Travel

The party started an hour before the M/S Gabriella ferry slipped out of Stockholm harbor for its overnight voyage to Helsinki. At the outdoor bar on Deck 9, passengers had gathered for the 4 p.m. sailing. Talking excitedly over drinks, they reveled in the Nordic summer weather – bright sun, cool breeze, electric blue sky with cotton-ball clouds – while a DJ mixed bass-heavy Eurodance and vintage disco. Kids on holiday with their families dashed about.

The day I packed my entire life into my car and drove from Boise to Spokane, I spent the seven-hour drive wiping so many tears from my eyes I could barely see the road.

When Lucas McIntyre moved to Spokane from Memphis, Tennessee, in 1998, he had never seen a mountain. At least, not one bigger than his apartment building.

With its historic church steeples and the arched Blue Bridge stretching across the north branch of the Potomac River, the city of Cumberland in western Maryland offers a picturesque view of small-town Appalachia to anyone passing by along Interstate 68.

Dan and Carol Taylor parked their camper van in a Green Bluff empty parking area, after visiting the store at Walters' Fruit Ranch to buy treats ahead of a one-night stay. The orchard is among more than 5,500 sites for Harvest Host, a RV membership company that coordinates brief stops at a network of farms, wineries, breweries or small businesses. Electric, water, and sewer hookups typically aren't available, but the benefit is a free night's stay. Most RVers buy products or donate at sites.

Every July, tens of thousands of visitors descend on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, crowding the frenzied passenger docks in the seaport of Buenaventura as they wait for speedboats that will whisk them to the small communities lining remote Málaga Bay. They’ve come to see the humpback whales.

“Hey mate!” a cyclist called to us in an Australian accent as he pedaled by on the rocky dirt road that serves as the main street of the village of Theth deep in Albania’s Dinaric Alps. Along with my friend and travel companion, Dave, I had not seen another bikepacker in four days.

At 6 million acres, New York’s Adirondack Park is the size of Vermont, and larger than all of New Jersey. A unique mix of state and private property that encompasses mountains, wilderness areas and lakes, the park draws more than 12 million visitors annually who want to hike, paddle, explore and more.

Hiking and kayaking in the daytime? Fun and invigorating. But under a full moon, those activities can be transcendent. Gazing at blue skies is pleasant – but rather ordinary. Looking up at the night sky, on the other hand, feels as though deep mysteries may be revealed.

Travel+Leisure magazine’s 50 Best Places to Travel is always a fun read, but this year’s category breakdown makes it even more wanderlust inducing. There’s a section of “Where to Go 2024” rankings for travelers looking for cultural immersion, food and drink (Sonoma County gets a shout-out), big city thrills and more.

ORLANDO, Fla. — I grew up in Orlando, and every time I tell someone I’m from there, they crack a joke about Mickey Mouse. Yes, I went to Walt Disney World all the time! But the sprawling city is so much more than the Mouse House and chain restaurants, even more so since I left 15 years ago. Dare I say it’s ... cool now? From world-class restaurants to family-friendly activities, here are seven ...

“I have analysis paralysis,” said my friend Maite, an Argentine who lives in Madrid. Maite is a world traveler but has always been stymied when it comes to Greece. “There are too many islands. How do you decide?”

Some adrenaline-thirsty travelers pursue fresh powder, and some seek the perfect surf break. Others strap themselves to a 30-foot kite and skim across the waves, looking for a chance to catch a little air.

Every year is an Olympics year in Lausanne, Switzerland, a city of stone buildings, tile roofs and historic church squares perched on a hillside overlooking Lake Geneva. As home to the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum, the city is involved year-round in championing the Games, long before and long after the official ceremonies take place. (This year, the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, mostly in and around Paris, run from July 26 to Sept. 8.)

Ahead of the third season of the culinary drama “The Bear,” Chicago is abuzz with sightings of the cast. Seasons 3 and 4 are shooting back to back, and despite showrunners’ best efforts to throw Chicagoans off their trail with filming code names, actors have been spotted at O’Hare International Airport, an Evanston church and the lakefront.

It was while sipping the tasty goose soup he’d ordered that my friend Matt said he was considering giving up his American citizenship.

If you’ve ever traveled to the United Kingdom, the coast of northern Maine or eastern Canada, you can expect a similar feel when visiting the San Juan Islands. What’s different is that the temperatures here are moderated by the waters that encircle them, resulting in a generally mild maritime climate.

A family beach vacation is an American classic. But depending on their children’s ages and inclinations, some families may be drawn to different kinds of shorelines: those featuring clear, calm water for snorkeling and learning to swim; or, for shell collectors and young naturalists, sandy stretches carpeted with seashells or bordered by tide pools. For castle builders, fine sand is a must, while would-be surfers need tidy waves, ready to ride. Here are six great beaches in the United States and Baja California for family-favorite summer activities.

In popular imagination, France’s Fontainebleau is inextricably linked to its grand Château. But when I visit, I typically skip it entirely. Yes, the 1,500-room Château de Fontainebleau that was inhabited by French kings and emperors for eight centuries may seem the most arresting attraction in this region 37 miles south of Paris. Instead, it’s the surrounding forest that entices me to return again and again.