best trip ever meaning

How to Say Best Trip: Formal and Informal Expressions

Planning a trip and want to express that it was an amazing experience? Whether you’re sharing your travel stories with friends or writing a review of your journey, it helps to know how to say “best trip.” In this guide, we will explore both formal and informal ways to express this sentiment and provide you with tips, examples, and even some regional variations. Let’s dive in!

Formal Expressions for Best Trip

When it comes to being formal, you would usually rely on more sophisticated and polite language. Here are some formal expressions to describe your best trip:

1. The trip of a lifetime

Use this expression to emphasize that your trip was truly extraordinary, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For example:

“Our journey to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu was truly the trip of a lifetime. It was an awe-inspiring adventure that surpassed all expectations.”

2. An unforgettable voyage

This phrase conveys that your trip left an indelible mark on your memory. It emphasizes how remarkable and unforgettable the experience was:

“Exploring the breathtaking landscapes and cultural wonders of Japan made it an unforgettable voyage. The beauty and hospitality of this country will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

3. A remarkable expedition

Use this expression to underscore the exceptional nature of your trip. It suggests an adventurous and noteworthy journey:

“Embarking on a safari through the Serengeti National Park was a remarkable expedition. Witnessing the stunning wildlife up close was truly a privilege.”

Informal Expressions for Best Trip

When you want to express your enthusiasm and share your travel stories with friends or in a more casual setting, informal expressions can be more fitting. Here are some examples:

1. The best trip ever

Sometimes simplicity is key, and this phrase perfectly captures your excitement about the unforgettable experience you had:

“Dude, that road trip we took across the country was the best trip ever! The laughs, the memories, and the freedom we experienced were absolutely incredible.”

2. A mind-blowing adventure

This expression is perfect for describing an exciting and mind-blowing trip that left you in awe:

“I can’t even put into words how epic our backpacking adventure in the Amazon rainforest was. It was a mind-blowing adventure that exceeded all expectations.”

3. A trip to remember

When you want to convey that your journey was unforgettable and worth cherishing, this phrase does the job:

“Our beach getaway to Bali was a trip to remember. From the stunning sunsets to the warm and welcoming locals, it was pure bliss.”

Tips for Describing Your Best Trip

Now that we’ve explored some expressions, let’s dive into some tips to enhance your description of your best trip:

1. Use vivid and descriptive language

Paint a vivid picture of your experience by incorporating descriptive words and sensory details. This will allow your audience to immerse themselves in your journey. For instance:

“As we hiked up the steep mountain trails, the breathtaking vistas unfolded before our eyes. The vibrant hues of autumn leaves painted the landscape as if it was straight out of a fairytale.”

2. Highlight unique experiences

Focus on the unique activities, sights, or experiences that made your trip exceptional. Share the standout moments that left a lasting impression:

“Snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef, surrounded by vibrant coral reefs and playful tropical fish, was an unparalleled experience. The colors and diversity of marine life were out of this world.”

3. Express gratitude and appreciation

Show gratitude for the opportunity to embark on your best trip and express appreciation for the people, places, and experiences that made it special:

“I am deeply grateful for the warm hospitality we received from the locals in Tuscany. Their kindness, coupled with the breathtaking vineyards and mouthwatering cuisine, made our trip an unforgettable experience.”

Final Thoughts

When it comes to describing your best trip, it’s essential to choose expressions that accurately convey your excitement and appreciation. Whether you opt for formal expressions to emphasize the significance of your journey or informal expressions to share your enthusiasm with friends, remember to use vivid language, highlight unique experiences, and express gratitude. Your stories will come to life, and your audience will be inspired to embark on their own extraordinary adventures. Bon voyage!

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Real Life Stories

15 Travellers tell us their most memorable travel experiences – and how it changed them

By Jaye Hannah

Published on Nov 30, 2017

There’s no doubt that travelling brings you a range of emotions: joy and excitement, but also the feeling that you’re in unknown territory. One thing’s for sure though: travelling is probably the best thing you can ever do. Don’t believe us? Just ask these 15 Travellers, who shared the trips and moments that changed them forever…

RELATED: WHEN YOU TRAVEL FOR THE FIRST TIME, SOMETHING CHANGES IN YOU  

“The most memorable trip I have ever had was when I was 17 traveling to Vietnam alone. I was living and working in Vietnam for 4 months as a bartender (and ended up meeting my amazing girlfriend there too!). The most emotional part of the trip was when I was leaving back to Australia to visit my Grandmother who had been very sick. I felt like I lost everything (and even being able to see the person who I had come to love). I worked hard for 6 months and was able to find my way back here.  3 years later I live in this beautiful country and able to speak the native language while living with my girlfriend.”   – Lachlan Gordon

“A friend and I booked a spur of the moment trip to India after a few drinks. That trip was one of the highlights of my life, teaching me so much about culture, enriching me and teaching me more than any classroom ever could. The smells and sites and sounds will forever stay with me. That trip gave me the travel bug and showed me the true meaning of wanderlust.”  – Bala Walsh 

“My most memorable travel experience was when I was 12 years old I was lucky enough to be sent on a camp to Switzerland with children from all over the world who had also received organ transplants. Growing up being sick and having my liver transplant in 1998 at the age of 7 travel had never been an option for me, so this was such an incredible experience to be gifted. It was my first time on a plane and overseas. It was so special, I remembered being shocked at the sheer beauty of it all.” – Kate Elizabeth

RELATED: I TRAVELLED ON CONTIKI WITH A BRAIN TUMOUR. THIS IS MY STORY  

“Our first night on Contiki, we could see the Eiffel Tower from our accommodation…and we decided to walk to it! 3 hours later it was 2am and we were getting closer and closer – it looks like it was just around the corner every corner! We finally reached it and and we were in utter awe! I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as finding the Eiffel Tower at 3am covered in sparkles which lit up the night sky. That is what happiness feels like. In that moment, anything in the world felt possible. ” – Emma Walker

“I have only started traveling this year. As a child I wasn’t fortunate enough to travel as my parents worked to keep a roofs over our heads. It was a DREAM of mine since I was very young to go to Japan. I worked, worked and worked my butt off to fulfill my dream all by myself! I finally got to go in April to see the cherry blossom trees, I literally cried as we touched down in Tokyo. To see a whole new world was mind blowing! Travelling is made me so humble since then.” –  Maddi Lomas

“As a coeliac I found it difficult to locate gluten free foods in a lot of places, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying my contiki trip through Europe. We wanted some gelato in Italy and opted to walk around the streets to find some gluten free gelato. Finally, we found some – I then asked if there were gluten free cones as well, and when the shop keeper pulled out a gluten free cone, I confessed my love for him and his shop. It was so important for me to find traditional local foods so I could experience my European adventure to the fullest!” – Leslie Wickens

“After my summer study abroad trip to Italy fell through, my best friend and I decided to book a last minute trip to Europe. While searching for trips, we stumbled upon Contiki and decided to book. As Americans, we had never heard of Contiki before and really didn’t know what to expect. From this trip, I got to experience 6 different countries, watch the Euro Cup in Europe, and most importantly I met life long friends. I am dying to go back and as a teacher, although I have to work multiple jobs to even be able to dream of it. I work in an intercity where most students don’t get the opportunity to leave the state for a majority of their lives, due to financial reasons. My goal is to show my students that they should never let money limit their travels. With a lot of hard work, they too can see the world!” – Julia Gulia 

“I have always wanted to explore New Zealand and when the opportunity came up I just couldn’t say no. This group of people made the trip for me and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. They helped me to face my fears and try things I never imagined I’d be able to do. The euphoric rush you get when you compete your first bungy jump is one I will never forget!” – Kira Chow 

“My most Memorable travel memory was from a Christmas I spent in China. I was able to travel to a leper colony in one of the very rural areas outside of Guangzhou. There was one lady in particular who has rocked my world even to this day. After learning that they only have to eat what they can grow and the large bags of rice my friends and I brought them, she offered me and every person I was with this bowl of oranges. She had nothing by our standards – but was still willing to give all that she had. It’s moments like this that keep me hungry for travel.” – Arden Shanklin

“The moment that changed my life was in July 2016. I went on the grand southern contiki tour and I opened up the further into the tour I went (I’m usually quite shy) and have never been the same since. Because of this tour I wanted to be more open, so between this tour and my next tour in April 2017 I took the biggest step in my life and came out to my parents. Not only has travel physically changed me, but it’s helped me come to terms with myself” – Tim Savage

RELATED: WHY SPAIN IS ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRIES TO TRAVEL TO IF YOU ARE LGBT+

“My sister and I went on a Contiki to Scotland and Ireland. There was one night in Loch Ness when it was raining cats and dogs, so we were forced to stay at our hotel. Everyone was bummed at first, but then we didn’t really care, because we were cooped up in a hotel with some pretty awesome people. We sat and played card games and drinking games all night. It was probably one of the most fun nights in the whole trip!” – Kandyce Lauren

Do you have a travel experience that changed you forever? Let us know in the comments…

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19 Inspiring Travel Experience Stories About Life-Changing Trips

Love inspiring travel experience stories ?

