On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene brought 100-mile per hour winds to the mountains of Western North Carolina and dropped up to 30 inches of rain. The devastation was swift and heartbreaking and resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in the area鈥檚 history.

The mountain communities situated along the French Broad River, such as Asheville, Hot Springs, and Marshall, saw devastating floods, while Pisgah National Forest lost an estimated 100,000 acres of trees from a combination of high winds and an overly saturated forest floor. More than 100 people lost their lives in North Carolina and countless others lost their homes and businesses. For the last twenty years, Asheville has been home, and I covered Helene from my perspective during the immediate aftermath of the storm,

News of Helene鈥檚 destruction dominated the news cycle at the time, but the story of the region鈥檚 recovery, which began immediately after the rain and wind stopped, has gone largely unnoticed.

A year has passed and the communities that survived the destruction have been working tirelessly to rebuild. It started with carving paths through the downfall on city streets and has been ongoing with debris removal, building restoration, and trail reconstruction. I鈥檓 amazed by the progress that鈥檚 been made the past year. More than 85 percent of Asheville鈥檚 hospitality businesses have reopened. In Pisgah National Forest, hundreds of miles of trails are ready for bikers and hikers, and sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway have been restored.

The recovery isn鈥檛 complete though. You can still see scars from Helene. A number of businesses are still shattered. In Asheville, parts of the popular River Arts District are still vacant. In the smaller towns of Marshall and Hot Springs, some buildings remain empty as reconstruction moves forward. Sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are still closed, and some recreation areas in Pisgah National Forest still need significant restoration work before they can be safely explored.

But we鈥檝e come so far in a year, and the towns (and the mountains surrounding them) are safe and open for visitors again. As fall approaches, along with the year anniversary of the worst natural disaster to hit the area, it’s time to come back and see the recovery story for yourself.

Consider this a local鈥檚 guide to adventuring in and around Asheville and the surrounding mountains one year after Hurricane Helene.

Asheville

If you walk through downtown Asheville today, you鈥檇 never know a powerful storm ripped through the community a year prior. Downtown was mostly unscathed, but the River Arts District, just west of downtown on the banks of the French Broad River, was hit hard. Flood waters rose to 20 feet above the French Broad鈥檚 typical level, pushing the river into听breweries, restaurants, and studios that made up the popular entertainment district. Many of the buildings are still vacant or have been demolished entirely. But there is a resurgence of businesses in that district, from artists occupying studios again to breweries re-opening in their former locations.

Here are a handful of spots you should check out:

Hi-Wire Brewing

has reopened its River Arts District beer garden after being closed for eight months after the storm. The location was more than just a beer garden, it was the brewery鈥檚 headquarters and distribution center. Hi-Wire lost 100 percent of its packaging inventory and 80 percent of its finished beer in the flood. The newly restored space is loaded with murals and games and has 24 different beers on tap. Their Lo-Pitch Hazy IPA is my top choice.

Wrong Way River Lodge

has A-frame cabins on stilts on the bank of the French Broad. They saw water levels rise to their front row of cabins, and submerge the bottom floor of their lodge, but the entire property has been fully restored (from $223 a night).

The Bull and Beggar

has been a staple of Asheville鈥檚 culinary scene for more than a decade, but the building took in almost two feet of water during the storm and had to be completely renovated. It reopened in January 2025 and is back to serving the best steak frites in town. Too fancy? Their sister location, , makes what I believe to be the best burger in town.

The Next Phase

The next phase of recovery in the River Arts District is just as exciting. , a 50,000-square foot bazaar that housed the studios and galleries for more than 300 artists, is set to re-open this fall with the majority of its artists returning. was just a few weeks away from opening a 13,000-square foot bouldering gym and cafe on Foundy Street before the flood hit. The company is on schedule to open that new climbing gym in the Foundy this fall. And should open their popular Wedge Foundation, which was one of my favorite places to drink a beer outside, this fall as well.

Pisgah National Forest

Asheville is flanked by the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest, which was hit hard by Helene. There was damage to roughly 850 miles of trail and听30 percent of the forest鈥檚 road beds.

Bent Creek Experimental Forest

Bent Creek Experimental Forest, which sits in the Pisgah Ranger District, is the closest section of Pisgah National Forest to downtown Asheville, and has more than 20 miles of trail that locals and visitors flock to for mountain bike rides and trail runs. Bent Creek experienced flooding and heavy winds, and lost a number of trees, but local volunteers were able to clear the damage quickly after the storm. The听forest started reopening to visitors at the end of October 2024. , which has a two-mile, technical downhill, is the signature trail, but I like , which doesn鈥檛 get as much attention but has plenty of flow and cruisy benchcut singletrack.

Grandfather Ranger District

While the Pisgah Ranger District endured its share of destruction, Helene did the most damage in the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah east of Asheville. The tall, steep mountains that rise to 6,000 feet in elevation in the Grandfather District saw triple digit winds and some of the heaviest rainfall of the storm with hundreds of miles of trail and road destroyed. Forest Service staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly, restoring access to more than 250 miles of trail within the Grandfather District.

Mountain bikers in particular should be excited by this, as the , just outside of downtown Old Fort, is now open with a new parking area. Bikers now听have full access to this 14-mile trail system that emphasizes flow and fun. is designed for hammering fast laps, with a gravel road climbing to the top of a ridge that provides access to the downhill singletrack. If you want a taste of old school Pisgah singletrack within the Grandfather District, you need to ride , which is at the heart of a 10-mile loop between the towns of Old Fort and Black Mountain, and features a monstrous switchback climb preceding a fast, technical downhill through a thick forest canopy. It鈥檚 a classic for a reason.

Old Fort

Regardless of which trail you ride, be sure to drop into downtown Old Fort after your adventure. Old Fort is a town of 800 that was leaning heavily into outdoor recreation as an economic anchor before Hurricane Helene hit. The storm damaged more than just the trails within the national forest; it sent a flood surge through downtown that destroyed听more than 40 buildings and homes. The town is scrappy though, and working hard to rebuild. Grab food and beer from the town鈥檚 social anchor, , which had flood waters four-feet deep inside its building.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile long two-lane highway that runs through the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, connecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Shenandoah National Park. It is the most visited unit of the National Park System with more than 17 million visitors each year. The Parkway wraps around Asheville connecting the town with the tallest peaks in the Eastern U.S., but听the road is more than a scenic drive. Hundreds of trailheads are scattered along the corridor, and cyclists flock to the blacktop in droves for the scenic pedaling and tough climbs.

Helene brought heavy winds and rain that caused landslides and eroded sections of pavement both south and north of Asheville. The Parkway north of Asheville, from mile marker 377 to 333 is still closed, which means there鈥檚 no access to . But the National Park Service has been working hard to reopen the impacted sections of the Parkway, the most exciting of which (to those of us who are Asheville locals) is the 38-mile section of road from Asheville south to milepost 420, which gives hikers and cyclists access to two popular destinations: Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam.

Graveyard Fields, at milepost 418, is a mile-high valley with a popular trail system that accesses waterfalls and swimming holes along the Yellowstone Prong. The mile-long offers a quick tour of the goods, but climb the 1.5-mile for the best chance of solitude and an up-close look at the 40-foot falls.

At milepost 420, you鈥檒l find access to Black Balsam Knob, a 6,214-foot tall grassy bald with 360-degree views of the surrounding forest. You can also trek听up the popular which runs for 29 miles through Pisgah National Forest, and has听short loops or epic multi-day hikes.

The French Broad River

The French Broad River runs for 146 miles from the small town of Rosman to Newport Tennessee. In recent years, the French Broad has evolved from a source of industry, with paper mills and coal plants along its corridor, to more of a source of recreation. The non-profit, Mountain True, developed a with established campsites from its headwaters to its tailwaters.

Thousands of people tubed and paddled several miles of the river through the River Arts District every day this summer. Helene caused significant damage and essentially shut the river down for months as thousands of pounds of debris, from PVC pipe to tractor trailers, were deposited into the river from the storm. But Mountain True and the Army Corps of Engineers have been working tirelessly and the majority of the river is open again for recreation, with a number of put-ins and takeouts fully restored.

Boaters looking for some excitement should head to of the French Broad, which runs for eight miles from the town of Marshall to Hot Springs, offering the best whitewater on the entire river. While Helene caused its fair share of damage to the river corridor, the rapids on this stretch are largely the same as before the storm. I had the chance to run a rafting trip on Section 9 earlier in the summer, and was so happy to see the character of the whitewater had not been changed. The run is highlighted by class III waves and a couple of big class IV rapids, the most famous of which is Frank Bells, a river-wide ledge with several different routes depending on how crazy you want to get. runs half day and full day trips on Section 9 (from $59 per person).

The towns of Marshall and Hot Springs both sit directly on the French Broad River and both were devastated by the storm. After the flood waters receded, Marshall was left with several feet of mud to contend with, while the storm surge ripped through the sides of certain buildings in Hot Springs. But both communities are coming back strong, each with businesses that are open and eager for visitors.

In Marshall, grab a beer and pizza at 听on Main Street. In Hot Springs, serves tacos and great beer in its beer garden. If you鈥檙e looking to camp, grab a site at , which has tent sites overlooking the French Broad within walking distance of downtown Hot Springs (from $45 per site).

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has personally seen the town flood twice in that time. He recently wrote about the in the country.听

The post A Year After Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina Is Ready For You听 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Everyone who loves adventure must, at some point, make a pilgrimage to Moab, Utah. Just don鈥檛 be surprised if one trip turns into many. Cradled in a sprawling, three-dimensional garden of spiraling towers, sandstone arches, plunging canyons, and wind-polished slickrock, Moab is the hub of a 20 million-acre desert playground. The landscapes are otherworldly. The sunsets are second to none. And the opportunities for adventure, solitude, and self-reflection are virtually limitless.

Just be an informed pilgrim. While the area鈥檚 marquee national parks鈥擜rches and Canyonlands鈥攇rab most of the headlines, they encompass only a fraction of the region鈥檚 trails and campsites. Dead Horse Point State Park and Bears Ears National Monument together encompass millions of acres of . In Bears Ears, you鈥檒l trace emerald rivers hemmed in by soaring mesas and sheer cliffs. In Dead Horse, a network of wildflower-fringed trails connects cliffside campgrounds. Just a few minutes out of town, offers an uncrowded alternative to the postcard-famous Delicate Arch. is littered with dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs as pristine as anything you鈥檒l find on national park land.

If you prefer to do your exploring on two wheels, you鈥檙e still in the right place. Moab is a with more than 150 miles of trail accessible from downtown. Hit the world-famous and ride through canyons and sage-lined arroyos. Or knock out a section of the , a legendary ribbon of singletrack that climbs from Moab to the riverside town of Loma, Colorado.

