It may be inspired by fiction, but HBO鈥檚 The Last of Us has a funny way of making me ask serious questions about real life. And Season 2, with its Seattle setting, has me wondering: Would this city really be the best place to live out the apocalypse? Given all the zombie drama, The Last of Us doesn鈥檛 exactly showcase the Seattle we know, but it does seem like a decent place to spend the end times in real life. The weather is cool and rainy. There鈥檚 plenty of water. And even with climate change, the city might still be pretty comfortable given that the current average high temperature is 72 degrees in the hottest months of the year.

The risk and severity of extreme weather events that create real-life apocalyptic scenarios鈥攆loods, droughts, heat domes, hurricanes鈥� as the planet warms, as robust has demonstrated. Plus, the a warming planet. That means that many of us could one day be searching for a more climatically stable city to flee to鈥攊n other words, something some have called a climate haven.

The myth of climate havens

To try to answer my own questions about the climate future, I spent some time reading about these so-called 鈥渃limate havens.鈥� For the uninitiated, climate havens are places that, because of their location, seem less likely to experience the most extreme effects of climate change, like dizzyingly high temperatures, rising sea levels, severe wildfires, and floods. Examples that frequently include places like Buffalo, New York, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for their relatively low average temperatures, distance from the threats of sea-level rise, and lack of history with extreme weather events, broadly speaking.

However, the entire concept of climate havens might be more of a clever marketing tool than a trustworthy descriptor of specific cities. Experts seem to increasingly doubt the entire idea of a climate haven or refuge because, as a put it, 鈥淭o the extent that a climate refuge even exists, it鈥檚 not a particularly physical or geophysical phenomenon. It鈥檚 social and economic.鈥� In other words, there鈥檚 no zip code that in and of itself will be totally immune to the threats posed by climate change and extreme weather events. But the kind of preparation and mobility that financial capital can provide does offer a potential buffer鈥攆or some鈥攖o its worst outcomes.

And to make matters worse, the whole idea of climate havens might have just been taken out of context and used as a tool to attract transplants to invest in real estate in areas of the U.S. that have seen population and industry decline, such as, as its slogan puts it, 鈥渃limate-proof Duluth,鈥� Minnesota. The aforementioned Vox story spends time unearthing the history of climate havens lingo as city council marketing tools.

Moreover, being described as a climate haven doesn鈥檛 mean a place is immune to extreme, devastating weather events. A heart-wrenching recent example is Asheville, North Carolina, which, before the devastating flooding in 2024, had often been described as an ideal 鈥渃limate haven鈥� city.

When the worst happens, where do you want to be?

Still, despite my research, I held onto hope. I thought an expert might be able to hand me the key to my apocalyptic bunker. I talked to Daniel Swain, PhD, an acclaimed climate scientist based in Los Angeles. Given his credentials, I thought he might know a thing or two about a thing or two.

After agreeing to chat with me, Swain quickly set the tone for our conversation: 鈥淢y forewarning is that I generally don鈥檛 think the notion of 鈥榗limate havens鈥� makes much sense in general (or, at least, does not mean anything close to what people tend to think they represent!).鈥� Gulp.

Still, my conversation with Swain was illuminating because it gave me the tools to think about specific locations through the lens of our climate future in a different way. In fact, according to Swain, the right map of the best locations to weather the future might actually be 鈥渢he inverse鈥� of the locations we鈥檙e used to seeing on roundups of so-called climate havens.

How does that make sense?

For Swain, the thought experiment (along with the robust data he interprets) is really quite simple. 鈥淲ould you rather experience a particular major disaster in a city that very rarely sees those kinds of events or in a city that sees them frequently?鈥� In other words, would you rather live in a city that does have a high and regular risk of certain types of disaster that it is increasingly prepared to manage and mitigate, or do you want to live somewhere with a lower risk but no infrastructural response for when the worst does happen? Swain would pick the former scenario. And after talking to him, so would I.

Looking at environmental apocalypses this way means that suddenly Los Angeles might seem like a better option than, say, St. Louis, if your goal is to live somewhere prepared to manage the specific disasters it may face.

Is Seattle right for the end times?

But what about Seattle? As much as I enjoyed learning about how Swain thinks about environmental risk and the ways in which the climate haven data has likely been misinterpreted, I did want to know his opinion on the specific spot that motivated the whole inquiry.

And, well, if you didn鈥檛 know, Seattle is at risk of a pretty major seismic event, which an objectively terrifying 2015 story in the New Yorker calls 鈥�.鈥� Seattle, along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver, Canada, and parts of Northern California, lies along the Cascadia subduction zone, which, based on the geological data, is poised to produce a massive earthquake and potential tsunami that could be among the worst natural disasters the U.S. has ever faced. And sea level rise fueled by climate change could than previously predicted, according to published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Swain told me that he鈥檚 glad Seattle seems to be taking the risks of a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake more seriously than it has in the past, but he would still take Los Angeles over Seattle when it comes to preparedness. When I asked why, Swain told me that Californians鈥� visceral collective memory of recent catastrophes, like the 2025 fires or 1994 Northridge quake, has created stronger infrastructure and preparation for managing and mitigating such disasters.

Cities like Seattle still have a fair amount of work to do to catch up. However, Seattle has started within the last decade to . And emergency alerts in cities across the U.S.鈥攊ncluding those for earthquakes and other seismic events鈥攈ave improved over the past decade, too, Swain told me. They鈥檙e super fast and efficient compared to how they worked in the past, especially since most people have a direct line right in their pockets in the form of a smartphone. That means being in earthquake territory (i.e. Washington) isn鈥檛 necessarily worse than being in wildfire territory (i.e. Colorado) or Tornado Alley (i.e. Kansas). So, though we may not be able to predict exactly when earthquakes might hit, modern alert technology means we can react to them pretty fast. If the idea that a city鈥檚 specific disaster preparedness makes it more of a 鈥渃limate haven鈥� than its temperate climate, then maybe Seattle really is an increasingly smart choice.

So, what’s the best option?听

No place is the silver bullet to surviving our climate future. Individual preparedness, evacuation plans, information sharing, and infrastructural investment on the part of local governments are still the best options available to us.

Given that my family is about to relocate from Virginia to Seattle, I鈥檓 deeply grateful for the conversation with Swain that writing this story allowed me to have. Nowhere is perfect, but now, I have the chance to prepare.

Ryleigh Nucilli is the former Director of Digital Editorial at National Geographic, and she takes extreme environmental events very seriously. She is soon to be based in Seattle.

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In my early 20s, I zigzagged across Europe by train. Fresh out of college and pinching pennies on a month-long backpacking trip in Italy and Switzerland, I went by overnight rail, combining the cost of a room with travel to wake up in a new country each morning. It was amazing.

Traveling long distance by train is on the rise again, as adventurers look for an eco-friendly and engaging alternative to flying. In Western Europe, night trains are seeing a post-Covid resurgence, with the new Nightjet network connecting major cities. Here in the United States, Amtrak has purchased 125 new diesel-electric locomotives, most for long-distance use. In the past several years, the company spent $580 million in station upgrades and put $28 million toward upgrading its overnight railcars鈥� seating, lighting, tables, and bedding, as well as reintroducing dining cars after a pandemic-forced hiatus.

Going by train isn鈥檛 about getting somewhere fast, or cheaply either: Amtrak and other operators in the U.S. and Canada can鈥檛 compete with the budget airlines. But train travel is more eco-friendly than flying, especially with the new diesel-electric locomotives. Trains, writes Andres Eskenazi of the , 鈥減ollute much less than airplanes, sometimes by as much as 73 percent, and they are more easily electrified than planes.鈥�

You can customize a train trip with layover days in any stop along the route, to explore an interim park or town. (Arrange the stops upfront when you book.)

Traveling by train听is fun and relaxing; you can read a book, stare out the window, walk around, play cards, or see a film. Just ask Hartwell Carson, who has ridden the rails with his daughter, 13-year-old Evan, multiple times since she was eight.

鈥淚t鈥檚 everything that is great about traveling,鈥� Carson says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e forced to slow down and spend quality time with your companions. My daughter and I read books, drew pictures, and went to the dining car. There is nowhere to go, so you slowly watch the landscape change. It takes you back to a time when the journey was as important as the destination.鈥�

We鈥檙e all about that. So here are six of the most scenic rail journeys in North America, and great things to do along the way, including in our national parks. (Note that costs given are for one-way trips.)