Then you’re in the right place!

Grab a snack and your favorite beverage and get ready to settle in, as you’re about to read some truly inspiring travel stories about life-changing trips.

In this roundup, some of my favorite bloggers share their best travel stories.

You’ll hear about travelers embarking on sacred pilgrimages, growing after a first solo female travel trip, deeply connecting with locals on the road, and getting out of their comfort zones in ways that completely alter the course of their life.

And if you’re looking for a unique travel experience, you’ll likely find it in the short stories about travel below.

Table of Contents

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But first…

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I regularly share about solo female travel, New York City, lesser-known destinations, unique experiences, active adventures, and how to turn your passion for exploring the world into a profitable business through travel blogging.

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There is so much included!

Plus, I’m constantly adding new resources, guides, and personality quizzes to help you travel beyond the guidebook!

On that note, let’s dive into the inspiring travel stories .

1. Travel Experience Stories In South America

My travel story takes place in South America, back when I used to travel solo for months at a time.

I was in my mid-20s, and even though I’d backpacked Europe, Southeast Asia, and China and had studied abroad in Australia, the mix of intense excitement and nerves I had leading up to my South America backpacking trip was different.

And despite family and friends warning me that South America wasn’t a place for a solo female traveler , it ended up being my best trip ever.

There are so many interesting short travel stories and unforgettable travel experiences woven into this trip, like:

• Getting invited to have dinner with my Brazilian plane seatmate and her grandma
• Having a group of complete strangers on Couchsurfing take me out for dinner and dancing on my birthday in Mendoza
• Attending a small house party in Argentina and learning about the tradition of mate
• Getting stuck on a broken-down bus and having an impromptu language exchange with an elderly woman in Peru
• Having a love interest back home break up with me via text, and then experiencing the kindness of strangers as a woman in my hostel who I barely knew treated me to ice cream to cheer me up
• Having a romance with a hostel mate in Ecuador and then traveling through the country together
• Living in a giant treehouse with a group of strangers during a solo trip in Brazil and spending our days exploring hiking trails and swimming and our nights drinking and exchanging stories about traveling
• Taking a 4×4 from Chile to Bolivia across the Siloli Desert to see otherwordly sites like rainbow lagoons and train graveyards in the middle of nowhere
• Experiencing some of the world’s most incredible natural wonders, like Iguazu Falls, Torres del Paine, the Amazon River, Uyuni Salt Flats, and Perito Moreno Glacier

At times the trip was also challenging, from dealing with long bus rides and car sickness to flipping over my bicycle handlebars in Peru and getting my body (and ego) badly bruised.

But, I was okay.

In fact, I was more than okay, as the trip showed me how independent I could be and what I was truly capable of. It also showed me the beauty of immersing yourself in cultures different than your own and connecting with locals who want to share them with you.

Years later, when people ask what my best travel experience has been this is the trip that comes to mind.

-Jessie from Jessie on a Journey

2. Traveling With An Open Mind

Many people think of travel as an experience and rightly so. Sometimes, however, you cannot choose the places you travel to.

This happened to me in 2019.

My husband found himself posted in Brunei for work.

Three months pregnant meant that I had a choice:

Either stay with him in Brunei for three months before returning back to India or remain in India, alone.

I chose the former. Not because of my love for the country but because I wanted to be close to him.

Brunei had never held any appeal to me. Whatever research that I pulled off the Internet showed me nothing other than one beautiful mosque.

The flights in and out of the country were expensive so traveling frequently out was not an option either.

I was engulfed by a sense of being trapped in a remote place.

Needless to say, I reached Brunei in a pretty foul mood. I think one of the things that struck me the most even in the midst of that bad mood was the large swaths of greenery that surrounded us.

Mind you, we were not staying in the big city but as far away on the outskirts as you could imagine. I’m not a city girl by any stretch and the greenery eventually soothed my nerves.

It took a week, but I soon found myself interacting with people around me. Fellow expats and locals all went out of their way to make me feel comfortable.

The more comfortable I felt, the more we explored. We trekked (yes, while pregnant!), we joined the board game community, and we enjoyed the local cuisine.

Three months later when it was time to leave, I found myself reluctant to say goodbye to the warmth of the country I had called home for a short while.

I think that my time in Brunei taught me a valuable lesson:

Don’t judge a place by what others say or a lack of information.

Sure, you may not always like what you see, but there will always be something that you will like. You just need to look hard enough to find it!

-Penny from GlobeTrove

3. From Half-Day Hiker To Walking Holiday Enthusiast

I’ve always enjoyed walking but never in a million years did I imagine I’d end up walking over 200 kilometers (~124 miles) in 10 days, become a fan of walking holidays, and end up developing self-guided hiking routes in Portugal with a local tour operator as part of my business.

The shift from being someone who was content with an easy three-hour walk to an experienced multi-day hiker began with a brief taste of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrim trail through Portugal to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain.

Back in 2013 I did a guided one-day hike along one of the most beautiful stretches of the Camino, north of Ponte de Lima. It’s also one of the most challenging sections so it was hard work, but the views from the top of Labruja Mountain made the climb worthwhile.

My guides were so enthusiastic about the thrill of arriving at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral after the challenges of day after day on the Camino that I began to think I might want to give it a go, despite not being religious.

Fast forward a few years and I set off from Barcelos with a friend of mine to follow the Portuguese Camino de Santiago.

Apart from suffering from chronic back pain, I thought I was quite fit but nothing had prepared me for how utterly exhausted I would feel at the end of each walking day.

This was truly a slow travel experience, as we were averaging about 20 kilometers (~12 miles) per day and by the time we reached our hotel, I would barely have enough energy to get cleaned up and find food before collapsing. I had envisioned plenty of sightseeing but that ended up being minimal.

Quickly, I realized the moral of this unique travel experience:

The Camino was all about making the most of the journey rather than the destination.

For me, that was quite a shift in thinking as I am usually all about getting to where I want to be as soon as possible so that I can start exploring. It was, perhaps, also my first step on the path towards mindfulness.

I will never forget the sense of achievement and progress at the end of each walking day, and the relief and pride I felt when we finally made it to Santiago de Compostela.

We met people who had walked the Camino several times and I can totally understand how it can become addictive. 

-Julie from Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal

4. A Story About Traveling & Its Ripple Effect

Tucked away in far eastern Indonesia is a tiny archipelago of islands called the Banda Islands.

Apart from world-class snorkeling and some crumbling colonial buildings, the Banda Islands are mostly forgotten and would be described as a backwater by all accounts.

However, the Banda Islands are possibly the main reason that I am who I am today. 

Well, the Bandas are the original Spice Islands.

Nutmeg used to grow on this tiny group of islands alone and nowhere else. The Dutch colonized Indonesia and promptly became the owners of islands where money grew on trees.

The only problem was that Indonesia was so far away that they needed a halfway stop to and from Indonesia.

That’s where my travel experience story comes in.

The same Dutch East India Company that traded in spice set up a halfway station at the foot of Table Mountain to break up their long journey. As a result, my Dutch ancestors arrived in the southernmost point in Africa , and generations later we are still there.

When I visited the Banda Islands, it dawned on me how something happening on the other side of the world can ripple out and affect people on the other side of the planet.

And I’m not the only one!

The spice trade was so important to the Dutch that they even traded a tiny island in the Banda archipelago for a much bigger island…Manhattan.

Yes. That Manhattan.

Before visiting the Banda Islands I never really knew about this part of my history.

Along with the spice that the ships carried back to Amsterdam, it also carried slaves. These slaves, more often than not, ended up in Cape Town.

Just like my European ancestors, they too became a part of Africa and added another shade to our beautiful Rainbow Nation.

