

Continue on for just under a mile, pausing to enjoy the view from the large lookout platforms, to reach the Monongahela Incline, which you can ride back down to street level. Upon reaching the bottom, you’ll see Station Square just ahead—it’s a perfect pit stop for coffee or lunch. Should you find yourself in the mood for fine dining, head to Station Square’s historical Grand Concourse.

Afterward, make your way down East Carson Street toward the South Side Flats for a bit of late-afternoon shopping. Indulge in authentic Spanish cuisine at Mallorca, where fresh seafood and original recipes are the stars—try the paella.

Head back to the heart of the South Side Flats and end your day with a nightcap. Relax with a margarita on the rooftop deck at Local Bar + Kitchen, which also serves good pub grub.

Day 2

Weekend brunch at trendy Bar Marco is a good way to start your day. But if you’re only in the mood for a latte, wander over to La Prima Espresso instead and belly up to the coffee bar.

When it’s time to start moving again, take a long and leisurely stroll through downtown and into Point State Park, stopping off at the ToonSeum along the way. After you’ve seen the Point State Park fountain, use the pedestrian walkway on the Fort Duquesne Bridge to cross over the Allegheny River and into the section of the North Side known as the North Shore.

Head to the nearby Andy Warhol Museum, the largest single-artist museum in the United States. The Warhol has a great gift shop and a surprisingly good basement café, a great choice for lunch.

Next, head to the National Aviary in West Park, the only nonprofit bird zoo in the country. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the Oakland neighborhood. Take a self-guided tour of the Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. All this exploration will leave you hungry, so stop by Fuel and Fuddle for their filling lunch options and excellent sweet potato fries. If the sun is shining, visit Schenley Park and its Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

For dinner, head back downtown. Take a cab if the weather is chilly, or if you’re still on the North Side, go by foot across one of the Three Sisters Bridges. Your dining destination is Meat & Potatoes, a gastropub that dishes out simple but excellent American fare and legendary Prohibition-era cocktails.

After dinner, take in a show in the Cultural District. Pick up a free copy of the Pittsburgh City Paper to see what’s going on. If nothing grabs your interest or you’d prefer a less expensive and more intimate entertainment option, head back to the South Side via taxi and stop in at Club Café, which usually offers two pop or folk concerts nightly. (Ask your cabbie to take the 10th Street Bridge from downtown, which can also be crossed on foot.)

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Sunrise and sunset hikes are a wonderful way to greet the day or night. Hiking at these different times of day mixes up your hiking routine and creates memories with friends and family. It also brings unique challenges—timing your hike for sunrise or sunset, hiking in dim light, and watching the show in cooler twilight temperatures. Here are a few tips for enjoying a cozy, colorful view near Seattle:

Be a sleuth. Check the weather forecast (www.weather.gov or www.usairnet.com) for a partly cloudy day with a cloud base above 10,000 feet that will reflect vivid colors. Skyfire is a handy tool for tracking and predicting colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Think insulation, illumination, and nutrition. Warm layers, a hat, and gloves will keep you warm while you're admiring the view, while a seat pad provides cushion against a cold picnic bench or rigid ground. A flashlight or headlamp will help you hike safely in fading light. Bring a hot drink and a snack to stay warm and savor the experience.

Plan ahead. Look up the sunrise or sunset time. Plan to arrive at your viewpoint at least 15 minutes prior to find a nice viewing spot, set up your blanket or tripod, crack open a thermos of hot tea, and put your layers on.

Consider fall and winter. Air circulation is quicker in fall and winter, clearing out the dust and haze in the atmosphere for more brightly colored sunrises and sunsets. Plus, trails are less crowded and you'll have more time to sleep before sunrise.

Here are three sunrise hikes from scenic vistas:

• Dege Peak, located in the northeastern corner of Mount Rainier National Park, is an easy-to-follow trail to 360-degree views and the chance to watch a line of summer climbers ascending Mount Rainier. Crash at the White River Campground (late June-Sept.) to ease the early morning wake-up call. (4.1 miles round-trip, 900 feet elevation gain, Mount Rainier National Park-White River Ranger Station)
• Rattlesnake Ledge, located in North Bend, makes a lovely winter sunrise hike when summer crowds are scarce and the Cascade foothills are dusted in snow. Check trail conditions and bring traction devices, like microspikes, if snow is present. (4.1 miles round-trip, 1,200 feet elevation gain, Seattle Public Utilities)
• Snoqualmie Falls, located in Snoqualmie, is a classic Seattle destination made even more special by bubblegum pink and pearly blue hues at sunrise. Enjoy the misty view from the Peregrine Viewpoint, then hike to the Lower Falls Viewpoint for an eye level view. (1.4 miles roundtrip, 310 feet elevation gain, Puget Sound Energy)

Here are three sunset hikes with waterfront views:

• Lighthouse Point, located on Fidalgo Island, is a great way to enjoy wide-angle views of Deception Pass and the bridge at sunset. Park at Bowman Bay and follow signs to Lighthouse Point. For a weekend getaway, reserve a campsite at Bowman Bay and explore nearby Rosario Head. (1.8 miles round-trip, 300 feet elevation gain, Deception Pass State Park)
• Meadowdale Beach, located in Edmonds, features beachside views of the Olympics, Puget Sound, and Whidbey Island. Follow a pedestrian tunnel under train tracks to the beach. (Bring waterproof boots, as the tunnel can flood.) The gate to the parking area closes at dusk—plan to hike back after sunset. (2.3 miles round-trip, 425 feet elevation gain, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation)
• Padilla Bay Shore Trail, located in Mount Vernon, is a gently winding trail along Padilla Bay with a sunset backdrop of Mount Erie, Guemes and Lummi Islands, and the snow-capped Cascades. (4.2 miles round-trip, less than 100 feet elevation gain, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve)

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