1. The Vermonter

The Route: Washington, D.C., to St. Albans, Vermont
Duration: 611 miles, 13 hours

Want variety? How about a train that travels through nine states, some of the largest cities in the country, lush farming valleys, and rugged mountains? The connects Washington, D.C., with the villages of Vermont right up to the Canadian border, and stops in Philadelphia and New York City along the way. The trip begins among towering skyscrapers, but once you pass New York City, you hit the estuary of Long Island Sound, with its islands and tall seagrass and the occasional lighthouse. Next come the hills and vineyards of the Hudson River Valley. As you reach New England proper, the scenery cedes to a mix of quaint villages (all those steeples), dense hardwood forests, and the lush Green Mountains of Vermont. The final stop is St. Albans, near Lake Champlain and the Canadian border, but you can end your journey anywhere.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Stop at the Waterbury-Stowe station, which is within walking distance of historic downtown Waterbury, a lovely place to stay the night. Stowe, home of the massive ski resort of the same name, is 10 miles away and reachable by bus or bike. Bring your skis in winter or your bike in summer (if a bike is under 50 pounds, with tires under 2鈥�, you can carry it on, but check bigger bikes at $20 per rig). The Stowe Recreation Path is five miles long, connecting various trail systems and more than 50 miles of singletrack from town. Check out the nearby , and opt for the super flowy .

The Fares: This isn鈥檛 an overnight route, so there are no sleeper cars. Choose coach (from $81) or go for business class (from $253), with its increased leg room and free non-alcoholic drinks. Amtrak鈥檚 Caf茅 has breakfast sandwiches, burgers, salads, and snacks. The food is tasty but pricey. Regular travelers may want to bring your own.

2. The Coast Starlight

The Route: Los Angeles to Seattle
Duration: 1377 miles, 35 hours

If Amtrak has a superstar route, it鈥檚 the , which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle along the western edge of the United States, hitting Portland, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. The train runs daily in both directions, with many adventure-prime stops along the way. If you begin in L.A. and travel north, the journey starts among the rocky outcroppings and farms of the San Fernando Valley before hugging the coast with its constant breakers and tall, rocky bluffs. You sleep through Northern California, and the next day gaze out on the dense evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest and views of the Cascade Mountain Range, including鈥攊f you wake up early enough鈥擟alifornia’s Mount Shasta, as seen from Oregon.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Just north of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo is the first stop after the train leaves L.A. (or, if you鈥檙e traveling south, the last stop before L.A.), and an ideal spot for a surf break. (Again, schedule any stops ahead of time). There鈥檚 no shortage of rental shops, but you can check your own surfboard on the Coast Starlight for just $10. Pismo Beach, 13 miles west and accessible from the station by an hourly bus, has one of the most consistent breaks on California鈥檚 Central Coast. The Pismo Beach Pier attracts the most surfers, and hosts a steady clip of contests, but there are several miles of quieter stretches to explore. Pismo鈥檚 sloping beach also means a softer wave鈥攂etter for beginner surfers鈥攖han those at some other California places.

The Fares: You can get coach tickets (from $100) or private sleeper cars (from $674). It’s a one-night trip, so you could save some money by roughing it in a seat just for the night. All passengers may use the observation car, with its glass dome ceiling.

3. The Canadian

The Route: Toronto to Vancouver
Duration: 2,775 miles, four days, four nights

VIA Rail, Canada鈥檚 national rail service, operates a number of incredibly scenic train routes throughout the country (you can take a train to Churchill, the polar-bear capital of the world), but the is the crown jewel, sampling diverse landscapes from Toronto to Vancouver. The first two days of the trip pass through eastern Canada, known as 鈥渢he Great Canadian Shield,鈥� a sparsely populated area loaded with thousands of natural lakes and forests full of spruce and pine. East of Winnipeg, the terrain shifts to vast prairie for a day before hitting the jagged, ice-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies and crossing the Athabasca River amid a dense fir forest. In Jasper National Park, you’ll see the blocky-topped 7,500-foot Roche Miette mountain on the horizon, as well as Mount Yellowhead, Mount Robinson, and Pyramid Falls. Make your way early to one of the glass-dome viewing cars to get a spot.

The train runs twice a week, hitting the towns of Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Jasper. The regularly scheduled stops are short (only a couple of hours at each town), but you can arrange for a multi-day itinerary through VIA Rail.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The town of Kamloops sits in the Thompson River Valley, known for its sandstone canyons, rolling hills, and a vast , comprised of both the largest municipal bike park in North America (the Bike Ranch) and lift-served downhill trails at Harper Mountain, a ski and snowboard resort. The trails are fast, flowy, and technical. Start with the Bike Ranch, which has a mix of downhill trails, a massive jump park, and a few intermediate and beginner lines for good measure.

The Fares: Prices for the full trip start at $514 for economy class, but you鈥檒l be sleeping in a reclining seat and eating from a take-out counter. The Sleeper Plus fare (from $1,387) gets you a private cabin, access to the dining car, and community showers. Splurge for the Prestige class (from $6,261) and you get your own shower as well as a concierge, who changes your bedding and helps you with any requests during the trip.

4. The Denali Star

The Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks
Duration: 356 miles, 12 hours

Alaska Railroad operates a handful of train routes throughout the Last Frontier, but the is the flagship, running daily during the summer (May 9 to September 19), connecting Alaska鈥檚 two biggest cities and hitting Denali National Park along the way. The scenery couldn鈥檛 get more Alaskan: the train crosses the Knik River, which forms a broad valley full of alpine meadows that stretch to the bases of glaciers and the Chugach Mountains, then picks up views of Denali above the Susitna River before dipping into the roadless backcountry, where you look out on the Alaska Range and Healy Canyon. The route stops for 30 minutes at Denali National Park and Talkeetna, but if you really want time to explore around the tallest mountain in the U.S., turn this into a multi-day trip with overnights along the way.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: Sure, you might want to climb the 20,310-foot mountain for which Denali National Park is named, but that adventure isn鈥檛 for everyone, especially on a whim during a train trip. Instead, you can hike up 4,400-foot Sugarloaf Mountain. The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail begins behind the Grande Denali Lodge and ascends 2,700 feet in two miles to the above-tree line summit with views of Mount Fellows and Mount Dora, two peaks in the Alaska Range. You could also sign up for a , a full-day adventure led by a park ranger. The location changes daily, but a Discovery Hike day is typically eight to ten hours and includes off-trail trekking.

The Fare: Choose from 国产吃瓜黑料 class (from $215) and Goldstar class (from $432). If you opt for Goldstar, you ride in glass-dome cars and have access to an outdoor viewing platform. The price also includes meals in the dining car and two free cocktails per day.

5. Rocky Mountaineer: Rockies to the Red Rocks

The Route: Denver to Moab
Duration: 375 miles, two days with an overnight in Glenwood Springs

Amtrak isn鈥檛 the only company running trains in the U.S. The Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train service formerly used for scenic routes through the Canadian Rockies, debuted its first U.S.-based trip in 2022. The connects Moab with Denver in a two-day journey along the Colorado River, passing remote, roadless canyons only visible from the train. You see the 25-mile-long Ruby Canyon, winding through towering sandstone cliffs on the Utah-Colorado border, and watch the lights flicker off the rock walls in the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel as the train cuts through the Continental Divide. The trip takes two days, but instead of offering sleeper cars, the Rockies to Red Rocks puts you in a two- to three-star hotel (the specific hotels change) within walking distance of the Glenwood Springs station. On board, you receive a three-course breakfast and lunch each day.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: You鈥檙e staying over in Glenwood Springs, so soak in one of the town鈥檚 developed hot springs; Glenwood Hot Springs Resort has a big lap- and crowd-sized pool kept at 90-93 degrees, and a smaller pool that stays at 104 degrees (day passes start at $32). Iron Mountain Hot Springs has 16 geothermal pools of varying temperatures (passes start at $40). Further, in Moab, Arches National Park is a must. Hike to Landscape Arch, at 306 feet the longest natural arch in the country, on the 7.6-mile . This trail is a gem even among great hikes in our national parks.

The Fares: Prices start at $1599 per person, and include on-board meals and your hotel room in Glenwood.

6. The Empire Builder

Route: Chicago to Seattle
Duration: 2,206 miles, 48 hours

Think two full days on a train is too much? Not when you鈥檙e traveling through eight different states, tracing the U.S./Canadian border, and hitting Glacier National Park. The begins with views of Chicago鈥檚 skyline, and then crosses the Mississippi River, which is surprisingly wide (several hundred feet) even though you鈥檙e close to the headwaters. You鈥檒l see the bright lights of Minneapolis and St. Paul, enter the Great Plains at night, and wake up in North Dakota looking out on pastures of wheat shimmering gold in the sun. Make sure to be in the glass-domed lounge car as you approach Glacier National Park, the train winding along the Flathead River with views of snowfields clinging to the steep granite peaks of the Lewis Ranges. Before the final destination of Seattle, you can detour into Spokane and head south into Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge, where you鈥檒l get views of Mount Hood.

The 国产吃瓜黑料: The climax of this trip is Glacier National Park. If you time a spring trip perfectly, you can pedal Going-to-the-Sun Road after it鈥檚 plowed but before it opens to vehicles. offers rental bikes and shuttles to the start of the ride (from $45). Your other best bet is to hike. Check out the 10.6-mile out and back , which passes waterfalls and backcountry lakes before delivering you to the glacier of that name, one of the few in the park you can actually walk across.