It was in the Banda Islands that I realized how much of my culture, food, stories and even words in my mother tongue, Afrikaans, actually originated in Indonesia.

Because of these tiny islands, I am a true mix of Europe, Africa, and Asia. While I always thought I knew how all things in life are somehow connected, I didn’t really grasp it until my visit to Indonesia.

This could have been a resort travel experience story, as I went to Indonesia to swim and snorkel and relax on the world’s best beaches. And while I did get to do that, I also learned a lot about who I am as a person, my people, and my country…on another continent. 

My visit to the Bandas has sparked a fascination with Indonesia, which I have visited seven times since. I’m already planning another trip to this spectacular country!

-De Wet from Museum of Wander

5. Awakening My Spirit In A Costa Rican Cloud Forest

In February 2017, I was just coming out of a decade of mysterious chronic illness that had shrunk my world.

And one of the things that finally helped me to resurface during the previous year was an online Qi Gong course I stumbled upon: 

Flowing Zen .

To the casual observer, Qi Gong looks a lot like its better-known cousin, Tai Chi — the ancient art of moving meditation — but it’s actually energy medicine for healing.

In fact, it’s commonly used in Chinese hospitals.

My daily practice that year made such a difference for me that I dangled a reward for myself:

If I stuck with it all year, then I’d head to Sifu Anthony’s annual retreat in a cloud forest in Costa Rica the following February.

And I did! It was my first trip out of the country for more than a decade.

Just like that, I booked a solo trip — something I hadn’t done since I was an exchange student to Europe 30 years earlier — to San Jose where I met up with a dozen strangers and Sifu Anthony, our Qi Gong master.

We boarded a tiny bus and rode up, up, up around carsick-inducing curvy mountain roads into a magical cloud forest jungle where we finally arrived at The Blue Mountain (“La Montana Azul”) for a weeklong Qi Gong retreat. 

There were no Internet or distractions here — just delicious organic vegetarian meals made with love and shared with the community under a gorgeous open-air palapa.

There were also colorful tropical birds singing in the jungle, as well as the largest arachnid I’ve ever seen in my gorgeous (but also roofless) room for a little extra adventure.

I’d felt a little energy movement during my year of online practice, but during that week on The Blue Mountain, my body began to really buzz with Qi — life force energy — as I Lifted the Sky, stood in Wuji Stance, and practiced Shooting Arrows.

I felt electrified and joyful. 

And that was when everything changed for me.

At home, I had a successful career as a freelance writer, but I decided during my week in the cloud forest that I wanted more from life.

I wanted to explore the beauty, diversity, nature, and culture in every corner of the world.

And I wanted to share this intoxicating joyful feeling of life-giving freedom and adventure with anyone who wanted to come along for the ride.

Shortly after that, at age 53, I launched my travel blog.

Dreams really do come true. They are just waiting for you to claim them.

-Chris from Explore Now or Never

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6. From Rome With Love

This wasn’t the way I wanted to see Rome. 

Sure, I was happy to spend Christmas in Rome and stand in awe of the city’s many iconic attractions. But, life wasn’t meant to turn out like this.

I was supposed to go to Rome with my mom back in 2012; however, life had different plans, because a week before our trip, I got a double kidney infection. A condition that required a week of hospitalization.

Although I was annoyed I had missed my trip, it wasn’t the end of the world since I was fine and everything seemed okay…until my mom developed a cough.

A cough that later became a heartbreaking diagnosis of stage four ovarian cancer. 

My mom spent the final months of her life in chemo, desperately trying to fight a horrific disease so that she wouldn’t let her family down.

And she didn’t.

Instead, she showed us how to never give up on life, even if it was a losing battle. 

So, when she eventually passed away, I booked a trip to Rome. 

Sure, it wasn’t the trip I had hoped for. But, I knew that as her daughter, it was my job to live enough for the both of us. 

And that’s exactly what I did.

Was I an anxious, sad, angry mess of a person?

Absolutely. I was still getting used to a world that my mother wasn’t a part of. 

And honestly, you never get used to that world. You just deal with it because you don’t really have a choice.

But I also knew that I wanted my mom to live on through me and that I didn’t want to live a life where the haunting phrases “should of,” “could of,” and “would have” swirled through my head and ate away at my happiness.

So, I went. I packed a boatload of tissues, sobbed my heart out, and attended Christmas mass at the Vatican. 

I also threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, walked through the Colosseum, chowed down on gelato, and spent two weeks doing all the things my mom and I had wanted to do. 

And that’s when it hit me. I had never gone to Rome alone because my mom had always been there with me. Maybe she wasn’t physically there, but I thought of her and felt her presence every minute of every day. 

Her presence also reminded me that life isn’t about the things we buy or the money that we have.

It’s about making memories with the people we love; people that never really leave us since they are constantly influencing our lives in countless ways.

And after my trip to Rome, I finally knew that my mom would always be there because she had forever changed my life in the best possible way. 

-Kelly from Girl with the Passport

7. Studying In Finland

One of my major life-turning points happened during my exchange studies in Finland.

Until then, I was studying at a university in Prague, had a part-time job at a renowned management-consulting firm, and thought I was on the right path in life.

At the University of Economics where I studied it was notoriously difficult to get on an Erasmus exchange trip abroad since the demand was huge. Everyone wanted to go!

Regardless, I decided to sign up early for my last semester, just to see what the process was like to be better prepared for applying again in a year.

I did make it through all the three rounds and surprisingly got a spot at a University in Turku, Finland! I was ecstatic. The success brought its own challenges, but once you set your eyes on the goal, nothing can stop you.

And I had the time of my life in Finland.

I met the most amazing people, traveled a ton, partied a lot, and bonded with friends from all over the world.

Given I was one of the few people there who really needed to pass all her courses and additionally write her thesis, I managed to run on an impossible sleep schedule of four hours per night. But I made it!

My studies in Finland opened up my horizons, too.

The summer after, I wrapped up my life in Prague and went on to study in Germany and China . The whole time I traveled as much as possible, often going on solo adventures. It was only a matter of time when I’d start my own travel blog.

My Finland adventure led me to a life of freedom made up of remote work, travel blogging , and plenty of traveling. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. And it gave me one of my favorite true adventure stories that I can now share with others.

-Veronika from Travel Geekery

8. How Cuba Changed My Life

One of my favorite inspiring stories about travel takes place in Cuba.

I visited Cuba in February 2013 and it changed my life — and I like to think it did so for the better.

Interestingly, I expected a completely different country and was compelled to write about it when I got back home.

But let me tell you more.

I read copious amounts of blogs and travel diaries to prepare myself for the trip to Cuba so I thought I’d go in with a fairly good idea of what to expect. Each and every post I read spoke of marvelous landscapes, pristine beaches, crumbling but charming cities, and welcoming locals.

All of it was true, in my experience — except for the locals.

I didn’t find them so welcoming. At least, not genuinely so. They only seemed to welcome me as far as they could get something in exchange: money, clothes, pens, soap, you name it. 

Each and every day in Cuba was a challenge to avoid the scams, to avoid being ripped off, to fight off each and every attempt of people trying to take advantage of me. I usually managed, but it was exhausting and it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Once I got back home I felt the urge to write about my experience — not for other sites or papers as I’d often do. This time I was afraid I’d be censored.

So I opened my own blog. With zero tech knowledge, zero understanding of online content creation and SEO, I started writing and telling people what they should really expect during a trip to Cuba.

I’d put up the occasional post, but continued with my usual job.

At the end of the year, my contract as a researcher in international human rights law at the local university ended, and I decided to stop pursuing that career for a while.

I packed my bags and left for a long-term trip to Central and South America . I started writing on the blog more consistently and learning, and eventually took my blog full-time , turning it into a career.

As of today, I have never looked back and have no regrets.

The one thing I’ll do, as soon as I can, is travel to Cuba to say thank you — because it changed my life in a way nothing else has ever done. 

-Claudia from Strictly Sardinia

9. A Short Travel Story About Finding Inner Peace In Patagonia

Life in London is hard.

Life in London as a gay single brown refugee is harder.

Juggling between work, my passion for traveling, and the prejudices that I dealt with on a daily basis eventually took their toll on me and I reached a breaking point.

The fact that I couldn’t return home to see my family and being away for them for almost nine years was enough to hammer in the final nail in the coffin.

I almost had a nervous breakdown and in that moment of desperation, which I knew would define the rest of my life, I took a month off and headed to Patagonia.

