Chattanooga hosted La Roja during their first 4 weeks of training. Photo c. momento360 for Baylor Academy

Anyone born before the cellphone understands that hunger to reconnect with people in real life. The World Cup accomplished what AM radio and print newspapers used to do -- provide ways to connect with strangers, anytime, anywhere, and create community.

Remember the daily water cooler talks?

The viral Norwegian Viking Row chant?

The Prince of Jordan being rescued by a Hilton Hotel security guard?

In much of America during the summer of 2026, our shared culture was super-size portions, Buc-ees gas stations and the warm Southern charm displayed by World Cup host cities.

U.S. Travel Association polling from late May confirmed that most Americans were feeling good about being World Cup hosts.

According to the June 2026 survey:

• 81% said seeing international visitors enjoy America gave them a sense of pride.

• 86% said they felt genuine joy watching visitors experience the United States.

• 81% believed it is important international visitors have a positive experience while here.

JOY was more important to twice as many survey respondents than knowing international tourists would “spend money supporting American businesses and workers (43%).”

And for me, at least, if not you, passing the ball continues to connect us.

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The World Cup halo effect has left Chattanooga a changed city.

While not the site of any matches, Chattanooga was home base to the Spanish national team, who trained at Baylor Academy’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities. For nearly four weeks, the Spain delegation bought out the 184-room Embassy Suites downtown, while another 125 international media stayed nearby.

La Roja’s official January 2026 press release announcing the selection of Chattanooga noted:

Chattanooga… is also known worldwide thanks to the 1941 song “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, composed by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon and popularised by the Glenn Miller Orchestra — the first song in history to be awarded a gold record.

The farewell Gracias from Spain, who prevailed to become the World Cup winners, is lyrical in its gratitude. Here’s their Instagram reel:

Perhaps most telling about the positive effects of sports tourism: You didn’t have to be a homebase for team training or host a fixture to feel the lift.

Melanie Fish, VP of global PR at Expedia Group Brands told Travel Weekly, “[Curacao’s] incredible first-ever appearance has introduced [them] to millions of sports fans, turning a viral tournament moment into a major tourism boom.”

How did Kansas City, which especially glowed as both a training center and a tournament venue, get so lucky?

Over the past few years, FIFA scouted the best soccer training facilities that had quality hotels, nightlife, etc. nearby. Teams could choose from among the 64 FIFA-approved training locations, or find their own home base as long as it met FIFA guidelines including at least one regulation pitch. Insiders suggest that priority went to the Pot 1 teams and to teams which had at least one scheduled match game in the same location.

Kansas City was already home to the MLS Sporting Kansas City team, holders of the trademarked term “Soccer Capital of America.” The combined determination of local governments spanning Missouri and Kansas, and a $700 million investment in sports facilities over the past 15 years was just the start of courting FIFA executives.

FIFA could give fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share a plate of America’s favorite barbecue, learn about the Negro Leagues, and hear live jazz. Add the passion of Swifties who fell for Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelcie and made KC a household term. In the end, Kansas City hosted six matches and was home base to four teams including Argentina and England.

So who came in second?

FIFA sponsor Bank of America estimates the World Cup gave a $20 billion boost to the US economy. They cite spending in Kansas City -- up 6% YoY -- as the highest bump among host cities. On the other hand, Forbes estimates that while FIFA earned $8.9 billion from the 2026 tournament, host cities will likely lose a cumulative $250 million on their investments.

The KC2026 board isn’t worried. They hope international investors will follow the international tourists. And KC residents, who paid 150% more than the in-town price of beer at their World Cup stadium, were among the most enthusiastic about the tournament’s positive effect.

Buy now and you can watch the Soccer Finals at the LA28 Olympics in style! Photo c. OnLocation Experiences

Soccer fans can plan now for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the next US-based, world-class football tournament. Tomorrow, On Location will launch the Football (Soccer) Finals Leisure Lounge package. The package, starting at $800 (all ages must have their own ticket), guarantees a ticket to either the July ’28 men’s or women’s final at the Rose Bowl and reserved in-venue seating with direct goal-line views and wide-frame views of the stadium. The offer also includes priority venue entry and “Light LA street food,” a welcome drink, additional F&B for a fee and live broadcast coverage. Like a watch party but in real life.

I asked the On Location team what happens if I drop dead before then? Scalpers should note that packages are non-refundable and non-transferable. “Ticket holders may, however, be eligible to submit a name change for the guests included in the package by getting in touch with a member of the hospitality sales team or by calling 855/850-8415.” Allison also reminds me that July 28’s package is the only way for fans to guarantee access to the LA28 Football (Soccer) Finals until the next ticket drop on August 10, when tickets for seats to the final match go on sale to the public.

See you on the pitch! (sort of.)

The French call environmental awareness la sobriété -- loosely translated as restraint or consuming less.

We’re all for sobriety when we travel. The eight smart green practices below let you travel throughout Europe sustainably, without even being aware of it.

Dublin’s commuter trains are so packed that students ride on the luggage racks.

1. Europe’s best eco-advantage over the US: trains crush short haul flights.

The European rail system is the envy of the West, with fast, frequent and reliable service on thousands of routes. (Have you ever heard Amtrak described as “fast, frequent or reliable?”) Clean, modern trains are comfortable and work-friendly, with WiFi, power outlets at the seat for European plugs, and USB ports to charge mobile phones.

In 2021, France banned domestic commercial flights on routes that can be traveled by direct train in 2.5 hours or less. (Flights between Paris-Orly Airport and the foodie capital of Lyon or the wine country of Bordeaux disappeared.) While critics say banning such a small segment of France’s domestic flight market was just greenwashing, even that level of regulation would never fly in the US. Instead, eco-minded US companies are involved in R&D towards zero emission aircraft and sustainable aviation fuel.

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Rail v. car v. flight energy consumption chart on Amsterdam>Naples route c. ecopassenger.org

2. EU Sleeper Trains are low impact, energy-conserving rolling hotels.

If you followed our recent Eurail adventure, you may recall the fun of Austria’s OBB Nightjet, one of the continent’s top sleeper trains. To review the eco-worthiness of long-distance trip options from Amsterdam to Naples, we used ecopassenger.org. It’s an easy online calculator run by the International Railways Union that compares energy consumption, CO2 and exhaust atmospheric emissions for planes, cars and trains for passenger transport.

You can see from the chart above that looking at just carbon dioxide, two train seats emit 62.5 kgs while two passengers flying produce a whopping 308.6 kgs. Trains are the obvious environmentally friendly winner!

And in addition to the green blush of doing good, you can avoid the grief of airport waits, security hassles and cramped seats.

Refillable bottle, bamboo cup, compostable bowl and quiche dish at a cafe in Giverny, France.

3. Europeans expect to reduce, reuse and recycle goods; it’s no hassle.

The House Hotel Galway is a believer in the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. Each guestroom is stocked with the W. B. Yeats brand of bottled water. This not only promotes local culture with quotes from the 20th century’s greatest poet; it’s boxed in recycled fibers made of 85% plant matter. These water boxes are sturdy enough to take along and refill whenever you want. And they’re durable. My husband tossed his heavy thermos and carried one all around Europe. Three months later, it’s still in use.

Another simple example? Cafes across the EU use cardboard to-go cups, not plastic. While we haven’t seen a Styrofoam cup in the U.S. for several years, we still get Starbucks with a plastic lid. The EU has mandatory recycling laws, so cafes use waxed compostable cardboard lids. Eco-mindfulness extends to takeout meals, which are wrapped in paper or compostable cardboard.

In the EU, sustainable options are so common that even those who don’t believe in climate change travel like conservationists.

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Look beyond the non-compostable wooden keycards at the Hotel Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam Hotel to its many environmental awards.

4. The European hospitality industry is more mindful of resources than the US.

Most hotels have fire doors in hallways, a safety measure that also conserves air-conditioning. Lighting in public spaces is motion controlled by smart sensors. Unlike the US where power-consuming standby mode is common, most EU appliances and power outlets have on/off switches.

Guestroom lights, like in the US, are typically activated by keycards. The difference is that many EU hotels use computer monitoring to switch off lights, diminish the AC and lower room blinds when a guest checks out. Don’t be fooled by the wooden room keycards, however. They make you feel good but cannot be recycled or composted because of the chip inside.

The EU ethos is less is more. Even on the delightful Irish Ferries (a great way to travel), cabin linens are limited to two small towels and a duvet wrapped in a sheet for each bunk. Passengers and vehicles, however, each pay a fee (€15.00 for adults) to comply with the European Union’s Emissions Trading System and sulphur reduction regulations. In addition to stringent water and electricity conservation, onboard cafes serve healthy and locally sourced foods -- lots of dairy -- to promote Irish culture.

Smart bin in Rouen, France where compaction solaire reduces volume of trash going to landfill.

5. European cities tackle street garbage efficiently and at scale.

Ireland has gone way beyond America’s blue plastic bins with the three-arrow recycle symbol -- they have deployed thousands of “smart street bins.” These large public garbage cans use solar power to compact waste. They can store up to eight times as much as a normal trash can. It made the news (in a good way!) when Trinity College installed their first American-made Big Belly Bin.

Rouen, France is experimenting with Finnish CitySolar, hands-free bins that work in a similar fashion. Their self-maintenance features reduce both carbon emissions and labor costs by sending automated messages when they need to be emptied.

Yes, I have seen a smattering of smart bins installed by private companies and charities in some US cities but that’s obviously not a way to implement recycling at scale.

Solar-powered smart benches in Galway, Ireland have USB ports to recharge devices while you relax.

6. The European travel industry embraces eco-friendly amenities and they’re free.

In the US, the ban on plastics -- like straws and plastic bags -- is a Wishlist item under attack by the plastics and fossil fuel lobbies. Single use toiletries may be gone from some large international hotel chains, but they still crop up all over the US.

European residents and travelers have no choice but to accept bulk shampoo dispensers as single use plastics approach a total legal ban by 2030.

Take a traveler staple like water. Ireland may have plant-based water boxes in the rooms, but many French hotels have drinking water fountains on each floor to refill water bottles. At the Mercure Hotel Centre-Port Cherbourg, for example, guests borrow a water bottle from the front desk if they don’t have one.

At the Hotel Gustave Flaubert in Rouen, guests choose sparkling water, still water, or both, at the Front Desk. The friendly Front Desk staff then fill glass carafes from their water purification system to bring upstairs to your room.

We’re starting to see water fountains with refill stations at lots of US airports but hotels are woefully behind in this regard -- not to mention theme parks and other public places that profit from selling single use plastic bottles.

Smart and other single passenger cars are popular throughout Europe, and they can park anywhere!

7. Whether by law or by conscience, European hotels let guests reuse bath towels!

My pet peeve is those paper entreaties about conserving water through reusing bathroom towels and linens. Most US hotels -- if they have maid service at all – ignore whether you’ve chosen reuse and just replace all linens with clean ones.

Not so in Europe. When you’re instructed to hang up a towel (wish I could train my husband to do this) it’s left to be reused. Beds are made up using the sheets you slept in the night before unless they’re soiled.

I love that!

The boardwalk between “offices” has signage describing the circular economy goals of DeCeuvel.

8. Europe experiments with environmental projects.

Amsterdam, often called the most eco-friendly city in Europe, is no stranger to makeovers. In the 1600s, city planners decided to build a ring of canals to manage flooding, while adding housing, fortifying defenses and expanding lanes for cargo transport. That spawned the Dutch Golden Age. In the 1980s, they transformed abandoned shipyards in the Eastern Docklands into affordable housing for young families in a vibrant, multicultural neighborhood.

Today, you can visit Buiksloterham, a sophisticated neighborhood rising in Amsterdam-Noord across the River IJ. Nearly 50 families already sleep, play and meld lives in Schoonschip, an environmentally sustainable community of ‘arks’. Visit and explore contemporary houseboats that share electricity, water, vehicles and gardens in a model circular economy.

Walk 5 minutes and you’ll reach another compound established in 2012 by utopian environmentalists. De Ceuvel is an eco-friendly co-working space in an upcycled collection of abandoned houseboats. Dine at their vegan, fully sustainable and organic café for delicious food with a side of networking.

Here’s why the EU approach to the environment is so different from the US.

The major support for sustainable travel in Europe is the European Green Deal, a legal commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050. In direct contrast, the proposed Green New Deal in the US -- inspired by FDR’s successful New Deal economic recovery program -- is criticized as being too woke.

Another major difference between the EU and US view of environmental regulation is the EU goal to achieve a circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled. The US economic system is a linear economy, where resources are used to manufacture goods which are then discarded -- a.k.a. “take-make-waste.” Politics sway policy in the world’s largest historic carbon polluter.

Learn from Europe how to sustain your favorite US places.

Committed to being a sustainable traveler? There are many, many online resources for sustainable travel with tips and statistics to guide you every step of the way. Even Google Flights, our favorite place to start airfare searches, notes the carbon footprint of available flights so you can be mindful of the route you take.

But there’s always more…

“Eco-friendly travel is often framed around logistics — carbon footprints, transport choices, reusable bags — but the deeper shift is attitudinal,” says Eryn Gordon, Travel Writer, TEDx Speaker & Founder of Earth To Editorial.

“The most meaningful travel memories,” she adds, “tend to come from those moments of genuine connection, not the itinerary highlights.”

Grab a selfie with a 30-foot-tall Fried Apple Pie in Illinois.

On the one hand, I find the semiquincentennial a very moving moment in time. 250 is an age that adds a measure of gravitas to our clown car system of government. On the other, many sophisticated and successful destinations have aged better: New York has just turned 400, Amsterdam is 750, Normandy dates back 1,000 years.

In an effort to rise above my inertia, I’ve been exploring ways to mark the milestone without fireworks and waving flags. For example:

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McDonald’s shares their five most iconic Route 66 eateries.

Find another party, like the centennial of Route 66, to latch onto.

Conflate the Declaration of Independence with the launch of Route 66, celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Freedom from tyranny, freedom from stop lights; same thing.

We love what McDonald’s has done in Illinois. They’ve installed a 35-foot-tall Fried Apple Pie on the shoulder of Route 66 in Jolliet. (Origin story: the Fried Apple Pie was introduced at a Tennessee McDonalds in 1966, became popular, and was replaced by a “healthier” baked version in 1992.) The towering roadside attraction at 920 N Broadway Street is on display through July 4. Stop by any McDonalds for a Fried Apple Pie while supplies last. And, pick up the fun souvenir map or download a digital version of iconic McDonald’s restaurants along Route 66.

Destination Native America apps guide us to better appreciate the Native experience. Photo c. DestinationNativeAmerica.com

Celebrate Native Americans’ role in American history.