The Fares: This train has a number of options. Coach (from $160) will get you a doss in a reclining chair, while First Class fares with private rooms start at $979 and include all meals on board and access to the lounge and communal showers. For $3,405, the First Class Superliner Bedroom Suite includes a full bedroom with its own bathroom. Amtrak also offers a comprehensive, 10-day package deal ($3499 per person) with multiple days in Chicago, Glacier, and Seattle, and activities and lodging planned for you.

Onboard with all of that? Pick your route, plan your stops, and ride the rails to adventure.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He loves the idea of being able to drink a beer, eat snacks, and play poker while traveling from point A to point B.

For more by the same author, see:

The 10 Best Backpacking Trails in Our National Parks

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines鈥攁nd 国产吃瓜黑料 Locales They Go To

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Seattle鈥檚 Vertical World and Colorado-based manufacturer C3, which produces Perfect Descent auto belays, have settled in a lawsuit following a severe climbing accident that occurred on August 1, 2019. The climber, Michael Vandivere, sustained a 30-foot fall and subsequently suffered a number of severe injuries, including 12 pelvic fractures, a traumatic brain injury, lung injuries, bladder laceration, and other fractures. C3 Manufacturing has agreed to pay $5 million and Vertical World will pay an additional $1 million.

The law office representing Vandivere, Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala Attorneys at Law, stated in a that Vandivere fell 鈥渄ue to a defective auto-belay device.鈥� Furthermore, the press release stated that the accident was caused by 鈥渋mproper supervision by Vertical World staff, and inadequate training for climbers by Vertical World. Despite using the device properly, the climber fell when the auto-belay device failed to function as intended.鈥�

However, Vertical World issued its own , which began: 鈥渢he statement [from PCVA] is incomplete, misleading, and incorrect in several fundamental respects.鈥� Rich Johnston, the president and owner of Vertical World, spoke with Climbing, saying that it seems the climber failed to fully clip into the auto belay. A witness, according to Johnston, reported that they saw Vandivere attempt to clip in before heading up the route. A closed and intact carabiner was found at the top of the device. Johnston added that 鈥渋n the three years that I dealt with this lawsuit, they never proved any failure on the belay device that we had in our facility.鈥�

Early on, Vertical World鈥檚 insurance company wanted to settle, but Johnston refused. In an interview with Climbing, Johnston said, 鈥淚f you start rolling over on stuff like this, the industry is going to be hit.鈥� Things changed during the discovery process of the suit.

It was found that Perfect Descent auto belays were initially recalled in 2016, with documented defects dating back to 2015. The company issued 鈥渟top use鈥� and 鈥渞eturn for repair notices,鈥� however effective design changes were allegedly not implemented. Further recalls were issued in the subsequent years. According to Darrell Cochran, the lead attorney representing Vandivere, other grievous incidents have occurred since then.

鈥淢y understanding is that very similar defect issues led to deaths in a number of places, including Colorado and Australia,鈥� Cochran told Climbing. 鈥淐3 Manufacturing likely disputes that its product was responsible for the falls.鈥�

Johnston countered, saying, 鈥淐3 did some really questionable things in their engineering of the products and how they did things. But as far as I know, no one was injured on a C3 product due to a failure that is claimed by the plaintiff鈥攖hey鈥檝e had millions of cycles on their units over the years in the industry. It says that they just didn鈥檛 do things correctly.鈥�

The latest states that the defective devices can 鈥渓oosen and cause slack on the rope, allowing the climber to fall [to the ground].鈥� Cochran clarified to Climbing that there were issues 鈥渨ith break failure and a failed retraction spring that led to hazardous spooling.鈥� He added that the president of C3, Ronald Naranjo, testified that the design used to create Perfect Descent was based on a device manufactured but later abandoned by the Mine Safety Appliances Company鈥攁n organization by which Naranjo was previously employed. That device, the Red Point Descender, was after multiple climbers experienced a rapid descent.

Despite the recalls, Perfect Descent has long been seen as a reputable brand in the industry鈥攖he company is the official supplier to the IFSC and World Games. Climbing was unable to reach C3 for comment.

Although Johnston was steadfastly against settling, misconduct from C3鈥檚 attorney鈥檚 during the legal proceedings made that ever more difficult. After it was revealed that the team had withheld evidence in the lead up to trial, the judge imposed sanctions of nearly $300,000 on C3 and the attorneys. Following the fumble, C3鈥檚 insurance company agreed to settle. Johnston found himself in an uncomfortable position; going to court alone was no longer a viable option, so Vertical World settled too.

Johnston founded Vertical World in a warehouse in Seattle in 1987. It was America鈥檚 first commercial climbing gym. In 1994, he also served as one of the original board members for the Climbing Wall Association. Ironically, Johnston has been pushing for better auto belay practices for years. At first reluctant to host auto belays in his gyms, he compromised with a stringent and required belay check that all members who wish to use the auto belays must undergo. Following this lawsuit, Johnston says Vertical World will continue to have auto belays, but not any manufactured by C3.

As a longtime industry leader, Johnston recommends other gym owners pay attention to this lawsuit. He鈥檚 concerned about how, moving forward, insurance companies will look at gyms which host auto belays. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 going to be a problem,鈥� he said. Garnet Moore, the executive director of the Climbing Wall Association, has been in communication with Johnston and is putting together updated risk management guidelines for the industry.

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It鈥檚 been stiflingly hot all this week, and in Washington鈥檚 North Cascades National Park, wildfires have ratcheted the heat up even more. A blaze called the Sourdough Fire started on Saturday, July 29 above Diablo Lake, one of the park鈥檚 iconic roadside destinations. As of Thursday, August 16, it has burned .

The nearly 400-person crew has the conflagration about 11 percent contained, and they鈥檝e successfully protected the handful of nearby structures. Most urgently threatened were the Ross and Diablo dams, which generate electricity for Seattle, and the , home to many utility employees and their families.

The fire passed the town by without any injuries or property damage. Nicholas DiGiacco, the spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center, that officials are 鈥渃onfident鈥� that the area is contained. Now, fire crews are shepherding the flames west, towards a preexisting firebreak, a wildfire scar from 2015. 鈥淥ur intent is to move this fire into that scar with the intention that it would run out of fuel,鈥� said DiGiacco.

The crown jewel of Washington State鈥檚 Cascade Mountains, North Cascades National Park is a popular summer destination for climbing, camping, boating, and hiking, just a few hours from Seattle. It boasts a handful of road-accessible campgrounds and recreation areas, but the main attraction is 500,000 acres of remote alpine backcountry accessible by hundreds miles of trails, including a long section of the Pacific Crest Trail.

This year, though, the thru-hikers en route to Canada, along with other outdoor enthusiasts, are going to have to reroute or wait for things to cool off. In addition to the Sourdough Fire blazing in the heart of the park, the smaller is burning in the National Forest along the park鈥檚 eastern border, and that fire has closed the highway to traffic from the opposite side.

The park鈥檚 ecosystem is , and it has overcome small, cleansing blazes as well as larger and more damaging ones over the past decade. What makes the Sourdough Fire particularly worrying is its proximity to infrastructure. The burn area borders the North Cascades Scenic Highway, the only road through the park.

鈥淩ocks continue to fall down, trees continue to fall down, so we鈥檙e not putting crews in there unless we absolutely have to for transport back and forth,鈥� Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team section chief Dean Lange .

The dams at Diablo Lake and Ross Lake that make electricity for Seattle are also near the flames, and were taken offline. A on the shores of Diablo Lake had to be evacuated.

It鈥檚 not just people living in the nearby towns and would-be campers who are feeling the heat. At the beginning of the week, enough smoke drifted into the greater Seattle area to . Fortunately, the smog is nowhere near the levels it has reached , but it arrived in tandem with daily highs in the 90s鈥�very hot for the historically temperate area.

Slightly cooler temperatures are for later this week, but it will be awhile before North Cascades National Park and the highway are . The Sourdough Fire is , and there鈥檚 the possibility that it will continue to spread during the dry, hot, and breezy conditions expected in the next few days.

Wildfires and heatwaves are the new norm in a region best known for rain and lush forests. But with any luck, the worst damage from the fires in North Cascades will be on would-be visitor鈥檚 summer plans.

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Government-sponsored time off only comes around a few days a year. Labor Day weekend is an opportunity to get outside, hike a lot, see some friends, hear some music,听and then sleep in on Monday, to hell with Slack. Festivals are a great way to cram a lot into these three sacred, carefree days.

I鈥檝e covered dozens of festivals over the past decade, and rounded up some of the best, all with great outdoor access, to help you make the most of your long weekend.