It was probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. The 36 hours it took me to get to El Chalten from London were tiring but Patagonia blew me away.

On my first day there I did a 28-kilometer (17-mile) hike which included a steep mountain climb. It was incredible how moving through the forest helped me clear my mind. And as I stood in front of Laguna de Los Tres, the rain and clouds gave way to sunshine and a rainbow.

I felt at peace.

The countless hikes, great food, and the warmth of locals in Chile and Argentina helped me get back in my skin and find the peace I was missing in my heart.

Nature is indeed the best medicine when it comes to stress relief and I won’t be coy about hugging trees to speed up the process (it did).

Patagonia was life-changing for me.

The beauty of nature struck me at each point and every time I thought it wasn’t possible to beat the view, the next one did just that.

I came back a changed, resilient, and most importantly, a happy person.

-Ucman from BrownBoyTravels

10. Looking Inwards & Making Connections With Strangers

It was decades before I traveled solo for the first time in my life.

This trip — a six-day escape to Colorado — was the first trip that was not for business or family reasons but just to travel and discover.

As I prepared for it, I had a strange feeling of excitement and nerves at the same time. I had all sorts of thoughts and doubts:

Would it be fun?

Would I be bored?

Would I stay in bed all day or would I bounce with excitement to do the next thing?

I wasn’t sure. Little did I know that it was going to be a memorable journey of self-discovery. 

As a good wife and mom, for me travel is always about the family; always thinking of who would enjoy what. It’s about family time and bonding. It’s about creating memories and travel stories together. It’s all so wonderful.

But on a solo trip who would I connect with? What would I say?

Well, I found that I got to do anything I wanted!

Usually when I travel with my family, if I feel like going on a drive that’s not on the itinerary or getting a snack no one else is interested in, we simply don’t do that.

So it was weird to just go do it. Really, that’s a thing?

As for making connections, it was so easy to meet locals while traveling and also to connect with other travelers. Honestly, I had conversations everywhere — on planes, while hiking, in restaurants, in the hotel lobby.

It was quite an eye-opening experience to meet a mom of 18 kids and hundreds of foster kids, a cookie baker, a professional photographer, a family of Fourteener hikers, and an internationally ranked marathon runner.

The inspiring stories I discovered were amazing and nothing like my wonderful safe life at home. 

In terms of travel safety , I got to go rock climbing, solo hiking, driving up a Fourteener, eating alone.

And it was all fine. Actually, it felt surprisingly normal.

It was was just me, my SUV, and my backpack for a week. Most of all, it was a breath of fresh air that I didn’t know existed. 

It’s wonderful to be back home and know that possibilities are endless and there is so much more out there to explore and be wowed by!

-Jyoti from Story At Every Corner

11. A Solo Hike To Find Connection

I have traveled solo many times, but I admit I was a bit uneasy booking my trip to Colombia . In part, due to the country’s dark past. But also because I desperately wanted to do the Cocora Valley hike, and if I’m honest, I was terrified.

This hike is located in the Coffee Triangle, an area recognized for its beauty as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features both rainforest and a stunning green valley speckled with cartoonishly-tall wax palms rising 200 feet or more.

It’s incredibly beautiful.

It’s also a long hike and quite challenging — it generally takes between six and eight hours and there is a steep area with over 3,000 feet of elevation within a quarter of a mile.

I wasn’t in hiking shape, so I was a little concerned. But, worst of all for me were the seven dodgy-looking suspension bridges. 

I’m terrified of heights.

And, I’d be going alone.

I decided to go anyway and I met an incredible woman on the bus to Salento, the town near Cocora. She was also traveling solo and we agreed to hike together.

The town is a backpacker enclave and we met up with a small group of people all traveling solo. As the days passed, our group got larger and it was such a magical experience.

As much as I love city travel, this small town won my heart.

My new friend and I set off on the hike and met two other women who were nervous to do the hike. We all went together.

When we got to the first suspension bridge, I paused. I was embarrassed to admit my fear, but the bridge swayed widely and there was nowhere to hold onto.

When they realized how out of my comfort zone I was and how scared I felt, everything changed. Instead of me dealing with it alone, they were all there to encourage me.

One crossed the bridge to encourage me from the other side and they stayed off of it to limit the sway. Crazy enough, I not only crossed the seven suspension bridges, but I also crossed one an extra time when we went the wrong way on the trail.

I did it! 

I was prepared to be blown away by Cocora Valley’s beauty, but what I wasn’t expecting was what a life-changing travel experience my time there would be.

 -Sam from My Flying Leap

12. How A Pet Sitting Travel Experience Led To A Passionate Career

We wanted to go to the Caribbean but didn’t know much about the islands or how we were going to afford it.

By chance, a friend of ours in Australia mentioned “pet sitting” and that it is something you can do all over the world.

We quickly created an account on a pet sitting website and began searching for options. There were only a couple of sits available in that part of the world, but we tried our luck, sent a request, and to our surprise landed a three-month gig in a beautiful house in the US Virgin Islands — with an infinity pool overlooking the British Virgin Islands.

A month into our sit, we had explored the destination pretty well and so had a lot of time on our hands. We managed to secure another sit in Grenada, so our year was going to be taken up with Caribbean pet sits.

Inspired by a Canadian couple that had previously stayed at our Grenada housesit, we decided to start our own travel blog. We began by writing about The Virgin Islands, highlighting the beautiful beaches and funky bars.

But for every photo of a beautiful beach there were 10 photos of trash.     

It was hard to ignore the plastic pollution issue, especially on such pristine and remote beaches.  So, we began to share photos of the trash we saw and how much we could pick up on our daily dog walks.

The more we looked into plastic pollution, the more we realized the severity of the global plastic pandemic. From that point, we used our platform to create awareness and highlight ways to say no to plastic and travel plastic-free .

We changed our daily routines, our way of living, and even our diets to accommodate more organic foods and little to no plastic packaging.

It’s been over three years now and we continue to do what we can. This journey has led us to some amazing places, working with great conscious brands and even organizing a country-wide beach clean-up campaign in Grenada.

Our aim now is to keep on going.

We love connecting with like-minded people and love the shift over the last few years that brands have made towards creating more sustainable products and services.

It’s been an amazing few years that was sparked by a conversation about pet sitting. Who would have guessed?

-Aaron & Vivien from The Dharma Trails

13. Learning To Slow Down The Hard Way

On Christmas of 2017, I was born again.

We like to spend our Christmas holidays somewhere warm abroad, and that year we chose Uganda.

Nature, wildlife, and sunny days were a blessing when it was so cold and dark in Europe. Life was beautiful, and we had a rental car and a busy schedule ahead to explore the country.

This is where this short travel story turns into one of my more scary travel experiences :

At Murchinson Falls National Park, we had a car accident.

I lost control of the car, and it rolled over, destroying windows, chassis, and engine.

But we were alive! My right arm was severely injured, but we managed to walk to our lodge, not far inside the park.

In the lodge, I was happy to learn that there was a pretty decent American hospital in Masindi that was just a one-hour drive from the lodge. Moreover, one of the lodge’s guests was a nurse who cleaned the wound while we were waiting for the taxi from/to Masindi.

The hospital took care of us, and after a couple of injections and stitches, I was ready to head to our new hotel in Masindi; however, my wound required daily dressing and more injections, so we were asked to stay in town for a few days.   

Masindi is the kind of place where you may want to stop to buy some food or water, but that’s it.

The town’s highlights were the market and our daily visit to the hospital, so we ended up looking for the small things, chatting with the medical staff, the hotel staff, the people in the market, and learning more about their customs.

We learned to slow down the hard way.

When we were allowed to leave, we took a road trip south through the country to see something else. We did not care about our travel bucket list anymore — we were alive, and we wanted to enjoy Uganda’s unique nature and its people. 

In the end, our Uganda trip was not about the places that we saw, but the people that we met. It was travel for experience vs sightseeing.

I hope to revisit Uganda one day, with a stop at Masindi for some food, water, and maybe something else.

-Elisa from World in Paris

14. A Cycling Trip To Remember

During the summer of 2019, I cycled solo from London to Istanbul. This huge bicycle tour took me 89 days and through 11 countries.

As you might expect, it was a challenging yet incredible journey, which saw me pedal along some of Europe’s greatest rivers, pass through some of its best cities, and witness some of its most beautiful scenery.