Because Route 66 cut across more than 25 tribal lands when it was built, the American Indigenous Tourism Project is using the road’s centennial to correct stereotypes of Native American culture foisted on passing motorists. Tipi-shaped motel rooms, concrete wigwams and neon chieftains in headdresses can now be viewed in conjunction with accurate information about each tribe’s culture and identity. Check out the Destination Native America map for information about authentic Native businesses and cultural centers along Route 66, particularly in New Mexico and Arizona.

Delta’s America 250 livery. Photo c. Delta Airlines

Fly somewhere and feel special.

Reflect on the national birthday from the discomfort of an aircraft seat in a plane decked out in patriotic livery. From its original 14th-century usage to describe provisions allotted to your servants, the term livery in aviation defines the colors, materials, design, and branding of aircraft exteriors.

Just feel the all-American vibe on these select aircraft. Southwest is flying Independence One with 13 stars and the quote, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” American has two planes decorated with America250 branding. United’s Stars and Stripes livery wraps two planes in elements of the flag, and Delta has applied an America 250 decal to one of its aircraft. So you know, aircraft livery changes entail substantial manual labor, safety measures and special materials. It typically cost upwards of $150,000.

Inside a StoryBooth, photo c. Rob Lowell for StoryCorps.org

Share your American story quietly.

Stay on the down low with a private #america250 confession. You may have heard of StoryCorps, the country’s free storytelling project that asks people to share their story and record it for future generations. Since its founding in 2003, more than 700,000 people have shared stories which are carefully archived at the Library of Congress.

Ready to speak truth to power? Visit We the People in the privacy of your home or office and “Share your story and reflect on what America’s 250th means to you.” Who knows, it may be saved for posterity.

Aerial view of Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. Photo c. FortTiconderoga.org

Learn some history and escape.

This summer, you can tackle an American history-themed, six-acre Heroic Corn Maze & Maze Quest Adventure at upstate New York’s Fort Ticonderoga. Modern agricultural techniques from drones to computer mapping ensure the corn stalks will grow to envelop visitors in the year before the Revolution. According to their media office, “this unparalleled adventure highlights six incredible tales of heroism and epic travels from 1775, from covert scouting missions to Montreal to the monumental Noble Train of Artillery to Boston.”

Originally built as Fort Carillon in 1755 by the French to protect their North American interests, Continental Army and British forces alternated control during the American Revolution. Today, the renamed fort comprises 2,000 acres of restored fortifications, museum exhibitions in a once-private summer estate, Carillon boat cruises, interpretive spaces and historic trades, Carillon Battlefield, gardens, the scenic Lake Champlain shoreline and the Heroic Corn Maze areas.

The fort is open daily except Monday year-round; the maze from July 26th to October 26th. We suggest you start with the easier 20-minute maze before proceeding to Maze Quest, which requires history clues to exit.

Explore the process of man-made history.

One plan I have made is to see Thomas Jefferson’s hand-written copy of the “Declaration of Independence.” It’s dropping into the main branch of the New York Public Library (42nd Street and Fifth Avenue) July 1-7 for in-person viewing. Stop into the exhibit “Declaring America: 1776 and Beyond” to see more artifacts and dreams related to the American Revolution and evolution which have continued until today.

Freedom Plane leaving Washington DC.

Follow the higher ideals of the Revolution.

On the topic of principles that speak louder than words, the Freedom Plane National Tour is carrying eight major Founding-era documents -- including an original Engraving of the Declaration of Independence from 1823 --to major museums around the country through August.

Be in the room with them at the HistoryMiami Museum in Florida through July 5. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan is the place where it happens July 9-26. At the end of summer, head to the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) in Seattle July 30 – August 16. 2026.

Freedom Train c. Brightline

Go green and fast in south Florida.

Multicultural Miami has been rocking for weeks, thanks to its many FIFA World Cup soccer watch parties. For a big, loud, blowout near the bay, head to Bayfront Park through July 5, where the games have drawn crowds of locals and visitors. For a crowded yet more intimate, toes-in-the-sand experience, head to the Miami Beach Bandshell at 73rd and Collins, or Lummus Park, at 14th Street and Ocean Drive; alternating livestream games through July 19.

If you’re seeking a different warm, fuzzy feeling about America and its remarkable diversity, you’ll likely encounter elements of America 250 celebrations all year. Our favorite is the Freedom Express train that runs from Orlando to Miami, skinned in a variety of historic moments! The 10-coach Freedom Express is part of Brightline, south Florida’s futuristic highspeed rail service. Each coach shares an American milestone as its speeds by. Prep friends and family and you can spot indelible images such as Washington Crossing the Delaware, the Wright Brothers’ First Flight and Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at the Lincoln Memorial.

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Reproduction of Roosevelt’s office at Sagamore. Photo c. TRLibrary.org

Welcome wildlife into your own home.

This July 4, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opens in the western Badlands of North Dakota. It celebrates the values -- not the presidency -- of Teddy Roosevelt. He was namesake of the Teddy Bear, the so-called Conservation President because of his love of the outdoors (and his North Dakota ranch), and one of the world’s most famous hunters.

As a sickly child, he had studied nature and learned to taxidermy small animals. Both his New York City home and the American Museum of Natural History (which his father helped establish) have examples of some of these preserved animals.

Did you know that in 1902, as the 26th president, he chose to redecorate the White House State Dining Room? No, not in gold. Instead, this crucial venue for diplomatic missions was adorned with the lifelike heads of caribou, moose, bison, sheep and other North American mammals he had collected. It was 21 years before they were moved into deep storage at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. An extensive collection of African wildlife he collected (and his team preserved) from a 1909 expedition remains on display.

Here’s a quick look at six places you can do just that, whether you have tons of money or just a little to spare.

SUPSUPClub group touring Amsterdam’s canals. Photo c. SUPSUPClub.com

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Although Amsterdam is crisscrossed by canals full of houseboats, most visitors don’t think about actually going in. It’s not that the water is dirty, it’s just busy. Did you know at least 12,000 abandoned bicycles are fished from the canals annually? However, bikes haven’t stopped an active stand up paddleboarding (SUP) scene from blossoming in the city.

We just stayed at the Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam Hotel, right on the Hobbemakade Canal. Families like the spacious rooms that overlook the canal or gardens, the well-stocked honor pantry, and the tech-savvy fitness room. As part of their Avani Experiences program, guests can rent bikes or SUP boards to explore Amsterdam by land or sea. The Netherlands’ SUPSUP Club also has several locations of self-service lockers filled with rental gear. Beginners are welcome to try, or you can call them to discuss lessons at +31 851309686.

Pool butler at the St. Regis Longboat Key. Photo c. Magrino PR for St. Regis Resorts

Long Boat Key, Florida

Longboat Key, a barrier island between Florida’s Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, used to be a secret among locals. No more. To see how far it’s come, let’s shine a light on the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort’s over-the-top July 4th shindig. You beach-goers will decide if it’s where you want to be after we share details.

The resort has unveiled “The Gilded Gulf” package, an homage to the brand’s founding in turn of the 20th-century New York by John Jacob Astor IV. Book their five-night America semiquicentennial package for just $177,600. Your stay in the customized (read: your name in gold everywhere) Presidential Suite spans Independence Day and includes personalized fireworks (featuring your name in the sky, maybe in gold), private dining events, unlimited caviar-topped hot dogs, and a ‘patriotic’ spa treatment. (The Stars & Stripes wellness concoction is a 250-minute immersive treatment incorporating red light therapy, a white quartz facial massage, and a blue algae body wrap.) Another package perk is a gold leather handbag with an eagle rhinestone clasp, a collab with designer Gretchen Bauer of BSWANKY. Of course, you’ll take advantage of the hotel’s Reef Rangers Children’s Club and saltwater lagoon snorkel tours. Toss in several rooftop parties, lots of mixology and custom car transport around town and maybe, just maybe, you will justify the rate. Many would say Longboat Key’s prized white sand beaches and calm Gulf waters are priceless.

View of Canada and the American Falls from the New York state park trail.

Niagara Falls State Park, New York

With this summer’s addition of two hiking trails and 150 more acres, Niagara Falls State Park boasts more places than ever for a summer soak. The upstate New York park expansion links Niagara Falls to Whirlpool State Park and Devil’s Hole State Park. While it’s created nearly five miles of scenic overlooks and hiking routes along the river, swimming is definitely not allowed and totally unsafe.

Instead, embark on a bucket list tour aboard the high-speed Whirlpool Jet Boat or the classic Maid of the Mist, the defining sightseeing cruise since 1846. A new staircase along the American Falls provides another chance to feel the spray as you exit Maid of the Mist elevators. Did we say spray? The powerful cataract delivers a flow of six million cubic feet per minute that makes it feel more like a full body scrub.

A Riverview A-frame at Camp Fimfo, Texas Hill Country. Photo c. Campfimfo.com

New Braunfels, Texas

Schlitterbahn, the award-winning water park that debuted along the Comal River in the Texas Hill Country in 1979, put this town on the map. The constant flow of travelers and rich German heritage -- there’s a 10-day Wurstfest each October --turned New Braunfels into a major attraction. Aquaseekers! This summer, bypass the crowded water park and its resort hotel to book yourself a cabin at riverfront Camp Fimfo.

June happens to be National Camping Month, but we like this place because it fits with trends called out by the latest KOA Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report. They credit “The Rise of Analog Camping” for making the timeless summer pastime hip again. According to KOA, nearly 60% say traditional campfire activities motivate their trips, 50% want to recreate childhood camping memories, and 81% of Gen Z campers are interested in learning bushcraft skills. If floating down the Guadalupe River in inner tubes or trying the four waterslides is bushcraft, sign me up. Camp Fimfo also has two swimming pools -- including one with the swim-up bar of my childhood memories. This place is a bargain when you rent gear from REI because tent sites start at $57 and RV parking at $66. Splurge on a tiny Riverview A-frame for two, with hot tub, for $106.

Aerial view of Plitvice Lakes National Park waterfalls. Photo c. CroisiEurope

Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park

Picture the towering trees, dangling ferns, and weirdly lush blooms of Pandora, the garden moon featured in the original “Avatar” movie. That look was inspired by Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its unique biome. When you join a CroisiEurope Splendors of the Northern Adriatic family river cruise you can hang out by the top deck pool to prepare for the daytrip to the park.

Tour Plitvice’s 16 crystal-clear lakes to choose your favorite. A dozen Upper Lakes are set in impermeable dolomite stone, while the four Lower Lakes have carved deep into limestone cliffs for an even more dramatic setting. In between, discover some of the park’s 90 waterfalls.

Settle in for eight days exploring the Adriatic, with cultural programs and delicious, all-inclusive meals for just $2,311 per adult. On each Croatia CroisiFamily Club cruise, kids 16 years and under sail at 30% off and are guaranteed a cabin close to their parents.

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Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River Festival

There’s nothing more Cleveland than mixing food and fun, especially on the water. Visit in mid-July for the annual Taste of Black Cleveland Festival. Feast on food July 16 in the Cavaliers’ Rocket Stadium, where 20 local Black chefs share samples in a competition to be the city’s best.

Rise early the next morning and grab your paddles. The weekend Blazing Paddles Riverfest returns July 17-18 with a lighted boat parade, waterfront programming and urban paddlefest. Here’s your chance to compete or join a leisurely 10-mile paddle by kayak, canoe, SUP or just picnic along the scenic and historic Cuyahoga River. That name may sound familiar because the severely polluted Cuyahoga River burst into flames in 1969. That incident inspired “Burn On,” the 1972 Randy Newman song that became an early anthem of the environmental movement.

Whether it’s Croatia or Cleveland, be sure to get your feet wet!

This year, there are many unusual ways to celebrate with fathers, mothers, grandparents or anyone who’s been special in your life. It’s Juneteenth Weekend so there will be a lot of cultural events. More programming is tied to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Here are some ideas.

Nothing more American than watching a ball game

German fans cheer on their soccer team. Photo c. Ganossi for pixabay

June 21 falls in the middle of the FIFA World Cup soccer playoffs. On Dad’s special day, eight teams will be playing their hearts out, as sports teams have done for generations. Some of the Founding Fathers played foot-ball in the 1700s! The popular British sport, more violent and risky than today’s structured soccer matches, likely spread throughout the colonies.

If you’re not splurging on super expensive tickets to live games, watch together on Fox Sports 1:

· Make mimosas at noon ET for the Spain vs. Saudi Arabia game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

· Bring over a few six packs for the 3pm ET Belgium vs. Iran (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles)

· Order wings and ribs and make margaritas so you’re ready for the 6:00pm ET Uruguay vs. Cape Verde match (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)

· At 9pm, serve the ice cream for the New Zealand vs. Egypt game (BC Place, Vancouver.)

If you want to get closer to the live-action vibe, Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park is hosting ongoing fan events for all games. Plus, the two-day Beltline Fest will take place at Pittsburgh Yards for only that weekend. Los Angeles has rotating World Cup Fan Zones and will be represented (very tastefully) in Farmers Market over the Father’s Day weekend. Miami has dedicated its waterview Bayfront Park to all event dates, for live streamed games as well as music, food trucks, cultural shows and family soccer matches. Every FIFA World Cup destination features hotel deals in the region but don’t expect any bargains!

Take big dad to the very old Big Apple

Times Square is always a party. Photo c. chatst2 for pixabay

Soccer fans are always welcome in New York, where the local New York City FC and Red Bulls have been steadily building reputations. FIFA is hosting special NY and NJ public fan events in all five boroughs -- including Brooklyn where Founding Father George Washington, then a general, lost a major battle of the Revolution -- but you have to get lucky to get them! Or, score big with Dad at the World Cup Top of the Rock Fan Experience. Tickets run $84-$120 tickets for admission to the 70th floor Observatory, communal big screen TVs, merchandise discounts, photo opportunities and more.

Alternatively, head to the American Museum of Natural History’s “For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence” exhibit is a unique opportunity to share championship trophies, rings, gold medals and more with all ages. The museum will also host live watch parties during this period in their comfy theater.

Meanwhile, New York City is also celebrating the 400th anniversary of its formal founding as New Amsterdam, a trading outpost of the Dutch West India Company. Put New York Historical’s terrific exhibit “Old Masters and New Amsterdam” (May 1-August 30) at the top of your list for wonderful paintings and a look at the way new settlers, Native Americans, and the enslaved lived back in the day. The spare and stylish Citizen M Hotel Times Square has compact rooms that weekend starting at $202/night.

Another tall man in Illinois makes a statement

Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” (a.k.a. The Bean) in Chicago. Photo c. Uroboros for pixabay.

Father’s Day falls during the opening weekend of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Stand with one of the nation’s most famous fathers in the place that he hopes will inspire, empower, and connect people to make positive change. The 19-acre campus -- more than a presidential library -- includes a Teen Action Lab, sports, wellness and city gardening programs for youth and adults. Audio guides and topic specific tours are available daily and are free of charge.

For something outdoorsy, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden’s “America Grows: 250 Years of Garden Stories” It features the legacy of victory gardens and community green spaces in the city. Arlo Chicago, with a great location on Michigan Avenue, starts at $223/night.

