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Man standing up to knees in natural quicksand river. He is wearing a bathing suit and the mud is all around.

Quicksand Is a Real Thing. Here’s What You Need to Know.

When a Maine beachgoer recently got trapped in quicksand, the internet panicked. It’s real? Yes, it is. Here’s what you need to know about the storied phenomenon.

June 18, 2024 08:57 AM

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Nathalie Alonso

Mann is joined on the International Space Station by three other Americans, three Russians and one Japanese astronaut.<br/>r

Nicole Mann rocketed into orbit with SpaceX on October 5, where she’ll stay until March.

October 21, 2022 03:26 PM

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Associated Press (AP)

Travel Tips + Etiquette

I Was Nervous for My 15-Year-Old Autistic Daughter to Fly Alone for the First Time, But She Proved Me Wrong

Daughter and dad have an honest conversation about what it’s like to take a solo flight as a teenager with autism.

April 16, 2025 01:18 PM

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Matt Villano

Clockwise from top left: Kenya, Newfoundland, Santa Ynez, La Paz, Barcelona, South Korea, La Paz, Transylvania

Where to Travel Next

We Took Hundreds of Trips in 2025, and These Are the Places We Would Go Back to in a Heartbeat

Afar’s team roamed wide in 2025. These were our favorite spots from a year of exploring.

December 19, 2025 01:11 PM

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Nicholas DeRenzo

Cherry blossom trees bloom each spring in D.C.

Where to Travel Next

Discover a Diverse World of Possibilities on a Trip to Washington, D.C.

From legendary museums to globally inspired events and restaurants serving international cuisines, here’s how you can take a trip around the world without leaving the District.

Sponsored by washington.org

Outdoor Adventure

How My Autistic Kid Found Accessible Adventure—and Yours Can, Too

In our new series “Traveling on the Spectrum,” one family learns you don’t have to push pause on outdoor activities, thanks to U.S. adaptive recreation organizations.

July 7, 2023 10:26 AM

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Melinda Fulmer

A remote retreat off Utah’s scenic Byway 12 offers road trippers a desert oasis to disappear to.

Hotels

Finding Calm Amid Crisis at a Desert Retreat in Utah

When personal tragedy strikes, two friends seek healing on an adventure-filled trip to Yonder Escalante.

January 11, 2023 08:02 PM

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Michelle Baran

On a Road Trip Through Wyoming, Celebrate a Legacy of Women’s Voting Rights

History + Culture

A Road Trip in Wyoming Celebrates Its Women’s Voting History

Here’s where to go to celebrate the first state to have granted women the right to vote.

July 18, 2024 04:44 PM

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Lindsay Lambert

Tourism Is Life co-owner Peter Momoh Bassie walks on a beach in Sierra Leone

History + Culture

Sierra Leone Is Building a Tourism Industry. Meet 3 People Paving the Way.

A chimp-saving conservationist, a child soldier turned tour guide, and a tradition-bucking fashion designer are helping to put sweet Salone on the travel map.

November 13, 2023 08:05 AM

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Ashlea Halpern

Natural Wonders

Montana’s Medicine Rocks State Park Is Now a Dark Sky Sanctuary

Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park also earned an International Dark-Sky Association designation in December.

January 5, 2021 05:07 PM

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Lyndsey Matthews

Where to Travel Next

The Best Places to Explore Pasadena on Foot

Gardens, walking tours, and delicious restaurants are easily accessible in this pedestrian-friendly town.

Sponsored by Visit Pasadena

2 Red Adirondack chairs overlooking grasslands national park, saskatchewan, canada

Off The Tourist Trail

Dig for Fossils and Stargaze in a National Park on a Road Trip Through an Underrated Canadian Province

You can stay at a former convent, climb to a landlocked lighthouse on a hill, and dig for dinosaur fossils on this road trip through Saskatchewan.

November 6, 2025 01:45 PM

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Billie Cohen

Hiking + Cycling

A 600-Mile Recreational Trail Is Coming to the West’s Sierra Nevada

The Lost Sierra Route will connect—and ideally help revitalize—15 mountain towns by bringing biking, hiking, and trail tourism to this scenic alpine region.

December 16, 2021 02:50 PM

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Anna Fiorentino

Why You Should Go to San Francisco This Winter

Cities We Love

A Perfect (and Practically Free) Day in San Francisco

The ideal day in this California city is surprisingly affordable.

August 9, 2022 04:45 PM

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Pat Tompkins

National Parks

Why Winter Is a Great Time to Visit Yosemite

With snow blanketing the valley and tour buses a distant memory, winter brings a special calm to California’s famous national park.

February 17, 2022 12:16 PM

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Tim Chester

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