It’s becoming more and more important for us to think about the impact that travel can have on our environment. This was the inspiration for my bicycle tour; I wanted to find more responsible ways to explore the world and avoid flights where possible.

I discovered that bicycle touring is one of the most eco-friendly ways to travel, as using nothing but a bicycle and your own pedal power you can carry everything you need while covering surprising distances each day.

The simplicity of life and the sheer amount of time I spent cycling alone gave me a lot of time to just think . This really helped me to come to terms with some personal problems rooted in my past and, as a result, I arrived solo in Istanbul with newly found confidence, independence, and liberation. 

Cycling across the entire European continent may seem like an impossibly daunting task, but I assure you, it will make you feel like a new person, just like it did for me.

-Lauren from The Planet Edit

15. How The Caribbean Shaped Me Into A Fully Sustainable Traveler

One of my first international trips as an adult was traveling around the Caribbean .

I checked into my hotel in Jamaica and asked for a recommendation for a local place to eat. The receptionist told me that under no circumstances should I should go into the town because it was really dangerous, but that — to my luck — the hotel’s restaurant offered wonderful Caribbean food.

I pondered my options:

Did I really want to spend all my time on the beach without getting to know a single local?

I was a very inexperienced traveler and very young, but there was only one answer to my question:

Absolutely not. I was not going to be visiting a new place and staying hostage in a hotel chain. So out I went.

The poverty hit me in the face. After only seeing fancy resorts, the reality was hard to swallow.

A few locals approached me and were super curious as to what I was doing there alone, since most tourists didn’t go there.

I told them I was interested in meeting them and experiencing their culture. And just like that, I was embraced.

We met more people, had some food, and then we danced the night away. They had so little, yet they wanted to share it with me. They wanted to make me feel welcome.

And they undeniably did.

The next morning all I could think about was how all the money most tourists spend goes to big corporations. The locals have to be thankful if they get a job that pays minimum wage, while foreign businesses earn millions.

I have always been environmentally conscious, but this trip made it clear that sustainability goes well beyond nature and wildlife.

It’s also about communities.

From then on I always look for locally owned accommodation, eateries, guides, and souvenirs.

Sustainability, with everything it entails, became a motto for me and changed the very essence of the way I travel.

-Coni from  Experiencing the Globe

16. Lessons From My Students In Peru

One of the most life-changing trips I’ve ever been on was a volunteering experience in the stunning city of Cuzco in Peru.

I spent a month there teaching English and Italian to a group of local adults. And even though my time there was short, the travel experience was so humbling that it changed my outlook on life.

My lessons took the form of active conversations, which essentially turned into a massive multilingual cultural exchange between me and my students. Hearing my students talk about their lives — and realizing just how different they were from mine — made me look at my own life with a fresh new perspective.

One person spoke about the three years he spent living in a jungle with his dad, where they fed off of animals they hunted in order to survive.

Another student told me about her ultimate dream of mastering English so that she could become a tour guide and have a more stable future.

For me, these stories were a reminder of just how small I am in this world and how much we can get consumed by the small bubbles we live in. 

Most of all, my students showed a passion and appreciation for life that I’d never witnessed before.

This is true for the locals I met in Cuzco in general. The quality of life in Cuzco is very modest; hot water is scarce and you learn to live with little.

But the locals there do way more than just that — they spontaneously parade the streets with trumpets and drums just because they’re feeling happy, and their energy for the simple things in life is incredibly contagious.

It was impossible to not feel inspired in Cuzco because my students always had the biggest smiles on their faces, and the locals showed me again and again that simply being alive is a blessing.

I went to Peru to teach, but ended up learning more from my students and the locals there than they did from me.

Ever since I got back from that trip, I made it a goal to slow down and not take the simple things in life for granted.

Every time I get upset about something, I think about the Peruvians in Cuzco parading their streets in song and pure joy, and I tell myself to stop complaining.

-Jiayi from  The Diary of a Nomad

17. Braving Travel With Chronic Pain

Santiago de Compostela is a beautiful city with a prominent cathedral positioned centrally within the city.

While the historical cathedral attracts numerous visitors, even more well-known is the route to Santiago de Compostela, Camino de Santiago –- the world-famous pilgrimage route that has a plethora of trailheads and ends in Santiago. 

Home to locals, students, English teachers, and those on a spiritual pilgrimage, personal conquest, or a great outdoor hiking excursion, Santiago is a magical city.

My introduction to Santiago de Compostela doesn’t begin on the pilgrimage route, yet ends with a spiritual awakening analogous with those other unique pilgrimage stories.

It was my first solo trip abroad teaching English in Spain, a country that’s always been on my travel bucket list. A small town outside of Santiago was selected as the school I’d be teaching at for the year.

Unknowingly, this teach abroad program chose the perfect city for me to live in. 

A year prior, I suffered a traumatic brain injury that left me unable to function normally and complete average tasks. Migraines, headaches, and dizziness became my body’s normal temperament, a hidden disability invisible to the naked eye. 

Braving travel with chronic pain was the first lesson I learned during the trip.

The vast green outdoors and fresh dew from the morning rain enlivened me daily and reminded me about the importance of slowing down so I could enjoy traveling with my hidden disability. 

I also learned to stop often for daily tea breaks and to embrace the long lunch hour,  siestas , with good food, company, and a nap to rest.

Meeting locals , indulging in local food, and learning Spanish allowed me to connect deeply with the beautiful culture of Santiago. After all, my dream was to travel to Spain, and I more than accomplished that dream.

Difficult or not, I learned to own my dream and I was more than surprised with the results.

Who knew that a year after my injury I’d be traveling the world with chronic pain, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.

-Ciara from Wellness Travel Diaries

18. A Blessing In Disguise

2020 has been a wild year for all of us and foreign students in China are no exception. As soon as the malevolent virus began to make its rounds in China, our university sent us home for “two weeks.”

However, within a short time, countries began to shut their borders and these “two weeks” turned into months, a full year even.

Crushed by the burden of online lectures and virtual labs, my boyfriend and I packed our bags and caught one of the first flights to his home country of Pakistan.

I had always been an over-ambitious traveler. I believed numbers were everything — the number of countries I visited, the number of hours I spent on a plane, the number of international trips I took in a year. These numbers were what defined me.

My feet were constantly itching and I never liked to spend more than a few days in a place before heading to the next country. Revisiting a place felt superfluous to me.

That’s why I was hoping to spend a month or two in Pakistan and then continue to check new countries off the list — after all, my online classes finally granted me the freedom to “work on my numbers.”

But as is usually the case in 2020, things turned out quite different from what I had expected. Borders remained closed and worldwide infections stayed rampant. At this point, I have already spent nearly half a year in Pakistan.

During this peculiar time, however, an amazing thing happened:

My mindset about travel started to change and I began to look at my long stay in Pakistan as perhaps my most valuable travel experience ever.

I may not have visited dozens of countries like in previous years but my experiences were deeper than ever before.

From trekking to one of the world’s tallest mountains to sharing tea with heavily armed officers at nearly 5,000 meters altitude to exploring hidden beaches in the most secluded regions to spontaneously being invited to village homes, my adventures in Pakistan couldn’t have been more incredible. They opened my eyes to the sheer diversity of many countries and completely transformed my idea about traveling. 

It took me nearly a full year of heavy restrictions on international travel and a few months in one of the world’s most fascinating countries to give up on my superficial ideals and become a more mature traveler.

This time will always have a special place in my heart.

-Arabela from The Spicy Travel Girl

19. What The River Taught Me

My travel story takes place in the summer of 2017 — the final summer before I graduated university — as it continues to play a significant role in the person I’ve become.

When I say that, people ask me if it was the portion of the summer I spent solo backpacking in Europe . And to their surprise, it wasn’t. It was actually the latter portion of the summer where I stayed closer to home.

For July and August I worked as a canoe guide leading whitewater canoe trips on remote rivers in Canada. It was here that I got to canoe the powerful and iconic Missinaibi River, a river that continues to influence me all these years later.

The Missinaibi River flows from the powerful Lake Superior to the even more powerful salty waters of James Bay. Here, I led a group of eight teenagers through dozens of whitewater rapids over 500 kilometers (~311 miles).

With no cell service for 25 days, we were forced to disconnect from anything other than the river.

During this trip I learned two important lessons:

First, I learned to be confident in my own abilities as a leader and problem solver.