While spring and fall are peak seasons for hiking and biking, early summer brings a surge of alpine snowmelt, topping up the and drawing paddlers from across the continental United States. Here, you鈥檒l find everything from calm, cool stretches of flatwater to demanding Class V rapids. Load up your raft for a weeklong excursion, or target a half-day route for a leisurely afternoon on the water. If you don鈥檛 have your own boat, dozens of local companies can take you out on the river, providing all the necessary gear, food, and expert guidance.

The expansive desert terrain also makes Moab the country鈥檚 epicenter, with rugged jeep tracks, vast swaths of BLM land, and countless remote campsites. Rent a 4×4 vehicle in town, bring your own rig, or book a guided tour to experience the raw beauty of the desert with someone else behind the wheel.

One word of advice as you plan your next adventure in Moab: While you鈥檒l find an infinite number of things to do here, be careful not to pack your itinerary too full. The desert has a quiet magic that only comes in moments of stillness. Leave time to watch the stars come out or the sun rise amid the junipers. Times like these, stitched together with all the adventure action, make it clear why Moab is a sacred place for so many.

is Utah鈥檚 most iconic adventure epicenter. It鈥檚 a place to look inward and experience the beauty of the desert. Every traveler has an edge. In Moab, you find yours. Moab calls to those drawn to raw beauty, challenge, and connection. Come with intention and leave changed.

The post Why Moab Is Even Better Than You鈥檝e Heard appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Colorado鈥檚 14ers鈥攎ountains that reach 14,000 feet of elevation鈥攃arry significant gravitas in the adventure travel world. Rightfully so: They are physically and mentally challenging, astoundingly beautiful, and, with 58 to choose from, offer a tantalizing variety of Rocky Mountain geology and ecology to explore. What they don鈥檛 offer is solitude.

Fourteeners are heavily trafficked, by both locals and tourists. According to a latest annual听report from the听听(CFI), the trail counter at 14,272-foot Quandary Peak, a popular 14er near Breckenridge, recorded more than 26,500 hiker days during the 2024 season. The season runs roughly June through September. 鈥淗iker days鈥� corresponds to one person, hiking one peak in a single day. That means there are hundreds of hikers conga-lining their way up Quandary on good weather days in the summer.

Hoping for a more authentic nature experience, I opted for a different summit hike during my recent trip to Breckenridge: 13,860-foot Crystal Peak, a lowly 13er. It was the right decision. During the seven-hour听round-trip, I saw just two other people outside of my party. And we had the summit all to ourselves. Meanwhile, over on Quandary, we could see swarms of people, like ants, from our vantage atop Crystal.

I checked in with veteran guide Ted Mahon on this phenomenon. Mahon has hiked and skied Colorado鈥檚 100 tallest mountains鈥�58 14ers plus 32 13ers 鈥攌nown as the Centennials. I asked him the difference between a 14er听and a high 13er like Crystal Peak. 鈥淚n terms of scenery, physical effort, and challenge, they are quite the same,鈥� Mahon said. 鈥淭he difference is the 13ers will be considerably less trafficked, by a huge margin.鈥�

There are more than 600 mountains in Colorado that rise to between 13,000 and 13,999 feet of elevation. Twenty of them are within 100 feet shy of 14,000 feet. Consider me converted. I see no reason to battle crowds to get my Rocky Mountain high. These five 13ers are even better than 14ers.

Crystal Peak

Elevation: 13,860 feet
Distance (out and back): 9.5 miles
Rocky Mountain Subrange: Tenmile Range
Basecamp: Breckenridge

Hiring a local guide is always a smart move. For Crystal Peak, I worked with Breckenridge-based Colorado 国产吃瓜黑料 Guides. Our guide was Brittany Konsella, who is one of only two women ever to have summited and skied all 58 of Colorado鈥檚 14ers (the other is Mahon鈥檚 wife Christy).

Mahon told me that you don鈥檛 want to underestimate 13ers. They may be lower in elevation than 14ers, but that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e easier. 鈥淭he lack of traffic means there’s also a lack of established routes,鈥� Mahon said. 鈥淎nd so sometimes the path to the top of a 13er can involve more route finding and more actual self-reliance than going on a more popular 14er.鈥�

Sure enough, on Crystal, not long after we鈥檇 reached the scree slopes of the alpine where the trail disappears, I was drawn toward a cobalt blue lake carved out of slate-grey stone. It turned out to be the wrong move. Had we kept going that way, we would have had a much steeper climb to the summit. Fortunately, Konsella was there to steer us back in the right direction.

She also informed us that actual crystals can be found on Crystal Peak. My friend Brigid is a rockhound, and she was keen to spot some on the descent (the air was too thin, the physical effort too high, to be on the hunt during the ascent). The crystals were surprisingly easy to find in the talus if, like Brigid, you know how to look. She鈥檇 wander off the main route and start turning small boulders over with her foot. She鈥檇 bend down and voila, toothy quartz crystals growing in the rock would reveal themselves.

While you can do Crystal Peak as a day-hike, we opted to spend the night before at听, part of the system. The idyllic cabin is located at听11,264 feet of elevation, just off the Crystal Peak trail. Not only is staying at Francie鈥檚 even better than glamping, but starting from there in the morning shaved two miles off our summit hike distance.

Pacific Peak

Elevation: 13,965 feet
Distance (out and back): 7.75 miles
Rocky Mountain Subrange: Tenmile Range
Basecamp: Breckenridge

Konsella鈥檚 favorite 13er is Pacific Peak, located in the Tenmile Range alongside Crystal Peak, Quandary Peak, and the peaks of Breckenridge Ski Resort. One of the highest 13ers (35 feet shy of 14,000), Pacific Peak offers see-forever views looking into the Gore, Sawatch, and Elk ranges. Konsella, who is also a ski-tour guide, describes the trail as easy鈥攔elatively speaking鈥攕tarting in an evergreen forest that gives way to meadows and lakes before ascending into the alpine. She follows it to the top, then descends on skis via the North Couloir鈥攚ell-known among experts for being one of the steepest, most aesthetically pleasing ski lines in Colorado. The rest of us just turn around and hike back down the way we came.

Experienced high-elevation hikers (and skiers) can get two summits for the price of one by adding on 13,856-foot Atlantic Peak, located less than half a mile across the saddle from Pacific. The two 13ers share a trailhead, which is located about ten miles from the popular mountain town of Breckenridge.

New for Breck, began welcoming guests in 2025. The contemporary 205-room hotel features a high-end restaurant, The Edwin, serving up global mountain cuisine like Elk Bolognese. Don鈥檛 miss the 鈥攖he world鈥檚 highest鈥攚hich recently unveiled Casa Breck Tequila, in addition to its award-winning whiskeys, gins, and vodkas.听In 2024, restaurant’s owner and Executive Chef Matt Vawter earned a James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Mountain region鈥攖he first in Breckenridge.

Twining Peak

Elevation: 13,721 feet
Distance (out and back): 4.4 miles
Rocky Mountain Subrange: Sawatch Range
Basecamp: Aspen

If you鈥檙e new to high-elevation hiking, Twining Peak is the 13er for you. The trailhead starts at 12,000 feet atop Independence Pass, a scenic drive from Aspen to the Continental Divide that鈥檚 a bucket-list activity in its own right. The hike to the top of Twining is just over 2 miles long and doesn鈥檛 involve any scrambling. Mahon does it in an hour. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e coming from sea level, plan for maybe twice that,鈥� he said. Like most hiking routes above treeline, the trail may be challenging to find in places, and traverse rubble and loose rock.

The view from the summit is one of the best in the state鈥攁 full, 360-degree panorama. 鈥淭wining is pretty central in a big sea of peaks,鈥� Mahon said. Look east for a rare bird鈥檚 eye view of Mount Elbert and Mount Mt. Massive, the two tallest peaks in Colorado at 14,438 feet and 14,427 feet respectively.

Base out of Aspen, Colorado’s bougiest mountain town,听for exceptional accommodations, dining, and entertainment. , the acclaimed French bistro from Chef Ludo Lefebvre, is opening its third location there in winter 2025 (inside the hotel) and the luxury boutique hotel will open its doors in fall 2025.

Mount Adams

Elevation: 13,937听蹿别别迟
Distance (out-and-back): 11.6 miles
Rocky Mountain Subrange: Sangre de Cristo Range
Basecamp: Crestone

One of the more remote and dramatic subranges of the Rockies, the Sangre de Cristos stretch from southern Colorado to northern New Mexico. Sangre de Cristo means 鈥淏lood of Christ鈥� in Spanish and refers to the red hue the peaks take on at sunrise and sunset. The range contains the Great Sand Dunes, the tallest in North America, and Crestone, a very small town with a very strong spiritual vibe (also known as a vortex).

Peak-baggers are drawn to the area by the Kit Carson massif, a 14,000-foot behemoth encompassing Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point, and Columbia Point, and by the nearby Crestones, a cluster of four 14ers. But Mahon prefers the under-the-radar 13er, Mount Adams. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the same incredible Sangre de Cristos rock, which is mostly conglomerate and a lot more solid compared to the crumbly rock in other ranges,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd the view of all those other peaks from the summit of Adams is pretty amazing.鈥�

Take the Willow Lake trail, and plan to camp the night before in one of the dispersed sites about 4 miles in, just before the gorgeous alpine lake and cascading waterfall. It鈥檚 one of Mahon鈥檚 favorite places to camp in Colorado, located in a high-elevation plateau encircled by massive peaks. Bring your fishing gear and license.

Vermillion Peak

Elevation: 13,909 feet
Distance (out and back): 10.2 miles
Rocky Mountain Subrange: San Juan Range
Basecamp: Silverton

Vermillion Peak is the tallest of a series of high 13ers surrounding the iconic Ice Lake Basin in southwestern Colorado. The picture-perfect turquoise lake has become an incredibly popular hiking destination, but Mahon said you see very few people once you start ascending the peak.

Vermillion and its neighboring mountains are all part of the San Juans, a distinctive subrange that鈥檚 best known for its mining history. 鈥淭he San Juans are really beautiful geologically,鈥� Mahon said. 鈥淵ou have all these different shades of color where natural veins of ore were seeping out the side of the mountain.鈥�

While it鈥檚 tempting to plan this hike during summer wildflower season鈥攖he apex of beauty along the Ice Lake trail鈥擲eptember is better because most of the snow will be melted out from the summit of Vermillion.

Plan to stop in Silverton, a former gold and silver mining town turned mountain sports mecca. Besides world-class skiing, hiking, and rafting, Silverton is also the gateway to Ouray鈥攙ia 11,018-foot Red Mountain Pass鈥擜merica鈥檚 ice-climbing capital. Mahon鈥檚 go-to for breakfast burritos and gourmet coffee is Coffee Bear Silverton. For apr猫s-hike burgers he hits Handlebars Food & Saloon, serving veggie, 鈥渟hroom,鈥� beef, and elk patties.