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Learn history in Virginia’s Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown

Historic ship Godspeed moored at Jamestown. Photo c. Visit Williamsburg

Have you been to the region known as Virginia’s historic triangle? The southeastern part of the state includes 200 square-miles of history, natural beauty and contemporary tourist attractions sure to please every member of the family.

The oldest of three major historic sites is Jamestown, site of the first permanent English settlement (1607) and the earliest arrival of enslaved Africans (1619). Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum about various periods from the 1600s to the colonial era, is celebrating its own centennial. Nearby, Yorktown boasts a major Revolutionary War battlefield from 1781 and a comprehensive museum of the period.

If you go June 21, it’s the last day of Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food & Wine Festival, a nice treat for everyone. The Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel & Suites, in the heart of the action, has rooms from $114/night.

Bike together near Boston

Boston harbor and Intercontinental Hotel . photo c. IHG

There’s no better bonding time than recreation in nature. Celebrate your founding father on a bike ride with AMC (formerly the Appalachian Mountain Club.) The organization’s 150th anniversary is being marked with a six-month-long cross- country relay! On Sunday, June 21, the relay turns over to bikers in Boston. Join a 24-mile ride with just 500 feet of elevation from Boston Common to Concord North Bridge. Route highlights include the Charles River Esplanade, the Minute Man & Concord Reformatory Branch bike paths and historic Lexington Green. Of course, many of these are sites where the O.G. Founding Fathers may have found themselves 250 years ago.

This volunteer-run organization presents hundreds of free, guided activities each season. Learn more about them and their family outdoors programs here.

Boston’s 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, a National Park site, connects 16 important Revolutionary sites including Paul Revere House, the Bunker Hill Monument and Faneuil Hall. To complement Boston America250, there will be several staged reenactments and seven FIFA matches with fan events. The InterContinental Boston is offering two packages for a three-night stay, including drinks vouchers, tickets to the Boston Tea Party Museum, a concierge-curated map of Boston, and an exclusive welcome amenity with tea and mini desserts, from $352/night.

Founding Fathers found in Philadelphia

Family time at Wawa Welcome America Festival, Philadelphia. Photo c. Visit Philadelphia

You might call Philadelphia Ground Zero in the birth of this nation. It’s the country’s first capital, the city where the Declaration of Independence was written, and the place where the Second Continental Congress adopted the name “United States of America” in 1776. Fortunately for dads and kids, the Wawa Welcome America festival begins June 19 and runs till July 4 to commemorate the country’s 250th birthday. Take advantage of free museum days and more during the largest free festival in the country.

Watch history come to life in Historic Philadelphia, where storytellers and costumed History Makers recount days gone by. Visit some of the Founding Fathers’ hand-crafted documents at Museum of the American Revolution, Independence Hall and at two brand new galleries at the National Constitution Center.

The Club Quarters Hotel Rittenhouse Square has rooms from $177/night in a very good neighborhood.

Explore Route 66 together as she turns 100

The Ariston Diner has been open on Illinois Route 66 since 1924. Photo c. MMGY

Route 66 stretches 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, passing through eight states which are all celebrating its centennial. You may know it as the inspiration for Radiator Springs, the town from Disney’s animated “Cars” films and theme park attractions. What does it have to do with the Founding Fathers?

Nothing.

About 250 years ago, the Illinois territory was Native American land, and Santa Monica was part of the Spanish Empire. But it’s a fun vacation idea!

One of the nation’s first cross-country highways, Route 66 was dubbed The Mother Road in John Steinbeck’s Dust Bowl novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” It originated with Oklahoman Cyrus Avery, an oil man involved in the grassroots Good Roads Movement from the early 1900s. As the state’s highway commissioner, he worked to string together smaller roads across the country to accommodate more motorists. In 1927, the U.S. 66 Highway Association was established to promote the new road. Traffic grew during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl as migrants headed west.

Why not rent an RV and head out to find vintage motels, outlandish neon signs, and larger than life statues? Head west on Illinois 66 till you reach Litchfield, where the ca. 1924 Ariston Café is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants on the Mother Road. Here’s the handy Route 66 Centennial event calendar from the RV rental marketplace, RVshare, with tips on how to find the perfect RV for your needs.

The small city of Zuerich Hauptbahnhof has everything a train traveler might need.

For us pigs, the blanket is a cotton comforter, very tall and narrow like the Dutch themselves. You must tuck it in all around to secure yourself from the railcar’s yawing and pitching as it speeds through northern Germany.

Consider the sharp rungs of the ladder the conductor set up as your toothpick, essential if you try to descend to the steel gray slippers they provide for toilet trips down the hallway.

There were two of us in a three-bunk couchette that expanded to six bunks. It’s hard to sleep when you’re dreaming of whines, screeches and six pigs in blankets rolling around a cocktail plate together.

Yet, offered an opportunity to review RailEurope’s Eurail Pass offerings, my husband and I hopped onboard. Here are 10 tips I learned about European train travel that should make for a smoother ride.

Is a Eurail Pass right for you?

Swiss trains have brightly decorated Family Zone railcars and live arrival data.

Eurail Pass train offers perks to every age group and type of traveler. Despite big advances in accessibility, however, European train travel presents many challenges for the mobility impaired.

Students love the Eurail Pass, a top value for nomads on a budget. On individual long-haul routes, though, one of Europe’s low-cost airlines may provide cheaper and faster transport.

Families are welcomed aboard with great value pricing and amenities such as Family Zone train cars decorated with cartoon characters. Subtract flying’s security hassles, baggage limits, seat assignment fees, and congestion and you get an almost stress-free journey. Plus, arriving in city centers is so much easier than remote airports.

Active Seniors (you know who you are!) who can handle their own luggage will enjoy the freedom and adventure of riding the rails. Large European train stations have elevators and/or escalators to make boarding easy but you have to lift and store bags on a shelf, overhead, or under seats, depending on the model train.

1. How to develop a trans-Europe itinerary

We were met at in Ireland at the Galway Ceant station by my brother, Keith!

Determine your priorities. Are you visiting family and friends? Is this a bucket list experience? Eating your way through the EU? Hoping to camp out? Eurail Passes allow the flexibility to do it all, but advance planning will save you time and money.

We planned seven days of train travel within a 24-day trip that began in Ireland. We went to France, Amsterdam, across the Netherlands to Italy, rolling south through Germany and Switzerland on the way to Naples.

Nomads beware; some planning in required because European trains are very crowded. Some tickets carry cancellation fees. Plus, purchasing tickets or seat reservations on the day of travel can cost twice as much as an advance purchase.

2. Refine your Europe train trip with maps and AI.

The annual Tulip Festival at Keukenhof in the Netherlands was on our bucket list.

I used a Lonely Planet Europe Planning paper map to order our stops. In the case of planning our longest ride: 23 hours from Amsterdam to Naples, AI was very helpful. The Eurail Pass covers the route via Paris for free -- with eight train changes through the night. AI led me to the pricey but preferable OBB Nightjet, which makes the Amsterdam to Zurich run overnight. We opted for the comfort of a couchette with two bunks and breakfast for about US$400.

3. European trains sell out quickly. Plan ahead. Review all route options before purchasing.

Train location and station arrival times are live-streamed on many European trains.

Train travel sites carry different inventory. Some said seats on the OBB Nightjet train were sold out. However, we searched again for couchettes and even saved US$180 on the price before booking them. Planning takes patience.

4. Optimize your Eurail Pass days for the big trips.

Irish Ferries sail between Dublin and Cherbourg, France.

We activated our Eurail Passes on the Galway to Dublin route to catch an overnight ferry to France. Irish Ferries offers a 30% discount to Eurail Pass holders, so the train and overnight ferry with cabin counted as Day 1 and Day 2 of our seven Eurail Pass days. Optimize the value of your Pass by using it for longer routes or pricey high-speed trains.

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5. Make seat reservations.

The RailEurope app and the Eurail TripPlanner app indicate if seat reservations are required on your selected train. To cope with unexpected crowds and guarantee a seat, we suggest getting them for every trip. It’s tough to drag suitcases through train cars, too, so knowing your seat in advance helps in boarding. Do not rely on the kindness of conductors!

6. Don’t give up on finding local trains.

Most European train stations have escalators and / or elevators for easy access.

Each European country has local trains that are slower but much cheaper than ICE (Inter-City Express) trains. They don’t require advance seat reservations or tickets but can be hard to find. If the Eurail and RailEurope apps don’t list them, ask Google Maps for local trains and public buses. The Eurail app has a list of state railway companies; search their websites too.

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7. Allow plenty of time to find the next place to be.

Getting on and off trains with suitcases, changing platforms, finding pay toilets, and buying cappuccinos takes longer than you think. Don’t cut your layovers too short. More details here.

8. Use the latest tech tools for your Eurail train adventure.

Paris’ Gare du Nord is a historic and very beautiful train station.

A cellphone with a global data and unlimited WiFi plan is essential. Download the RailEurope and Eurail TripPlanner apps for train schedules and purchases. Google Maps guides you to each train station and hotel. Europeans communicate with Whatsapp so they can translate your typed requests and reply in your language. Residents of several destinations told us Uber was cheaper and more reliable than local taxis.

9. Safeguard your train tickets to avoid problems.

Managing tickets with train number, car number, seat number, and departure time is the most frustrating part of Europe rail travel. Train station security officers and train conductors only care about the ticket barcodes. Yet, on most occasions, our digital tickets did not display in the “Tickets” folder on either the RailEurope or Eurail apps. Sometimes I could find a confirmation email with a PDF attachment. Other times, I roamed the train until I got a cellular signal. We learned to photograph each ticket as we bought it to ensure a barcode would display in a mobile phone’s Photos app.

All Aboard the OBB NightJet!

10. Is the Eurail Pass from RailEurope a good value?

I think the Eurail Global Travel Second Class Mobile Pass for seven days of travel in one month is a bargain at US$420. We estimated our April to May 2026 Europe trip covered 2,300 miles (3,700 km) of rail travel. In addition to covering distance, the Eurail Pass bought us many comfortable rides, some flexibility, and the ability to manage international train schedules online.

Since the first Eurail Pass became available in North America in 1959, RailEurope has sold more than 5 million tickets to generations of travelers. So, while definitely a vintage vacation, it’s no longer an analog one. Today’s independent, privately held company provides that same thrill around the world by working with more than 250 train operators at 25,000 stations.

All aboard?

Full disclosure: The travel tech company RailEurope provided two Eurail Global Travel Passes in second class in exchange for reporting on our European train adventure. Here is RailEurope’s helpful guide to booking pigs in a blanket. Whoops! I meant a couchette sleeper fact sheet for overnight European trains.

Hotel Martinez, Cannes, Cote d’Azur. Photo c. Booking.com

White Lotus Heading to Cannes!

After Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand, Cannes has been chosen over several international destinations to host the filming of the hit series “The White Lotus.” According to Cannes’ Palais des Festivals et des Congrès (their classy-sounding version of a C&VB), the stunning beachfront community outbid Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Norway for the pleasure of hosting season four.

As many in the travel trade know, HBO has had a deal with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts since creator Mike White’s first season about tourists behaving badly. In Cannes, however, the ca. 1929 Hôtel Martinez, an independent luxury hotel in Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, will star as the White Lotus Cannes. Filming on the Côte d’Azur is set to commence in spring with a 50-day shooting schedule.

I noted the emphasis on the production’s economic impact for the Cannes community: the French press release cites 17,000+ room nights and countless local jobs for filmmaking professionals. And you don’t need Kalshi to bet that season four will be a powerful driver of global visibility and tourism appeal.

Covers of the original Whole Earth Catalog, borrowed from WholeEarth.info

Cheers to Earth Day!

You don’t have to remember the ink stains from Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth catalog to appreciate the impact this utopian visionary has had on our values. His popular magazine-format guide to life and culture was published from 1968-1972 with updates through 1998; you can read back issues here.

This April 22 marks the 56th Anniversary of Earth Day, the holiday created to support environmental protections. Brand claims he was instrumental in popularizing the environmental movement by getting NASA to publish ’whole earth’ images collected by their spacecraft. Some scholars disagree with Brand’s self-proclaimed version of history. But I’ll never forget that image of a fragile blue marble haloed by whisps of white clouds.

Join friends and family for Earth Day celebrations this weekend, April 18-19. While the environmental movement has evolved from Earth Day to combatting global warming, fighting climate change, ensuring the planet’ s resilience…. sometimes worthwhile messages need new voices to be heard.

As for Stewart Brand, he’s working with musician artist Brian Eno to promote the Long Now Movement. They argue for ways to slow down the way we view life. Sort of… Their philosophy is encapsulated in glass cases at Interval, Long Now Foundation’s super-hip showroom museum in a cocktail bar at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. Savor that drink and let me know your thoughts.

Ohone Greenway Trail, California. Photo by Sergio Ruiz for Rails to Trails Conservancy

Wow! 40 years of the Rails to Trails Conservancy!

What’s in a trail other than a path to the next place? A lot. You may not know that the Rails to Trails Conservancy is celebrating 40 years of advocating for the conversion of unused railroad tracks and other public lands. Their goal is to develop inclusive, multiuse trails for strollers, cyclists, and, in some areas, horseback riders, snowmobilers, and others.

April 25 is Celebrate Trails Day, RTC’s annual day of action has planned hundreds of events in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Check out opportunities to clear local trails ahead of summer and clean up recreation spaces. Or just hike together to appreciate the essential role America’s multiuse trails play in your life. And use their terrific TraiLink app which supports the RTC’s admirable goals.

There are currently 42,500 miles of maintained trails in the country. If you’ve ever had to leave a protected bike path with the kids to reach a new leg, you’ll appreciate their big project, the Great American Rail-Trail, stretches across America to connect 3,700-miles of trail between Washington State and Washington D.C.

Matatus in Mombasa, Kenya. Photo by Anon a mouse Lee - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, httpscommons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=123975212.jpg

Getting Around Nairobi: Fun! Cheap!

Last, but not least. Thanks to NPR’s Far-flung Post series for exploring the topic of local transport, a travel essential. That’s how I learned about the matatu bus — the privately owned minibus transportation that serves Nairobi’ s largely young population. Intrepid travelers are welcome aboard too.

Each nganya (the Swahili name) is unique. Driver-owners mural their matatu interiors with portraits of footballers and pop stars. NPR reporter Emmanuel Igunza rode in one with 16 screens playing different music videos simultaneously. Competing hip-hop and Afrobeats tracks drown out the honking of impassable midday traffic.

You pay by the distance in M-PESA on your mobile phone, and they’re very cheap. (In case you’re hung up on travel stereotypes, M-Pesa is a digital wallet used by more than 66 million Africans, moving to blockchain.)

Enjoy the ride!

Pose with “Minerva and the Altar to Liberty” by Frederick Wellington Ruckstull at Green-Wood Cemetery.