There were a few rapids where my campers’ boats flipped and I had to rescue the campers and the canoes. One rescue saw two boats flip on a mile-long rapid. It took six hours to make it down the rapid, and during this time I managed stuck canoes and crying campers.

And while this was one of the most difficult rescues I’ve done, I was amazed at how calm I was throughout it. I gave clear directions, prioritized effectively, and kept my campers safe throughout the entire experience. Following the rescue, I had a newfound sense of confidence in my abilities.

The second lesson I learned on the Missinaibi was the power of disconnecting from society and connecting with the people around you.

A wild river commands all of your attention. Each day, you and your group must take down camp, load canoes, paddle up to eight hours while navigating both rapids and portages, get to a new campsite, set up camp, cook dinner, and go to bed.

And without the distraction of technology, your attention has nowhere else to be. You focus on the river and your teammates.

As someone who had wrestled with anxiety and depression prior to this summer, I felt at total ease on the trip. Now I seek societal disconnection and human connection as much as I can. 

Sometimes the most profound, life-altering trips are the least expected trips closer to home.

-Mikaela of  Voyageur Tripper

More Short Travel Experience Stories

25 Crazy Travel Stories You Need To Read To Believe

23 Inspiring Travel Stories Sharing The Kindness Of Strangers

17 True Short Adventure Travel Stories To Inspire Your Next Trip

38 Inspiring Travel Love Stories From The Road

16 Short Funny Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh

20 Embarrassing Travel Stories That Will Make You Laugh & Blush

21 Travel Horror Stories About Scary Travel Experiences

Do you have any inspiring travel experience stories about life-changing trips to share?

Enjoyed these inspiring stories about travel? Pin them for later!

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These stories are so much fun to read! Thanks so much for putting a post like this together. It’s great to be able to check out other people’s blogs and read about other people’s experiences!

Always great to read about travel experiences of others. Some great stories to read over coffee. I’ve Pinned your post for future reference and to share with others. Will check out each story author’s blog as well. Great Job! 🙂

Amazing story for new traveler like me thanks for your contribution

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11 Ways to Make Every Trip You Take More Meaningful

We're partnering with Capital One to launch our new Purposeful Travel Hub . If you have unique ways you like to pay it forward when you travel or just love exploring new places with family and friends, we want to hear about it. Share your most treasured travel moments and purposeful travel tips with us using #MeaningfulMoments .

Looking to bring back something from your travels besides a tan and a few kitschy souvenirs? It's possible to create meaningful, unforgettable moments while traveling, even if you can't dedicate an entire trip to volunteering in Ghana or meditating at an ashram in India. There are easy ways to add purpose to an already-planned trip, even if that trip is primarily about relaxing on vacation.

1. Read About Your Destination

Literature is a wonderful way to learn about a particular place before your visit. Whether it be fiction, memoir or even a guidebook, understanding the history, culture and traditions of your destination can really enhance your trip — and help you forge a deeper connection with a land and its people prior to arrival.

(Photo by Hitoshi Suzuki via Unsplash)

Before a trip to see the famed temples at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I dug into a copy of "Tomb Raider." But I also read a biography by Loung Ung, who described her experience as a child soldier during the Khmer Rouge years. Understanding the regime and how these tragedies affected the country and its citizens gave me an entirely new outlook on the culture and its resilience, enriching my trip even further.

2. Meet the Locals

Talking to locals can help you develop a far more nuanced understanding of a destination. Even if you trip is to an all-inclusive resort, it's important to take time to talk to people at the local markets, to ask your tour guide questions about local customs and chat with resort staff, many of whom live in the city or region you're visiting.

Several years ago, I was invited to dine with a local family in Mandalay, Myanmar after chatting to a local who rented me a bicycle. Tourism was relatively new at the time, and locals were excited to interact with visitors. Sitting on pillows on the floor of their hut by the river; eating oily curry and rice with my fingers; chatting in broken English; watching their children laugh and play was an intimate experience I'll never forget.

You don't have to end up in a family home to meet locals, of course. Simply initiating conversation with your taxi driver can be a fun way to find out colorful information about the destination you're visiting.

3. Learn the Language

Obviously, this can be difficult, especially if you're traveling to a country with a complicated or less common language. But it's very special to see people's eyes light up — and smiles widen — when you attempt to say even a word or two in their language.

When traveling in Laos, I learned how to say a couple words in Lao: thank you, good morning and goodbye. While I felt a little silly saying them at first (I'm sure my pronunciation was horrendous), the locals were thrilled I had taken the time to try and, as a result, treated me with even more kindness, telling me stories and personal anecdotes, even introducing me to their family members or sharing their snacks with me, which gave me immense insight to the Lao way of life and made me forge a more personal connection with Laos.

Download a language app such as Duolingo so you can brush up on your vocabulary and practice pronunciation.

4. Stay, Eat and Shop Local

Using points at brand hotels around the world is a great way to save money and redeem rewards on travel. But consider spending cash on a stay at a boutique hotel, B&B or homestay for at least one night instead. Doing so supports the local economy even more, and can also give you a better look at how locals live and work, too.

5. Lend a Hand

You don't have to plan a whole voluntourism trip to give back during your travels. With organizations such as Pack For a Purpose , you can identify items that are needed in local communities (think: school or medical supplies), bring them in your suitcase and drop them off at various hotels or schools at your chosen destination.

Meanwhile, Give A Day Global helps connect travelers with one-day volunteer opportunities all over the world. And some hotels offer volunteer opportunities where you can help out with conservation programs, animal protection or work at local schools for an afternoon. Remember, it's not about quantity, it's about quality. And a little help can go a long way.

6. Go Beyond Tourist Centers — Responsibly

There may be plenty to see in the city center, but make an effort to go off-the-beaten path, to communities that haven't yet been commercialized or influenced by tourism.

If you decide to do a tour, opt for one that explores less-frequented areas. For example, Comuna 13 Grafitti Tours in Medellín, Colombia take travelers through an area of the city, the 13th District, that many tourists don't get to see. Tourists are encouraged to interact with the residents while respecting the local community. You may even get to meet some of the artists who've contributed to the vibrant street art scene.

(Photo by Fancycrave via Unsplash)

7. Ride Public Transport

Riding the bus or metro with locals is a great way to embrace the vibes of your destination — and get from A to B quickly, too

During a recent trip to Sri Lanka, I took the bus from Sigiriya to see the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa. Not only did I save almost $30 by taking the bus (which cost just a couple dollars roundtrip) instead of a private car or tuk tuk, but I was thrown straight into Sri Lankan society. The colorful lights flashing over the Buddhist statues on the bus and the Hindi music blaring added to the fun, and I even saw a few wild elephants out of the window during the hour-long adventure.

8. Travel More Slowly

While it may be tempting to squeeze a couple countries or cities into your weeklong adventure, consider traveling more slowly to really get a feel for the destination. To truly experience a city — its people, its culture — take your time, and don't rush.

Every day, make an effort to think about where you are, why you're there and how lucky you are to be able to travel. This will give you a whole new outlook on the journey. Plus, you'll actually feel rested and relaxed after your trip.

Carla Sánchez , co-founder of Secret Yoga Club and The Holistic Concept who guides yoga and meditation retreats and workshops around the world, told TPG that, "Time is valuable and we are always in a rush in our daily life. Slowing down your travel allows you to enjoy and find meaning in every single detail and experience — a true luxury!"

9. Take a Solo Trip

Traveling alone for the first time can be intimidating. You may not want to experience a place alone, or feel guilty for not bringing your partner or family along. But taking a solo trip can be incredibly rewarding, granting you time — and solitude — to reflect on yourself, on the place you're visiting and on why you love to travel in the first place. Even a few days on your own can bring real perspective to your trip — and you may very well find that you make lifelong friends along the way.

10. Get Out Into Nature

Even if you're visiting a busy metropolis, getting outside of the city into nature — even just for a day trip — can be really special. If you can't get out of the city, try instead to build in time for a picnic in a city park or botanical garden. Seeing nature's wonders, be they modest groves of trees or grand waterfalls, can remind you that beauty is everywhere.

11. Put Down Your Phone

The last, but possibly most important way to add meaning to every trip you take, is to put down your phone, live in the moment and truly experience your destination. While it can be tempting to photograph everything or document your time on social media, it can be a distraction.

Test yourself by shutting off your phone or leaving it in the hotel safe, even for just an hour or two, to get the most out of your travels. If you're worried you'll forget an epic experience without a chance to photograph it, take a camera along or, better yet, a pen and notepad, so you can document your adventures by hand. It may be just the therapeutic escape you need.

