This recent article from Mother Jones doesn’t disappoint. A sample:

Zion National Park

Zion National Park © Cyril Fluck

“Scenery is grand and huge and up in the air and distant and impersonal.” ?!

Talk about missing the point.

The post The “Best” One-Star Yelp Reviews of National Parks appeared first on Vagabondish.

For almost every traveler to America, there are some things you just don’t get over, no matter how long you stay. Here’s my top ten:

Camping in Arches National Park © Srikanth Jandhyala

#1: America Can Have Many Faces

Many travelers write off America as lacking in mystery or exotic appeal. But hike the Arches National Park, and you’re surrounded by the mystery of these massive yet delicate structures that tower overhead.

For exotic appeal, take a walk through Taos Pueblo, the 1000-year old community that has always been inhabited.

America can be a party destination, a foodie’s paradise, a music aficionado’s epiphany or a wildlife lover’s biggest dream. You can customize your trip to suit your expectations, or just see where the road takes you.

#2: America Makes It Easy to Travel

America is accessible for any kind of travel you want to do – it doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a veteran traveller.

Like the rugged outdoors? Have we got a campsite for you! There’s no washrooms, no water supply, and only pit toilets.

Like camping but want some luxuries? Come right this way, where we have warm showers, barbecue pits and camp supply stores.

Want a cheap motel? We think you might like the family-run motel just down the road there.

#3: America Has Thoughtful Facilities

Every National Park and most towns have visitor centers, staffed by people who genuinely love the area and know their stuff. Campsites are cleaned and maintained every day, even in freezing temperatures, so that travelers have a place they can call home for a night or two. All campsites have facilities for the differently abled so that nobody misses out on a chance to travel if they want to.

Free Friday at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City © Ray_from_LA

#4: America Is Open to You, Even on a Budget

Did you know, in New York City, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, arguably one the most well-known art museums in the world, you can name your own entry-fee now? Even if it’s just $1.

Or did you know that for about $80, you can buy a pass that lets you in to almost all National Parks and Forests and Recreation Areas. You still pay for the camping, but you save huge amounts on entry to each park. And once you’re in, the park is yours to explore for as long as you like.

There are free tours and guided walks in cities, landmark buildings, and other interesting sights. And they’re not that hard to find!

#5: America Carefully Conserves Its Natural Beauty

I spent three months on the road in America, exploring parks and forests and sand dunes and deserts and rivers, and I can’t remember a single moment that I thought to myself, ”˜It’s a pity they don’t look after these places better.’

They’re proud of their resources and always happy to explain what efforts go into looking after them, through movies at information centers, entire museums sometimes, and always leaflets and brochures.

#6: America Has Unlimited Refills on Coffee + Coke

It’s a hot day. You’ve been driving for hours. A tall glass of Coke isn’t enough, but you’re on a budget. Still, unlike many other parts of the world, you can step to the soda fountain and fill up for free. It’s awesome! (Yes, it’s the little things in life …)

#7: America Has the Best Weather Updates

Trust us: if you’re camping, an hour-by-hour weather forecast is a blessing. You know when to plan your hikes, when to cook, and when to hang out your socks to dry.

© Simon Carrasco

#8: America Loves Its Comfort Food

Apple pie, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, donuts, chocolate chip cookies (with more chocolate than cookie) — perfect for when your clothes are wet from being caught in the rain on your hike. Perfect for travelers, because really, who wants salad and green tea and diet biscuits when you’re already suffering?

#9: America Does Supermarkets Like No Other Country

I stepped into a Walmart to pick up bread and eggs once … and got lost for three hours. I came out wanting to own a garden with a rockery and barbecue, take up quilting, start painting on easels that were as tall as me, and go fishing in camouflage gear. All because these dens of temptation sell everrrytthhing you could possibly need.

#10: Americans Are Super-friendly

When you get to America, you’re greeted as you walk down the street, shop for ketchup in the supermarket, or use the washroom at a camp-site. Once you get used to it, other countries seem unfriendly if they stare at you when you smile at them in the washroom.

What are your top favorite things about traveling in America? Share with us in the comments below!

The post 10 Things I Loved About Backpacking the USA (… and You Should Too!) appeared first on Vagabondish.