If you never studied the Battle of Brooklyn (originally the Battle of Long Island) and its role in the founding of the United States, that’s ok. The unusual outcome of the first battle of the Revolutionary War (and largest in terms of manpower) is one of those overlooked moments in history. But it’s a good story.

With all due respect to the brilliant historian Heather Cox Richardson, I believe that when Patriot troops heard that the British roundly defeated General George Washington’s men in 1776, they didn’t want to celebrate. But Washington very cleverly evacuated his few remaining soldiers to Manhattan and lived to continue the fight for independence. His persistence through many defeats eventually persuaded King Louis XVI of France to support the young country’s struggle, providing the essential manpower and armor to eventually win.

Setting the Stage for the Battle of Brooklyn

When Great Britain began exerting its dominance over the Thirteen Colonies following their 1763 victory in the Seven Years War, tensions mounted. The British Army tried to occupy Boston, leading to the Boston Massacre of 1770 and, four years later, the Boston Tea Party.

The imposition of Parliament’s Intolerables Act sparked the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. In June, local militias of Patriots banded together as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as their commander-in-chief. Two months later, King George III issued the Proclamation of Rebellion to the Thirteen Colonies. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared war on Great Britain -- two days before they adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Washington amassed his army in the strategic military zones of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Manhattan, then simply New York, was the largest, most prosperous port in the colonies. Long Island (the region became the city of Brooklyn in 1834) was a settlement of Dutch farmers whose labor supported merchants in the commercial port.

Washington waited, trying to determine where the British troops and Navy, then on Staten Island, would attack.

The Battle of Brooklyn begins

On August 22, the British Redcoats landed at Gravesend in southern Brooklyn. They camped at Flatbush. Under Lord Cornwallis, 10,000 men marched west over the little-known Jamaica Pass. In four days, they came up behind the Patriot forces near the current Brooklyn / Queens border.

Meanwhile, British General James Grant marched west along what is now Green-Wood Cemetery’s Border Lane towards the Martense Lane Pass.

Hessian troops (German mercenaries reputed to be the Crown’s fiercest fighters) marched under General Von Heister to join the other two British encampments. They crossed Flatbush Pass in today’s Prospect Park.

British Army fights the Continental Army in Brooklyn

A printed copy of the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives.

Early on August 27, the Battle of Brooklyn began. It was the very first battle of the U.S. Revolutionary War and remained the largest in troop numbers.

The three Loyalist armies attacked, surprising and greatly outnumbering Washington’s army. Some historians believe that General Washington watched the fighting through his spyglass from a redoubt on Cobble Hill at Court Street and Atlantic Avenue, now site of Trader Joe’s.

The Marylanders’ sacrifice

Horrified by his troops’ slaughter, Washington determined that retreat was the best option. He ordered General Willliam Alexander, Lord Stirling, and his troop of Marylanders to take a stand near the present-day Old Stone House. They were going to distract the British while other Patriot troops retreated across Gowanus Creek. Nearly three-quarters of these brave young men were killed or captured, inspiring Washington’s famous quote: “Good God, what brave fellows I must lose.”

Under the cover of night August 29, Washington, with the help of the Marblehead Regiment’s boats from Massachusetts, was able to evacuate thousands of men, horses and cannons from Brooklyn Heights. The daring operation lasted past dawn, but a heavy fog continued to protect them from British patrol boats. What may seem like a yellow-bellied escape for the Patriot forces is now seen as a brilliant military maneuver.

It is said that Washington was the last person to board a ship.

Battle of Brooklyn troop movements overlaid on historic map. c. CBH

Importance of the Battle of Brooklyn

The Battle of Brooklyn fought between 19,000 Patriots and 32,000 British troops was a painful start to the long war. Historian Edward A. St. Germain estimates Patriot losses at 300 killed, 800 wounded, and 1,000 captured. In contrast, the Redcoats lost 59 men, with 31 missing and another 268 wounded.

Washington’s hasty retreat — some say miracle — became a big morale boost for the Continental Army. The Patriots determined to continue the fight.

Britain’s victorious Loyalist troops, however, retained control of New York and Long Island throughout the war, until 1783. Their victory at the Battle of Brooklyn would also change the lives of thousands of enslaved New Yorkers, who were offered emancipation in exchange for fighting for the Loyalist cause.

Touring key sites from the Battle of Brooklyn

Most of the hills and passes made famous by descendants of Washington’s army were leveled during the region’s 19th-century surge in population. That’s when the gridiron of pavement replaced Brooklyn’s forest and farms.

If you’re looking for an exciting tourist attraction, know that most battle sites require imagination to appreciate today. But that’s what makes them so extraordinary.

Battle Hill at Green-Wood Cemetery

Before beautiful Green-Wood Cemetery was established in 1838, this spot was known as Battle Hill, at 220 feet, the tallest natural point in Brooklyn.

In 1776, General James Grant and his Redcoats marched north from here along Third Avenue towards Washington’s camp at Fort Greene. They could see farms below Battle Hill and look west to Brooklyn Heights, the East River and Manhattan, ready for Washington’s troops.

Lord Stirling, leading the Continental Army, sent 300 troops to take the hill on August 27. After intense fighting, the British prevailed. While the British incurred their heaviest losses in this one skirmish, they captured most Patriots and sent them to the Prison Warships floating in Wallabout Bay (the East River). Look for the handsome bronze “Minerva and the Altar to Liberty” by Frederick Wellington Ruckstull, a 1920 commemoration to the battle.

At 448 acres, the Green-Wood Cemetery and Arboretum is a respite from Brooklyn’s surrounding urban chaos. Pick up a map to learn about its specimen trees and its famous residents. A long walk uncovers the tombs of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the Roosevelt family, Leonard Bernstein, and many other notables.

Battle Hill is a 5-minute walk northwest of the Prospect Park West entrance (nearest subway is the 15 Street / Prospect Park station on the F or G lines.)

The Old Stone House in Washington Park

The Old Stone House in Washington Park, Brooklyn.

Washington Park, an urban playspace with sprinklers and ball courts where Park Slope meets Gowanus, looks much like any other public playground in gentrified Brooklyn. It is, however, the most developed site commemorating the battle.

What makes it more interesting is the reconstructed Old Stone House modeled on the 1699 Vechte-Cortelyou House, the nearby farm where the Marylanders made their last stand against the British. (Fun fact: In 1883, the field behind the farm became homefield for the original Brooklyn Dodgers!)

Although the original house and land fell to developers, in 1934, NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses used WPA funds to move original stones from the nearby Vechte-Cortelyou site and rebuild it as part of the new park. The Historic House Trust of New York City and the National Register of Historic Places conserve the small museum.

Dig into Revolutionary War history in their fun exhibit

Explore the interactive exhibit on Dutch colonial history and the Battle of Brooklyn -- simple and well done. Upstairs, a community space doubles as a neighborhood art gallery showcasing contemporary work.

The Old Stone House is located at 336 3rd Street (PO Box 150613), Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718/768-3195) It’s open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm; suggested admission is $3. The nearest subway station is Union Street on the R train.

Download this free Walking Tour of the Battle of Brooklyn produced by the Old Stone House for an in-depth look at the battle’s progress from August 22, 1776 to the decisive retreat on August 29, 1776.

Flatbush Pass in Prospect Park

Modern map of the Battle of Brooklyn troop movements.

While fighting raged around Green-Wood and the Old Stone House, another battle erupted at Flatbush Pass (also called Battle Pass). It was only one of four ways to cross the rocky outcroppings and dense forest of today’s Prospect Park.

On August 27, 1776, Hessian troops marched into Flatbush Pass to meet the Patriot forces, waiting for the attack command from the British. Even they were unaware that General Grant’s troops had found a way to surround the Colonists. Enjoy a walk through the park and listen to how Prospect Park historians tell the tale:

At approximately 9 am, the British General James Grant fired a cannon to signal the Hessians to commence their attack. With the Hessians at the front and the British forces coming from the rear -- over grounds now known as the Vale of Cashmere and Nellie’s Lawn -- the American soldiers were completely caught by surprise and fled in panic across today’s Long Meadow.

Many lost their lives in brutal hand-to-hand combat. The memory of their bravery was one of the reasons that Brooklyn selected the land for Prospect Park nearly a century later. Revolutionary War fortifications, gun pits and remains were uncovered during the park’s construction. Be sure to visit the park’s website for descriptions of the monuments on East Drive and Lookout Hill.

Center for Brooklyn History Tour

Center for Brooklyn History exhibit about the Battle of Brooklyn.

Founded in 1863 as the Long Island Historical Society, the CBH has been a part of the Brooklyn Public Library system since 2020. This support has enabled them to conserve archeological finds like buttons from Revolutionary War soldiers’ uniforms. While these precious artifacts thrilled historians, many visitors found the collection dull.

That is, until this year’s interpretive exhibit, “The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered.” It occupies the ground floor Center for Brooklyn History galleries through December 31, 2026. Admission is free.

Expert guides weave a rich tale of heroism and tragedy from maps, diaries and artifacts. One display honors the bravery of Elizabeth Burgin, a young woman who would visit soldiers on the British prison ships, bring them life-saving supplies and eventually, help 200 of them escape.

These relatable personal stories should animate your subway or Uber rides to the various sites to celebrate America at 250.

Celebrate the Centennial of Route 66 at the Desert Hills Motel. Photo c. VisitTulsa.com

We’re singing along with Jimmy Buffett 24/7

Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau sparkles on the Bahamian coast. Photo c. Margaritaville Resorts.

You don’t have to be a Parrothead to enjoy Jimmy Buffett’s music. In fact, I’d argue that even your teens could succumb to “Margaritaville” (hear it live from Anguilla!) Given that you’d do anything to keep them happy, why not spend spring break at the Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau?

It’s pure relaxation, whether you’re into the resort’s Fins Up! Water Park, poolside frozen margaritas, or the tranquil, well-named Serenity Beach.

Book now through May 20 and travel before May 21, 2026 and take 20% off rates plus a $25 Food & Beverage Credit with the promo code: ISHERE. Thrill the kids by gifting them the F&B credit so they can have ice cream by the pool. Why not order a virgin margarita? At our recent stay at the Margaritaville in Lake Conroy, Texas, all non-alcoholic drinks delivered poolside were free of charge!

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Ski, ride and après-dance in Maine

Saturday’s show at Reggae Fest 2025, photo by Daniel Kaye for Sugarloaf.

The popular Sugarloaf ski resort, known for its icy winter steeps and friendly crowds, is celebrating its snowy 75th anniversary season in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. This year, they’re expecting to run their lifts through May 1. Bargain hunters can buy a cheap spring skiing pass, good for unlimited use after March 23, for just $179/adult or $99/youth.

Meanwhile, enjoy live music Saturday afternoons (and some evenings) at the iconic Widowmakers Bar through March and April. If you prefer to groove with skis while the sun shines, the resort’s annual Spring DJ series spins outdoors around mid-mountain and Bullwinkle’s Deck.

Even better for music lovers, Sugarloaf is featuring the 38th Annual Reggae Fest from April 10–12. You may not be familiar with it, but it’s the largest on-snow music event in New England, regularly drawing upward of 10,000 attendees over the weekend. Check out their calendar of events through the resort’s closing date.

Nudist Resorts Gear Up for Spring Break Nakations

Poolside at Oak Lake Trails Nudist Resort. Photo c. AANR.com

Thanks to Florida’s eternal sunshine, nudist resorts affiliated with the American Association for Nude Recreation offer many programs for clothes-free weekends this spring. For newbie naturists, the AANR explains its mission as: “encouraging Nakation vacations as healthy, eco-friendly, transformational travel experiences; while AANR’s membership demonstrates conclusively that life is enhanced by the naturalness of social nudity.”

From March 6-15, there’s a 10-day volleyball tournament going on at the Lake Como Family Nudist Resort just north of Tampa. This coming weekend, the Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos features a Yoga Wellness Weekend with meditation, body painting, sound baths and chakra-themed music. Additionally, the Suwannee Valley Resort in White Springs has a full schedule of March, April and May events themed to St. Patrick’s Day, the Kentucky Derby and Mother’s Day.

Music lovers should keep their knickers on until April 24th. That’s the 25th Nudie Blues Anniversary weekend of classic rock, easy listening and dancing band music. There are indoor and outdoor concerts, plus (and I quote) “skinny dipping at the pool, nude sunbathing on sandy beaches, field games like cornhole, guided nature trail walks, campfires, cookouts and more.” All is revealed at the site for Hidden River Resort located in St. George, Georgia.

Rock the Music and the Country in May

Rock The Country Tour 2026 Poster.

“It’s this simple. Rock The Country isn’t just a music festival; it’s a movement,” the Southern Rock and Country star Kid Rock says.

“In 2026, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, this is a place for hard-working, God-fearing patriots to gather as one and celebrate freedom, music, and the party of the year.”

The multi-city Rock the Country tour launches May 1, 2026, with two-night gigs all summer to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. This year, in addition to Kid Rock, they’re featuring Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Creed, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Shinedown, Jon Pardi, Ella Langley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brantley Gilbert, Treaty Oak Revival, Gavin Adcock, Ludacris, Nelly and yes… more!

Check out the individual lineups and very affordable hotel packages for each city online. The eight RTC 2026 venues and dates are:

• Bellville, Texas - Austin County Fairgrounds - May 1-2, 2026

• Bloomingdale, Georgia - Ottawa Farms - May 29-30, 2026

• Sioux Falls, South Dakota - D W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds - June 27-28, 2026

• Ashland, Kentucky - Boyd County Fairgrounds - July 10-11, 2026

• Anderson, South Carolina - Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center - July 25-26, 2026

• Hastings, Michigan - Barry Expo Center - August 8-9, 2026

• Ocala, Florida - Florida Horse Park - August 28-29, 2026

• Hamburg, New York - Erie County Fairgrounds - September 11-12, 2026

Each stop features daily throwback happy hour DJ sets, new shade and cooling zones, a second stage presented by Raised Rowdy, and a dedicated food zone with five or more local food trucks and seating.

Tickets include Front Porch and VIP offerings, General Admission tickets, GA+ passes providing closest access to the stage, hotel packages, and camping options. Ticket prices start at $89.99/day or $149.99/2 days plus fees; military and student discounts available.

Road Tripping Radio in the Capital of Route 66

If you didn’t realize Tulsa, Oklahoma calls itself The Capital of Route 66® (yes, it’s a registered trademark), then you are in for a surprise.

On Saturday, May 30, the city is inviting classic cars from around the world to meet up for the world’s biggest car parade. This is their official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt, to solidify Tulsa’s place in the history books for the Centennial celebration of the Mother Road, as they like to say.

