“Is this Heaven?” No, and it isn’t Iowa either. It’s Washington, baby, and the view from up here is one of the most breathtaking ones you will find anywhere in North America. Where is “up here”, you ask? “Up here” would be the summit at Crystal Mountain Resort, where, after a brief ride on a gondola, you are afforded one of the most fantastic views of Mount Rainier that you may ever see.
Read MoreMountain vacations offer plenty of fantastic things, like scenic drives and crisp, clean air, but for some people, a mile-high getaway can also bring altitude sickness. Also known as acute mountain sickness or hypoxia, it can affect anyone who isn’t acclimated to their elevation (especially if their home altitude is closer to sea level), and usually occurs at elevations above 8,000 feet.
Read MoreWhether you’ve crisscrossed the globe five times over or simply scrolled through Instagram on a lazy afternoon, you’ve undoubtedly learned by now that some destinations are just more photogenic than others. That’s not to say that “ugly” cities and towns aren’t worth visiting; places that impress with personality alone are certainly bucket list-worthy. It’s more about this plain statement of fact: not all destinations are equal in the eyes of the camera’s lens.
Read MoreThe evolution of an idea into a full-blown success is truly remarkable, when you stop to think about it. A decade ago, mentioning the term “Airbnb” might have gotten you some funny looks; these days, people would think you were a weirdo for not knowing what it is.
Read MoreWhile the big wigs like the Grand Canyon and the Great Smoky Mountains draw in millions of visitors every year, there are some parks out there that are lucky just to bring in a fraction of that. Make no mistake, however: these often overlooked parks are no less spectacular than their more popular counterparts.
Read MoreWhat on god’s green earth is in Kyrgyzstan? Well, there are cities you could potentially visit — Bishkek, the capital, and Osh, the country’s oldest city, for example — but to capture the true feel of Kyrgyzstan, you’d probably be better off taking a hike.
Read MoreThe Blue Ridge Mountains, named as such for the bluish haze that appears to be draped over them when seen from a distance, are home to two national parks and a handful of national forests, including Pisgah, which is entirely contained within North Carolina. Established in 1916, Pisgah National Forest covers over 500,000 acres, offering tons and tons of recreational opportunities for nature lovers of all ages.
Read MoreNew countries don’t necessarily crop up all the time, but, believe it or not, there have been 34 countries added to the map since 1990. A host of these, including the likes of Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, became independent once more and were thus “new” again when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Several other new countries came into being during the ‘90s as well, but there have only been five nations newly created in the 21st century.
Read MoreIt’s probably safe to assume that most travelers fall into one of two categories — they either like to plan every little detail of their trip or they prefer throwing caution to the wind and surprising themselves along the way. You may fall into one camp or the other, but here’s a little secret: both are good options. And that’s why it’s perfectly okay to do a little of each, to approach your trip with plans of the half-baked variety.
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