1. Bumbershoot, Seattle, Washington

As large corporations gobble up major festivals, it鈥檚 not easy to maintain an event as art-forward, experimental, and strident as , but the Seattle institution hopes it has finally found the right formula. After a four-year hiatus, the decades-old Bumbershoot is relaunching with a lineup of local stars鈥攍ike Sleater Kinney, Band of Horses, and Dave B鈥攚ho鈥檝e made it big. The new fest promises a return to its early creativity and chaos: you will be able to pole dance, roller skate, wrestle, extreme pogo-stick, and explore immersive art.

Bumbershoot is an urban festival, but Seattle is spitting distance from Snow Lake, Mount Si, and the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Both Snow Lake and Mount Si have trails through jagged mountain peaks and tall pines, while the six-mile out-and-back wraps around a lake. For a more kid-friendly or relaxing outing, walk along the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk, a four-mile elevated path that crosses over the top of Nisqually鈥檚 tidal flats, allowing seals, sea ducks, salmon, otters and minks to live peacefully underneath.

2. U.S. National Whitewater Center Labor Day Celebration, Charlotte, North Carolina

The is a one-stop shop for outdoor adventure. On the schedule are a 5K and a 15K trail race, stand-up paddleboard yoga, and a Dry Tri with mountain biking, trail running, and kayaking or paddleboarding on the Catawba River. For $75, you can buy an All Access Activity Pass that gets you into the U.S. National Whitewater Center鈥檚 renowned river rapids as well as onto the park鈥檚 climbing walls, bouldering routes, and ropes courses.

Evenings bring performances by Amanda Anne Platt, and one of my personal favorite indie Americana bands, The Lone Bellow. (The band鈥檚 earnest 2013 ballad 鈥淏leeding Out鈥� got me through high-school drama.)

Not many hikes on the Whitewater Center鈥檚 1,300 acres are longer than a few miles, but Crowders Mountain State Park offers more. Head up to King鈥檚 Pinnacle, one of the two summits in the park鈥檚 5,200 acres, via the four-mile Pinnacle Trail, which involves some rock scrambling.

3. Southern Decadence, New Orleans, Louisiana

, a raucous parade that rolls through the French Quarter, is one of New Orleans鈥� biggest pride events. Think Mardi Gras but with a little more drag and a lot more leather. I like to watch it all unfold on Frenchman Street, home to some of the city鈥檚 great music clubs and close to its LGBTQ+ bars.

New Orleans, however, is not just an overblown party destination. Walk even half a mile out of the French Quarter and you鈥檒l see flowering vines engulfing buildings and oak-lined avenues leading to stellar parks, the biggest of which is City Park. Just 15 minutes from downtown is the Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, the country鈥檚 largest urban National Wildlife refuge. Its marshland is excellent for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and, with over 340 species of birds, birdwatching. The Joe Madere Marsh Overlook has a picnic pavilion and a boat launch.

4. Marshall County Blueberry Festival, Plymouth, Indiana

Half a million people turn out for the to celebrate what happens to be my favorite trail snack. About two hours from both Chicago and Indianapolis, hundreds of craft and food booths fill the town鈥檚 Centennial Park with blueberry everything鈥攊ce cream, cheesecake, smoothies, sausage, and multiple varieties of blueberry beer. (The blueberry donuts are, reportedly, a fan favorite.) This is the most classic Labor Day celebration on our list, with a parade, a carnival, and recreational sports tournaments including pickleball and tractor pulling. It also has fun runs, a bike cruise, and a benefit lake swim.

Plymouth is only an hour from Indiana Dunes National Park, on the banks of Lake Michigan. The park鈥檚 best-known hike is probably its 3 Dune Challenge: 552 feet of vertical gain over just 1.5 miles, all in the sand. If you鈥檇 rather be able to walk the next day, try the . At nearly six miles, it鈥檚 longer, but far less steep, and includes a nice walk along the beach.

5. Mount Snow Brewers Festival, Dover, Vermont

If there is anything I learned working as a ski instructor in Vermont, it鈥檚 that the best days here involve going to the top of a mountain, coming back down, and then drinking beer as the sun sets. (Well, I prefer cider, but you get the idea.) The serves a smattering of craft beers from the famous Vermont and New England craft-brewing scenes.

Local bands will supply music, and local restaurants will serve beer-appropriate foods. The festival puts you at the base of Mount Snow, a ski area whose trails are busy hiking and mountain-biking paths in the summer. You can easily spend the afternoon before the festival hiking to the top of 3,600-foot Mount Snow, with its view of Snow Lake.

6. Dancefestopia, La Cygne, Kansas

In most ways, Dancefestopia is your standard EDM festival. It has a whimsical, Wizard of Oz theme, big-name DJs, and dizzying lights and lasers. But it takes place at what is otherwise a lakeside outdoor-education camp, with all of the log cabins and activities thereof. An activity pass buys you access to the camp鈥檚 climbing wall as well as fishing and canoeing.

For more of that tree-lined Kansas beauty, check out the further shores of La Cygne Lake and the Marais des Cygne Wildlife Area. You can pick up a fishing license at the

7. Austin Free Day of Yoga, Austin, Texas

In 2019, 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine declared Austin one of the 鈥�World鈥檚 Dreamiest Spots for Outdoor Yoga.鈥� On Labor Day, you can live that dream for . A coalition of local studios and instructors will offer over 30 free classes, both indoors and out, across the city. There鈥檚 Qigong at the Austin Bouldering Project, Kundalini at the Waterloo Greenway, and at least one class billed as a party, the Sukha revival.

With the rest of your time, this Texan (I grew up in the greater Houston area) encourages you to indulge in a little Texas cliche. Order some Tex-Mex, or maybe a burger at Clark鈥檚, then head to one of the area’s swimming holes.

8. The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cookoff, Sparks, Nevada

Let me save you some confusion. Contrary to what the name suggests, Nugget is not a type of a rib, but the name of the casino sponsoring this extravagant barbecue competition. is a big deal in the rib world, and 250,000 pounds of meat will be seasoned and sauced in pursuit of festival glory.

Build up an appetite before you go with a visit to the Truckee River Whitewater Park, where you can kayak over class two and three rapids in the middle of Sparks. Or leave the city and drive 45 minutes south to Lake Tahoe. You can get on a section of the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail at the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead, near Incline Village. Another popular trail is the wheelchair-accessible 1.3-mile Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Loop through the wildflower-laden Tahoe Meadows.

9. Caveman Music Festival, Weston, Colorado

Camping at music festivals usually falls somewhere between the glamping of Coachella; the dusty, trippy party tents of Burning Man; and sleeping in your car. , on the other hand, has real tent camping on its shores and fields. It all goes down at Colorado鈥檚 Monument Lake Resort, where you can fish for trout, kayak, canoe, and hike in between performances. The music here is Americana, headlined by JJ Grey & Mofro, Shane Smith & The Saints, and Dawes.

The resort is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with a multitude of beautiful hikes. Seasoned hikers can ascend the eight-mile near La Veta, Colorado, for some of the best views in the region. Find out about more trails

Emily Carmichael is a writer, editor, and former ski instructor based in Brooklyn who has covered music festivals since her college days in New Orleans.

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Since moving to the West Coast almost a decade ago, I鈥檝e experienced my fair share of wet-weather mishaps. From waking up in a tent sitting in a couple inches of water, to forgetting to pack a waterproof shell during thunderstorm season, I鈥檝e been left waterlogged and grumpy from being caught unprepared more times than I鈥檇 like to admit. Most of these unfortunate events could have been prevented had I just put a little more thought into my rain-gear kit.

After spending years trying out different gear, I鈥檝e come up with a list of simple items that can make adventuring in the rain a whole lot better. A good rain jacket is a no-brainer, but the best one depends on what activity you plan to use it for. Other than a waterproof coat you can count on, these six items can withstand the perpetually wet conditions of the Pacific Northwest鈥攁nd if they can hold up here, they can hold up just about anywhere.

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Pants ($119)

The Torrentshell has a considerable number of features that make it a solid choice for most wet-weather activities. These three-layer eco-shell pants (available in XXS to XL in both and 听versions) have a durable water-repellent finish, an elastic waistband with an internal drawcord, two zippered hand-warmer pockets, and partially elasticized cuffs that also employ a snap-tab closure, plus they pack down into their own pocket to stow away until needed. But one of the most practical things about them is the two-way side zippers, which run cuff to thigh and can be thrown over boots quickly and, when unzipped, dump heat. Comfortable and sure to keep you dry, there鈥檚 not much more to ask for in a good pair of everyday rain pants.

Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero ($65)

A wide-brimmed waterproof hat is a nice accessory to own when you live in a climate that gets as many wet days as dry ones. The Seattle Sombrero is a seam-sealed Gore-Tex rain hat that lends itself well to colder precipitous conditions, like North Cascades backpacking in the fall. The flexible brim allows you to direct water flow, and Velcro on two sides means you can wear it cowboy-hat style if that鈥檚 more your vibe. Thanks to UPF 50+ fabric, it can pull double duty on sunny days, although it is a little on the heavy side for regular hot-weather use. The removable chin cord, soft tricot lining, and packability are a few other reasons to declare the Seattle Sombrero an all-around winner. It鈥檚 available in a handful of two-tone colors and an all-black version, and in my opinion, it鈥檚 a classic article of clothing that you鈥檒l use for many years.

REI Co-op Duck鈥檚 Back Rain Cover ($25 to $40)

Very few everyday backpacks are 100 percent waterproof, and when they are, they can come with a hefty price tag because of technical design features and special fabric. The easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to protect your backpack from getting soaked in a downpour is with a simple rain cover. There鈥檚 not too much to say about a good rain cover鈥攖hey need to pack down small, weigh next to nothing, and, above all, keep your stuff dry. REI鈥檚 Duck鈥檚 Back does just that.

Available in a range of five sizes (, , , , ) this seam-sealed cover will fit all backpacks between 18 and 100+ liters. It鈥檚 a great thing to have in a pinch, and not just on the hiking trail but when you鈥檙e commuting to work or hanging at the playground, too. The downside: your stuff isn鈥檛 accessible without removing the rain cover to get inside your bag, so if you need to grab something mid-downpour, you鈥檒l likely get your things a bit wet.

Sealskinz Waterproof All Weather Mid-Length Socks ($45)

I can tough it out for hours in the rain, but once my feet are cold and wet, it鈥檚 game over. Sealskinz waterproof socks have kept my feet warm and dry during all sorts of outdoor activities. I鈥檝e worn them hiking, kayaking, paddling, biking, camping, and while doing chores around the yard. Like much of the best waterproof apparel, they鈥檙e made with three-layer construction: the merino wool liner that sits against your skin and keeps it toasty, the hydrophilic membrane that acts as a water barrier, and the durable blended nylon exterior that feels almost like a baby version of neoprene. I鈥檝e worn these paddling in 50-degree weather, and when stepping into the cold ocean water, these socks offered great protection against its frigid temperatures.

If you plan to hike in the Pacific Northwest, one piece of advice I鈥檇 offer is that if your shoes aren鈥檛 waterproof enough to withstand wet weather, at least your socks should be. I wear Gore-Tex hiking boots, which keep my feet dry, but I always stash these in my bag as a backup in case my feet get soaked during a river crossing or I have some other water-related blunder. If you鈥檙e in between sizes, I recommend sizing down, as you鈥檒l want these to be a snug fit inside your hiking footwear. Since these are technical, fairly expensive, and serve a pretty specific purpose, I also recommend going the all-weather midlength route to get the most use out of them.

Rite in the Rain Side Spiral Notebook ($8)

Whether I鈥檓 jotting down gear notes, writing myself a reminder, or keeping score in a campsite card game, I鈥檝e always got a notepad on me, and Rite in the Rain鈥檚 all-weather notebooks actually stick my words to the page even while when it鈥檚 wet outside. Designed over a century ago in the Pacific Northwest, these notebooks come in a variety of sizes, cover colors, and page patterns (I like the universal version because I can keep my drawings to scale with the dotted grid). A flexible and durable plastic cover protects the pages from damage in your backpack, and handy metric and imperial rulers are printed on the back. Tested on the trail and in the shower, I鈥檝e written in this notepad with heavy water splashing down on it and my writing remains intact and smudge-free, although you do need to use a classic pencil or an all-weather pen on the coated pages (I use ).

Nikwax TX Direct Spray-On Water-Repellent Treatment ($22)

Over time, the waterproof coating on the outside of your favorite rain pants or your expensive Gore-Tex jacket is going to break down as oil and dirt grind into and clog the fabric. This compromises your garments鈥� ability to breathe and bead off water, which can cause it to wet out. After a while, you鈥檙e going to want to re-up your rain gear to restore water-repellency and recover breathability. There are a few simple steps to re-waterproof your gear, one of which is using a product like Nikwax. After cleaning your garment, spray on the DWR treatment鈥攁 preferable method to using a wash-in formula, because the DWR coating is meant for the outside only. This isn鈥檛 a product that you鈥檇 use all the time, but once you鈥檝e finally found rain gear you love and that keeps you dry, you鈥檙e going to want to make sure it lasts.

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Jeff Bezos is my neighbor. Kind of. I鈥檓 98 percent sure I saw him at my local Seattle post office over the holidays.

Yeah right, you might say. Don鈥檛 all well-dressed bald men look basically the same in a mask? Doesn鈥檛 he have people who could stand in line for him?听

Well,听consider this: Bezos probably has more time to run errands these days, because from his听CEO role at Amazon to focus on personal projects and philanthropy, including , a $10 billion contribution to fighting climate change that he announced this time last year.听

Given that we鈥檙e neighbors, I feel like I can level with him about how he should make the world better with his money and free time (TL;DR:听).

First, he should think about how much power the Earth Fund has and how it fits into the big picture of environmental funding. For context, $10 billion is about what the United States听has historically spent annually on climate-related research and development, and it鈥檚 also around 5听percent of .听

One dude spending as much as the government can have big, cascading impacts on the future of the planet. A relatively tiny spend for someone like Bezos could alter the course of how we address climate change and what we focus on globally.听

罢丑补迟鈥檚 as the wealthiest people in the world accrue even more money and spend more of it on their favorite conservation and climate solutions.听(In the year since he announced the Earth Fund, Bezos has $75 billion.) Bezos is far from the only example, though:听Swiss medical-device developer Hansj枚rg Wyss committed $1 billion to in 2018. In 2019, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to close coal-fired power plants. This month, Elon Musk toward听a prize for carbon-capture ideas. Hedge-fund manager and former presidential candidate听Tom Steyer has injected millions into climate-friendly political campaigns over the years. And my other Seattle neighbors, Bill and Melinda Gates, have in green energy听and become thought leaders in how to address the climate crisis. (Bill has this month called How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.)

But do we really want billionaires deciding where and how to protect the environment? Unlike government funding, donations come with minimal accountability and no guaranteed public oversight. And a frequent problem with philanthropy is that donor interest and societal need are not often the same thing, and the former has more power. 鈥淭he impact of philanthropy doesn鈥檛 always correlate with the size of the giving,鈥� says Heather Grady, . 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 voluntary, funders can spend a lot of money that has virtually no impact鈥攊t鈥檚 not what鈥檚 needed听but what they鈥檙e interested in.鈥�

We鈥檝e seen how that arbitrary, emotional giving plays out in the outdoor world. In the 2020 book Billionaire Wilderness, sociologist Justin Farrell looks at inequality in the recreation haven of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He shows how the area has some of the nation鈥檚听highest rates of charitable giving, but notes that the funds largely go to arts organizations and private-lands trusts that donors have personal connections to鈥攊nstead of pressing听but less sexy issues like social services or housing.听

In other words, large sums of money give people the ability to gatekeep decision-making, but because of their personal bias, that doesn鈥檛 necessarily play out well for the greater good. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that hard to give away a bunch of money, it鈥檚 not that hard to do it with that equity lens, but you have to change systems of power and privilege and make sure that dollars get into the hands of people who know best how听to use it,鈥� says Kate Roosevelt, executive vice president of Campbell and Company, a Seattle-based philanthropy-research firm.

Farrell also shows听that giving can be a greenwashing distraction from the huge carbon footprint these figures and their companies are responsible for. It鈥檚 impossible to untangle Bezos鈥檚 wealth from its source, the behemoth company that made him rich and which each year than, say, . And we can assume that his personal footprint is large, too. According to a , the top 1听percent of income earners in the world account for 15 percent of emissions. 罢丑补迟鈥檚 more than the 3.5 billion people in the bottom half.听

But billionaire philanthropy isn鈥檛 going anywhere, and it鈥檚 obviously a good thing that some in the one percent are听realizing听the urgency of the climate crisis. In his original statement about the Earth Fund, Bezos听acknowledged that 鈥渃limate change is the biggest threat to our planet鈥� and听said that he wants to 鈥渨ork alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share.鈥� Taking him at his word that he wants to help, it鈥檚 worth examining how his donations could have the biggest and most equitable impact.