The post Five 13ers in Colorado That Are Even Better Than 14ers appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think,听 Wow, wouldn鈥檛 it be something to stay there?听We do, too鈥攁ll the time. Welcome to听Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

After a long day of travel, I woke up and walked outside my cedar yurt overlooking the Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. The still green water perfectly reflected the tree-covered hills and mountains on the opposite shoreline, as the heavy fog slowly gave way to sunlight. A few anglers prepped their boats for a day of fishing, while a lone sea lion briefly made an appearance before disappearing under the water. Two chatty kayakers paddled across the bay, while some double-crescent cormorants made a momentary appearance before disappearing into the fog. I could have sunk into a lounger and watched the scene for hours, but there were too much to get into here to stay idle any longer.

This July, I traveled more than 2,500 miles to catch some wild Pacific coho salmon and check out two fishing lodges I鈥檇 been hearing so much about. and , both owned by Nootka Marine 国产吃瓜黑料s, are located on the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, surrounded by Sitka spruce forests and the Pacific Ocean鈥攁nd minutes from 鈥渟almon highway,” a prime spot to catch salmon on their migratory path June though September.

Lodging

The two lodges each have their own appeal. Moutcha Bay is a little bit fancier, with the cedar yurts and waterfront chalets almost demanding you slip into a fluffy robe, sink into a comfy chair, and stare out into the surrounding beauty. Newton Cove is more remote, only accessible by seaplane or boat. Comfortable outdoor seating areas, each surrounding a propane fire pit, encourage camaraderie among the anglers. It is the perfect spot for spinning stories about the ones that got away.

My first day on the water was mostly spent looking for bears and other wildlife, eventually making do with a gaggle of sea otters floating across the water and the occasional bald eagle overhead. The other boat passengers and I eventually made our way to Yuquot, a small First Nations village where we briefly chatted with Sanford Williams, a master carver of totem poles as he labored on his newest creation, and then hiked to a rocky beach where we had a light lunch.

After two nights at Moutcha Bay, I took a 45-minute boat ride to its sister property Newton Cove, a floating resort just off the Esperanza Inlet. At first glance, the surroundings seem a bit non-descript, but when I entered my room and the various common areas, I felt immediately comfortable, like being wrapped in a Winslow Homer painting. Everything was impeccably clean and well organized. Enjoying听a cocktail around the fire pit in the evening, while watching the sun disappear behind the mountains and hearing the shoreline come alive with life, was a great way to cap the day.

Fishing Along Salmon Highway

I came all this way to fish, and it was finally the day. Rolling out in one of the resort鈥檚 fishing boats, we traveled where the fish had been biting recently, a stretch of unprotected water where the waves kept bouncing the front of the moving boat like an angry trampoline. I rarely ever get seasick when fishing, but by the time we reached our destination and began trolling, I was vomiting off the side of the 32-foot boat. But that wasn鈥檛 going to stop me from catching fish.

Soon I watched the fishing rod directly in front of me violently jerk up and down, signaling a fish had taken the bait, inadvertently setting the hook in its mouth. With wobbly legs, I stood up, grabbed the rod, and started reeling. The fish had other ideas though. As I took a quick rest, I watched as the line zipped off the reel, as the wily fish dove deeper into the ocean, trying to escape. For the next few minutes, I鈥檇 fight for a bit, then it would fight, and back and forth until the salmon had exhausted itself. I finally lifted my defeated adversary into the boat, and after a moment of compassionate unpleasantness, placed it in a cooler with the rest of the day鈥檚 fish.

When fishing in British Columbia, you need to be cognizant of the province鈥檚 regulations. Chinook and coho salmon must be hatchery-raised and larger than 45 cm (17.7 inches) and 30cm (11.8 inches), respectively, to keep. You can keep a maximum of two per species per day. That meant that most of the fish we caught needed to return to the ocean. I reeled in at least a dozen while keeping three, while my buddy caught just as many and kept one massive chinook that had me green with envy (or maybe that was just the seasickness). Upon returning to Newton Cove, we compared our catches with the other boat that docked around the same time, happily sharing fish stories from our day on the water.

The resort staff will clean, filet, and freeze your catch, boxing it for your return trip home. The next time I鈥檇 see my coho would be on a plate, drenched in butter and lemon, atop a bed of asparagus, while the rockfish would be diced, seasoned with Tajin, and served on tortillas. I couldn鈥檛 help but smile, again.

国产吃瓜黑料 Intel

If you鈥檙e new to saltwater fishing, Nootka Marine 国产吃瓜黑料s offers an which pairs guests up with experienced guides who will not only get you 听some fish, but also teach you about marine safety, how saltwater tides affect fishing, where to fish, and more. Upon graduation, there鈥檚 no cap-and-gown ceremony, but you will receive a discount on boat rentals during subsequent visits.

While fishing is the main attraction for both resorts, there are plenty of other options for fun. Folks driving to Moutcha Bay traverse the so-called Tree to Sea Drive from Gold River. The fairly rough gravel road is just over 36 miles, with Moutcha Bay around the middle, the Tahsis village at the terminus, and opportunities for adventure scattered throughout. I crossed at least a half dozen creek and river access points that made me kick myself for not bringing my fly rod and waders.

About 10 miles along the road, you鈥檒l find a trail leading to Upana Caves, where you can do a self-guided tour through the caverns, leading to both a waterfall and an underground river. Given my rather crippling claustrophobia, I chose to ignore that sign, but luckily there are three other above-ground waterfalls along the route that you can hike to and capture听some beautiful selfies in front of the flowing water.

Malaspina Lake is a great place to swim, fish for stocked rainbow trout, or watch wildlife like bald eagles, black bears, and the occasional cougar. Leiner River Recreation Site offers some fun hikes, while the Boulder Patch Trail leads to a popular rock-climbing spot along the river.

Wildlife watching is a must at the floating Newton Cove Resort.听 Start your mornings at the beach, looking for brown bears foraging for clams, sea lions, and various aquatic wildlife. Most boat rides also include a wildlife watching element, where you can see bears, whales, and sea otters among others.

Kayak and stand-up paddleboards are available to rent at both locations. Nothing beats a quiet, solitary paddle through gorgeous environments to get you centered and ready to start your day.

Room Intel

Moutcha Bay鈥檚 cedar yurts are gorgeous and modern, featuring a bedroom with an听attached bathroom which is, in turn, also attached to the living room and kitchen area. A second bedroom is located in an upstairs loft.听 Massive windows look over the bay, but if you鈥檇 rather breathe in the sea air, you can relax on a lounger on the deck, which also boasts a grill and outside dining area.

For folks on more of a budget, Moutcha Bay offers a small campground with several waterfront sites as well.. The 28 RV-friendly sites have both water and power hookups and are located a short walk away from washhouses with flush toilets and hot showers

The rooms at Newton Cove are a bit more basic than Moutcha Bay鈥檚 yurts, but still very clean and comfortable. The scenery surrounding the resort makes it nearly impossible to not be outside enjoying it.

Eat and Drink

Being a floating resort makes food deliveries more difficult, so Newton Cove鈥檚 breakfast menus are fairly limited鈥攐melets, breakfast sandwiches, and the like. While dinners are typically pre-prepared by the chef and customized based on allergies and dietary restrictions. During my visit, each three-course dinner was more amazing than the last. The perfectly prepared scallops were a personal favorite, as well as the steak and broccolini dish that served as my party鈥檚 send off. Meals and drinks are part of Newton Cove鈥檚 all-inclusive package, so you鈥檙e encouraged to get your money鈥檚 worth.

At Moutcha Bay, meals are a la carte, leaning heavily on upscale pub fare like ling cod tacos, tuna tataki, pizza, and poutine. (It鈥檚 still Canada, after all.) My friends and I paired our meals with a variety of Vancouver-area craft beers and custom cocktails.

If you ask the staff at either resort nicely, they may even cook your freshly caught fish that evening for your dinner.

When to Go

Moutcha Bay Resort is open from June to September, while you can stay at Newton Cove from July to September. July and August are generally the prime months for salmon fishing.

How to Get There

Fly into Comox (YQQ) on Vancouver Island, then drive approximately three hours to Moutcha Bay. The last 45 minutes to an hour will be on a lumpy dirt road, but the bumps and jostles will be worth the trip. Reaching Newton Cove requires a less than one-hour boat ride from Moutcha Bay. You can reach either resort by direct seaplane flight from Seattle, Vancouver, or Gold River.

Details and How to Book

Prices at Moutcha Bay start at around $949 CAD per person for a basic two-night stay, with a three-night stay with two days of self-guided fishing beginning at $1,849. Newton Cove rates begin at $5999 CAD for a three-night fully guided fishing trip in a private suite for two guests, three full days of guided fishing, fish processing services, and meals.

offers standard itineraries for individual lodges, but they can also do custom bookings that include combinations of听 both Moutcha Bay, Newton Cove, and a third lodge, Nootka Sound.

The post These Remote Lodges Are a Dream Escape for Anglers and Wildlife Lovers appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Making a pilgrimage to one of the most iconic and remote land art installations of our time, The Lightning Field (1977) by American sculptor Walter De Maria, in the high desert of western New Mexico, isn’t easy to get to by any measure. After arriving in Albuquerque, you drive two and a half hours southwest through the vast desert to the ranching town of Quemado. There, a staff member then shuttles you another 45 minutes on dirt roads to the site, where 400 stainless-steel pointed poles jut out of the barren plain. You must stay the night in a rustic cabin; no day-tripping allowed. This isn’t a walk up, walk away piece of art hanging in a gallery. This is an experience of leaving one world and entering another, and one that has the suspended possibility of a next-level lightning show. De Maria once said isolation is the essence of land art. Standing there, small and silent in all that space, you begin to get it.

Nearly a half-century later, land art is having a moment again鈥攅specially in the American West, where the terrain still inspires the big, the wild, and the weird. The new era of outdoor art isn’t just for those who seek transcendence in stillness; it’s for people who want to hike past it, bike through it, or ski to it. You might find a massive steel paper airplane planted in the dust like a crash-landed idea. Or a James Turrell piece streaming color next to a ski slope.

This is land art reimagined for the now鈥攎ore accessible, more kinetic, and just as cosmic.

Big Sky, Bigger Art

A few hours drive north of Yellowstone National Park, a working sheep and cattle ranch houses large-scale sculptures scattered against the dramatic backdrop of the Beartooth Mountains.

, at 12,500 acres, is one of the largest sculpture parks in the world, offering visitors a chance to take in monumental sculptures and attend classical music concerts in uninterrupted landscapes. Located in Fishtail, Montana, halfway between Billings and Bozeman, the art center was founded in 2016 by philanthropists Cathy and Peter Halstead. Artists themselves, the Halsteads drew inspiration from in upstate New York to take art out of the museum鈥攖o open up art and the land to people.

