Travel

If you're eager to mark the holidays this year with a Danish flair but Copenhagen seems a tad too far away, you might find the answer in Solvang, California. An answer that includes gnomes and a troll. That city, founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, celebrates its Julefest — the winter holidays — with an emphasis on visitor-friendly Old World traditions. This year's schedule includes a series ...

As the summer crowds fade and cooler air sweeps in at America’s national parks, the trails feel more inviting and the landscapes take on a fresh beauty. Shorter days bring the added bonus of unforgettable sunsets from wide-open vistas, and longer nights make it easier to enjoy the stars in designated Dark Sky sanctuaries.

NUUK, Greenland – A dark SUV pulled into a shopping center illuminated by the midnight sun. Tour operators René and Ulrikke Andersen jumped out of the vehicle and approached a pair of tourists with an offer. Two people had signed up for that evening’s whale-watching cruise, but the guides needed to fill a few more seats. Were we interested in going?

Why are many drawn to old mining towns?

Earlier this month, I competed in the national championship of a trading card game. Despite learning how to play the game less than a year ago, I got 99th place out of the more than 500 players who qualified for the contest.

About two years ago I was talking with Mike, a friend of mine I’ve known since Ronald Reagan was still in the White House, and he asked me a question out of left field: What if we went on a tour of World War II European battlefields?

Having grown up with a parent in the military, I have a difficult time answering the question “Where are you from?”

If someone told you they were visiting Spokane, where would you suggest they visit? Maybe you have a favorite restaurant in mind, a shop they should browse or an experience they should try.

Crashing waves struck the prow, the cold water of Lake Huron splashing those of us braving the top deck of the small ferry. My lifelong friend, Arielle, shielded her face with her hat until the vessel eased into calmer waters on its approximately 20-minute voyage to Mackinac Island. Miles of blue stretched toward the late-morning horizon, the green Mackinac Bridge prominently featured as its 5-mile span connected Michigan’s peninsulas.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Of all the creatures associated with Florida – alligators, flamingos, manatees – possibly the most consequential doesn’t show up in tourism ads or on travel websites.

Inspired by popular historical drama series and social media, a growing travel trend encourages travelers heading to Europe to enjoy a different accommodation style than a hotel or private cottage: castles. Castles, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland, increasingly turn to the travel industry for historic preservation. They’re being restored and refashioned into luxury hotels and ...

PALMWAY, Namibia — Fresh dung. Tracks in the sand of the Namib Desert. The black rhinoceros can't be far away. Wildlife rangers Stefanus Ganuseb, 42, and Fritz Hoeb, 45, are patrolling on foot, equipped with binoculars and a camera. And accompanied by an armed policeman. Then they discover the young male rhino named Arthur on a distant crest. The team checks the direction of the wind so that ...

LOS ANGELES — The stalactites and stalagmites of Sequoia National Park’s Crystal Cave, a sprawling subterranean wonder that’s been closed for four years, will be accessible again this summer. But to get in during the open season of May 23 through Sept. 7, you’ll need tickets, which are available now. Visitors will walk through the cave on 50-minute guided group tours, inspecting mineral ...

Travel expert Rick Steves doesn’t want you to have a safe trip, he wants you to have a “bon voyage.”

As a young backpacker, I first fell in love with the picturesque village of Rothenburg, in Germany’s Franconian heartland. At that time, the town still fed a few farm animals within its medieval walls. Today its barns are hotels, its livestock are tourists, and Rothenburg is well on its way to becoming a medieval theme park.

Oh, Canada! Our neighbor to the north offers families a wide range of vacation opportunities. You’ll find history, culture and extraordinary natural beauty. Plus, polar bears.

“As long as there are cows and horses around, you’ll need someone like me,” our wrangler said when I asked if someone could earn a living cowboying these days.

LONDON – Beneath the gift shop of the original Hard Rock Cafe, staff members lead daily tours of the Vault, a space the size of a walk-in closet that guards some of the chain’s most vaunted treasures. Inside, there’s the harpsichord played by the Beatles, Bo Diddley’s cigar box guitar, a bustier from Madonna’s era of traffic cone tops. At the restaurant across the street, diners eat cheeseburgers alongside Jimi Hendrix’s maracas, Keith Richards’ pink Fender Stratocaster, and a pair of glittery sunglasses immortalized on the cover of Elton John’s chart-topping album “Caribou.”

Spokane is one of “the hottest destinations” for spring travel, as beloved weathercaster Al Roker put it on the “Today” show earlier this week.