The rules are simple: Any driver can join the 5.5-mile parade, but cars must be model year 1996 or older to qualify as classic. Register to drive right here; for more information visit capitalofroute66.com. As for the music, car radios became widely available around 1930. If your old Motorola doesn’t work, by all means, go ahead and design a Spotify playlist to please all tastes as you parade along.

Arrive in Tulsa early to check out other classic cars at the pre-Cruise Tailgate and Expo on Thursday and Friday. Try to book the Desert Hills Hotel, a favorite of the vintage motel crowd and a very convenient choice near Route 66.

And please share your own favorite spring break ideas with the rest of us.

“Beach Blanket Bingo” poster and trailer from IMDB.com

All the better reason for planning a family spring break, where all ages will find warmth and their comfort zone. Here are a couple of beachy ideas for this spring.

Swoon to Old World charm at Florida’s classic St. Pete Beach

The Don CeSar glows over St. Pete Beach. Photo c. ThePointPR

They don’t call the Don CeSar the “Pink Palace” for nothing. Since 1928, the luxurious, pale rose Mediterranean style resort has overlooked sandcastles rising on the private Gulf coast beach. Generations in Lilly Pulitzer swimwear have enjoyed poolside games, movie nights, and kayaking together.

Start your own tradition. Spend self-care spa time with the kids. Have an adult meal at Maritana while the hotel’s childcare team gets to work. Or, hang out in your spacious Beach House Suite to savor Uncle Adny’s ice cream and Key Lime Pie Tacos from room service.

Make yourselves at home at Aston Waikiki Beach Tower in Honolulu

View of Waikiki Beach from the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower. Photo c. Aqua Aston Hospitality

Look away from the gold sands and bronzed surfers of Waikiki Beach and you won’t miss the beloved, contemporary Aston Waikiki Beach Tower. Your oceanfront home from home has multi-bedroom condos with kitchens, washer/dryer and a private lanai. Resort amenities include an outdoor pool, yoga room and fitness center.

Weave orchids into leis, create colorful island fabrics and play ukulele -- learn about Hawaiian culture together! In addition to surfing or SUP lessons along the beautiful Pacific beach, tour Diamond Head, the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, and the USS Arizona and USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor.

Tote toddlers to Destin, a tranquil beach along Florida’s Panhandle

Gulfview pool deck in Destin. Photo c. Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

Pale gold sand groomed daily; warm Gulf water, no surf. We’re talking about Destin, a favorite, affordable, drive-to destination for Southern families and Texans. You can now book nonstop flights to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport from Miami, JFK, and Boston. Take off 10% at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa if you’re Florida, Texas or Midwest residents (blue states may be eligible.) This Hilton has loyalty point offers as well as other deals.

Families can choose suites with bunk beds and Gulf of Mexico views. There are several pools including a freshly renovated indoor one, in case of inclement weather. The staff organizes poolside games, beachfront yoga, soft watersports, beach bonfires and Mommy & Me pedicures at the spa. There’s also a date-night steak restaurant plus a free shuttle to the nearby shops at Village of Baytowne Wharf.

Calypso at the St. Thomas Carnival 2026

St. Thomas Carnival 2026 poster c. VisitUSVI.com

Book your US Virgin Islands escape from April 26 to May 2 to take advantage of the St. Thomas Carnival 2026. The island’s lively fiesta honors Virgin Islands’ heritage through music, food, and good vibes. Attend pageants, watch the kids’ parade, party on the beach, dance! Festivities culminate in a two-mile parade through Charlotte Amalie with thousands of masqueraders celebrating in costume.

While hotel rates are higher than at other periods, you get free nightly musical performances showcasing top local, regional, and international artists. Carnival Boat Races and the local Food Fair showcasing regional dishes and island artisans take place at the same time. One of the island’s top resorts in terms of location, the Westin St. Thomas (formerly the Frenchman’s Reef) has spacious rooms with a king and sofabed for under $600/night. (Yes, that’s considered a good deal.) Check out the Visit USVI site for current offers at St. Thomas hotels and inns.

Chill your teens at Cancun, Tulum and Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusives

Family pool at the all-inclusive Cancun Hilton. Photo c. Hilton Resorts

Now that the coast is clear at Mexican tourism destinations, many all-inclusive resorts are trying to lure spring break family travelers with special deals. Hilton, which manages several of these resorts, offers a limited time Kids and Teens Free Deal for adults traveling with kids 17 and under. When you book an all-inclusive stay for your family, any traveler less than 18 years can stay in your room and eat for free! It’s a great deal because these resorts have enough activities to wear out tweens and teens by day and entertain all ages together at night.

Here’s the deal; the KTSF deal is for one child or teen per registered adult with a max of two free children/teens per room. (Bring grandparents to book another room if you have more than two kids.) You must book a minimum 3-night stay (blackout dates apply) by April 30 to qualify. All stays must take place between April 15 and October 31, 2026 so it’s a great summer deal too. Book by phone at 800/445/8667 or at Hilton.com.

Pamper the Family with a Turks & Caicos Luxurious Upgrade

Family bunkbeds at Treasure Beach Village. Photo c. Beaches Turks & Caicos

Fans of the Beaches family of all-inclusive resorts (and we know there are many of you) can level up to the newly opened, $150 million expansion to Beaches Turks & Caicos known as Treasure Beach Village. Multigenerational travelers love the 101 brand new suites. A concierge and butlers keep the two-, three-, and four-bedroom villas livable for up to 10. Spacious beachfront villas feature private pools, rooftop decks and home-style amenities.

The village has its own infinity pool with slides, splash zones and swim-up bars. There’s a new movie theater, international food hall, and an adult restaurant. Of course, the resort’s popular dining options, recreation, Pirates Island Waterpark and signature Sesame Street programming are all still available. There’s no sale here --and no bargains -- but there is availability at Beaches Turks & Caicos.

Discover a thrilling faux beach getaway in Colorado

Outdoor ‘beach’ and water park at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. Photo c. Marriott Bonvoy

If you’re willing to gamble on weather and have hearty kids, you can save a bundle at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center outside Denver. Like other Gaylord convention-style resorts, this one has a huge, year-round Arapahoe Springs Water Park. The catch is it’s outdoors -- only a large pool with slide and hot tub are under a barnlike cover. Since the water is heated and daytime temperatures can soar into the 60s (or snow!) there’s a good chance you’ll make a lot of memories.

No need to leave this Gaylord either. Rooms with a fridge and two queens are spacious and bright. There are several casual restaurants, Topgolf Swing Suites, live entertainment and s’mores out on the Games Lawn. Spring Break packages bundle in family resort credits and other perks.

Vintage trouble and beach party games in Malibu

Malibu Surfrider Beach, California. Photo c. pixabay.com

As for Frankie and Annette, they blanket hopped for the cameras at Malibu Surfrider Beach north of Los Angeles. The Surfrider Malibu across the Pacific Coast Highway is the nearest hotel to plan your spring break beach party. The hip boutique hotel draped in sheer white cotton, wicker, and sisal has a rooftop bar where the whole family can watch the action… without joining in.

Some travelers equate greatness with convenience. Some look for certain amenities or cost.

For us, Great is in the details. Give hotel lovers clever design, authentically local artwork or a hip bar scene and you’ll win our loyalty. Add soundproofing, strong WiFi, proximity and a good meal and you have customers forever. Here’s how the great achieve greatness …

The CitizenM Austin is typical of the brand’s remarkably compact rooms!

Clever design wows newcomers

If you’re not familiar with it, the CitizenM brand originated in Amsterdam. Style makes it a natural pick for a great airport hotel at one of the world’s great airports.

Walk into CitizenM Schipol Airport and you’ll be blown away by the modern design, friendly vibe and cleverly efficient use of space. Relax in lobbies separated by shelving stacked with local art. Lounge or nap overlooking airport walkways or dine at the 24/7 breakfast / bar, CanteenM.

Petite rooms feature a closet with real hangars, sink with makeup mirror and glossy cupboard unit, compact toilet and shower stall, and a workspace and chair. An iPad controls all the lighting and blackout shades, essential to reset Circadian rhythms. The storage drawers under the king-size bed are a welcome surprise for those who like their things tucked away.

Book: CitizenM Schipol Airport in Amersterdam, The Netherlands - cheap

A playful riff on aviation history charms travelers

When Eero Saarinen’s radical TWA Flight Center opened at Idlewild in 1962, it celebrated the soaring excitement of flight. Curvaceous concrete panels traded right angles for overlapping vaulted ceilings. The glistening white terminal with gates and lounges connected by red-carpeted tubes -- innovative and futuristic -- symbolized the Jet Age.

Two decades after American Airlines acquired TWA and closed it, travelers were gifted the only hotel within JFK airport. I think it’s the greatest one, too, thanks to its passion for aviation history. Enjoy flying’s Golden Age at exhibits of TWA uniforms, luggage and a vintage Flight Board. Linger over the lower lobby collection of romantic Trans World Airline posters and sales materials. If you need to stretch legs, stroll the corridors and uncover furnished nooks. There’s a cozy living room with turntable and Monkees albums, a pink beauty salon, and other reminders of the 60s.

You won’t spend much time in the compact, full-service rooms that occupy the flanking, seven-story towers. Instead, teleport up to the heated roofdeck swimming pool and bar overlooking JetBlue’s Terminal 5. For more robust fare, drop into the runway-view Lisbon Lounge or Paris Café, overseen by chef Jean-Georges.

In a rush to take off? Fly high at the ca. 1958 Lockheed Constellation parked outside, which has been turned into a blush red bar named Connie.

Book: TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York - pricey

Calm and efficiency dial down the stress of long-haul travel

Zuerich Flughafen Transit Hotel is airside by the D Gates.

Sometimes an aura of calm is enough to ensure greatness. That’s the case at Zurich’s Transit Hotel and Dayrooms, where tranquil, windowless retreats welcome travelers to an hour’s break or overnight stay. Our recent stay was idyllic; the nap, shower and a good meal fortified us for another 12-hour flight.

Soothing, spotless rooms promise a bed, sink, TV, chair, small work area with outlets and a water kettle with tea. By-the-hour guests can rent a lounge chair and pay for showers.

Guests float around in an airside bubble beyond security. Graze at several restaurants ranging from formal to fast food. There’s a gym with sauna, steam bath and massage rooms, plus nap, nursing and play spaces for little ones.

Book: Transit Hotel and Dayrooms, Flughafen Zuerich, Switzerland - moderate

A delicious meal transforms a layover into date night

This Denver Westin overlooks the airport’s floating peaks and Colorado’s Front Range.

The Westin at Denver Airport is a great airport hotel because it behaves like a true luxury hotel should. The staff, smiling and attentive, welcome pets and people. They are as knowledgeable about the airport as the modern art on display. Recreation includes a gym with Peloton bikes, heated saltwater pool, and hot tub. Linens, toiletries and furnishings are top quality. Spacious rooms have panoramic views of the Front Range.

Best of all, Grill & Vine is the farm-to-table dining room that showcases Colorado’s delicious beef. Sit back and enjoy the rich burgers (the ahi tuna plate is equally satisfying) or breakfast menu knowing your gate is only a few minutes’ walk away.

Book: Westin Denver International Airport, Colorado - pricey

Bunk beds make all ages feel welcome and safe

Who couldn’t get a good night’s sleep on Yotel AIR bunk beds? Photo c. Changi Airport Group

Discover airport hotel greatness at Singapore’s impressive Changi Airport, where the Yotel AIR Singapore Changi family rooms have bunk beds and a queen. Here, families actually do fit into the compact, very clean spaces with foldup work desks and private bathrooms.

Some may argue that the hotel’s superpower is its location adjoining JEWEL, the airport’s indoor jungle with waterfall and amusement park rides. It’s certainly a plus, since hotel guests can purchase discounted JEWEL entry and the Jewel-rassic Quest scavenger hunt to pass time during layovers.

Book: Yotel AIR Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore - cheap

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My last word on great airport hotels

What have airports done to make their hotels great? The Rain Vortex and Jurassic Mile bike route are just a small part of Changi’s Jewel Airport. Photos c. Changi Airport Group

Of course, other than the TWA Hotel -- a destination in itself -- you will only stay at the airport hotel convenient to your flights. But we all should aspire to greatness.

Ideally, you will have time to research the choices and plan your great airport hotel stay online -- and in advance -- for the lowest rates.

When it’s your Hail Mary, check out HotelTonight.com or your airline’s app so you can beat fellow passengers to the best deal. Your credit card company or travel insurance may even cover the cost!

The world’s largest truckstop sells lots of gas to Iowa travelers. Photo c. Iowa80 Truckstop

Whether you’re braving the cold on a winter family vacation or planning a spring break, be on the lookout for places that make your car trip better.

These five pit stops promise more than clean toilets and free parking -- they’re guaranteed to fuel roadtrip stories!

Jackass Joe’s welcomes aliens to Utah

Strike your best pose in Jackass Joe’s Ladies Room

Park hoppers will drive north of Arches’ lunar landscape till day-glo green trucks and galaxy-themed billboards appear outside Jackass Joe’s. This funky place offers more than a fill-up and cold drink.

Stop for free samples of what’s touted as “Utah’s Best Dam Jerky,” including their own UFO, gator, python and ostrich flavors. Peruse the Roswell Alien Zone’s extra-terrestrial souvenirs, stickers and T-shirts.

The gas station’s snack shop features Cheetos Flaming Hot Dill Pickle Puffs, campy glow-in-the-dark paintings, shot glasses, anime candy, Crack Balls and racks of the Original Bag of Poo.

Don’t skip the restrooms. The vividly painted toilets exploding with graphic characters, gold paint and glitter are ideal for immersive selfies.

Iowa 80 Truck Stop is more than an unusual gas station

Buy the family a new truck at the Iowa80 Truckstop. Photo c. Iowa80 Truckstop

Since trucking fan Bill Moon founded a gas station to cater to long haul drivers in the 1960s, Iowa 80 has grown into the self-proclaimed “world’s largest truckstop.” You’ll be wowed by the parking for 900 tractor-trailers and the station’s rich heritage. Fuel up at any of the 42 gas pumps, get your truck washed or serviced, and take Fido to the Dogomat pet wash or dog park while you wait.

Inside, truckers have daily access to rest rooms, a lounge, showers, barber shop, gym, dentist and chiropractor. They can use the laundry, library and movie theater 24/7.

In 1994, Iowa 80 facilities expanded to cater to the needs of all travelers. Whether you’re in a Sprinter camper or a Fiat 600, enjoy aisles filled with trucks and parts. Browse working tools, camping gear, snacks and clothes. Get your jeans, hoodies and ballcaps custom embroidered. Linger at their homestyle Iowa 80 restaurant or hit fast-food favorites like DQ and soon, a Starbucks.

Bill Moon’s passion project was the nearby vintage Truck Museum (free entry) showcasing more than 130 historic trucks. It’s worth lingering to contemplate the consumer journey from a 1903 Eldridge wagon to Amazon Prime. Contemporary trucking culture roars to life each July during the Walcott Truckers Jamboree. That’s the time for the Super Truck Beauty Contest, live country music and cookouts.