Let鈥檚 start with how the Earth Fund has deployed its resources so far. In November, Bezos announced the听 of the organization鈥檚 grants: $791 million to 17 groups, including $100 million each to the , , , and the . Yes, that鈥檚 a lot of money. Yes, those places are doing important, crucial work. And yes,听that money will help them do more. But they鈥檙e also among the most established, well-funded environmental organizations, they all do similar kinds of conservation work, and most of them already have budgets in the hundreds of millions.听

The , a collective of community-based environmental NGOs, released a statement in December railing听the for world听and using money to virtue-signal instead of taking valuable strides. 鈥淟ess than a quarter of the first-round grants will go to intermediary funds that support thousands of grassroots communities cultivating solutions on the frontlines of the climate emergency,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淭he inequities couldn鈥檛 be more striking.鈥� The alliance wasn鈥檛听听anger and frustration. According to Grady of听Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, well-placed donations to smaller organizations can have exponential impacts.听

Bezos鈥檚 funding could have been transformational. And maybe it still will be. But the first round of听donations were largely听maudlin and uncreative. 鈥淭he most effective philanthropy occurs when philanthropists seek out strong leaders in all kinds of organizations, then give them a bunch of money unrestricted and say, 鈥業 trust you.鈥� But the tendency has been to go with large groups,鈥� Campbell and Company鈥檚 Roosevelt says. 鈥淭hat leaves out a huge swath of small organizations, often led by and serving people of color.鈥澨�

Those organizations are trying to raise their collective voice. The day after Bezos announced he was stepping back from Amazon听to focus on doing good, the Donors of Color network, a group of philanthropists of color, released the . It asks philanthropists to pledge 30 percent of their giving to BIPOC-led environmental organizations, who have historically only received 1.3 percent of the total donations given to climate organizations, according to a study from the New School. Large funders like the Kresge Foundation have already signed on. The Earth Fund should sign on, too.听

鈥淭here is the potential to be funding environmental issues at such a higher level of effectiveness if you find the key community organization and let them lead,鈥� says Savitha Pathi, deputy director of , a Seattle-based energy-policy nonprofit. 罢丑补迟鈥檚 what billionaires like Bezos听can easily do if they want their money to make the biggest difference.听

There also needs to be transparency about who鈥檚 making the decisions听and who they鈥檙e interacting with. In his November post announcing the Earth Fund鈥檚听first round of donations, Bezos mentioned a 鈥溾�� who were guiding his decisions. Pathi says no one outside of Bezos鈥檚听inner circle knows who that is exactly. For past initiatives,听like听his homelessness directive, members of Bezos鈥檚听team cold-called people they knew to figure out who to donate to, instead of opening up a public channel. 罢丑补迟鈥檚 problematic, because it limits the scope of who could be reached听and the scale at which it could have impact.

So what would I have actually said to Bezos from six feet away at the post office? Limit your own impact. Make sure your team looks outside of its sphere and opens the doors to people and organizations on the front lines of climate change who might otherwise have been outside听the conversation. You have an incredible amount of power and money. Money makes change, and we are running out of time.

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In 2019, the RV Industry Association (RIVA), a trade federation,听.听And when COVID-19 first swept the nation in March, those sales dropped even more. But almost as fast as they fell, sales and rentals began to skyrocket. By June, 听in the U.S. were the highest they鈥檇 been since 2018,听, an 11 percent increase from June 2019.

As far as , it鈥檚 easy to understand why people are turning to RVs. With many concerned about the听safety of hotels and other lodging, RVs听offer more control and flexibility. Both existing and newly launched companies are getting creative with what this new era of road travel will look like, as people听have begun embracing听so-called听COVID campers for听long road trips in lieu of flights, turning to part- or full-time vanlife in response to companies switching to remote work, or leaving expensive real estate behind for a more budget-friendly option. Here鈥檚 how new听startups are going beyond the basic RV-rental formula by听being more on demand, millennial focused, and remote-work-friendly.

1. They Offer Socially听Distant Vacations

, an RV startup currently serving the Seattle area听that provides听rental-camper vans outfitted to look like a boutique hotel on wheels, seeks to offer听a more controlled environment than peer-to-peer rentals, in which guests can expect the same layout, features, and level of cleanliness every time they book. Cabana vans combine a stylish design with all the amenities you鈥檇 typically find in a home rental, from flat-screen TVs and memory-foam mattresses to full bathrooms and free Wi-Fi. What sets the company听apart are听contactless check-in and an on-demand concierge that makes it easy for the first-time camper to explore the outdoors.

鈥淧rior to COVID-19, the majority of the customers were from out of town and using a Cabana van during their vacation to the Seattle area,鈥� says Scott Kubly, the company鈥檚 founder.

According to Kubly, the pandemic completely transformed the company鈥檚 customer base. 鈥淪ince the shelter-in-place orders took effect in Seattle, Cabana has seen a 400 percent increase in bookings,听with the majority being local customers looking for a way to safely get out of town听for a socially distanced compliant vacation.鈥� Cabana听plans to launch in six more cities听next year, including in San Diego, Denver, and San Francisco.

Cabana鈥檚 change in demographics exemplifies what could be a long-term switch from long-distance air travel to domestic road travel.听This was the case for Kay Kingsman, founder of the听, a blog that seeks to inspire听underserved and underrepresented communities to travel, who rented her first RV through during the pandemic.

鈥淢y interest in RV travel increased during the pandemic, because I wanted to road-trip domestically and get into nature, but trying to map and plan out hotel stays鈥攁nd sanitized hotels at that鈥攚as difficult and stressful,鈥� she says.

Though most hotels have implemented new sanitation practices in line with CDC guidelines, hotels require significantly more sanitation than a camper van due to a greater number of contact surface areas and shared spaces, like lobbies. Cabana鈥檚 vans are cleaned using current best practices, and, according to听Kubly,听鈥渋rradiated with UVC light and then left to stand for six to eight hours between rentals.鈥� Not only that,听but van rentals offer more control over who you鈥檙e exposed to, says Kingsman:听鈥淚 tried doing a more traditional staycation and rented a hotel room in a nearby town, but no one in the hotel was wearing a mask, including the staff. I couldn鈥檛 trust that they were actually taking sanitation seriously, so I ended up leaving,鈥� she听says. 鈥淚 felt as though I had more control over sanitation in the RV since I didn鈥檛 have other hotel guests or staff to consider.鈥�

On the other hand, , a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and sustainability consultant, podcast host, and digital creator who lives full-time听in her personally customized Ford Transit Connect, has avoided traveling in the听van during the pandemic听because听she doesn鈥檛 want 鈥渢o contribute to the spread of COVID.鈥� Instead she has opted to park at friends鈥� houses and boondocking sites. Despite the lack of mobility, Edmondson is听grateful for the affordability and flexibility living in her van has allowed听during so much听uncertainty. Her听relationship to vanlife, which is less about travel and more about ease and affordability, illustrates another trend coming out of the pandemic: different types of accommodation.

2. They Provide听Alternative Housing

In 2019, RIVA reported that over one million people听in the U.S. lived in RVs full-time.听Those numbers are growing as the pandemic has given more folks听a nudge toward permanent听vanlife, now that many jobs have gone remote and the outdoors is听more appealing than populous COVID-19 hot spots like cities.听That, combined听with rising housing costs, could result in RVs and camper vans becoming viable alternative forms of long-term听housing.

鈥淭he vehicle is no longer just a way to move around, but it鈥檚 now a real house that clients are looking for,鈥� says听Paul Aubert, cofounder of , a company that converts old school buses into bus hotels, or 鈥淏-hotels,鈥� which are design-forward听RVs with custom cabinets, living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and roof terraces. Some are outfitted with solar panels, water heaters, and other gadgets that allow them to be independent of water and electricity hookups.

Before the pandemic, Mybushotel customers were primarily international tourists who rented the buses turned RVs to explore North, Central, and South America, but when rental bookings dried up with the COVID-19 travel restrictions, the company adjusted its focus completely to exclusively selling the custom conversions.

鈥淲e received more than 400 [requests] from May to August听for our B-hotels. Lots of people were thinking about the possibility of changing their way of living, and COVID-19 was a good opportunity to go forward,鈥� Aubert听says.

The kitted-out buses are custom-made, so prices can vary greatly听but are on the expensive end, with the average build costing between $45,000 and $80,000.

3.听They鈥檙e Embracing the Shift to Remote Work

Meanwhile, the new company , which creates RV parks geared toward听working millennials,听with amenities, work spaces, and community perks, will bring on its first members in September. 鈥淲e have been thinking about how we can use camper vans and communal spaces to create a new model for flexible housing for a few years,鈥� says听CEO Collin O鈥橠onnell. 鈥淲ith the pressure from shelter-in-place orders, the record-high rents, and the opportunity presented by the new work-from-anywhere economy, we decided that we couldn鈥檛 wait any longer and decided to launch.鈥�

Kibbo is positioning itself as a 鈥渇ull-time alternative to the traditional apartment.鈥� In addition to offering vans for rent, it鈥檚听open to members who already have听their own vans. The company is听hoping to attract adventurers who will actively contribute to听creating a community based on shared outdoor values鈥攕omething it听hopes to ensure with an application process. Those accepted will pay a sign-on fee of $485 and monthly dues that vary (starting at $150), according to how often members want access to a clubhouse. It also plans听to offer single-use passes for overnight听access to nonmembers.