“When you’re moving through a museum, you see piece after piece, and you’re consuming a lot of art at once,” Pete Hinmon tells me. He and his wife, Lindsey, are the co-directors of Tippet Rise Art Center, and help bring the founders’ artistic vision to reality. Former ski patrollers, they posses the varied outdoor experience to keep both safety and weather in mind. The sustained engagement with The Lightning Field is something they hope to spur as well. Just as De Maria’s seminal sculpture was meant to be walked in, and taken in over an extended period of time, so are the pieces in Tippet Rise, says Pete.

“The Lightning Field is this in-depth, multi-day experience. You spend the night. It’s a really lengthened and heightened experience. We’re interested in that as well, and how you physically move through the space,” he says.

And space there is: more than 15 miles of trails and 14 miles of gravel road can be traversed by mountain bike or on foot. And while visitors usually spend at least a half day here, no two visits are the same. Sculptures are scattered hundred yards to a few miles apart on hilly terrain and steep inclines. “Through this extended time and space, it allows people to have a deeper connection with the outdoor environment,” says Pete.

Visitors for hiking and biking are limited to 100 people per day, so it’s possible you won’t encounter another soul during your Tippet Rise visit. That’s the luxury of open space here, not exclusivity. Hiking and biking is free; concert tickets, as well as sculpture van tours, are $10, and the number of people who can come per day is controlled via a ticket drawing system. “We limit the reservations, because we really want it to be an intimate experience,” says Pete.

Exiting the parking lot, the first work visitors come upon is Aps谩alooke (Crow) artist Wendy Red Star’s The Soil You See鈥� (2023). Red Star grew up on the Aps谩alooke tribe’s reservation, roughly 120 miles east of the art center. Her monumental piece sets the mood immediately for letting art-goers know they’re on her sacred homeland.

A giant blood-red fingerprint, nearly eight-feet tall and modeled from Red Star’s own fingerprint, rests on top of granite rock. Etched in whorls on kiln-formed glass are the names of 50 Aps谩alooke chiefs and tribal representatives who were coerced to sign treaties giving away their land to the United States government between 1825 and 1880. Often these treaties were signed with thumbprints (and Xs).

The sheer distance of terrain to cover means there are many ways to heighten the experience鈥攁nd the effort. “You are having this sort of raw, visceral experience because you are putting in effort and moving through the landscape at a pace where you can notice the nuance of it,” says Pete. Sixteen permanent sculptures are scattered across Tippet Rise, including pieces by internationally renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Richard Serra.

“It’s this sense of exploration; you’re on this journey, climbing up this hill, or running or biking, and you pop around the corner and there is this stunning red piece, Archway II by Alexander Liberman, like a gateway arch into the Beartooth Mountains,” says co-director Lindsey Hinmon.

“We hope to maintain that openness of the land, so that there is that experience of being able to see the sculptures on foot or on land, and not feel like you’re seeing sculptures, every way you turn your head,” she says.

Last August, the art center debuted its new open-air music venue, The Geode, which is an art piece itself: four triangle structures envelop the sound and project it in all directions. The newest installed sculpture is site-specific Bronze Bowl with Lace by Ursula von Rydingsvard, which stands at nearly 20 feet tall and is made from cedar wood planks cast in bronze, set within a natural bowl surrounded by plateaus and canyons.

“It references the rock formations that are visible beyond it; the texture of it, the shadows and light that it creates, and all of the hues are just so at peace with the landscape,” says Pete.

A likely question that arises around putting any man-made structures in nature: how does this affect the environment? Pete is quick to respond. “We essentially have conserved 12,500 acres, and yes, we’ve installed several large outdoor sculptures on it. But [the land] is not being developed beyond that,” he says. “It’s private ranch land that is now open to the public.”

Using private land this way has a powerful place in creating more space for wildlife, Pete explains. If we were to confine wildlife to just public land managed by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, it creates “islands,” lessening the amount of safe land wildlife can live and traverse. By not developing land adjacent to those public land masses, a larger ecosystem is able to be created.

Tippet Rise is located in what’s called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which spans 22 million acres and includes the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, Yellowstone National Park, Teton National Park, and big tracts of ranch land. “Tippet Rise is one of those tracts of land that is helping create a buffer between highly developed areas and the wilderness areas,” says Pete. What’s more, all buildings on campus are heated and cooled with a geothermal system, solar panels provide electricity to the buildings and vehicles, and a gray-water system collects runoff.

“Humans are a part of nature,” Pete says. “I think that pairing these wonderful highly creative, amazing human creations alongside and right in nature help remind us of that.”

A Skiable Sculpture Park

Hiking and biking miles to the next sculpture takes the experience up a notch at Tippet Rise, but skiing to sculptures? That’s the ambitious idea behind Powder Mountain’s new open-air land art park.

With its old-school vibe and endless pow, 鈥擯owMo as it’s affectionately called鈥攊s one of the largest ski resorts in North America, with some of the most skiable acres in the U.S. It’s a throwback to what skiing used to be, with uncrowded slopes and its indie spirit. With more than 8,000 acres of in-bounds terrain, it’s virtually a ski sanctuary.

But staying independent and free from lift lines, while still being a viable ski resort, hasn’t been easy in recent years, and its new owner has brought in some controversial changes. In a bold business shakeup, Powder Mountain’s new billionaire owner, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, announced he was taking the resort semi-private for homeowners and lifting a longtime season pass cap. Adding on an ambitious approach to preserve its magic by creating an open-air museum with artworks that are reachable via hiking鈥攁nd yes, skiing鈥攊s, understandably, being met with more excitement and open minds.

The visionary idea behind using the Utah ski resort’s vast terrain as an art park came from Powder Mountain’s chief creative officer Alex Zhang. “I always had a really strong connection to the mountain, and it held a special place in my heart, mostly because I think in the American West, so many ski resorts and ski towns are overdeveloped. They’re super crowded. They’ve lost a lot of that soul,” says Zhang, who has been skiing Powder Mountain for the last ten years.

“Powder Mountain seems to have retained this sort of rawness and the sort of soulful magic of like a throwback to where ski resorts, in the seventies, eighties, nineties, could just sort of be whatever they wanted to be,” he adds.

Zhang heard the rumor swirling that Hastings was going to acquire Powder Mountain, where Hastings was already a homeowner. So when Hastings asked Zhang what he would do with Powder Mountain if he were him, he had already given it great thought. At the time, Hastings was asking everyone from the executives of the resort to the shuttle driver: “What makes this place special? And what would you do to protect it?”

That feeling of the sublime, the feeling of spirituality, you get that when you’re in the presence of great nature, you get that when you’re in the presence of great art, too.

Zhang said Hastings was in a very receptive, open-minded mood to dream up something exciting. So in that first conversation, he shared his idea for how you preserve the soul of a place without overdeveloping it, all while increasing visitation and tourism in a way that honors the culture and the place.

“The easy thing to do just to make it a solvent business would be to build a bunch of retail, shopping, restaurants, condos, and sort of do that over seven years and build as fast as you can, and call it a day,” says Zhang, noting that’s what most American ski towns have done.

“So I came to him with this idea around involving artists and involving culture at an earlier level of this development, so a lot of that magic will actually be preserved,” he says. “It will increase visitors not as fast as a shopping mall, but it will be a lot more enduring, and with a more diverse, interesting audience.”

Zhang was inspired by the Japanese “art islands” of Naoshima and Teshima, where art breathed new life into these depopulated and aging islands. And unlike Desert X, the biennial contemporary art show held in the Coachella Valley, these would be permanent installations.

The perceived weaknesses of Powder Mountain鈥攊solation, the single road, and the expansive, underdeveloped terrain鈥攃ould be just the thing to save it, thought Zhang. Its shoots and glades, powder skiing in the trees, and off-piste terrain all make it the perfect place for discovery. There’s a “magic school bus,” as the locals call it, an abandoned school bus that found its way into the middle of the forest some 15, 20, years ago, that people hang around and take pictures in.

“What if instead of that old hippie-dippie bus, it was contemporary art by a really important artist, and it had even more of a wow factor, because it was a 30-foot sculpture that had a ton of excitement and artistic merit behind it,” Zhang imagined.

Awe, Art, and the Sublime

This initial idea evolved into creating an outdoor, skiable, open-air museum, one that will unlock a multi-season art experience: biking in the summer, hiking in the fall, skiing in the winter. There was a resounding “hell yes” from world-class artists, Zhang says, who were so excited by the ambition of creating something monumental at scale and integrated into nature and landscape. Light master James Turrell, text-based artist Jenny Holzer, and provocative sculptor Paul McCarthy are part of the lineup of iconic artists on board. And a major work of late land art pioneer Nancy Holt will be permanently installed at Powder Mountain.

These site-specific works will be permanently installed on Powder Mountain; several of the large-scale pieces already are, while some are in the works for an official unveiling in 2027. All the art will be free and accessible to the public via hiking and biking during summer and fall, and skiable with a lift ticket or season pass during the winter. And you don’t have to worry about dodging sculptures in the middle of a ski run: all artworks will be carefully placed to avoid disruption of the ski experience. In fact, you might not even find them, they’ll be so integrated into the landscape.

The first newly installed art piece, Relay (Powder Mountain) (2023), created by the art duo Gerard & Kelly, is a whimsical but functional ski magic carpet that takes people 90 feet up the ski slope on a converter belt covered by rainbow-banded canopy. Listener, Reflector, and Mother (2024) by Davina Semo consists of three six-foot bronze bells at the peaks of Powder Mountain. Right before you drop into your ski experience, you ring the bell, and it creates this amazing sound. The ring and echo is like a call and response that you hear in different parts of the mountain.

One of the much-anticipated works is by Turrell, who is no stranger to ambitious projects. (Take Roden Crater, a two-mile-wide extinct volcano in Arizona he’s been carving a naked-eye observatory into since 1977). The 82-year-old artist’s walk-in light installation Ganzfeld Apani (2011), originally commissioned for the 2011 Venice Biennale, is set to be installed in a trailside pavilion at Powder Mountain in 2027.

It’s a particularly fitting piece, as “Ganzfeld” refers to the German word to describe a “complete field” or perceptual deprivation, also known as the Ganzfeld effect. One of the ways this disorienting loss of depth perception is caused is by snow blindness during a blizzard, which can cause hallucinations. Turrell’s immersive installation changes colors and covers the entire space鈥攁 simulated “snow blindness” effect that could occur naturally on this same mountain.

“There’s always been this sort of fear coded into [our] DNA about [mountains], but always viewed as the sublime,” says Zhang. “Think of the landscape paintings in the 19th century of this sort of Manifest Destiny, and looking out and surveying a great land.”

For Zhang, the scale of mountains and the scale of land art both help us connect to a feeling that’s bigger than us.

“There’s an intrinsic obsession with the wonder and the scale of the mountains. It’s very humbling. It makes you feel smaller,” he says. “And to me, great art makes you feel the same. Great art is spiritual, or it’s transcendental, and it fills you with awe, and makes you, for a moment, forget about whatever was on your mind and be in the present moment.”