Understanding the Distinction: Travel, Trip, and Journey Explained

Zackary Hooper

Ever find yourself scratching your head over when to use ‘travel’, ‘trip’, or ‘journey’? Me too. In fact, these terms are commonly misused by even the most well-traveled folks among us.

Table of Contents

As an English language aficionado and travel enthusiast, I dove deep into linguistic resources to clear up this confusion once and for all. This blog will guide you through the nuances of these three words , helping you navigate your way to flawless English usage in any travel context .

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Key Takeaways

• Travel refers to going to a place, especially far away.
• Trip involves traveling from one place to another, usually for a short period of time.
• Journey implies traveling from one place to another without necessarily returning.
• Proper usage of these terms is essential in effectively conveying our experiences.

Definition and Differences between Travel, Trip, and Journey

Travel is a verb that means going to a place, especially far away, while trip refers to the process of traveling from one place to another, usually for a short time. Journey, on the other hand, implies traveling from one place to another without necessarily returning.

Travel as a verb meaning to go to a place, especially far away

Travel, as a verb, emphasizes the act of moving from one location to another. This movement often involves significant distance between the two points. For instance, you might say you are traveling to Europe or Asia from America – places that are undoubtedly quite far from each other.

Notably, travel doesn’t always require a return trip; it merely notes the action of going somewhere far . Even voyages into space can be considered travel! So next time you utter “I love to travel,” note that this phrase speaks volumes about your passion for exploring distant destinations and embracing new experiences on a broader geographic scale .

Trip as the process of traveling from one place to another, usually for a short time

When we talk about a trip, we’re referring to the act of traveling from one place to another. It’s usually for a short period of time and involves moving between different locations .

Think of it as going on a vacation or taking a quick getaway. A trip can be as short as a day or extend over several days, but it generally doesn’t involve staying in one place for an extended period.

So whether you’re heading out on a road trip with friends or catching a flight to explore new cities, remember that a trip is all about the process of getting from point A to point B , enjoying the journey along the way.

Journey as traveling from one place to another, not necessarily returning

A journey is all about the experience of traveling from one place to another, without the expectation of returning . It can be a long and exciting adventure, with multiple destinations along the way.

Unlike a trip or travel, which often involves going somewhere and then coming back, a journey implies forward movement and exploration . It’s like embarking on a voyage of discovery, where you’re eager to see what lies ahead and open to new experiences.

Whether it’s backpacking through Europe or sailing around the world, a journey offers endless possibilities for exploration and self-discovery .

Common Uses and Examples of Travel, Trip, and Journey

– Travel: “I love traveling to different countries , experiencing new cultures and exploring exotic destinations.

– Trip: “We took a weekend trip to the beach, enjoying sun-kissed days and relaxing by the seaside.”

– Journey: “His journey across the desert was filled with challenges and self-discovery as he embarked on a soul-searching adventure.”

Travel: “I love to travel to different countries.”

I absolutely adore exploring different countries . Experiencing new cultures, trying unique cuisines , and immersing myself in unfamiliar landscapes is what makes travel so thrilling for me.

Whether it’s wandering through ancient ruins in Greece or hiking through the vibrant jungles of Costa Rica, I find immense joy in venturing beyond my comfort zone and discovering all that the world has to offer.

Travel opens my eyes to different perspectives and allows me to create lasting memories that I cherish forever.

Trip: “We went on a business trip to New York.”

Last week, I had the opportunity to go on a business trip to New York . It was an exciting experience that allowed me to explore the bustling city and meet with important clients . During the trip, we visited various companies , attended conferences , and even had some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of New York.

Being able to immerse myself in a different environment for a short period of time was both refreshing and educational. Overall, it was a successful trip that helped us strengthen our professional relationships and achieve our business goals.

Journey: “His journey around the world took him three years.”

I embarked on a three-year journey around the world, exploring new cultures and experiencing incredible adventures along the way. From bustling cities to remote villages, my journey allowed me to immerse myself in different landscapes and meet fascinating people from all walks of life.

It was a transformative experience that broadened my horizons and shaped my perspective on the world.

Clarifying Misuses of Travel, Trip, and Journey

Many people mistakenly use the term “travel” for short distances, but it should be reserved for going to faraway places. To understand the proper usage of these words, read on!

Incorrect uses of travel: “He traveled to the grocery store.”

Using the word “travel” to describe a short trip to the grocery store is incorrect. Travel usually refers to going to a distant place, especially far away. So, it’s important to use this term appropriately and not for everyday local trips like grocery stores.

Proper uses of the terms: “I traveled to Europe.”

I traveled to Europe for my summer vacation. It was an exciting travel experience filled with new cultures, delicious food, and breathtaking sights. The proper use of the term “travel” in this context refers to going somewhere far away , especially to a different country or continent .

In this case, I embarked on an adventure from my home country to Europe, immersing myself in each destination’s rich history and vibrant atmosphere. Traveling to Europe broadened my horizons and created memories that will last a lifetime.

Understanding the Nuances between Travel, Trip, and Journey

Travel, trip, and journey may seem similar, but they each have their own nuances. Read on to delve deeper into the distinctions between these terms and how to use them correctly in your everyday conversations.

Travel focuses on the action of going to a distant place.

Travel allows us to embark on exciting journeys to faraway destinations. It is the act of physically moving from one place to another , often to distant locations . Whether it’s exploring a new country , immersing ourselves in different cultures , or experiencing thrilling adventures , travel is all about the exhilarating action of venturing beyond our comfort zones .

So pack your bags and get ready for an incredible journey filled with unforgettable experiences!

Trip emphasizes the process of traveling and staying in a place.

A trip is all about the journey itself and the experience of being in a specific place . It focuses on the process of traveling from one location to another, while also emphasizing the time spent staying in that particular place.

Whether you’re taking a short weekend trip to a nearby city or embarking on a week-long vacation, a trip is about immersing yourself in new surroundings and enjoying everything that destination has to offer.

Journey implies a longer and more significant travel experience.

When embarking on a journey, you can expect a more extensive and meaningful travel experience . Unlike a simple trip or travel, a journey often involves exploring multiple destinations or pursuing a specific purpose .

It encompasses the idea of venturing into the unknown and embracing new challenges along the way. Whether it’s an epic road trip across several countries or a spiritual pilgrimage to sacred sites, a journey offers an opportunity for personal growth and transformation .

It allows you to immerse yourself in different cultures , navigate unfamiliar terrain, and create lasting memories. So if you’re seeking an adventure that goes beyond mere transportation from point A to point B, set out on a journey that will take you further and leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Conclusion and Importance of Using the Correct Terms

Understanding the distinctions between travel , trip, and journey is crucial in accurately conveying our experiences . By using these terms correctly, we can communicate more effectively and avoid confusion .

So whether we’re embarking on a short trip or a life-changing journey , let’s remember to use the right words to describe our adventures ! Keep exploring and keep traveling!

1. What is the difference between travel, trip, and journey?

Travel refers to the act of going from one place to another, while a trip is a specific instance of traveling for a particular purpose or destination. A journey, on the other hand, implies a longer and more meaningful experience that may involve personal growth or transformation.

2. Can you give examples of each term – travel, trip, and journey?

Sure! Travel can include activities like flying to a different country or taking a road trip across states. A trip could be going on vacation to Disneyland or visiting family over the holidays. And a journey might involve backpacking through Europe for several months or embarking on a spiritual retreat.

3. Is there any overlap between these terms?

Yes, there can be some overlap between these terms depending on context. For example, someone’s “trip” may also be considered their “journey” if it involves self-discovery or exploration. Similarly, long-term travel experiences may encompass both the notions of “travel” and “journey.”

4. How does understanding the distinction between these terms help in communication?

Understanding the distinction between travel, trip, and journey helps in effective communication as it allows us to accurately describe our experiences and intentions when discussing our travels with others. It provides clarity and avoids confusion by using appropriate terminology when sharing stories or making plans involving different types of travel experiences.

About the author

I’ve been fortunate to visit over fifty countries, each journey leaving a unique footprint on my life’s map. From bustling cities to serene nature trails, I’ve immersed myself in different cultures and experiences, constantly broadening my understanding of the world. On this site, I share my travel stories, tips, and insights, hoping to inspire others to embark on their own journeys. Join me as we uncover the beauty of our planet, one adventure at a time. Please reach out here if you need to get in touch.