Starting as early as September, members can access community clubhouses out west in Ojai, California, Nevada鈥檚 Black Rock Desert, 听near听Zion National Park in Utah, and, as of press time, Big Sur, pending the spread of the wildfires. In 2021, Kibbo plans to听open clubhouses in San Francisco and Los Angeles听and eventually expects to go national.

Where decades-old RV companies have long focused on comfort features for retired or affluent customers, RV startups like Cabana, Kibbo,听and Mybushotel see the future of RVs centered around digital nomads in need of remote working capabilities.听鈥淥ur clients are looking for a new product that allows them to travel and work in the best conditions.听They need to have internet access, a possibility to work in their vehicle, and a good-size vehicle to travel in,鈥� Mybushotel鈥檚 Aubert听says.

Kibbo鈥檚 O鈥橠onnell says,听鈥淩ight now听over 60 percent of Americans are working from home. We are asking: Why not work from anywhere? Why are you paying rent in a city or suburb close to your work when you no longer need to commute? We offer the flexibility to live and work from wherever you want,听in nature or in the city, changing locations whenever you want, but at the same time being part of an intentional community.鈥�

The vision to create a long-term RV community is one that O鈥橠onnell hopes will last well after the pandemic is over. Until then, Kibbo will follow CDC guidelines and include those听recommendations in its听code of conduct for members.听鈥淚nherently, we are offering people more choice, so they can be together when it makes sense and is safe to do so or be on their own when they want,鈥� he says.

4. They鈥檙e Becoming More听Accessible

In addition to travelers looking for socially distant vacations, and a new sector of remote workers drawn to full-time vanlife, there鈥檚 a third group interested in RVs for another reason: affordability.听Sites like Outdoorsy have made RV rentals more reasonable since the start听of the pandemic. With rates as low as $50 a night, people of different income levels now have more access to them.

Natasha Van Horne of , who is an EMT, a full-time vanlifer since July,听and听mother to听a five-year-old, sees camper vans as a means to travel continuously on a budget.

鈥淭he cost of living 20 years ago is听astronomically different from today,鈥澨齭he says. 鈥淎lternative living, in my case听vanlife, is a financial breath of fresh air. It provides the ability to pay off debts, save money for a future home, and create beautiful memories along the way.鈥�

The single mom travels the country with her daughter, who听she homeschools. While the van satisfies Van Horne鈥檚 dream of traveling full-time, it gives her family something even better: 鈥淚 breathe easier knowing that I can save money for my daughter鈥檚 college education, while still putting money away.鈥�

Kingsman, the blogger, thinks the increased accessibility to a wider range of social classes may be one of the reasons RV experiences are appealing to more听solo women, families, and people of color.

鈥淢y image of people who听travel听in RVs and camper vans was mainly older, wealthier, white couples,鈥� says听Kingsman. 鈥淓ven when hiking and camping, which usually have听a younger demographic, I was often the only Black woman in the area. Recently, I鈥檝e noticed a huge surge of diversity in the RV and camper community.鈥�

Kibbo is aware of the outdoor industry鈥檚 push for diversity, and it鈥檚听hoping to be a safe community for groups听who may have historically been excluded from outdoor recreation. This includes developing a holistic strategy with advisers and board members to include people of diverse backgrounds听as well as听speaking with potential customers about听challenges they may face on the road so that the company听can adjust accordingly during the initial launch phase.听鈥淲e are open to everyone听and are intentionally trying to foster a diverse community and actively invite people from all walks of life to participate, particularly people of color, women, and the LGBTQ听community,鈥� O鈥橠onnell says.

Cabana, Kibbo, and Mybushotel鈥檚 adaptability could pay off immensely, especially if they continue to focus on catering to new RV enthusiasts. From providing a safe travel experience to remote-friendly housing, these companies illustrate a larger, more permanent shift toward听mobile living.

鈥淐OVID showed us that cities can change overnight, but this isn鈥檛 just about the pandemic,鈥� says听O鈥橠onnell. 鈥淲hen everything is changing鈥攃onsumer trends, economic opportunity, climate, health situations鈥攜ou need services that are adaptable and responsive.鈥�

The post The New Camper Companies Redefining Road Travel appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Update: On September 14, for nearly $368 million dollars.

It was supposed to represent the future of the office: in 2018, REI broke ground on a corporate headquarters intended to embody its company culture. The eight-acre campus, in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, was imagined as a playground of outdoor amenities, including a fire pit and a blueberry bog. Sleek garage-style doors would let air into the office, while courtyards blooming with native plants would serve as alfresco conference rooms. The Wall Street Journal 鈥渢he most outdoorsy HQ ever.鈥� Fast Company joked that REI was building 鈥�.鈥� Move-in was slated for summer 2020.

But now the future of the office may be no office, and instead of taking up residence in Bellevue, REI is responding to the pandemic by putting its never used, nearly finished HQ for an undisclosed sum. 鈥淭he dramatic events of 2020 have challenged us to reexamine and rethink every aspect of our business and many of the assumptions of the past,鈥� CEO Eric Artz in a video call last Wednesday.

Coming as it does after months of cuts鈥擱EI roughly 300 corporate employees in April and 400 retail employees in July鈥攖he decision could be a sign that the company needs to raise cash to retain its remaining workforce. Or the sharp pivot could be an indication that REI, the first major outdoor retailer to follow in the footsteps of 听and听 by declaring remote work a central part of its future, is thinking a step ahead of its peers.

Most likely, there鈥檚 truth in both interpretations. In an interview with 国产吃瓜黑料, REI鈥檚 chief customer officer, Ben Steele, emphasized the strategic benefits of the decision while acknowledging the need to recoup the spring鈥檚 losses. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to replenish the balance sheet so that we can be prepared for the storms ahead,鈥� he says.

REI that it would suffer a 30 percent drop in revenue compared to the previous year. Since then, most of its 162 stores have reopened, and people driven outdoors in search of safe fun have created what Steele calls听鈥渦nprecedented demand鈥� for everything from boats to bikes to camping gear. Though a strong summer won鈥檛 fully make up for a spring of what outdoor-industry experts told 国产吃瓜黑料 were 鈥�jaw dropping鈥� losses, REI has revised its financial predictions in a more optimistic direction. 鈥淲e went from asking questions about what we needed to do to stabilize听to asking what decisions we can make to help us build our future,鈥� Steele says.

That future will benefit from an influx of capital whenever REI sells its headquarters, he听says. Several buyers, including Facebook, are , according to听the Seattle Times. REI hasn鈥檛 announced what it spent to build its offices and won鈥檛 comment on a possible sales price other than to say that the company expects 鈥渁 positive return on our four-year investment.鈥� It seems fair to ask whether the new age of remote work might be a less than ideal time to put a corporate campus on the market, but Steele says听that REI 鈥渨ill look for and expect premium pricing.鈥� In the years to come, the company envisions allowing employees to 鈥渇lex鈥� between working remotely and commuting to one of three smaller satellite听spaces in the Seattle area.

Some of the savings from downsizing will be directed toward meeting the new forms of demand that the pandemic has brought into play. 鈥淎s a lot of shopping and transactional behavior moved online, we鈥檝e seen places where we need to improve,鈥� Steele says. 鈥淩EI is known for its in-store expertise and experience, so we鈥檙e thinking about things like virtual outfitting to see: Can you have that experience online? Curbside pickup is not something that we see going away鈥攑eople like the convenience. There are ways we want to invest to make that better for customers听and also for employees.鈥�

It鈥檚 also impossible to say how far away the post-pandemic future remains鈥攁nother reason that REI may be making the right move by unloading an expensive asset. 鈥淭here are a lot of unknowns in the next year or two,鈥� points out Jessica Wahl, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable trade association. Even if demand for outdoor gear is high, no one knows for sure how the pandemic will continue to depress spending power听or disrupt the supply chains that retailers rely on for products. 鈥淐ompanies are making budget cuts that are not indicative of their health today but are setting them up for success if that health changes,鈥� Wahl says. 鈥淵ou have to plan for what it looks like if things get really bad.鈥�

With remote work the only option for many businesses at this time, it鈥檚 not hard to imagine that other outdoor retailers may soon follow REI鈥檚 example. 鈥淩EI is a leader in our industry,鈥� says Lise听Aangeenbrug, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association. 鈥淎ny time they make a decision like this, it impacts everyone, including their vendors, who will think, Well, if REI did this, should I?鈥�

REI鈥檚 plan is on trend with the future of office work that experts across many fields have begun to predict. In for the Harvard Business Review, a group of researchers at the architecture and design firm HLW argued that companies should seek ways to balance the benefits of remote work鈥攊ncreased flexibility, freedom from commuting鈥攚ith the fact that 鈥減eople will still need places where they can come together, connect, build relationships, and develop their careers.鈥� The authors propose that satellite offices represent an ideal compromise, both because their small size supports close collaboration听and because, 鈥渇rom a resilience perspective,鈥� they provide more places where people can work through natural disasters, power outages, and other disruptions.

