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One writer on Samish Island, the family retreat that taught her the art of paying attention.

Across the country, we wait eagerly for summer’s seasonal fruits, fried treats, and nostalgic snacks. These 50 are always worth the wait.

With works from best-selling authors like Toni Morrison, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Colson Whitehead, these books top our list for the year.

Cozy up with our greatest long reads of the year.

Alongside fresh berries, homemade jams, maple syrup, wine, and cheeses, Québec’s Île d’Orléans serves up a side of nature and history.

One travel editor’s perspective.

On a rail adventure through the Canadian Maritimes, Colleen Kinder encounters tiny towns and glittering cities, dramatic coastal landscapes and that sweet, strange brew that is Canadian kindness.

Your guide to foraged ingredients, immigrant-born dishes, and state-fair staples in all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico—and how to plan the perfect trips to taste them all.

AFAR chose a destination at random and sent writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner— with 24 hours’ notice—to Switzerland, where she learned a lesson in Swiss serenity.

Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner went to Iceland seeking puffins and peace. Along the way, she learned that the perfect Icelandic adventure is just a dream—but you can, and should, still go in search of it.

Overview

When you pull into the Pacific coast town of Tofino, you leave behind the Canada you thought you knew.

Up-and-coming starlets in the 1920s and ‘30s would have stayed at the Crescent. When the palm tree–lined art deco building opened in 1927, it was as lodgings for the budding actresses who’d just signed studio contracts and moved out to L.A. for their big breaks. They, too, sipped cocktails (after Prohibition ended, of course) and listened to jazz (probably not by a live band, though) in the intimate lounge and on the breezy terrace. It’s even just possible there was saltwater taffy at the front desk and a library stocked with an impressive collection of classic and contemporary literature and nonfiction. However, the walls might not have been adorned with paintings and photographs by some of the area’s top artists, and there definitely wasn’t 24-hour room service or iPod docks.

After the studios moved on, and luxury designer shops and trendy restaurants moved in, the Crescent turned into a cozy, quirky boutique hotel known for its prime location, affordable rates, and bend-over-backward service. These things won’t change.

If there’s a hub of the hubbub in Kennebunkport, it’s Dock Square, a colorful jumble of onetime fishing shacks that now house galleries, stores, and restaurants. Prowl through the shops to find unusual clothing, distinctive souvenirs, fine art, crafts, taffy and fudge, pottery, canvas bags, specialty foods, presents for pets, and, of course, the usual trinkets and T-shirts. Most of these spots are built on wharves over the tidal Kennebunk River, and it’s worth climbing to second-floor ones, such as Good Earth, for the water—or mudflat—views. The bridge connecting Dock Square to Kennebunk’s Lower Village offers another good vantage point, and the Clam Shack is one of the area’s best places to indulge in fried clams or a lobster roll.

Situated closer to Cambodia than Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc has arguably the best beaches in the country. An international airport opened in 2012, raising the island’s profile and bringing in droves of visitors. Despite this, the island retains a laid-back, underdeveloped charm, and its coast is still dotted with small fishing villages with brightly painted boats. The interior of the island includes plenty of forest, while some of the land is earmarked for growing black pepper—pepper from here is famous throughout Vietnam. The best beach lies to the west of the town of Phu Quoc; it’s a 13-mile long straight stretch with golden sands, coconut palms, and clear turquoise waters. The An Thoi Islands, south of Phu Quoc but still part of its marine park, offer excellent snorkeling and diving during the dry season from December through May.