That feeling of the sublime, the feeling of spirituality, you get that when you’re in the presence of great nature, you get that when you’re in the presence of great art too, he believes. “And I think the fusion of those two together will create a very, very transcendental experience for people who might not even know that they’re looking for it.”

The Desert Canvas

A radical movement paved the way for today’s land art.

Picture this: It’s 1970, and you’re an artist who’s fed up with stuffy galleries and urban sprawl. So what do you do? You go west to push some boundaries and to collaborate with nature.

In the seventies, renegade artists decided the American West’s endless stretches of wild space were everything they needed. Armed with heavy rocks and cranes, and a healthy contempt for convention, they set out to make art so big, utterly un-sellable, and in the remotest of spaces that it would break the system.

Take Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty (1970), a 1,500-foot-long coil of earth and black basalt jutting into Utah’s Great Salt Lake like some prehistoric sea monster taking a nap. Smithson moved 6,000 tons of material to create this 15-foot-wide walkway that spirals into pink algae鈥搕inged waters. The best part? Sometimes it disappears entirely when water levels rise, as if the lake itself is playing curator.

Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels (1973鈥�76) consists of four massive concrete cylinders arranged in Utah’s Great Basin Desert, like an ancient astronomical computer. Twice yearly, during solstices, the sun aligns perfectly with these tunnels, creating a light show that would make Pink Floyd weep. As Holt put it in a 1977 Artforum article, they “bring the vast space of the desert back to human scale.”

Michael Heizer looked at Nevada’s Mormon Mesa and thought, “You know what this needs? Giant trenches.” His Double Negative (1970) is exactly that: two massive cuts creating sculpture made entirely of absence. His City, a 1.5-mile behemoth of compacted rock and concrete, took 50 years to complete.

Then there’s James Turrell, who has spent the past five decades transforming Arizona’s Roden Crater鈥攁 two-mile-wide extinct volcano in the Painted Desert鈥攊nto a naked-eye observatory, carving chambers and tunnels that will, one day, open to the public.

The desert, it turns out, makes an excellent gallery. It never closes and the lighting is always perfect.

The post The New Wild West of Art Is More Adventurous Than Ever appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There鈥檚 nothing quite like hopping on a train and watching the world go by. Train travel is more popular than ever with intrepid travelers in 2025, not only as a more sustainable alternative to flying, but as a way to gain a deeper experience with the destination. The journey itself becomes the focus 鈥� and the ultimate adventure.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know who will sit beside you, what regional food you鈥檒l find on board, which villages and towns will flit past the window,” says Monisha Rajesh, a train travel expert and author of Moonlight Express: Around the World By Night Train and Around the World in 80 Trains. “So much happens between the walls of a carriage, while at the same time the world continues to turn outside, giving you a unique understanding of the shape of the land, its bends and twists, the way mountains rise and recede, how deserts expand and close in. And all of this before you even reach your destination.”

We asked Rajesh and other travel writers for their most adventurous train journeys around the world. From the Arctic Circle train from Sweden to Norway, to ones closer to home, such as the Empire Builder that passes through Glacier National Park (where you could be lucky to spot a grizzly from your seat), these train journeys were chosen for their proximity to outdoor adventures, and incredible landscapes they pass through.

Hop aboard. Here are our picks for the most thrilling train adventures around the world in 2025.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Tibet

The Route:听Xining, China to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Duration:听1215 miles, 21.5 hours
The Fare: 107 USD in a soft-sleeper compartment, one-way
The 国产吃瓜黑料: The train from Xining to Lhasa is the highest rail journey in the world

Few sights can take my breath away, but at almost 5,000 metres (16,404 feet)听above sea level, I was struggling, a headache squeezing at my temples. Gold nozzles pumped purified oxygen into the compartment and I inhaled in awed silence, licking my chapped lips. Before me, the Qinghai-Tibet plateau resembled a live Rothko painting: a slab of blazing yellow terrain rising to meet electric-blue sky, not a wisp of cloud in sight. Dreadlocked yaks were dotted around the foreground and the odd cluster of nomad tents swept by colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. What looked like an ocean flashed up towards the glass, tiny green waves on an expanse of bleeding hues, and then it was gone. Lakes gleamed like molten metal in the dryness and on the horizon a faint squiggle of suede-soft mountains.

Opened in 2006 the train from Xining to Lhasa is the highest rail journey in the world. Passing through earthquake zones, the line peaks at 5,072m above sea level at the Tanggula pass and contains more than 300 miles of elevated track built on permafrost that could melt at the slightest increase in temperature. Considered an engineering feat of excellence, the line requires liquid nitrogen to be circulated below the rail bed to keep it frozen throughout the year.

Overnight we had passed the Qinghai Lake and I was disappointed to have missed it in the darkness, but we were now barrelling into the Kunlun Mountains, their jagged bodies closing in, throwing an icy blue glow into the carriage. I had never seen earth鈥檚 natural beauty in so many forms and in such close proximity. Having travelled on more than 200 trains around the world, it was the most scenic ride of my life. On the descent into Lhasa Chinese flags flapped in the wind, Buick garages glided past the window and we drew into a station as vast as an airport hangar, armed guards greeting us at the exit, a reminder of Tibet鈥檚 ongoing struggle.

Once in Lhasa, try the four-day tour from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp which includes stops at Yamdroktso Lake, and both the Pelkor and Tashilhunpo monasteries. Top tip: ask for Kungga Dundruk to be your . 鈥� Monisha Rajesh

Expreso del Sur, Bolivia

The Route: 翱谤耻谤辞-痴颈濒濒补锄贸苍
Duration: 373 miles, 19 hours
The Fare: USD$18.50
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Salar de Uyuni; Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa; Cordillera de Chichas

After departing the tin mining city of Oruro in western Bolivia, the Expreso del Sur bore south through one of the world鈥檚 most dramatic, and least hospitable, landscapes. Gazing out of the carriage window, I watched the urban sprawl gradually dissolve into the altiplano, a vast plateau stretched taut between two branches of the Andes at an average altitude of more than 12,000ft.

Sparsely populated, bitterly cold, largely treeless and starved of rain, it was a stark yet beautiful landscape, particularly when we skirted the shoreline of the otherworldly Salar de Uyuni, the world鈥檚 biggest salt flat. Built in the late 19 th century to transport the altiplano鈥檚 abundant metals and minerals, the railway line once ran from Bolivia鈥檚 de facto capital La Paz to the Pacific port of Antofagasta in Chile. The boom has long passed and the route is now plied by the Ferrob煤s, which vaguely resembles a coach on rails and follows a truncated route between Oruro and the town of Villaz贸n on the Argentine border. En route it calls in at the remote, windswept tourist hub of Uyuni and the quieter but similarly isolated town of Tupiza.

Most travellers disembark at the former and take guided jeep tours across the salar, a pancake-flat, blindingly white expanse the size of Jamaica ringed with chalk-smudge peaks and dotted with islands studded with giant cacti. These trips generally take in the neighbouring Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa, a realm of smouldering volcanoes, high-pressure geysers and mineral-stained lakes sprinkled with flamingos, as as well as the Cementerio de Trenes (Train Cemetery). The latter, on the outskirts of Uyuni, is an evocative collection of abandoned steam locomotives, wagons and carriages from the railway鈥檚 heyday slowly disintegrating in the harsh climatic conditions of the altiplano.鈥� Shafik Meghji

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Colorado听

The Route: Durango, Colorado to Silverton, Colorado
Duration: 45 miles, 3.5 hours each way; 9 hours roundtrip with two-hour stop at terminus town
The Fare: $109 – $335 depending on class; season passes for $170-320
The 国产吃瓜黑料:听Travel back in time on this historic train through the Rocky Mountain wilderness

Listening to the shriek of the steam whistle as it echoes eerily through the Animas River Canyon, I have no trouble believing that the first passengers to ride the when it was completed in 1882 gazed out at the jagged peaks and crashing rapids with the same awe I feel 137 years later.

It鈥檚 possible to do this round trip from either origin point; I鈥檝e chosen to depart from Durango and overnight in Silverton, though many choose to take this ride as a nine -hour day trip with a two hour stop in the terminus town.

My reason for overnighting in Silverton was to challenge myself with one of this rugged silver mining hamlet鈥檚 many high-altitude hikes, among them the lung-challenging six-mile round-trip to Highland Mary Lakes, which gains more than 1500 feet in altitude before arriving at the granite-scooped lake, surrounded by tundra at 12,300 feet. Equally rugged adventure possibilities come via offered by local outfitters that put you straight on the river or skimming over the canopy with no need for additional planning.

Try your mettle on the course of 27 ziplines 鈥� the most in the world 鈥� at , an adventure center midway on the ride reachable only by train or plane. You can also include a wild and crazy on the rugged Silverton Skyway or a two-hour with Mountain Rafting with a round-trip ride.

There鈥檚 one more possible thrill to be had on your ride: a rare spotting of Bigfoot, more commonly known locally as Sasquatch, who鈥檚 been sighted 鈥� or allegedly sighted, depending on your belief status 鈥� in the Silverton and Durango areas. More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature鈥檚 spine-tingling howls. 鈥� Melanie Haiken

The Elephant Express, Zimbabwe

The Route:听Dete to Ngamo, Zimbabwe
Duration:听75 miles, 3.5 hours
The Fare: $300 (for the train, not per person)
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Spot elephants and lions from your train seat

The first time I drove a train I worried most about animals wandering onto the tracks. Zebras, kudu, lions鈥攁ll such unpredictable beasts. Mostly it was the elephants, though. There are a lot of those in this corner of Zimbabwe. Think 50,000 of them.

Anyone can drive the Elephant Express; you just have to ask. The train itself is less of a train and more of a trolley鈥攁 one-car locomotive with open-air seats under a proud metal roof. The train was custom built using Land Cruiser parts by a former game ranger named Mark Butcher, a Zimbabwean who runs a safari company called Imvelo that operates in and around Hwange National Park, Africa鈥檚 fourth largest, southeast of Victoria Falls.

When you stay at Imvelo Safari鈥檚 camps in the area, the train will take you the final 50 miles from a small depot town called Dete to the camps. It鈥檚 a helluva way to start an African bush adventure. Imagine rolling through the coolest zoo ever if zoos had no fences.

Imvelo under Butch has been instrumental in reintroducing white rhinos into the area while giving local communities ownership of the conservation and tourism opportunities. Now you can go for runs with the Cobras, a squad of local rangers assigned to protect the rhinos, and听 watch how a pair of Belgian malinois can track down would-be poachers. Coolest of all, the Cobras will take you walking with the rhinos as they graze on rich grasses.

On the Elephant Express we trundled through mopane and teakwood forests and across the grassy veldt. The tracks, gun-barrel straight, are some of the only working vestiges of the Cape-to-Cairo railway, the 19th century British imperial boondoggle that aimed to tie the continent together from Egypt to South Africa.

