Category
Winter Travel
Cold-weather destinations, snow escapes, and winter wildlife.
July 17, 2026
Book Your Ski Trip in July: Why Smart Winter Travelers Are Already Planning 2026-2027
I was sitting on a warm deck in Park City in July, the chairlift motionless overhead, when the bartender told me the smart move was booking…
February 10, 2026
Winter Wildlife Watching Across America
The bald eagle landed on a cottonwood branch 40 feet from where I stood on the bank of the Mississippi River near Lock and Dam 14 in Iowa.…
February 10, 2026
Southern Winter Escapes: 8 Towns Worth the Trip
The woman behind the counter at the Natchez Visitors Center looked at me like I had asked a strange question. 'Why is nobody here?' I had s…
February 10, 2026
Scenic Winter Train Journeys Across America
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad pulled out of the station at 9:15 AM on a Saturday in mid-December. The coal-fired steam…
February 10, 2026
Dark Sky Destinations for Winter Stargazing
I turned off the headlamp and waited for my eyes to adjust. It took about 20 minutes. Then the sky above Cherry Springs State Park in north…
February 10, 2026
Best Winter Festivals in America for 2026
The ice castle in Lake George, New York, was 30 feet tall, honeycombed with tunnels, lit from inside with color-shifting LEDs, and entirely…
February 10, 2026
America's Best Winter Lighthouse Trail
The lighthouse keeper's house at Portland Head Light was dark except for a single lamp in the upstairs window. It was February, a Tuesday,…
February 10, 2026
America's Best Winter Food Cities
The oyster arrived on a chipped plate at a raw bar in Charleston, and it was perfect. Fat, briny, cold, pulled from a creek bed that mornin…
February 10, 2026
America's Best Hot Springs for Winter Soaking
Steam rose off the water in slow, curling sheets. It was 14 degrees outside at Dunton Hot Springs in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, an…
February 10, 2026
Winter in Hawaii: Why the Islands Are Better Off-Season
The flight attendant announced our descent into Kahului, and through the window, Maui looked nothing like the postcards. Thick clouds drape…
February 10, 2026
Urban Winter Weekends: 7 Cities Better in the Cold
I have a theory about American cities in winter: the good ones get better. The tourists leave. The restaurants fill with locals. The cultur…
November 5, 2025
Winter Wonders: Hidden Snow Escapes and Cozy Retreats Across the U.S.
Where Silence Becomes Beautiful Winter reveals a quieter kind of America. When the crowds disappear and snow begins to fall, small towns an…
