Summer 2026

A few months ago, after 19 hours of travel, I landed in India at 2 o’clock in the morning—stiff, out of sorts, certainly tired. But instead of succumbing to sleep, I showered and left my Chennai hotel with a destination in mind for sunrise: Marina Beach, which curves along the Bay of Bengal for eight miles or so, making it India’s longest urban beach, and the second-longest in the world. I was not the only one with the idea. As vendors set up their food stalls, young men and women walked into the surf, posing for friends with the orange sky behind them. I was happy to welcome a new day, and a new trip, so close to the sea.

Water has always been my favorite conduit for acclimating to a new destination—whether I’m afloat, submerged, or just nearby. The experience of it is sensory, yes, but it also plunks you into a culture; after all, for centuries, places have been shaped by their relationship to water, whether there’s a lot of it or a little. In this issue, I’m excited to dive into the diversity of ways that water shapes our travels.

We hear from a paleontologist about how, every spring, heavy rain transforms Wyoming into one of the country’s top fossil-finding states. As part of our coverage celebrating the country’s semiquincentennial, we also highlight seven U.S. cities that are reclaiming their riverfronts—and making them, once again, the place to be.

Elsewhere, contributing writer Lisa Abend gets to know Sweden’s go-to summer destination while touring the idyllic island of Gotland, and in Australia, contributing writer Emma John takes a road trip along the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, visiting spas, soaking in hot springs, and jumping into the ocean. Closer to home, Carrie Honaker reports on the people helping to protect the Florida Everglades and how travelers can experience this special ecosystem.

Wherever you read these stories, I hope they inspire you to think differently about water—and spark an idea for your next trip.

In good travel,
Katherine LaGrave
Executive Editor