After sitting in the conductor鈥檚 chair, I retired to the rear, letting the sweet African air purl around me as curious pachyderms emerged from the brush. Gangly giraffes punctuated the grasslands like goofy exclamation points. I watched lilac breasted rollers flitter through the trees and spied impalas hiding under the acacias. Later, I鈥檇 watch a lioness carry her tiny, fuzzy cubs over the tracks one by one. 鈥� Tim Neville

The Rocky Mountaineer: First Passage to the West

The Route:听Vancouver, British Columbia to Banff, Alberta
Duration:听600 miles, two days
The Fare:听 From $1,980 USD per person for two days on board Rocky Mountaineer鈥檚 SilverLeaf or GoldLeaf Service, including two breakfasts and two lunches and one night hotel in Kamloops.
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Travel along the iconic Spiral Tunnels, the Continental Divide, and Lake Louise.

国产吃瓜黑料 the train鈥檚 glass-domed coach, cornfields and cranberry bogs ran toward the horizon, punctuated by ramshackle red barns. Although I grew up not far from here, watching the bucolic landscape go by at the pace of the railroad allowed me to notice these details as if for the first time. The Rocky Mountaineer鈥檚 journey began in my hometown of Vancouver on the coast of British Columbia, skirting the Fraser River through the interior Okanagan region before climbing into the Rocky Mountains and ending at the resort town of Banff, cradled by soaring, snow-encrusted peaks.

Over the two-day journey, which included a night in the riverside town of Kamloops, I scampered down to the observation deck at every opportunity, leaning over the guardrail to watch the train snake through the landscape with the wind in my hair. I took in tawny, arid hills dotted with aromatic ponderosa pine and sage, the sparkling Fraser River tumbling by, and the jagged Rockies emerging in Yoho National Park, marking the Continental Divide that follows the ridge of the Rockies between B.C. and Alberta. Along the route, Rocky Mountaineer guides imbued the landscape with an interpretive history of the region鈥檚 gold rush and 19th-century Canadian Pacific Railway landmarks, as well as an understanding of Indigenous culture in the two provinces.

The town of Kamloops is marked by sandstone canyons and forested hills, as well as sprawling . The crenelated silhouette of Castle Mountain marks the train鈥檚 arrival into Banff, where endless hiking and climbing adventures await. Above Lake Louise in Banff National Park, hike to a , continuing to Big Beehive or Devil鈥檚 Thumb, or head deeper into the backcountry along the three-day . On the nearby B.C. side of the Rockies in Kootenay National Park is the four-day , a stunning backcountry route that ends at Floe Lake, and straddling the two provinces is a in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park.

Before kicking off the journey in Vancouver, head into iconic Stanley Park with to understand the old-growth forest through the lens of the Coast Salish Indigenous peoples. Grab a paddle board and glide over English Bay at sunset, or discover the coastal mountains on trails that end at glacial lakes in , an hour鈥檚 drive from Vancouver. 鈥� Chloe Berge听

Empire Builder, Chicago to Seattle

The Route: Chicago to Seattle or Portland (at the Spokane station, designated cars are attached to a different train heading to Oregon, while the remainder heads to Seattle)
Duration: 2,206 miles; 46 hours
The 国产吃瓜黑料:听 Travel along Glacier National Park and the Pacific Northwest

The atmosphere is electric as the diesel engine rumbles out of Chicago鈥檚 Union Station. Sitting aboard Amtrak鈥檚 famous Empire Builder train 鈥� one of the country鈥檚 most scenic train rides 鈥� the other passengers and I would spend more than 46 hours traversing seven states (eight, if you count Oregon), watching the green rolling hills of the Midwest give way to the desolate beauty of the plains, before craning our necks to see the mammoth mountains of Montana rising from the ground.

Most riders were doing the route nonstop, but I was getting off at Glacier National Park, the undisputed crown jewel of the route, for a few days of fun and adventure before jumping back on the train to complete my journey.

In the dining car, staff paired up unlikely dinner companions every meal. They say there are no strangers on an Amtrak, only people you haven鈥檛 been forced to make awkward small talk with as you all squish together in an undersized booth. Luckily, we all had the same percolating excitement about our epic train adventure. Every passenger was either on their first big train journey or their one-hundredth.

Disembarking at the West Glacier station just outside the park boundaries, I watched the train continue west, the smell of diesel smoke permeating the air. By the time I found my rental car in the parking lot, that smell had been replaced by the scent of aspen forests and recent rain.

Over the next few days, I paddled Lake McDonald, where I watched the mirror reflection of the mountains grow closer with each paddle stroke. Venturing to the east side of the park, I sang out-of-tune country songs while hiking to Hidden Lake, hoping that any grizzly within earshot would run in the opposite direction. I floated the middle fork of the Flathead River with my fly rod and a guide from , catching (and releasing) a dozen or more cutthroat and rainbow trout. If it wasn鈥檛 a perfect four days, it was damn close. 鈥� Robert Annis

The Arctic Circle Night Train, Sweden to Norway

The Route:听Stockholm, Sweden to Narvik, Norway
Duration:听1215 miles, 18.5 hours
The Fare: 136 USD in a six-person couchette compartment, one-way
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Disembark at Kiruna for cross-country skiing, dog-sledding and aurora hunting in Abisko National Park or stay on until Narvik, a gateway hub to the Lofoten Islands and Troms酶

Departing Stockholm Central station just after 6pm, this comfortable curls up the backbone of Sweden, crossing over the border into Norway and ending 137 miles inside the Arctic Circle, at the northernmost station in Europe. It was mid-March when I boarded, the sky a midnight blue, the air clean and crisp. As the train thundered out of the capital, turning north, I cupped my hands against the window and watched as bodies of ink-black water glittered under the glow of lampposts. Around me passengers were spreading out blankets, wedging in ear buds and opening takeaway boxes of pizza, the waft of kicked-off shoes adding to the mix.

Lured towards the dining car, the heart and soul of a night train, I tucked into a steaming bowl of reindeer stew and mash, surrounded by a group of teachers en route to the city of Kiruna to ski. They offered me wine and strips of sticky gravlax along with tips on how to spot the Northern Lights at Abisko National Park. This onboard community was filled with the warmth so typical to sleeper trains, but my midnight I was ready to take to bed. Crawling into my lower berth in a six-person couchette, I nudged back the curtain to watch the moon bobbing between tree silhouettes, and golden stars hanging in bedroom windows. By morning passengers had slipped out, leaving no more than a bundle of blankets and as we crossed the Norwegian border, less than a handful of passengers were privy to the route鈥檚 grand finale.

Embarking on the Ofoten line at Bj酶rnfjell, the train ran at the edge of a cliff as the fjords emerged below, magisterial in their quiet movement. Mountains rose, the sun throwing soft light upon the carriage as the train clattered through one tunnel after another, beside ice-blue waterfalls frozen in their midst. Nineteen hours after departure the train took its final breath, hissed and braked into the historic port of Narvik. 鈥� Monisha Rajesh

Denali Star, Alaska

The Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks
Duration: 356 miles; 12 hours
The Fare: Around $285 for 国产吃瓜黑料 Class and $532 for the upgraded GoldStar
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Take in Denali 鈥攖he highest peak in North America 鈥� as you zip through the remote Alaskan wilderness

The shining jewel of the Alaska Railroad, the links the state鈥檚 two largest cities with one of our nation鈥檚 most awe-inspiring national parks. I鈥檝e ridden the Denali Star twice over the last three years, and it鈥檚 by far the best way to reach Denali National Park.

From Anchorage, the Denali Star rolls through a couple of urban stops before entering the backcountry. The train chugs past the Chugach Mountains and across Hurricane Gulch atop a 296-foot-high trestle bridge. Chugging along past the spruce and birch forests, we see multiple homesteader cabins through the thick trees, and even stopped near one to drop off supplies.

Seeing moose, grizzlies, and other wildlife are a common occurrence; I may have caught a fleeting glimpse of a black bear cub standing near the edge of the Indian River, but we passed it so fast, it could鈥檝e been just a rock. A conductor calls out animal sightings, as well as bits of history intermixed with dad jokes over the intercom.

Roughly only 30 percent of Denali visitors actually see the iconic peak; the mountain鈥檚 so large, it creates its own weather systems, and is usually enveloped in clouds. When Denali 鈥� forget the Mt. McKinley name change 鈥� came into view in all its white-capped glory, the entire train car let out a collective 鈥渁hhhhhhh.鈥� Every other mountain in the Alaska Range looked like the proverbial molehill compared to the 20,000-foot behemoth.

When we finally arrived in Denali National Park after eight hours, my bags were whisked away and brought to my hotel, while I took in the majesty of my surroundings while waiting for a shuttle bus. Nearly a week later, I鈥檇 be back on the train platform, waiting to complete the journey to Fairbanks. While the first leg was filled with an anxious energy, the final leg is all about reliving your Denali experience. 鈥� Robert Annis

Tren del Fin del Mundo, Argentina

The Route: Estaci贸n Fin del Mundo/Estaci贸n Parque Nacional
Duration: 4.3 miles, 45 minutes
The Fare: USD $38
The 国产吃瓜黑料: Travel to the “End of the World” at the tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego

As I nibbled dulce de leche-filled biscuits, the Tren del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Train) chugged past peat bogs, southern beech forests, meandering rivers and snowy mountains, landscapes that make up much of Tierra del Fuego, the archipelago at the tip of South America. Tango classics played in the background, and a pair of yellow-green austral parakeets flashed overhead. It was hard to believe we were only 620 miles north of Antarctica.

Despite its modern comforts, the southernmost railway on earth has a grisly history. It was built by convict labour in the early 20th century, when the area was home to a notorious prison dubbed the 鈥楽iberia of the South.鈥� The Prisoners鈥� Train originally ran along 13.6 miles of track and played a vital role in the development of the region, before falling out of use in the 1950s. Four decades later, the railway was revived as a touristy heritage line in the mid-1990s, and rebranded the Tren del Fin del Mundo. Replica steam trains now run on a 4.3-mile section of the track, from the Estaci贸n Fin del Mundo 鈥� 5 miles west of the city of Ushuaia 鈥攖o a station at the edge of Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. En route they stop briefly at the miniature Estaci贸n La Macarena, which is populated by souvenir shops and cheerful staff in striped prisoner garb.

Despite these kitsch touches, the route provides a fascinating glimpse into the region鈥檚 tumultuous history, as well as its glorious scenery. It also enables you to explore Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, a trekking haven stretched along the shore of the Beagle Channel. At the end of my journey, as I followed a trail through a woodland echoing with the taps of a Magellanic woodpecker, a steam engine whistle sounded in the distance as the Tren del Fin del Mundo returned home. 鈥� Shafik Meghji’

___________________________________________________________________________________

You can find more of Monisha Rajesh’s and Shafik Meghji’s favorite train journeys in which is released on September 23 2025.

