TRAVEL NEWS

Grab the pool noodles, the floaties, a cooler, and some friends.

There’s nothing that says “summer” quite like grabbing a few inner tubes, a cooler (or two!), and some friends and family for a sunny and relaxing afternoon trip down the river. Across the U.S., there are seemingly countless spots to enjoy time spent on the water encountering some special sights that could otherwise not be spied from ashore. But here are 13 of the best spots for a classic American River float (with no need for a boat!). 

Not including Cancun!

Chances are you’ve seen a photo of Cancun with its turquoise-blue waters, white-sand beaches, and towering resorts rimming the shoreline. News flash: this is not the only waterfront town in Mexico that offers nightlife, hotels, dining, beaches, and culture. In fact, it’s among the most well-trodden, which is not necessarily a good thing. If you’re looking to venture off the beaten path, there are plenty of charming coastal towns along the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Some are big—like Mazatlán or Acapulco—while others are very small, such as Todos Santos or Akumal, with only a few thousand residents. But no matter their size, they are excellent spots to add to your Mexico itinerary.

From historic bookshops to literary enclaves that would impress Van Gogh, here’s where to hobnob with fellow bookworms in NYC.

There are book towns in charming villages from western Norway to South Korea, but when it comes to a veritable city of books, the Big Apple is, was, and always will be a best seller. There is no shortage of remarkable, charming, diverse, and legendary bookstores in New York City, meaning that a bibliophile could plan an entire vacation just to see and shop in them all. Before you drive through one of the tunnels or cross one of the bridges, make sure you read these 10 books ahead of arriving in NYC!

You don't have to settle for Chicago. Seek out one of these other ten Great Lakes destinations in the U.S.

In many ways, the Great Lakes are one of America’s best-kept secrets. The five massive bodies of water sit in the heart of the upper Midwest, and are considered to be the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. Still, for as great as they are, they don’t always attract a lot of tourism from people outside the Midwest, despite their many attractions, tourist towns, and beautiful wildlife. In fact, for many Americans, the closest they’ll ever get to a Great Lake is a visit to Chicago, which sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. While the Second City is great and all—please, go there!—it’s certainly not the only destination worth visiting along the over 10,000 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes. Here are 10 other Great Lakes destinations for your next weekend adventure.  

As per a recent (and terrifying) study.

In Hindi, we have a saying: “phook phook ke kadam rakhna.” Loosely, it means to take every step cautiously. This is the advice travelers need to follow if they are planning a trip to breathtaking natural wonders that are also crazily dangerous.  Vacation rental search engine Holidu has investigated the most dangerous natural wonders in the world, and the list includes some of the usual suspects. But the study also revealed a few that may surprise you, like Kaaterskill Falls, in the Catskills. It’s not the widest or the longest waterfall, but it is so pretty that admirers have died while taking pictures. The company analyzed the average number of deaths per year compared to the annual visitors and reported accidents or injuries in a year. This is a cautionary list, not a cancel list. Holidu’s Anja Benson said, “Many of the natural wonders on the list offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we’re definitely not telling people not to visit them–quite the opposite in fact! With this research, we wanted to ensure that travelers know which destinations require handling with a little more care, particularly when the results are so surprising!”