Buc-ees in Temple, Texas is much like the others

Grab the stroller if the kids need to pee at the enormous Buc-ees travel centers!

Anyone who’s done the I-35 slog from Dallas to Austin has probably seen the towering Buc-ees billboards topped with a grinning, buck-toothed beaver mascot. Since the chain is a favorite of my in-laws, I felt obliged to break our journey at the enormous Temple, Texas gas station. It’s a far cry from the 1982 convenience store in Lake Jackson, Texas where it all began.

There are more than 100 fueling stations pumping everything from ethanol-free fuel to diesel, plus EV chargers. Sparkling clean -- yes, award-winning -- restrooms await inside.

Shop the vast collection of T-shirts and ball caps emblazoned with Christian psalms and scripture. Lone Star-themed linens, guac‘n’queso serving dishes, hunting gear and car tools fill more aisles. In the center of Temple’s 60,000-square-foot store, chefs call out BBQ brisket sandwiches as they’re made.

No one’s likely to go hungry at any of Buc-ees’ 54 US travel centers in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee or Virginia. These busy beavers are consistent, so each sells gas, homemade fudge, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and the fresh pastries that make Buc-ees popular.

Get gas and vintage charm at South of the Border, South Carolina

Pedro welcomes all road-trippers to South of the Border in South Carolina.

South of the Border is a funky roadside attraction on I-95, a nostalgic stop for generations of East Coast road-trippers. If the 104-foot-tall, sombrero-d mascot Pedro doesn’t make you pull over, two Sunoco stations just south of the border between North and South Carolina will.

When Alan Schafer founded his beer stop in 1949, patrons from the adjoining dry counties helped grow the business. Soon, he added a diner and motel, then a cocktail lounge.

Eventually, the loosely Mexican-themed SOB included a drug store, barber, souvenir shops, lots of outdoor sculpture and a fireworks store.

Local outlets have reported that about 30 acres of the compound, including a vacant casino, convention center and motel, are currently up for sale. (Yours for just $2.85 million.)

Let us know if you make a bid.

Visitors love the barbecue at The Gas Station, Bastrop, Texas

Times change, but the Gas Station in Bastrop is still popular for its barbecue.

Anyone who’s seen the horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” probably remembers the rural gas station. Early on, a van full of hippies pulls into the station to fill up. They sample some barbecue before learning from the creepy-looking proprietor that they’re out of fuel.

Back in the van, Jerry continues driving along the steaming blacktop till he sees some generators outside a house. They pull over to ask about buying spare fuel.

Mayhem and massacres ensue. After much blood and shrieking, the last girl alive escapes the scene. She flees to the nearby gas station, never suspecting that the proprietor is part of the Chainsaw-wielding, cannibal family.

Today, the unusual country gas station used in the 1974 “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” still doesn’t sell fuel. But the Barbecue to Die For sign confirms this is the place locals love for plates of tangy beef brisket and spicy pork sausage.

Horror movie junkies will adore the terror-worthy snack and gift shop. Rubber masks of perps from countless slasher films stare at visitors. Pick up video games, themed junk foods, key rings, dolls, props, peculiar weapons, Goth-style caffeinated beverages and more.

The man behind the counter informs us that it’s against the law for them to sell any merchandise related to the TCM film because of copyright issues with filmmakers. That’s why you’ll no longer find the movie bench out front, or the Coke machine inside. But they do sell a fabulous T-shirt with The Gas Station on it.

Yes, there are clean, new toilets out back. Plus, four Army green cabins that share public male and female bathhouses for $79 per night weekdays; $129 weekends. A few tent and RV sites have also been added to the grounds.

And if you do need gas, there’s a Buc-ees about 8 miles north.

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Shop for fresh fruit, donuts and history at the Farmers Market, Los Angeles, California

The Gilmore Gas Station at the Original Farmers Market, California

Did you know the bustling Farmers Market at Fairfax and Third used to be a gas station? A replica of the 1930’s Gilmore Gas Station stands on its original site by the Clock Tower off the Fairfax entrance. Not so far from the La Brea Tar Pits!

The history dates to the 1880 purchase of two dairy farms by Arthur Fremont Gilmore and a partner. Around 1900, while drilling for water, they discovered oil. The cows were sold off. The new Gilmore Oil Company made a fortune selling crude and tar to pave the growing city’s roads.

During the Depression, two entrepreneurs encouraged the Gilmores to create a village setting with farm trucks on their 256-acre ranch. A dozen farmers paid 50c per day to sell fresh produce directly to customers. The ‘Farmers Public Market’ was an instant hit!

Restaurants and grocers set up covered booths nearby. Soon, they built Gilmore Stadium to attract fans to football, baseball and midget automobile races.

In 1948, the site’s marquee windmill was replaced by a catchy white clock tower. The Gilmores, copying Frank Ulrich’s self-serve gas station concept, then opened the Gilmore Gas-e-teria. It was one of the first stations where drivers could pump gas themselves.

Today’s “Original Farmers Market” has retro restaurants like Du-Pars and more than 100 open-air shops selling prepared foods, produce, souvenirs, housewares and more under its covered roof. The adjacent Grove shopping mall is also wildly popular.

You can still drive to the Farmers Market and find restrooms and plenty of parking, but you’ll have to gas up elsewhere.

Any thoughts on where we should stop on our next road trip?

According to the first World Tourism Barometer of 2026 published yesterday, the number of international overnight visitors grew by 4% in 2025, to an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists! Strong demand from new regions, the economic recovery of Asia-Pacific countries, increased air connectivity and easier visa processes all contributed to tourism growth globally.

Cloudgate (a.k.a. The Bean) by Anish Kapoor in Chicago’s Millennium Park

Upward trends in the Americas, however, stalled at 1% in 2025. As UN Tourism notes, despite more tourists heading to South America (+7%) and Central America (+5%), “the region saw small declines in Q3 and Q4, partly due to weak results in the United States.”

If you’re among the lucky who celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. with a long weekend away, we hope you enjoyed it. If, on the other hand, you’re planning a family vacation in the coming weeks, here are some closer to home winter vacation ideas to make these long, chilly days warmer and brighter!

Florida Glam on a Budget in the Palm Beaches

Enjoy the ‘cows of the sea’ at the Manatee Lagoon in the Palm Beaches.

Despite painfully high airfares, you can still pack bathing suits for a Florida flop n’ drop getaway on the cheap. Go for the glam of Palm Beach with the affordability of West Palm Beach at The Jaxson. This stylishly refreshed motel layers a MiMo aesthetic over large one-bedroom family suites with kitchens and a sofabed. It’s near the Atlantic, just a short walk to the Palm Beach Maritime Museum, plus there’s free parking, all for $127/night. Through March 1, 2026, take advantage of the half-day wildlife tour that supports the region’s environmental institutions with visits to the Manatee Lagoon, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, and Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Southern Comfort and Cultured History in Natchez

Site of the Rhythm Night Club. Photo c. Visit Natchez

While you may encounter chilly, frosty nights in Natchez, Mississippi, it usually boasts a sunny mid-50s or 60s climate during the day. Riverfront Natchez, known for its culture and Black history, is truly picturesque. Films ranging from “Showboat” (1951) to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1986) to Hallmark’s “Every Time a Bell Rings” (2021) have showcased many of the city’s historic structures. Despite rumors to the contrary, Tara from “Gone with the Wind” is not one of them. (Actual filming was done on the Culver City studio backlot.)

In addition to many wonderful Bed & Breakfasts, families like the Natchez Grand Hotel On The River, where doubles including breakfast for four run $121/night. Celebrate February’s Black History Month with Rev. Tracy A. Collins on a heritage tour of the region’s role in slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Sites like the Rhythm Night Club Memorial Museum showcase the lives and legacies of African American club patrons affected by the tragic 1940 fire -- America’s largest at that time. Drop by the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture to check out other programing going on this winter.

Enjoy the Milano Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah

Time to bobsled together at Park City’s Utah Olympic Park. Photo c. Visit Park City

It’s been a funky year for many Western ski resorts, a fact that makes lively Park City, Utah an even better bet for this year’s winter holiday. With galleries, great restaurants, fun boutiques, day spas, and the Alf Engen Ski Museum, there’s plenty to keep everyone busy, reconnecting on and off the slopes. Our tip: Head West after Feb. 1 when the famous Sundance Film Festival has wrapped for the last time in this posh town. (Sundance and its indie filmmakers will move to Boulder, Colorado next year!)

According to the latest Airbnb trends report, snowsports fans are searching domestic and close-to-home winter travel in the U.S., with 80% selecting suburban and rural destinations for their getaways. That’s because there are better deals at the fully outfitted condos just outside town, where kids can sled and enjoy mountain views without the city buzz.

There are two and three-bedroom Airbnbs nearby in Kimball Junction that sleep 8 for under $200/night. It’s just a 6-minute drive from the must-see Utah Olympic Park, where you can zipline, bobsled or just browse other peoples’ Olympic feats. Stop at the Costco near the Salt Lake City Airport on the way in, and you’re all set for a bargain ski break in one of the country’s hottest destinations.

Go for the Gold at Lake Placid, New York

Practice like Olympians at the High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, New York.

If the Olympics is stirring you Northeast souls, you can head to Lake Placid in New York’s Adirondack Mountains. There’s a lot of off-slope fun at the legacy Olympic facilities, ice skating, plus very chilly skiing at Whiteface Mountain. We like the High Peaks Resort in the heart of town, perfectly located for teens who want some time on their own. It’s a good place to snuggle up, too. Large mountain- or Mirror Lake-view rooms with two queen beds, breakfast and access to their indoor pool start at $246/night.

Make Your Own Winter Challenge in Chicago

It’s 3D and truly amazing. Photo c. Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse Maze for Navy Pier

It may be cold outside but that doesn’t make Amazing Chicago’s Funhouse 3D Maze any less amazing. The beloved, brightly illuminated maze located at the Navy Pier has been a family entertainment staple since 2001. Count on it when you want to come in from the cold with the kids. Note: The environment’s intense imagery and disorienting noises are recommended for ages 10+. At night, cozy up with room service the renovated, historic Hotel Blake. It’s in Chicago’s South Loop, convenient to Millennium Park (so you can see The Bean) and the Art Institute of Chicago, with double rooms sleeping four for just $95/night.

For the Sunny Adventure Chaser Abroad

Sevilla is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities at any time of year. Photo c. Croisieurope

I mentioned that tourism to the U.S. is way down -- that’s why there are so many great deals out there. In contrast, international tourism expenditures by U.S. travelers grew more than +8%. This means that some families are checking off international bucket list trips while many others stay closer to home. Ready to travel farther afield?

You have probably discovered that now is not the time to plan a Caribbean vacation, as winter season is the region’s peak period. Airfares and resort rates are sky-high most nights, on most islands, through the end of spring break.

It is, however, a great time to chill in southern Spain. The region averages a sunny mid-50s or 60s during the day. Road trip the countryside or even easier, cruise through Andalusia and immerse yourself in the history of Seville and Cadiz. Learn some flamenco moves, stroll cobblestone lanes, tour the walled pueblos blancos and soak in the Mediterranean climate. Six-day, all-included river cruises start at just $1,528 per person. Several airlines are having Europe airfare sales to make this adventure totally doable.

Let me know where you decide to go!

It’s 2026 at last! Image c. HKTB Hong Kong Tourism

When it comes to New Year’s Eve, there are two types of people. Some bury their heads in the sand (or their pillows) and try to forget the day. (We have calmer First Night events and winter getaways for them.) Others look for the best party on earth, a #winterwow.

For the latter group and FOMO sufferers everywhere, we present a few of 2025 New Year’s Eve potentially most memorable events.

A Fiery Purge in Ecuador

Jealous wedding effigies in Ecuador, photo c. D Fenix 245 for pixabay

Dec. 31, 2025 will be the night to set the town on fire, so to speak, across Ecuador. The country’s traditional annual celebration of Años Viejos or “old years” is the time families burn effigies. Each household makes their own typically satirical representation of political figures, celebrities, or other characters that symbolize what went wrong in the past year. Burning them is a way to let go of the past year’s mistakes, frustrations, and hardships, travel expert Hedder Quispe Puente de la Vega notes. She adds, “Throughout the day, men dress up in drag as widows or las viudas to mourn the bad year.”

We can get behind that!

Hong Kong Lights Up Big for New Years

Immersive Light Show in Central Hong Kong, c. HKTB Hong Kong Tourism

Themed “New Hopes, New Beginnings,” the public 2025 New Year’s Eve show will feature a blend of live music by a children’s choir and the Hong Kong Police Band and a light show that’s sure to wow. (If you can’t get close enough, watch the live broadcast in person starting at 6pm in the Chater Road area in Central, where Chater Garden and Edinburgh Place will feature large outdoor screens broadcasting the main event.)

The Immersive Light Show in Central will transform eight landmarks into giant countdown clocks to welcome 2026. At the stroke of midnight, these landmarks will present a spectacular three-minute light show sending heartfelt blessings to both locals and world audiences. In Tsim Sha Tsui, watch the Hong Kong Cultural Centre project the Hong Kong New Year Countdown show close up. In Wan Chai, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre hosts all the action.

Chirping the Year Away!

PEEPS on a platter at PEEPSFest. Photo c. Coyne PR on behalf of Just Born

We’ve always longed to visit Bethlehem, Pennsylvania -- home to the O.G. Christmas story, as well as the Crayola Factory and a unique New Year’s Eve tradition. This year, that all-ages NYE tradition spans both Dec. 30th and Dec. 31^st to deliver dusk drops of the PEEPS Chick.

Yes, your favorite Easter marshmallow treat also celebrates new beginnings with a 400-pound PEEPS Chick that flies down (read: is carefully lowered) from the sky above the SteelStacks arts complex. For nearly two decades, PEEPSFEST has been Bethlehem’s favorite family festival featuring live music, arts and crafts.

This year, Just Born Quality Confections, maker of PEEPS Marshmallow Candies, will also give event attendees an exclusive first look and tasting of one of the new flavors from the 2026 PEEPS Marshmallow lineup. Yum.

Wear Your Yellow Best in Peru

Self-cleansing lama in Peru’s Sacred Valley. Photo c. Kolibri5 for pixabay.

“In Peru, welcoming the new year is a deeply symbolic act of setting intentions,” Hedder Quispe Puente de la Vega, founder of Machu Travel Peru, explains. “People wear yellow for prosperity and perform cleansing rituals with herbs and flower baths to release the old year’s energy.”

Join the locals in gratitude by making offerings to Mother Earth, who hopefully provides harmony and protection in the year ahead.