The post The Most Adventurous Train Journeys in the World appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As a former Washingtonian, I’m always quick to bust the myth that our nation’s capital is only about politics鈥攏o matter who’s in the White House. There’s so much more to do than hit the free Smithsonian museums and monuments along the Mall. Consistently ranked among the country’s fittest cities, D.C. is home to 694 parks鈥攊n a city of 68 square miles. And its nearly 2,000-acre outdoor heart, Rock Creek Park (the oldest federally-managed urban park in the United States), is more than twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. The miles of green space aren’t hard to access, either: it’s all Metro-accessible and easy to get to by hopping on a Capital Bikeshare e-bike (D.C. was the first city in North America to launch a modern bike-sharing program).

While summers are notoriously muggy and spring is crowded with cherry blossom鈥搒eeking tourists, the fall has always been my favorite time of year to get outside in the District, especially as the leaves start to turn fiery gold. I’m not alone; this October in D.C., a record-breaking 40,000 runners will take on the Marine Corps Marathon, aka the “People’s Marathon,” for its 50th anniversary.

On a recent visit to my once-hometown, I returned to my favorite parks and trails, and caught up with a few current locals to get their picks for what visitors shouldn’t miss right now.

Parks and Trails

1. Hike Through D.C.’s Urban Oasis

“Go in one side, and come out the other. Get lost a bit,” recommends D.C. local Kay Rodriguez, founder of , a new social platform that matches like-minded people for walks around D.C. Her go-to escape in D.C. is , which has more than 32 miles of wooded trails and paths. By popular demand post-pandemic, there’s now approximately five miles of twisty-turn roadway through the park that’s car-free year-round. This is not only welcome by cyclists, but for visitors with disabilities who now have more access to the park.

2. Paddle on the Potomac River with Monumental Views

Some of my most memorable evenings outside in D.C. were catching the sunset from a kayak, or stand-up paddleboard on the Potomac River, as I paddled past aglow landmarks, such as Watergate, the Kennedy Center, and the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. , a Georgetown institution under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, offers rentals, classes, and group paddling tours.

3. Explore Nature Trails on Theodore Roosevelt Island

After kayaking around it for years while living in D.C., I finally stepped foot on in the middle of the Potomac River. You won’t believe you are still in the city while strolling through 2.5 miles of nature trails in this 88.5-acre wooded sanctuary.

4. Stroll Through Meridian Hill Park

For the last 50 years on any Sunday afternoon with decent weather, you’ll find a lively drum circle and dancing in , aka Malcolm X Park. This longtime tradition began in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement, and now celebrates black liberation and defines this community park between Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan. “We end all our Outerly walks at Meridian Hill Park; it’s a great spot to see the cross populations of this city,” says Rodriguez.

5. Run or Roller-skate Along the River

, with its wide paved trail, frequently is used as a site for 5Ks. But the coolest thing here? An open-air roller-skating pavilion鈥攖he only one in a National Parks Service site, which also offers free skate rentals in the summer.

Food and Fuel

6. Bike for Brews

links 12 of the city’s most popular breweries and bars, all bikeable or walkable via the , which stretches from Union Station through the revitalized neighborhoods of NoMa, Eckington and Brookland. “Grab a Rowdy Rye Ale or Silent Neighbor Stout, two favorites, from , a 100-percent solar powered brewery,” recommends O’Shannon Burns, a D.C. local and sustainability consultant.

[Editor鈥檚 Note: Atlas Brew Works announced after this issue went to print that it will close its location along the Metropolitan Beer Trail at the end of September. They have several other locations in the area, including at the Navy Yard in DC, and at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport airport.]

7. Low-key Food Heaven

If a Top Chef is in town, is where you’d spot them. D.C.’s hippest food hall in NoMa features gourmet bites from more than 40 food and beverage spots. Standouts include: the two-story Levantine-themed La’ Shukran bar-bistro-roof terrace; TaKorean’s Korean style Bulgogi beef and tofu tacos; Fishwife’s salmon cheesesteak; and Immigrant Food’s Havana sandwich.

8. Hyperlocal and Forest-to-table

“The owners of D.C.’s Spanish cider company ANXO have opened a new restaurant called Poplar with chef and forager Iulian Fortu. Their weekly veggie-centric menu often features wild ingredients from around D.C., and their candied candy cap mushroom cheesecake was incredible and unlike anything I’ve ever had before,” says Burns.

9. Year-round Waterfront Farmer-focused Dining

Rain or shine, Farmers Fishers & Bakers’ patio on the Potomac River in Georgetown is open. This is one of the three DC locations of , a farmer-owned restaurant group sourcing from local family farms, ranches and fisheries. Their scratch-made American classics include chicken and waffles and seafood jambalaya.

10. D.C.’s Signature Dish: The Half-smoke

Forget oft-mentioned Ben’s Chili Bowl鈥攁nd your plant-based diet鈥攁nd try D.C.’s iconic half-smoke, a spicy sausage meets hot dog dish, at local hot spot . You can visit two locations in D.C.: one in Bloomingdale NW and the other in historic Anacostia SE.

Where to Stay

11. Arlo Washington DC

Last fall I checked out , one of the newest hotels in D.C. While the White House is only a 20-minute walk away, you won’t see any sign of buttoned-up politics at this new Arlo outpost in the Judiciary Square area. There’s a fresh, creative vibe here with Mindbender local art covering the elevators, rooftop yoga, soundbaths, live music, and affordable restaurants (and happy hours) created by one of D.C.’s most famous chefs, Pepe Moncayo.

12. Eaton Workshop

“ is more than a hotel鈥攖hey host local art exhibitions, vinyl DJ nights, wellness activities, and a coworking space where many local community organizations base their operations. Throughout the property there are nods to the many Black Americans who have shaped D.C.’s history and culture, and their bar Allegory is one of the best in the city,” says Burns.

Wellness and Fitness

13. DC Bouldering Project

“[] is hands-down one of my favorite community spaces in the city,” says Rodriguez, who climbs and works out at the gym and uses the coworking space. “Not only is it friendly for climbers of all levels, but it’s a great place to make friends, get some exercise, and push yourself,” says Tyrhee Moore, the founder of , a nonprofit bridging Black and Brown communities to nature. He hosts some of Soul Trak’s meetups here. “It’s been such a powerful space for both new and seasoned climbers to grow together. It’s been more than a gym for us, it’s a space for connection, community and pushing boundaries.”

14. Kraken Kourts & Skates

Pick up a paddle and a beer at , what Rodriguez calls a “social fitness center” with indoor pickleball, roller skating, and a bar. Indoor lawn games like cornhole, giant Jenga, and darts surround 14 pickleball courts.

15. Vida Fitness at The Yards

When I was back in town, I got a day pass ($45) at , in D.C.’s Capital Riverfront neighborhood. I was blown away by all the amenities in the 30,000 square foot wellness and fitness club: steam rooms, saunas, full-service locker room, Peloton bikes, and an array of classes, from Sweatbox to heated yoga and Pilates. They offer cold plunge tubs at their Logan Circle location, too.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor 国产吃瓜黑料 in Washington, D.C. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The post The Sounds of Montana appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Let’s face it: people love cowboys (and cowgirls). If there鈥檚 one thing we鈥檝e learned over the last year, it鈥檚 that the cowboy core trend has got major legs. After the series finale of Yellowstone last December, the Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren-led flick 1923, a prequel to the neo-Western series, picked up two 2025 Emmy nominations. And while not a Western per se, Netflix’s recent Untamed drama featuring a horse-riding national park detective played by Eric Bana caused searches to spike of fans looking for real-life Yosemite landscapes.

The Yellowstone effect motivated at least 2 million tourists to visit Montana in one year alone, according to a . The Paramount TV series was largely filmed in Montana; Darby, Missoula, the Bitterroot Valley, and Glacier Country. “People saw Yellowstone, and wanted a little piece of it,” says Lucy Guthrie Beighle, director of communications, Western Montana’s Glacier Country. She notes there’s been a huge interest from travelers seeking a taste of the Montana way of life 鈥� wide-open landscapes, cowboy culture and small-town vibes.

鈥淕etting to connect with a well-mannered, even-tempered horse, while riding through unadulterated terrain, is the backdrop of so many Western movies and TV shows,” says Jackie Kecskes, equestrian manager at Paws Up Montana, a historic working cattle ranch and resort. You can star in your own Western by joining Kecskes for the morning jingle collecting the ranch horses for the day.

Of course, there鈥檚 more to an epic western vacation than simply saddling up for a trail ride. Many of America’s most popular ranch-style lodging hubs also offer adrenaline-pumping mountain bike trails and cross-country skiing. For meditative angler types, there are fly fishing and float trips galore. At its core, the appreciation of the cowboy aesthetic might simply be an excuse for city-sore travelers to get outside and reconnect with their more pioneering roots.

We’ve wrangled up seven ranch-style vacations that offer a Wild West experience and unlimited active adventures.

Location: Granby, Colorado

Wildest amenities: Heated indoor riding arena, on-site spa, trap shooting

Situated along the quieter eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, C Lazy U Ranch is the epitome of an active cowboy vacation. Guests have their pick of dozens of activities while staying at the 8,500-acre all-inclusive property, from participating in a cattle drive to strolling along private hiking and mountain biking trails. 鈥淲hen winter rolls in, it opens an entirely new playground including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, [and] cross-country skiing,鈥� says Jeremy Belnap, the ranch鈥檚 general manager. After a hearty, protein-centric dinner (think Colorado-sourced ribeye and rainbow trout), guests bed down in one of 38 woodsy cabins.

Location: Greenough, Montana (near Missoula)

Wildest amenities Posh glamping tents, chuckwagon dinners, ice fishing

Paws Up Montana is like Pinocchio鈥檚 Pleasure Island for outdoor lovers. Want to compete in axe throwing at a chuckwagon dinner? They鈥檝e got you covered. Fly fish on the Blackfoot River or saddle up for an all-day cattle drive? Yep, they鈥檝e got those too. This luxe expanse of hip home rentals and elegant glamping tents sits on 37,000 acres, rivaling many of the country鈥檚 national parks (Bryce Canyon is roughly 36,000 acres). When I visited back in 2022, I was floored by the peaceful serenity (and unlimited snacks) that was ever present on the rural Montana property.

All that room to roam means loads of space for learning equestrian skills, as well as man-powered sports like canoeing, mountain biking, and hiking along Paws Up鈥檚 100 miles of trails. 鈥淵ou walk away with a deeper understanding of the horse and how to develop a relationship with it,鈥� says Kecske, who leads tours with canter-savvy equestrians and newbies听alike.

My favorite activity during my stay was a booty-bumping ATV ride to Garnet Ghost Town. In the evening, kick back around the campfire for a , where kids and grown-ups can experiment with peanut butter and candied bacon to make gourmet s鈥檓ores.

