The 7 Best Things to Do in Whites City, New Mexico (& Nearby)
Whites City, New Mexico is the gateway to Carlsbad Caverns National Park – and the closest community to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This might make you think it's well-equipped to handle tourists, perhaps like Seward (Alaska) near Kenai Fjords, Bar Harbor (Maine) near Acadia, or even tiny but growing Baker (Nevada) near Great Basin...
The 10 Best Things to Do in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Located in the southeast corner of New Mexico, the town of Carlsbad is perhaps best known for the cavernous national park nearby that shares its name. Bisected by the Pecos River, this town of just 30,000 residents might not seem like it offers much other than overnight accommodation for national park travelers; in fact, there are more things to do in Carlsbad than you likely realize...
10 Days in Alaska: How to Plan Your Epic Alaska Itinerary in 2023
If there is one destination about which I receive more questions than any other, it's Alaska. At the core, everyone wants to know: how do you plan a trip to Alaska? What's the perfect Alaska itinerary? Since I started this blog, I've become a bit of an expert in Alaska trip planning and at times I publish so many stories that it seems like I'm running an Alaska travel blog! After all, I grew up in Alaska and I go back to explore my 'home' state at least once per year and twice in both 2021 and 2022...
Alaska in June: Planning a Summer Trip in the Most Popular Month
Though you haven't experienced it yet, there are some quintessential experiences to have in Alaska: blue skies over a stunning landscape, wildlife wandering through your view, and the sudden realization that it's 10pm and the sun is still up! That's Alaska in June though – long days and lots of fun...
7 Days in Alaska: Two Alaska Week Itineraries for 2023
The absolute silence of Denali National Park. The misty spray of a waterfall running over the cliffs of Kenai Fjords. The unusual flavors of reindeer sausage topped with pineapple salsa. Alaska is a place full of experiences that you may have never had before – which is likely why you're planning a visit in 2023. It's time to have that bucket list experience...
7 Former National Parks Across the U.S. Still Worth a Visit
When most people think of national parks in the United States, they likely envision iconic sites like Yellowstone, Yosemite, or the Grand Canyon. However, there are some former national parks that have been demoted or absorbed into other parks for a variety of reasons...
What Should be the Next U.S. National Park? 10 Data-Backed Contenders for the NPS
As you may know from reading my site at all, I'm a huge fan of the national parks system in the U.S. I, like many, believe it to be one of America's best ideas – and I love traveling with the specific intent of visiting new national parks. Heck, Mr. V and I took a honeymoon road trip to explore national parks, and I plan an annual pilgrimage to a new park with my friend Marissa...
13 Fascinating National Park Visitation Facts (from 2022 data)
You love national parks, right? I mean, who doesn't? They are undoubtedly one of the best parts of the U.S., and protect some of the most incredible natural wonders in this country. I love visiting them, and I love learning about them too...
The 10 Least Visited National Parks
(Updated with 2022 Data)Empty wilderness, mountain landscapes, sweeping beaches, and untamed wildlife: these are just some of the reasons that many of us are drawn to visit national parks across the U.S. And while you might think of iconic sights like geysers and granite valleys, there is a huge diversity of natural wonders on the list of National Parks...
