This Alpine Resort Has the World's Highest Snow Maze
Move over corn mazes! The winter version of the classic fall countryside activity is the snow maze. And one ski resort has laid claim to the highest alpine snow maze in the world. Colorado’s Copper Mountain snow maze opened mid-January, and with a base elevation of over 9700 feet, the snow maze’s location on the mountain next to one of its lifts puts it in record-breaking territory.The 2500-acre alpine resort about 75 miles west of Denver has already been blessed...
Pretty in Pink: Where to Meet the National Bird of the Bahamas
The Caribbean flamingo is an iconic symbol of the tropics, with its vivid pink plumage standing out against a backdrop of turquoise waters, green palm leaves, and pastel-colored buildings. In the Bahamas, where it’s the national bird, flamingos have made a strong comeback thanks to conservation projects. The Islands of The Bahamas may be one of the best places in the world to get up close to this iconic, almost cartoon-like wading bird.Fun facts: the same carotenoids that make carrots...
3 Unique Ways to Get Active Outdoors in French St. Martin
The twin-nation island of St. Martin is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. It's the smallest place in the world divided between two countries: the south end is Dutch and the north end is French. Famous for its beaches, shopping and gastronomy, there's much more to St. Martin. Whether you're in St. Martin on a cruise ship port of call or an extended stay at a hotel or resort, we recommend you explore the wild side of French St....
Cruise Travelers to the Great Lakes Could Soon have a New U.S. National Marine Sanctuary to Visit
Cruises in the Great Lakes are spiking in popularity, and a proposed new National Marine Sanctuary adds to the many attractions of a Great Lakes cruise. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary isn’t a done deal just yet. In April of 2019, following a New York state community nomination, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) subsequently announced its intention to designate a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario. You’ll recognize some other beloved maritime destinations NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary...
The Very First National Park Turns 150
It’s not just the first national park in the U.S. It’s the first national park in the world. In March, 1872, American president Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the establishment of Yellowstone National Park to preserve and protect some of the country’s most emblematic scenery and wildlife for future generations. That first national park represented the start of the entire U.S. National Park system. Today, the National Park Service manages 85 million acres of land, comprising 63 National Parks and...
This Resort Has Built an Observatory to Tour Hawaii's Ancestral Night Skies
Ancient Hawaiian culture meets the astro-tourism trend in this new experience in Lana’i. If you are one of the many people who’ve found a new fascination with the night skies, the new observatory debuting in the Four Seasons Resorts Lana'i will be keeping you ‘up at nights’ thinking about this trip.Four Seasons Resorts Lana'i has debuted the Lāna'i Observatory, offering a new astrotourism experience for Resort guests, Lana'i residents and students. The observatory’s telescope stands 135' high and weighs approximately 3,000 pounds....
PaRx: Canadians Can Get Prescriptions to Visit National Parks
How good is active outdoor travel for your health and wellbeing? It’s so essential that doctors in Canada can now prescribe a ‘dose’ of nature to their patients.“PaRx” is Canada’s first, national nature prescription program. It started in 2020 and has since won over a lot of supporters, including an award from the Canadian Medical Association, and over 1000 registered prescribers.Doctors, nurses, and other licensed health care professionals can help their patients improve their health by prescribing time in Canada’s...
A New, Underwater "Ocean Highway" for Galapagos
At 2021’s Climate summit in Glasgow, something pretty extraordinary for one of the natural world’s greatest treasures happened. Neighboring countries Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama got together and agreed to create an ‘ocean highway’ to allow threatened marine species in and around the richly and uniquely biodiverse Galapagos Islands to safely travel to the territories they need to survive. The Galapagos Islands famously inspired the pivotal works about evolution of species by Charles Darwin. The Islands are part of...
Travel During Year of the Tiger: Where to See Tigers in the Wild
Welcome to the Year of the Tiger! Once every dozen years, the Lunar New Year celebrates the largest of all cats, one that Asian astrologers describe as uplifting, brave, and independent. All excellent qualities for the year ahead. Over 1.5 billion people around the world celebrate Lunar New Year. Festivities continue in some cultures for about two weeks, but the influence of the Tiger lasts the year.Year of the Tiger may inspire many of us to take a new interest in...
Why Taking an Alaska Cruise is 'For the Birds'
Bears and whales and other marine mammals are high on everyone’s list for wildlife sightings in Alaska. But we think any trip to America’s Last Frontier is, well, ‘for the birds.’ With more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, as well as parks bigger than some countries, Alaska’s natural treasures include abundant populations of some of the continent’s most interesting, colorful, and majestic birds. You may think, in northern climes, the bird population doesn’t stack up against tropical...