Las Vegas Goes All Out for New Year’s Eve

Plaza Fireworks in Las Vegas. Photo c. LVCVB

The public face of Las Vegas will ring in 2026 with an extraordinary aerial celebration that combines a synchronized drone light spectacular, a fireworks show launched from iconic Strip and city rooftops, and a live countdown on the Sphere’s Exosphere.

Vegas has booked 600 cutting-edge UVAs to perform in perfect harmony with fireworks designed by the famed Grucci clan. The free, eight-minute pyrotechnic show will launch from 10 rooftop locations across the Strip and beyond creating an intricate, choreographed sequence set to a custom soundtrack featuring classic and contemporary rock anthems.

If you haven’t seen a drone ballet of tiny, illuminated aircraft making pictures in the sky, here’s the place to lose your mind over one. The city says the performance will welcome 2026 and honor the start of America’s 250th anniversary year! You can watch anywhere along the Strip from the Tropicana to Spring Mountain Boulevard because all streets will be closed.

As for the rest of Vegas, what they’re doing will stay there.

Tokyo Brings on the Night

Tokyo’s City Hall at New Year’s Eve. Photo c. Tokyo Metropolitan Government

We don’t know how many of the 14 million residents will be at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) No.1 Building -- their city hall -- on New Years, but you should be. It’s ground zero for a dazzling Dec. 31st display of light and sound over Tokyo’s ever-developing waterfront. Japanese photographer / director / contemporary artist Ninagawa Mika designed a projection-mapping medley using the façade of the twin-towered city hall that should be stunning.

If you’re traveling with kids, you may prefer the TMG Citizens’ Plaza before midnight. That’s when virtual singer Hatsune Miku and a quartet of Sanrio’s kawaii characters including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi and Go-chan will entertain the crowds trying to avoid AI-generated entertainment.

For a dose of 3D reality, enjoy the real-life Olympian breakdancer Shigekix who will perform live.

Let’s lift some of the 360+ million glasses of sparkling wine* that will be drunk in the next 48 hours and move on... Cheers!

* That’s what WalletHub claims. And thank you Substackers for a 2025 full of encouragement. Happy New Year!

The city at dusk from Twin Peaks.

San Francisco is one of those destinations that makes you feel younger, hipper and in touch. Despite the post-pandemic economic downturn and homeless crisis, local netizens march on, confident about their New World.

I’m more intrigued every time I visit the kids. My hometown of New York may never sleep but SF keeps evolving in a cannabis-tinged fog, providing offbeat attractions for the attentive traveler. Just blow past Fisherman’s Wharf to discover what’s up on your next visit.

The city’s netizens run on flat whites from The Richfield.

What’s Up in San Francisco Now

1. A great Uzbeki restaurant.

2. A free museum devoted to blue jean culture.

3. A deli backroom full of playable vintage video games.

4. A counterculture museum.

5. A charming movie-going palace.

Of course, you can ask me about more winter vacation ideas, but for a few of my SF highlights…

1. Uzbegim at 5120 Geary Blvd in Middle Richmond

Unassuming facade of Uzbegim, one of San Francisco’s best new restaurants.

The descendants of Silk Road traders who populate Uzbekistan reached farther than the Middle East to embrace the flavors of fellow travelers. At Uzbegim, an enormous wall mural dotted with Djellaba-robed men and their camels tells the culinary tale. Some leaned West to Turkey for its Mediterranean flair and others, East to China for fragrant rice casseroles. Uzbegim has it all, plus friendly service, modest prices and the large takeout containers you’ll need to revisit their huge portions at home.

The Vault Museum at Levi’s Plaza, 1155 Battery Street at Telegraph Hill

Cop the pattern of Kurt Cobain’s favorite Levi’s costume at The Vault.

Long a repository of historic documents, fabric samples, films and photos of evolving styles, The Archive is the muse of legendary blue jean maker Levi Strauss & Co. What’s new is “Amped: Music Icons in Levi’s Denim,” the opening exhibit in The Vault, their renovated museum space. Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Britney Spears and others show off their denim best while a video montage plays on one wall. Pin spots highlight the famous Levis 501 metal button fly, fabric appliques, pockets, quilting and patches making each outfit distinctive.

Beyonce’s look is a knockout! Did you know the superstar features a song entitled “Levii’s Jeans” on her Cowboy Carter album? Drop by whenever you’re in town because The Vault will quadruple in size to showcase other celebrities, plus 140 years of this hometown hero’s historic memorabilia. The Vault is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only; admission is free.

The Counterculture Museum at 1485 Haight Street in Haight-Ashbury

David Cimino reminisces about The Oracle, a counterculture paper in SF.

After more than two decades running the Beat Museum (currently closed for structural repairs), owners David and Barbara Cimino now focus on younger changemakers. Their non-profit gallery space shares Carolyn (Mountain Girl) Garcia’s world view: “We really thought we could change the world. We still do.“ The largely two-dimensional collection covers counterculture movements of the 1960s, starting with the Beat poets. Glass cases feature newspaper clippings and images about cultural movements, from disillusionment with government after JFK’s never-resolved assassination (think: Jeffrey Epstein), to Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement. Explore the rise of feminism, AIDS and LGBTQ history, the Viet Nam War and more.

At our visit, David pointed out the display about Peggy Caserta, who ran a local store, Mnasidika, from 1965-68. The popular hippie shop sold clothes, concert tickets and LSD – all crucial elements of the cultural revolution. Caserta is credited with “inventing” the bell bottom because her hand-stitched flared pants legs (made to accommodate cowboy boots) inspired the Levi’s 646 Bell Bottom. Serendipity. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm.

The Ham & Cheese Deli at 5501 California Street in Inner Richmond

Vintage games arcade at the Ham & Cheese Deli

This neighborhood institution is known for hefty breakfast sandwiches that satisfy everyone from vegan to carnivore and then some. Even better, the ca. 1960s backroom is filled with vintage arcade games, pinball machines and video games. Introduce the family to Ms. Pac-Man, NBA Jam Tournament Edition, Gauntlet, and others. Adults may appreciate the flat screen TV showing the day’s big game, posters and other O.G. distractions. Open 7:30am-2:30pm daily, 8:30am-2:30pm weekends, closed Monday.

CineLounge Tiburon at the Ark Row Shopping Center, 40 Main Street in Tiburon

Enjoy loveseats and ‘Spinal Tapas’ at the CineLounge Tiburon

Christian Meoli and Camilla Jackson have built a three-screen theater with enough comfort and style to get you up from the couch. To enjoy a night at the movies, book your reserved plush armchair or loveseat for two in advance. Choose from their Steven Spielburgers, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, beer, wine list, or the specialty cocktails themed to the films showing. The seatbacks don’t recline and the footrest doesn’t go up; instead, you get comfort, good projection and state-of-the-art sound. And you’ll love the homespun commercials for local restaurants and real estate agents!

Illuminate SF Light Art Trail in SoMa and Downtown

If you’re in town before Jan. 31, 2026 for the annual Illuminate SF Festival of Lights, that’s great. But any time of the year you can catch the work of many of the country’s top light artists in San Francisco. Their creations light up the lobbies and exteriors of many major downtown landmarks.

Use our SF Light Art Trail Google map to walk or drive past the Parks at 5M, the Salesforce Tower and Transportation hub, the Moscone Convention Center and more. For $100, we booked a private tour past the public light displays and up to Twin Peaks. The city’s highest point offers fabulous views of the entire Bay Area in lights, spreading out from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Maryland’s National Harbor’ shops, the tree and the Ferris Wheel are lit for the holidays. Photo c. Ron Bozman

Public holiday light shows used to be seasonal events. Now, they’ve become a ritual for many families during the Halloween to Valentine’s Day indulgence period.

And why not? They’re fun, affordable and great photo ops. Join a holiday tree lighting in your town, a religious pageant at your church or any one of the multicultural celebrations that light up cities and towns everywhere. Read on for some ideas:

H ERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA

Tree at Hershey’s Waterpark. Photo c. Hershey Parks

Drive, or hop on the Sweet Lights Trolley to cruise two miles past hundreds of animated displays along forested trails. Hershey Park Christmas Candylane features chocolate, of course, plus dancing lights synchronized to Christmas music, theme park rides, a fabulous collection of trees and all of Santa’s reindeer. Select dates Nov. 15-Jan. 4, 2026.

O RLANDO, FLORIDA

Winter Park, Florida’s Holiday Parade. Photo c. VisitOrlando.com

Orlando, voted one of the country’s top New Year’s destinations for its affordability and variety of entertainment, shines at the holidays. There’s much more to enjoy than the crazy theming at Walt Disney World’s four theme parks, or Universal Orlando Resort’s new EPIC Universe and other parks. Check out VisitOrlando.com’s free holiday celebrations and save those $ for souvenirs. Select dates Nov. 6-Jan.31, 2026.

L AS VEGAS, NEVADA

The Las Vegas Strip celebrates all year long. Photo c. VisitLasVegas.com

Even as it celebrates its founding 120 years ago, Las Vegas remains a powerhouse of seasonal cheer, non-stop entertainment and attractions. Pick from holiday lights along Fremont Street, by the Bellagio (fountains and greenhouse), or in hotel lobbies -- most of it is free and all of it is fabulous. Give back at the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village which raises money for the disabled. Here’s the Vegas.com calendar of holiday shows and events. Nov. 18-Jan. 6, 2026.

I DAHO

The lakefront Coeur d’Alene Resort runs several nightly “Journey to the North Pole” cruises for a spectacular view of its floating holiday celebration. Trust us -- it’s the biggest on-the-water display in the US! Coupled with a cozy hotel room, dinner in one of their festively decorated igloos, the prancing reindeer on the lawn, and the carolers in the lobby, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Nov. 28, - Jan. 1, 2026.

D ENVER, COLORADO

Blossoms of Light Show in Denver.

Bundle up and go all out for the holidays by the Mile High Tree, among the cirtters at Denver Zoo, the Elitch Gardens theme park or at the Civic Center’s Christkindl Market. Catch a 110 foot-tall immersive art installation -- made from sustainable LED lights -- at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Blossoms of Light. If the music is too much, check their calendar for sensory-friendly performances. Nov. 21-Jan. 11, 2026.

A USTIN, TEXAS

Tiny Kingsland, Texas is illuminated over the holidays. Photo c. Ron Bozman/RKR Media

For more than six decades, Trail of Lights has illuminated Zilker Park. It was voted a USA Today “Top 10 Holiday Celebration” for its 2,000,000 lights, 90 lighted trees and more than 70 other holiday displays. Possibly weird but very impressive. Dec. 10-23, 2025.

Y ORKTOWN, VIRGINIA

If you’re in time for the annual Boat Parade Dec. 6, enjoy local vessels -- all decked out -- along the York River. Throughout December, the fascinating historic triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown celebrates the holidays, culminating in O.G. live performances and 17th-century holiday traditions at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Dec. 6-31, 2025

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S AN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Redding, California’s Garden of Lights. Photo c. Seth McGaha

If you travel pre-holidays (the best value time in terms of flights and hotels), enjoy the annual “Mission Bay Parade of Lights” Dec. 13. Over at the Port of San Diego, catch the parades of 80 lavishly decorated boats Dec. 14 and 21. Choose from the Botanic Garden’s million-bulb “Lightscape” with tunnels, fire, sculpture and sound installations; Liberty Stations’ Public Market, and the Whoville decorations in Balboa Park, among many other events. See the San Diego holiday calendar. Select dates Nov.12-Jan. 4, 2026.

Sound good? Please tag your finds and photos with #starrylights when you post to social media so we can join you in the fun. Cheers!

Surprise! Daily price monitoring alerts proved holiday fares were flying all over the place — each and every day. (The euphemism for greed is dynamic pricing.)

Would you prefer to hang in a 1st class airline lounge or save on airfare?

Aviation journalist Barbara S. Peterson understands the frustration of shopping for cheap airfares.

“Is the fare going up or down? You really can’t game it anymore,” she says. “The airlines change fares constantly so all the old rules are out.”

How I spent 12 hours saving $2,500

I thought holiday airfares had peaked when I found $1,132 Newark to San Francisco roundtrip economy tickets in August. For a November trip! I was outraged because we typically pay $350 to $450. I told our kids that I would give up advance trip planning and hope for a last-minute deal.

But I knew the chase had potential to be a good story.

I set up airfare price tracking alerts with my preferred itinerary on Google Flights and KAYAK. I focused on local airlines with nonstop flights. Plus, I checked out non-stop and direct flights.

Over three months, my final ticket options went from an insane high of $3,000 to a purchase of $820 tickets, another score at $772 each, to a final buy of $526.97 each.

If you’re planning a winter family vacation, you need to know how I did it.

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How low will you go for a cheap airfare?

The first question to ask yourself is, am I shopping for the best price or schedule?

If it’s the best price, think spartan. Hardy budget travelers often shun the major airlines for low-cost carriers, like Spirit and Frontier, where fares are typically less. However, the LCCs often charge extra fees for everything beyond a seat. To add to the challenge, most metasearch engines don’t carry LCC fares so you’ll have to figure out which airlines serve your destination.

If you’re more interested in the best price for your preferred schedule, read on…

Determine your needs and flight preferences

Ask yourself and your travel party some questions.

How flexible are you? Can you fly on any day?

If so, use the fare comparison charts on Google Flights or KAYAK or the price prediction tool on Hopper to determine the cheapest days to fly.

Do departure and arrival times matter?

A dawn or red eye (overnight) flight is typically less expensive. However, travel expert and two-time Emmy-winning TV Host of Places to Love on PBS, Samantha Brown, suggests booking early flights.

“The delays become worse as the day goes on and there are more potential flights you can get on that day,” she explains.

It’s a great strategy to cope with challenges like air traffic delays caused by the government shutdown. Or, weather.

Does flight length matter?

Nonstop flights are the most expensive. Flights with several stops, tight connections or annoying layovers are substantially less. (Yet long layovers have potential!)

How comfortable do you need to be?

“For going out to the Coast, I do care a lot about not being stuck in the middle seat,” Peterson comments. “But I am outraged by seat assignment fees.”

“If I don’t pay that now, what are they going to do? Put me in the lavatory?” she asks.

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Ready to shop? Stay flexible, play the game.

United’s FareLock is one of many airline tools that promote gambling on fares!

The system offers legitimate ways to game it.

For example, the Hold Fee. Hopper sells a Flight Freeze option, and a few other airlines have similar fare freeze options, for some flights. I used Farelock, a program from United Airlines. I liked taking the gamble (and I was writing this story) so, for about a dollar a day per ticket, I bought a three-week lock. That gave me peace of mind to keep shopping.

Another option is flexible cancellation fees. jetBlue has great options to change flights without a fee. Or, just cancel and bank the money in an online Travel Wallet. If you fly frequently and can afford to store funds, do it.

Shop the Seat Maps. Peterson checks the airline’s seating charts as she shops because the number of seats left is a good predictor of how volatile the prices will be. It’s also the best way to tell, she says, if your undersold flight might be cancelled next.