Ultimately, Steele argues that instituting flexible policies vis-脿-vis geography might fit REI鈥檚 culture better than any headquarters, even one created听with a blueberry bog. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a national organization, and life outdoors looks different in, say, Atlanta than it does in Seattle听than it does in Minneapolis or L.A.,鈥� he says. By necessity, the inventory in any given REI store reflects the natural landscape of the place where it鈥檚 located, but the company鈥檚 corporate employees have never been likewise dispersed. Steele points out: 鈥淭o have that model stretch into HQ is an interesting possibility.鈥�

The post Why REI Is Selling Its Brand-New Headquarters appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For 25听years, an oceanographic buoy听 has been moored in the middle of the Bering Sea听collecting data on ocean conditions听for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2017, it听picked up something extraordinary: the siren song of North Pacific right whales, an endangered species so rare that scientists say tracking one down is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Nearly听2,000听miles away, in Seattle, an environmental educator and boat captain named Kevin Campion was also searching for听signs of the whale. Campion, a 42-year-old West Coast skater turned biologist, was a few years into a about the whales听and nearly a decade into an obsession with them. After a failed attempt to spot them during the summer of 2017, and spurred by Peggy鈥檚 findings, Campion blocked off two weeks of the summer of 2019, borrowed a friend鈥檚 boat, and roped in two crew members. In August 2019, the team crisscrossed听a听200-nautical-mile stretch of Bering Sea that is the whales鈥� critical habitat, running the boat鈥檚 hydrophone in hopes of hearing what Peggy had.

We know surprisingly little about the species the Center for Biological Diversity calls . We know they can live at least 70 years, and that they get huge鈥攗p to 100 tons听and 65 feet long. Thanks to , we think they migrate from California to the Bering Sea, and that there are two surviving populations: one of about 300 whales on the western side of their migration range, and one of about 30 whales on the eastern side, which Campion is tracking.听

We know they still exist because there were two sightings off the coast of British Columbia in 2013, more than 60 years after the last sighting in the area,听and because the acoustic recorder on Peggy captured their song in 2017. That same year,听NOAA recorded several other sightings, including one of a young whale鈥攁 hopeful sign that the whales were still reproducing.

North Pacific right whales are members of the baleen whale family, a close relative to the slightly less rare鈥攂ut much more studied鈥� and whales, which have become a larger part of the conversation about marine-mammal conservation. (They鈥檙e all related to the , whose population is endangered but increasing). The recording captured on Peggy听recently that the North Pacific right was a distinct species, because the others don鈥檛 sing.

Before whaling took off in the region in the 1830s,听there were an estimated 30,000 North Pacific right whales. Those numbers were quickly decimated: the species is fatter and floatier听than other whales, which made them prime targets for whalers looking for oily blubber. Like most whales, they have long life spans and reproduce slowly; that听hinders population regrowth,听though听it has been illegal to hunt them since 1937. By 1951, when one was documented as having been听killed illegally at a whaling station in Coal Harbor, British Columbia, the North Pacific rights had all but vanished. It has been listed as an endangered species since 1970.

So it seemed to Campion that scientists should have a better handle on these whales. How鈥攊n the age of and 听and Google Maps听and Peggy鈥攃an the life of an enormous rare creature remain a mystery? How can something so big just disappear?

Campion is a biologist who has sailed vast swaths of the world鈥檚 oceans听and runs a marine-science program called Deep Green Wilderness in Seattle. He鈥檚 been obsessed with whales since he was a kid, but he had never heard of the species before 2013, when the second North Pacific right to be seen in 60 years was spotted near Vancouver Island. He started reading up and asking the whale researchers he knew about them. Soon听the mystery of the North Pacific rights had pulled him in, in part because their disappearance from human view and scientific study struck him as near mythical.听鈥淭he deeper I dug, the less people knew about them,鈥� he says.听

For two summers, Campion has led a crew on trips to search for the whales. The first time, in 2017, Campion鈥檚 crew spent about six weeks circling Vancouver Island, where that single North Pacific right had been spotted four years earlier.听He tracked down Brian Gisborne, the 60-year-old former commercial fisherman who had seen the whale in 2013. (Gisborne used to run a water-taxi business听and is contracted by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans to look for rare species. 鈥淗e鈥檚 spent years of his life at sea,鈥� Campion says. 鈥淚f anyone had the rights to find something rare, it was this guy.鈥�) Gisborne was initially reticent, but once he warmed up, he shared a wealth of information about where the whales might want to eat听and what topographical features might give them trouble. 鈥淲e were pretty sure we weren鈥檛 going to see one,鈥� Campion says.听鈥淏ut the researchers were like, 鈥榊ou might!鈥欌�澨�

Their first trip was fruitless, whale-wise. But 鈥渕ight鈥� was enough for Campion and his crew to try again in 2019 in the Bering Sea, motivated in part by the听groundbreaking recording captured on the Peggy buoy. By then听the whales had become a focal point of Campion鈥檚 lifelong environmentalism: he wanted people to care about the fragile state of the oceans as passionately as he did, and the North Pacific rights were an enigmatic and especially endangered victim of them. By that point, he and his crew had been working on making a film听about the whales since 2017. A sighting, he believed, would help highlight the charismatic megafauna. After all, it鈥檚 hard for people to care about things they don鈥檛 know about.

When Campion鈥檚 crew began听the听second whale expedition, he couldn鈥檛 help but get his hopes up. As they headed north, during what was听an unusually warm summer, he felt like they might have a chance. They had diligently researched the most likely place to catch up to the whales听and the time of year that they had the best chance of spotting them. Campion talked to , the scientist who had identified the song of the North Pacific right that was recorded on Peggy. He dove into all the data and reports he could find听and tracked the history of places the whales had been seen. They planned their trip based on whale听behavior as much as possible.

They traveled to the Bering Sea during a year of very low sea ice. If sea-ice concentration is high, then the abundance and concentration of baleen whales鈥櫶齪rey is also high鈥攎eaning a buffet for the whales. However, when there is minimal sea ice, there鈥檚 a decrease in prey abundance and concentration (which adds another stress variable for the whales, who are already routinely threatened by ships, fishing nets, and ocean noise). They crisscrossed the sea in the heat, recording their journey for their upcoming , which听will reveal the details of the trip, Campion says. He hopes to complete the film later this year.

During these expeditions, and as a result of his research听and his conversations with the few other obsessive people who have tried to track the whale, Campion became even more concerned with how ignored the species was in conservation circles. It seemed, to him, like crazy negligence听on behalf of the government, environmental groups, and anyone听who loves marine mammals. Why wasn鈥檛 more information available for a general audience?听

鈥淢ore than I want to see one, I feel pretty obligated to share, now that I know the story as well as I do,鈥� Campion says. 鈥淚f people don鈥檛 know about them,听we鈥檙e not going to be able to save them.鈥澨�

Conservation efforts are often dedicated to charismatic megafauna like whales,听and publicity campaigns often hinge on a visual representation of how the appealing creature is being harmed. It would seem that North Pacific rights are ignored mostly because they are so rarely sighted, even compared to their close relatives.听An interesting analogy to the North Pacific rights鈥櫶齪lace in species-protection efforts are North听Atlantic rights, which have听become a celebrated figurehead of marine-mammal conservation. Nearly all North听Atlantic rights have been identified and are carefully tracked by human beings. We know what鈥檚 going on with them, their plight is highly visible to researchers and the public, and the public seems to adore them. 鈥淓very time one of those whales died, there would be a New York Times story,鈥� Campion says. 鈥淓ven West Coast news organizations would mention Atlantic whales鈥攊t鈥檚 crazy.鈥澨�

Conservation groups have designated 2020 as the year of the right whale听family, but that campaign focuses on the less threatened North听Atlantic species. In 2013, NOAA issued a formal ,听but so far it鈥檚 largely been a nonstarter. Even in circles focused on identifying and protecting whales, the North Pacific right seems invisible.听

Once Campion鈥檚 film is done, he plans to launch other initiatives, like a postcard campaign to the Department of Commerce,听which, in addition to NOAA, is partially responsible for the recovery plan.听鈥淣o one has been hammering on it,鈥� Campion says.听NOAA has received funding for inexpensive projects, like maintaining the acoustic recorder on Peggy, but it isn鈥檛 enough for large-scale vessel surveys and fieldwork.听

Campion admits that positioning himself as an advocate for听an enigmatic, struggling species is exhausting. Sometimes it feels like screaming at a wall, he says. But he doesn鈥檛 want to give up on his quest to save the rarest whale in the world.听

鈥淭hese whales are very likely going to go extinct, potentially in my lifetime,鈥� he says, 鈥淚t seems like听telling this story听is what I can do right now.鈥�

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