Location: Fresno County, California

Wildest amenities: On-site hot springs, JMT access, horse packing trips

Not every cowboy-style vacation has to be a luxurious, all-inclusive affair to be magical. I fell in love with the simple, quaint allure of Muir Trail Ranch when I hiked the John Muir Trail (JMT), back in 2021. Its rustic cabins, hot spring access, and primo location in the heart of the Sierra Nevada truly charmed my dirtbag hiker soul. Sure, you鈥檒l have to hike a rugged five-mile trail from Florence Lake to get to this ultra-remote spot, but once you arrive, you鈥檒l be treated to trail rides, home-cooked meals, and some of the best hiking access in the country.

Pro tip: Pack a picnic lunch and lace up your boots for a stunning 10-mile (round trip) hike up to Sallie Keyes Lakes, which are set in the granite-crested high alpine. Bring a towel if you want to plop into the frigid water鈥攊t鈥檚 all fresh snowmelt!

Location: Stony Creek, NY (near Glens Falls)

Wildest amenities: Guided stargazing, Hudson River floats, trot and canter horseback rides

One of the few true dude ranches on the East Coast, 1000 Acres Ranch is well-suited for both beginner and advanced riders, offering canter and river crossing rides to the experienced and daring equestrian. There鈥檚 a plethora of active family-friendly pursuits for non-riders, too. From tubing and fishing along a private stretch of the Hudson River, to disc golf and line dancing classes, 1000 Acres aims to keep folks busy when they aren鈥檛 snoozing in cowpoke-style cabins or nabbing a Bear Naked Ale at the .

Red Cliffs Lodge

Location: Moab, Utah

Wildest amenities: River access, live music, pet-friendly cabins

Set against a backdrop of sky-high tangerine cliffs, Red Cliffs Lodge offers unparalleled access to Arches, Canyonlands, and the mighty Colorado River. After a recent renovation, this tranquil escape is bedecked with mid-century style furnishings and cozy outdoor hang spaces, all a mere 25 minute drive from downtown Moab. Activities and meals are a la carte at Red Cliffs, which I loved when I stayed, because it meant that I could grab a quick snack before heading out on an all-day canyoneering excursion or mountain biking at the legendary Dead Horse Point. Just don鈥檛 miss the on-site trail riding program, which lets guests hop into the saddle and explore red rock country, right from the lodge. Even my partner, a self-proclaimed horse skeptic, loved our slow amble through red rock country.

Location: Saratoga, Wyoming (near Laramie)

Wildest amenities: Float fishing, private ski hill, barrel racing, on-site goat dairy

At approximately 30,000 acres, Brush Creek Ranch is another cowboy-centric stay that鈥檚 roughly the size of a small national park. However, its active and culinary offerings are anything but ordinary, as I learned during my stay, which included mouth-watering farm-to-table cuisine (think hay-smoked carrots and poached wild king salmon with snap peas), horseback riding through the snow, and an all-day adventure on a private ski hill that can only be accessed via snow cat. Though summer is absolutely the resort鈥檚 high season, winter months offer unexpected perks, like not having to share the slopes or fitness center and sitting anywhere you desire at breakfast and lunch. Brush Creek is also an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge with fantastic opportunities to cast a line for rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout in the North Platte River. When guests aren鈥檛 participating in a cattle drive or heading out on a guided rock climbing excursion, they鈥檒l be treated to homemade cheeses and ranch-raised American Wagyu.

Location: Dolores, CO (near Cortez)

Wildest amenities: Old school saloon, backcountry skiing, 24-hour hot springs

Tucked away in the secluded San Juan Mountains, between the hamlets of Telluride and Cortez, Dunton Hot Springs has managed to take an abandoned ghost town and transform it into a posh and unpretentious getaway for mountain ramblers. In summer, guests can head out on a guided summit of a 14er, like Mount Sneffels, or go horseback riding amidst sweeping views of the high Rockies, while in winter, the area transforms into a skiing and ice climbing mecca. Naturally, when I stayed during a snowstorm, I found myself returning time and time again to the property鈥檚 steamy historic bathhouse, which is fed by a naturally-occurring calcium bicarbonate spring. To pass the time, my friend and I took mermaid photos in the rustic hot spring pool and wandered through the property鈥檚 impressive library cabin. Meals at Dunton are also a special treat, with the site鈥檚 sustainable butcher program rotating through a delectable assortment of meats (like Colorado lamb and tenderloin) and homemade charcuterie every evening.

The post 7 of the Wildest Cowboy Core Vacations in the U.S. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Anyone who knows Tennessee knows about its abundance of freshwater. Anglers in particular can thank the varied geography and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) history of hydroelectric development for its verdant waterways and winding miles of shoreline both natural and manmade. The Volunteer State also has another treasured resource when it comes to fishing: Bill Dance. Known as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most-loved angler,鈥� the pro bass fishing legend and longtime TV personality recently partnered with the state to continue introducing generations of outdoor adventurers to the joy of fishing.

The Bill Dance Signature Lakes program now showcases 14 world-class lakes across Tennessee, each selected and enhanced to provide top-tier fishing and recreation opportunities. The initiative combines habitat improvement, intensive fisheries management, stocking, access upgrades, and ongoing conservation to make Tennessee a leading destination for freshwater fishing across all skill levels. To date, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has already stocked over 13.1 million fish into the 14 Bill Dance Signature Lakes!

And though Dance is a true believer in these recreational opportunities, having long represented the state in his signature University of Tennessee ball cap, he is eager to explain exactly why these lakes (often adjacent to amenity-packed state parks) are so beloved. We recently sat down with Dance for a deeper look at Tennessee鈥檚 top lakes for premier fishing and summer trip planning.

国产吃瓜黑料: What inspired you to partner with Tennessee on this initiative?

Bill Dance: Tennessee is family to me. It鈥檚 home鈥攎y people, my places. And we all go above and beyond for what we love. I am a native, my family are all Tennesseans. There鈥檚 a love and loyalty here, as I suspect it is with other regions, but it is hard for me to imagine it anywhere else, because all I know for sure is Tennessee. Also, we have been a partner with Tennessee Tourism for nearly 20 years.

What specifically about Tennessee separates it from other states?听

Can there be a better place for fish-related projects than the Volunteer State? We have miles of water, from creeks, to rivers, to state park lakes, to TVA reservoirs. We literally have more species of fish than any other state (350 or so). Think about that for a minute: can there be a better place for a fisherman to be, than Tennessee?

And I do wear this T cap. True, I started wearing it because I thought it was lucky. But it鈥檚 funny, over time I wear it proudly for the love for this wonderful place I call home.

Which lake holds your most memorable fishing experience?

Hands down, it鈥檚 Pickwick Lake. I鈥檝e always listed this lake as my home waters. Pickwick is where I learned (through the inspiration of veteran angler Glen Andrews) to fish deep, open water鈥攁nd I mean 25-35 feet. I knew to be successful at tournament angling on the big stage, I鈥檇 have to learn to do this. The pursuit of this knowledge at my training ground of Pickwick led to tournament success, which led to TV shows, and so many more of my other accomplishments in the world of fishing.

The bottom line? Pickwick is simply a great place to fish, and that鈥檚 on the lake or in the tailrace below its dam. There鈥檚 something to fish for year-round. One can鈥檛 go wrong visiting Pickwick.

How has this initiative helped shape the future of fishing in Tennessee?

Few are the people that do not enjoy fishing. And honestly, I believe those that don鈥檛 enjoy it, have never been. The initiative is all about the opportunities fishing offers. True, it provides and enhances great places to go fishing. If you go to these lakes, you’ll catch fish and lots of them. But the complementing layers to the initiative are many; it will likewise boost economies in the area, and provide added recreational opportunities as well. People need added recreation in a hurried world. Together time is a big deal for family and friends. And few things can do this like the sport of fishing. I can only imagine the memories this initiative will spawn and the legacy it will have.

What advice do you have for first-time anglers visiting these lakes?

To begin, look for the specific areas that have marinas with guides. A guided trip is worth the money because novice anglers can learn so much in a very short amount of time. Another route could be to research the area via the Internet. With a little time on your laptop or phone, you鈥檇 be amazed what you can know about a new body of water before you ever make that first cast. Of course, actually calling someone (yes, I鈥檓 old school), isn鈥檛 a bad idea, either. A knowledgeable contact is a winning strategy, whether it鈥檚 sound advice at nearby chambers of commerce, visitor centers, or any other local contacts. They鈥檙e out there if you dig.

And once you鈥檙e at the lake?

Pick the brains of locals! Though all fishermen tell tales, my experience shows rare are the anglers who are not willing to help other newcomers to public waters catch fish鈥specially families. This is why the phrase, ‘What are they biting?’ is so woven into the fabric of fishing. We help each other.

What makes Tennessee stand out as a fishing destination in comparison to other states?

Variety. We have more fish species than any other state. It obviously comes from our geographic locale as well as our diversity of waters. On one end, Tennessee has the Mississippi River, one of the largest in the world, and Reelfoot Lake, the famed Quake Lake [created by early 1800s earthquakes]. As you move eastward, you find diverse oxbows, rivers and creeks, many -managed lakes, huge TVA Reservoirs, and mountain streams, in the east. An angler only has to ask, 鈥榃hat do I want in the way of freshwater fishing,鈥� and Tennessee has it.

Beyond fishing, what activities make these lakes a regional draw for weekend adventures?

Again, Tennessee offers diversity in fishing opportunities, with so many geographical changes. Likewise, each area surrounding the lakes has its own regional charm. This includes the people, the dining, the lodging, the history, and cultural experience. Opportunities abound with a surprising number of added activities available if you research the areas you plan to visit. For example, maybe there鈥檚 a state park golf course you want to try, or a local diner that鈥檚 especially unique to the area. Off the water, ramble around and see exactly why so many of us love Tennessee.

What other off-water developments or lakeside curiosities would you consider must-do?听

There鈥檚 so many. Picking just a few would do the others an injustice. It鈥檚 hard to go wrong with the in affordability, lodging, food, etc. Our parks always seem to be a win-win. But don鈥檛 let me sway you. Do your research. Go and ramble about. That鈥檚 part of the fun: exploring. And sometimes fishing for the side-trips, especially on family outings, can be the most fun part of your angling adventure as well.

Bill Dance Signature Lakes is a collaborative effort between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to improve and enhance Tennessee Lakes, increase visitation and honor Dance鈥檚 legacy. Tennesseans will benefit from increased stocking, habitat and fisheries management, as well as improved access for fishing and boating at 14 designated lakes across the state. This multi-agency partnership has committed more than $25.4 million to improvements both above and below the water at lakes bearing Tennessee icon Bill Dance鈥檚 stamp of approval. For more information, visit 听

The post Exploring Tennessee’s Top Lakes appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.