Or, try my non-criminal cyber hacks to uncover cheaper flights

I use a VPN, an app that provides online security by routing public WiFi signals through other servers and other countries. For my cheap holiday airfare search, I set my VPN alternatively to Mexico City or Atlanta, both origin points that produced better fares than New York.

Don’t forget to switch internet browsers. I alternate between searching airfares with Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.

I clear the cache (delete ‘browsing history’) daily to to remove past airfare searches, so competition from my own shopping activity doesn’t drive up fares.

Last-minute shoppers know to expect a travel scrum like this one at DIA over the holidays.

The Bottom Line on Finding Cheap Airfares

I’m happy with our tickets. FareLock meant I could drop the purchase of $820 United tickets with no penalty. I had two jetBlue tickets at $772 each that I cancelled; funds were deposited into my Travel Bank. The final buy of $526.97 each is on Delta Basic — wish us luck scoring good seats at the 24-hour Checkin window.

So how do you know if you have a good deal?

“How do you feel about it?” Peterson asks. “If you’re feeling angry about getting ripped off, it’s not a good fare. But if you feel like you’ve got a decent fare, grab it, because you may lose it.”

Amen.

Love getting in the weeds? Read a more detailed account of how to find cheap airfares here.

Flight Delays and Cancellation, Why and Why Now?

Air Traffic Control Tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Photo courtesy American Airlines

As most of us know all too well, this year travel is different. The Trump administration rescinded most flyers rights. While some airlines still honor them, you must comb the fine print to find any consumer protections.

The economy is in bad shape, so many airlines were already reducing airlift and secondary routes.

Airfare prices and ancillary fees have continued to skyrocket as many airline personnel are laid off.

Friends and family from abroad are being denied visas or being deported after traveling to the U.S.

The Shutdown’s affect on travel

As if those travel plagues weren’t enough, the federal government shut down Oct. 1. For most federal workers, that meant no work, no pay. For others, like essential air traffic controllers, it meant must-work -- without pay.

After a few weeks, some cash-strapped air traffic controllers began taking sick days. That gave them time to drive for Uber, deliver for Amazon and do other gig economy jobs.

Five weeks later, the decreasing number of air traffic controllers became a safety issue. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy blamed staffing triggers for the mandatory canceling of flights at 40 major airports.

The scheduled reduction in operations of 10% is currently in effect.

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What air traffic reductions mean for ticketed travelers

MiseryMap is a terrific live, daily update of delays and cancellations provided by FlightAware.com

So far, the reduction in flights affected smaller airports and secondary routes most. Airlines have the discretion to cancel flights of their choosing. They indicate that international flights will not be affected at this time.

If you have upcoming flights, check your airline’s website for guidance. Some are publishing anticipated flight cancellations. Flightaware.com is a good resource for real time delays and changed flight schedules. At American, for example, about 200 flights are being cancelled each day.

All the airlines will notify you when a flight is cancelled, of course. The question is… when?

What schedule reductions mean for flight shoppers

If you’re still shopping for flights, aviation journalist Barbara Peterson recommends doing it as early as possible for holiday travel. “When I start looking online, I feel like I’ve got a gun to my head,” she says. “If you wait until the last minute, even budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier can be really expensive, too.” (Next up, our post on how to find cheap airfares.)

What financial protection do you have for delays or cancellations?

Airlines will be required to issue full refunds under certain conditions, according to this NY Times story. Many are currently rescheduling passengers at no extra cost – a sign of goodwill.

Will the travel insurance policy I hope you bought cover the costs of flight delays? Typically, travel insurance does not cover “known circumstances.” You’re out of luck if you bought a ticket after the government shutdown began. However, if you are still shopping for a holiday air travel, consider paying more for a “Cancel for Any Reason” insurance policy.

You’ll see less traffic on the tarmac. Photo c. American Airlines

Coping in style with flight cancellations and delays

Even after the federal government returns to work, industry veterans say that it will take several weeks for airlines to resume their intended flight schedules. Here are some ways to cope with our new travel reality.

Buy non-stop flights. Eliminate the option of direct flights (flights with a stop but no plane change) and connecting or layover flights. You don’t want to miss Santa after all.

Keep up with the news, like USA Today’s Daily Shutdown Report.

Samantha Brown, a two-time Emmy Award-winning TV host and enthusiastic travel expert, is about to release the 9th season of PBS’s Samantha Brown’s Places to Love. Having inspired wanderlust for 25 years, she isn’t about to stop.

“If you already have a flight booked, try to change it to the earliest morning flight,” Ms. Brown advises. “The delays become worse as the day goes on and there are more potential flights you can get on that day.”

No one wants to spend more time at the airport, but Ms. Brown knows it may reduce the anxiety level. While the TSA app indicating security wait time is not being updated due to the shutdown, she checks it for the historical data on typical wait times. “Add an hour to when you would normally arrive using the historical data as an educated reference.”

Yes, killing time is tough for anyone, especially for families. She recommends, “Bring lots of food (no liquids of course) because airport food is expensive and there could be long lines.” A variety of electronics with extra power packs will help pacify impatient family members -- of any age.

But Ms. Brown’s parting words may be the best advice of all.

“Be kind and patient. We’ll get through this!

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Husband, Joseph and Doorman front of the Winchester Shoreditch Hotel, Cape Town.

It is a chilly August Tuesday when a black SUV pulls up to Cape Town’s Instagrammable Winchester Shoreditch Hotel. The tall, slender and stylish Joseph – tweed cap and leather jacket -- is at the wheel.

As we introduce ourselves cruising up the R27 in Western Cape, we learn Joseph is from the DRC, Congo. He is well educated, speaks fluent English, French and three tribal languages. With a college degree in marketing, and a child, he lives near his own mother.

He was born in Zambia but has lived in Cape Town for two decades. His family’s move, however, doesn’t define him.

Congo is where his father was from. His father’s people are his people; therefore, he is from Congo. It’s the African way.

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Joseph is full of facts and stories. On our first day, we tour West Coast National Park. The white sand is stunning. The Atlantic surf is too cold for swimmers, but surfers go out in wetsuits. We explore South Africa’s unique biome known as fynbos with its gorgeous flower fields.

Husband with the “Bushman” Biltong Truck at West Coast National Park, South Africa.

Professional street foodies, we insist he stop at a food truck parked by the beach walk. It is the Boesmanland Biltong Bar.

Biltong is a favorite African snack, he explains, a type of jerky made from springbok, eland, ostrich or beef depending on what’s local. It can be salty or spicy or, his favorite tangy flavor, Peri Peri.

We lunch at !Khwaa ttu, a San tribal heritage center with a lodge and restaurant run by the aboriginal people of southern Africa. A smiling young guide explains that the San are hunter gatherers. Women ruled the homestead because men were always away. Many died young.

San marriage customs flipped European and Asian dowry systems by demanding a steep bride price in cattle before a husband was approved.

Joseph confides that livestock prices are high now, even though a Cape Town bride would have no need for actual cattle. His bride’s tribe will instead determine the cattle equivalent in cash. That’s why he is saving his ZAR (South African Rand).

Yellow Weaver Nests

Small Yellow Weavers are chattering in the trees. Each one flutters next to an intricately woven hanging nest. They are male birds, dancing and singing to attract potential mates.

If a female believes the male will be a good provider, she moves in with softer feathers to cushion the nest. If not, the embarrassed male destroys it and starts again. It is the birds’ way.

We overnight in the tiny Victorian hamlet of Matjiesfontein. The super luxurious Rovos Rail train is parked at the station. Mirrored windows obscure breakfasters in the Michelin-starred dining car. We take pictures and drive off.

My Dallas-born husband naps during long stretches of two-lane blacktop until we reach South Africa’s Karoo. The miles of fenced-in scrub brush and honey mesquite trees resemble West Texas.

He moves to the front seat, in his element now, showing Joseph what “riding shotgun” means. Joseph is delighted to learn some American slang and listens intently to the history of the stagecoach.

We pause to hike in Camdeboo National Park. Our ascent guarantees stunning views of the Valley of Desolation, whose stiletto rock towers are so aptly named. The road leads downhill to the Dutch-Mediterranean style Drostdy Hotel in the town of Graaff Reinet, an affluent oasis.

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Day 3, we are on the N9 heading towards Lootsberg Pass. My husband’s jaw drops when I ask Joseph, an almost-stranger, about polygamy. (Google AI says: “At least 15 African countries have legal polygamy under civil, customary, or religious law.”)

Joseph confirms polygamy is the African way. Providing a separate home for each wife, however, has gotten so expensive it is rarely done. He sighs.

Our route passes Orania, a private, gated farming community where only Afrikaners, white South Africans, are allowed. We have heard about this controversial community with roots in Apartheid. Over the fence, we spot a blond boy on a swing, hair glistening in the waning sun. It is unspoken, but apparent. Joseph does not want to get any closer than the highway exit sign.

Yummuy chicken wrap from Wimpy, Peri-Peri sauce on the side.

We drive on, hoping for more snack stops. Joseph introduces his favorite one, Wimpy, a local gas station and fast-food chain.

Not as fancy as MacDonald’s, he notes, but they are high-quality establishments with clean restrooms.

Bags of Peri Peri Biltong are stacked at the register.

Joseph expounds on Peri Peri’s subtleties: the citrus tanginess and the heat of the Bird’s eye chili peppers at its core. He claims his Peri Peri marinade makes his braai (barbecue) popular with friends.

Now he sounds like my husband.

I mention that we first encountered the spicy, tangy sauce in the Old Town of St. Augustine. The conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon (of Fountain of Youth fame) sailed to Florida in 1521 with 13 Black crew. These free Africans helped found the Spanish colony -- America’s earliest settlement -- bringing their gastronomy to the New World.

Joseph is pleased to discover a cultural foothold in the United States.

His obvious culinary skill (and the very long drive) lead to questions about dating. Joseph explains how the popular reality TV show, “First Dates,” has shaped his preference in women.

He understands African women, so he only watches the UK and US versions. He is turned off by the American women contestants he sees, who are very materialistic and career oriented. He does not want to spend money dressing his wife for her workplace!

We pose with Joseph in front of ‘The Big Hole’ - the 240-meter-deep pit mine at Kimberley.

We pass the afternoon at the site of Cecil Rhodes’ famous diamond mine at Kimberley. The museum chronicles a boom-and-bust period that reveals a lot about South Africa’s history. Kimberley itself reminds me of Rust Belt towns during the 1970s.

Joseph surprises us in the gift shop when he mentions that diamond jewelry is a lasting expression of love.

I can’t get the De Beers slogan: “A Diamond is Forever” out of my head. Perhaps he can’t either.

We depart Kimberley early for the UNESCO World Heritage site at Maropeng. Priceless prehistoric fossils have earned it the name ‘Cradle of Humankind.’

A large billboard touting “Arabic Perfumes! Make Your Own Scent!” catches my eye as we near the townships outside Johannesburg.

Joseph explains that African men love Arabic perfumes and buy the oils to blend their own fragrance. Some of his friends buy European designer ones from Duty Free, without knowing their scent, just for the impressive labels.

I ask if perfume is a good gift for a date. Joseph is taken aback.

A woman would never wear perfume, he insists. Only men wear perfume. I myself have two favorite fragrances -- one for every day and one for dress-up. It is the African way.

It is Night 4. As we pull up to our Johannesburg hotel, I realize African men are like Yellow Weavers.

They are bound by tradition.

They try hard to please the women in their lives.

They like to believe they are in charge.

It is the way of men.

Thanks to Xavier and his team at Cape Archives Tours for planning such a rich itinerary and introducing us to Joseph. His deep insights into the ways of the animal kingdom and African culture served us well on the safari cruise we joined the following day (read more). And endless thanks to my avid Substacking editor, Keith McCarthy.

Zabar’s Smoked Fish Gift. Photo c. Zabars.com

Like most culturally Jewish New Yorkers, our family occasionally splurged to serve Zabar’s bagels and smoked salmon on a Sunday morning. Not often enough, though, to be – like so many others -- on a first name basis with anyone in the store.

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Then, one fateful day, Saul Zabar entered my world. I was 16. I went into Zabar’s after school to get a bagel and met Marty, who manned the register. As I fished for a dime, Marty asked if I wanted to meet him after work at the Metropolitan Museum’s Medieval Sculpture Hall. A romance was born.

Marty was very fond of Mr. Zabar; he admired his way with customers.

Maybe that’s why I felt comfortable cold calling him decades later for an interview. I had discovered a genuine Banksy at the northeast corner of 79th Street and Broadway, diagonally across from Zabar’s. “Boy with Hammer,” as the painting is now known, was sealed behind plastic with a sign asking passersby to help the store protect it.

I am a reporter; I had questions.

Zabar’s was already world famous; locals and tourists wanted to shop there. The New York Frommer’s and Fodor’s guides touted it. The Real Guide mentioned it. Lonely Planet praised its “epic bagel.” Symphony Space theatregoers received a pound of the legendary coffee with every membership renewal. My husband sent their smoked fish gift baskets to friends back home in Texas.

The ephemeral British artist Banksy crash-landed in Saul’s world on a Saturday night, Oct. 20, 2013, by graffitiing one of his buildings.

“I wasn’t present when Banksy made it,” he told me. “But it was a Sunday when my brother Stanley and I heard a big commotion across the street from Zabar’s, at a building we had an interest in.”

“Boy with Hammer” (2013) by Banksy.

Mr. Zabar described the huge crowd that had gathered around the image -– a silhouette of a young boy leaning in with a raised hammer, as if waiting to prove his strength to a carnival barker. Police had constructed barricades to control fans, most of whom had followed clues on Banksy’s website to discover the latest creation in his month-long quest to tag New York City.

“Anyway, when we saw it, we decided to cover it with some plastic sheeting we had; we were enchanted by that little boy,” Zabar added. “When we came back the next morning, we found the plexi cover was graffitied with a note: ‘Let the street decide…’”

Saul (he insisted, “Call me Saul”) vividly recalled the day he first saw his Banksy.

“It was a magical moment. All the crowds were happy and interested, there was so much positive feeling… Everyone there was joyful. I’ll never forget it.”

Saul, then president of Zabar’s, and his brother Stanley, vice president, still made time to visit their Banksy. “We’re interested to see that it just stays there.”

It was Saul who added the note about Zabar’s so that people could report any vandalism. He also hung photos of his Banksy in their ground floor café.

“You know,” he reminded this travel writer, “all the guidebooks tell tourists that when they come to New York they should go to Zabar’s. So, they come to our café because it’s the thing to do.”

I nodded silently in agreement.

“You ever come into the store?” he asked.

“Yes, of course.” I could hear him smiling in delight.

“Say hello sometime.”

Saul Zabar, at 97, passed away Oct. 7, 2025. Two of his children work in the family-owned business and plan to maintain it (and Saul’s Banksy) forever.