For those of us insufferable individuals who never shut up about the weather, there’s a whole new batch of fresh conversational fodder. A new weather milestone was set in the United States on Tuesday, January 7th when temperatures below the freezing point were recorded in all 50 states on the same day.

At least one location in every state — from places you would expect it, like Alaska, to those you would not like Hawaii and Florida — had temperature readings below freezing thanks to the polar vortex that has plunged temperatures across North America and wreaked havoc in many areas.

Check out more about this in The Guardian

The post Polar Vortex Sets New Milestone: All 50 States Dip Below Freezing appeared first on Vagabondish.

Bars the world over have tried and true methods for helping patrons get happy, but now some bars are employing new tactics to give customers a sunnier disposition during the winter.

Establishments such as Lightbar in Portland now offer “atmosphere therapy” to counteract the effects of Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder (SAD) that impacts many people during wintertime.

Special therapeutic lights add a colourful ambience to the decor while simulating the sun’s effects on the human body and psyche and elevate the mood of the room.

Check out more about this on CBC News.

The post Bars Help SAD People Get Happy appeared first on Vagabondish.

Here’s a brief sample of what he shot …

The post Project Echo Captures a Drone’s-eye View of America from Above [Video] appeared first on Vagabondish.

At first Ellen Richardson was so shocked at being denied entry to the U.S. that she didn’t clue in to the massive breach of privacy that had occurred.

Richardson, who has paraplegia, was flying to New York to embark on a cruise organized through The March of Dimes. When she arrived at Toronto’s Pearson airport to begin her journey she was denied entry by U.S. border officials who cited her history of clinical depression as grounds for denying her entry. Richardson was hospitalized in 2012 and received treatment for her depression, which is now being cited as evidence that she poses a danger to others.

Now Richardson is out the $6,000 she paid for her trip, and Canadian authorities are mystified and concerned how an individual’s private medical records came to be accessible by the U.S. government.

Find out more about this in The Daily Mail

The post Canadian Woman’s Confidential Medical Records Used to Deny Entry to U.S. appeared first on Vagabondish.

It is intended to make a big statement to elephant poachers that ivory has no value. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will crush six tons of its stockpile of confiscated African elephant ivory.

The dramatic destruction of these ill-gotten tusks is meant to underscore the government’s zero tolerance position on poaching and to deter poachers from cruelly and illegally harvesting elephant tusks for the black market in ivory.

Find out more about this on Strombo.com

The post Government to Pulverize Tons of Ivory to Deter Elephant Poaching appeared first on Vagabondish.

Since the start of the government shutdown on October 1, all U.S. National Parks have been closed, but it hasn’t stopped tourists from attempting to visit them anyway.

Trespassing citations have been issued for three parks: the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Valley Forge National Historic Park. Over two dozen people have been cited, including a jogger that was fined $100 for working out on a trail that travels through Valley Forge.

Read more on the park citations from Gadling.

The post Government Shutdown Isn’t Stopping Tourists From Sneaking into Parks appeared first on Vagabondish.

Customs wait times for international visitors to the United States are exceeding four hours at Miami International Airport and causing a huge headache for foreigners. The long wait at international airports across the country results in missed connecting flights and travelers’ complaints to friends and family, hurting the US brand abroad. The U.S. Travel Association reported that exorbitant wait times at customs entry points could cost the nation as much as $95 billion in lost spending over the next five years.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the trade group is lobbying for 20 policy adjustments, including hiring 3,500 more customs and border patrol officers, a move that would cost the federal government an estimated $400 million. The idea would cut wait times to 30 minutes, create more US jobs and entice international travelers to make the trip over.

Its considered the final step of a three step process transforming the entry process. The first two steps have already been completed: reducing times to obtain a visa and instituting an advertising agenda. Let’s hope this process wraps up quickly because we want the mon-ay.

The post Ridiculous Wait Times Killing the US Tourist Industry appeared first on Vagabondish.

With the start of Fall a few days away, it’s just about time to start seeing the seasonal color change. And two websites will make it easy this year to track the fall foliage in your state.

The U.S. Forest Service’s “Fall Colors 2013” is a color-coded map that tracks the progression until the last leaves turn brown. Roadtripper provides a color status and recommended routes to take for a maximum foliage experience.

Read more and find out how to track your colors at Mashable.com.

The post Where to Track Fall Foliage Online appeared first on Vagabondish.