The U.S. national park system responded to the coronavirus pandemic by becoming more like everything else in our lives: cumbersome and overcomplicated. Such is life in 2024. At least 9 of the coolest, most-visited reserves across the country (we list them here) now require would-be visitors to make advance reservations to access all or part…
Overcrowding remains a problem at the most popular U.S. national parks. Just ask the folks at Yosemite. After dropping the California preserve's timed-entry permit for summer 2023, officials are relaunching the system for the busiest stretches of 2024, citing—you guessed it—overcrowding as the reason. Yosemite (pictured above) rejoins several other heavy hitters in the National…
Timing is everything when it comes to planning a cruise vacation. Once you’ve decided on the ship and itinerary and have made the down payment, the next step is knowing when to book excursions, specialty dining reservations, spa treatments, and other activities. Getting that right—or wrong—can significantly affect the quality of your trip. After all,…