Summer 2025

In this issue, we showcase the multitude of travel experiences available throughout North America. It’s a busy and exciting time for U.S. travel, as the country will mark its semiquincentennial (aka 250th birthday) in 2026.

We like to get ahead of big moments like this to help inspire and empower people about where to go next—and share ways to use your travel dollars for good. We offer 52 Reasons to Travel to Every State This Year, ranging from Philadelphia’s burgeoning wine scene to expedition cruises in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. The package is just the beginning of our 18-month commemoration of our country’s 250th birthday, an ambitious editorial initiative running across Afar’s print, digital, audio, email, and social platforms.

We cannot talk about North America without mentioning our wonderful neighbors to the north. This April, I had a very inspiring weeklong visit to Alberta. I was impressed by the enthusiasm that greeted my group of travelers there, and even more so by the fascinating experiences Canadians are putting together across the province.

South of Calgary, rancher-turned-whiskey-distiller David Farran is opening a hotel where visitors can see small-batch whiskeys being made with barley harvested using muscular Percheron draft horses and antique 1920s farming equipment. Near Banff, in Canmore, the world-famous Indigenous artist Jason Carter and his partner, Bridget Ryan, have created a gallery and live arts venue that features local performers in Broadway-quality shows, including Into the Woods this fall. Three hours north, the team at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge offers guests the opportunity to hear fireside stories from Cree ambassador Matricia Bauer. And five hours east of Jasper (and 90 minutes from Edmonton), the Métis Indigenous community worked with the province’s largest rancher to create a wilderness park so visitors can appreciate a landscape where bison, elk, and horses once again roam freely.

These are just some of Alberta’s experiences to be enjoyed by locals and travelers alike. I got such a positive feeling from seeing these efforts to better the lives and lifestyles of the province’s residents. Global visitors allow these companies to thrive. As the world struggles through so many issues with trade, economics, and politics, it is continually gratifying to see how travel can be a force for good.

Happy journeys,
Greg Sullivan
Cofounder and CEO