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27 Insanely Deep & Best Travel Quotes Ever (+Pics)

• June 7, 2020
• August 7, 2021
• Quotes , Inspiration

Everybody fuels their wanderlust in some way or another. For most of the part, it was the quotes that did this for me. Before the era of vlogging, blogging even had started, I used to pickup lines from books, articles, and save it on my Notes app as quotes. I think I like words more than any other form of information. And today, in this short and precise post, I’ll present you 27 best travel quotes that I’d collected that are so very deep and profound.

For many like me, quotes motivate them. And it touches a sensitive part of their hearts which, in my opinion, is awesome. In some way, it feeds the aspiration and makes us get out of our comfort zones.

This list of best travel quotes along with graphics will give your future travel goals and inspire you to take that shot. Maybe it’ll be your first solo trip or maybe first abroad trip, keep in mind these quotes will remind you of the importance of travel and the deep meaning associated with it.

Best Travel Quotes with Graphics (and Deep Meaning)

At first, I’ll share the quotes with graphics and down below in the last section you’ll find the text version of these quotes just in case you wanna copy and share from there. So let’s start.

This first quote is dedicated to Misfit Wanderers and it’s kinda our slogan to shout. Oh, yes! We are wanderers, still.

Indeed, you can’t disagree with this. I find travel the best form of education. Learned lessons that were never taught in any class.

Money, eh? There are plenty of options that make travel cheaper. Couchsurfing. Hitchhiking. Flight hacks etc.

Yes, courage is all that takes to make your travel.

Do you know why I added this following quote in the list of best travel quotes? Because it’s so very true and contrast to present time travel. Without observation, I don’t see why you call yourself a ‘traveler?’

The deep meaning that this quote carries…that. Life’s short but I gotta make it worthwhile. No wonder it’s one of the best travel quotes ever.

Discover yourself, with the help of travel. Seek profound answers and the real meaning of life.

Now, this quote may hurt a little if you don’t understand it. Just like anything, with travel you’ve to maintain balance. Balance is the core of nature and everything that’s created by God.

This quote. Simple as hell. And yet very meaningful. Reading and traveling are two things that’ll enrich your life, speaking from experience.

This Italian proverb reminds me of Bollywood’s movie Anand famous dialogue “Babu Moshai Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye, Lambi Nahi.” 

And I have found that this quote has really practical meaning. If you wanna understand anybody in the least amount of time, plan a trip with them.

Indeed. Some things won’t even matter in a later stage of life. Start living with no regrets.

This quote expresses how for some travel is life, while for some other travel is just a regular thing. Travel is waste if it doesn’t affect your eyes – your perception towards life.

Somehow I feel this quote very much. Like a reminiscence gets etched on the skin. You go to a place and something of it always remains yours. What do you think?

This is a very famous quote and one of the profound quotes as well. Don’t just spend all your lives within the confines of your territory, explore, challenge, and become.

I don’t think I need to shower any light on this quote. Adventure is always worthwhile.

This Asian proverb inspires me. I want to see many countries, live among the stars, dance with tribals of Africa, and have an experience-enriched life. I want to find out if what they all said about the world being a bad place is true – because I suspect it ain’t.

No regrets policy. Want something, go grab it. One of the best travel quotes I know of.

And for this one – you know better. We all read this famous poem by Robert Frost in our junior schools. I never really find out what Robert meant until a few years ago. It’s about the choices we make.

This quote is funny at first but really profound if you tilt your perception. People don’t remember taking trips but the experience they gain because of these trips.

A very similar meaning quote we saw moments ago. Travel in life is necessary.

This quote also felt very relatable. Travel has magnified and multiplied so many emotions that I have become more caring, understanding, and often very calm.

Haha, this quote may be relatable to many. Have you ever had one of those feelings where you get attracted to a place (or city) even without visiting it? Like you get totally and madly in love? I’m sure you’ve had that.

Modesty and humbleness are the two key qualities. And travel helps you with developing them.

This famous and one of the best travel quotes doesn’t only talk about creating our own paths in travel but also about bashing our comfort zones, bad habits, and grow out of them.

Another very deep quotes and yes, one of the best travel quotes that I’ve read. Explains the real and solid reasons for traveling. It is much more than going to places.

A similar travel quote again impending the idea of leaving one’s comfort zones. As I said, wonder happens outside the comfort zones.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Solo Travel Quotes To Give You That Push

Travel Quotes Listicle

So here’s the listicle of best travel quotes. Share them on Instagram, put on WhatsApp stories, or Facebook statuses. These are all the same quotes as above, you can either copy text or save the graphics from above to share.

Now the listicle: 

• We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still ⏤ Carl Sagan
• Travel is still the most intense mode of learning ⏤ Kevin Kelly
• You don’t have to be rich, to travel well. ⏤ Eugene Fodor
• Travel is never a matter of money but of courage. ⏤ Paulo Coelho
• A traveler without observation is a bird without wings. ⏤ Moslih Eddin Saadi
• …life is short and the world is wide. ⏤ Simon Raven
• The further I go, the closer to me I get. ⏤ Andrew McCarthy
• Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversations. ⏤ Elizabeth Drew
• I read; I travel; I become. ⏤ Derek Walcott
• If you can’t live longer, live deeper. ⏤ Italian Proverb
• I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. ⏤ Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer Abroad
• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. Explore. Dream. Discover. ⏤ Mark Twain
• The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ⏤ Marcel Proust
• Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow. ⏤ Anita Desai
• The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. ⏤ Augustine of Hippo
• Adventure is worthwhile. ⏤ Aesop
• Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times. ⏤ Asian Proverb
• Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret. ⏤ Oscar Wilde
• Two roads diverged in a wood and I – took the one less traveled by. ⏤ Robert Frost
• People don’t take trips, trips take people. ⏤ John Steinbeck
• To travel is to live. ⏤ Hans Christian Andersen
• Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions. ⏤ Peter Hoeg
• I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met. ⏤ Melody Truong
• Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. ⏤ Gustave Flaubert
• Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ⏤ Ralph Waldo Emerson
• For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. ⏤ Robert Louis Stevenson
• Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. ⏤ Andre Gide

Adios Amigos

I know this was a quick post but I sincerely hope you’ve loved the quotes. Do tell me how can I improve this post, share your thoughts. Also, which one is your favorite travel quote? Huh?

By the way, we post a travel quote every 2 days after on Instagram and Twitter, check us out. If you love quotes, you should follow us for regular updates like these.

Vipin is a techie, traveler, and entrepreneur. He has done engineering in computer science and is an Apple Fan Boy. He is behind all the tech and content management of this website. Often, he shares his entrepreneurial learnings and thoughts on his Twitter .

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The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

When the time comes to travel again, these destinations — all right in your own backyard — are the ones to visit next.

Since 1971, Travel + Leisure editors have followed one mission: to inform, inspire, and guide travelers to have deeper, more meaningful experiences. T+L's editors have traveled to countries all over the world, having flown, sailed, road tripped, and taken the train countless miles. They've visited small towns and big cities, hidden gems and popular destinations, beaches and mountains, and everything in between. With a breadth of knowledge about destinations around the globe, air travel, cruises, hotels, food and drinks, outdoor adventure, and more, they are able to take their real-world experience and provide readers with tried-and-tested trip ideas, in-depth intel, and inspiration at every point of a journey.

Even for the compulsive jetsetters among us, it's a simple truth that most travel stories are aspirational in the best of times. There are too many incredible places to see, not enough vacation days, and sometimes we all have to content ourselves with scrawling another spot on the bucket list and hoping the stars align.

But this year, as we all sat at home and watched the world come to a halt, "aspirational" took on new meaning. When restrictions relaxed this summer , the familiar wanderlust crept back in. With even the most straightforward international getaways ruled out, and many travelers still hesitant to hop on a plane, even simple trips — scenic drives , camping weekends , staycations across town — suddenly felt novel and luxurious.

Related : Guide to more travel ideas

With the first vaccines now rolling out, it seems the end of our long international nightmare is finally (finally!) in sight. In anticipation of that moment, we've once again compiled our annual list of the best places to travel in the coming year — with one twist. In honor of our revived appreciation for the discoveries to be made in our own backyards, this year's list features 50 dynamic, of-the-moment destinations — all right here in the United States.

Related : The Top 15 Cities in the United States

Some spots on the list ahead are newly blossoming thanks to hotel or infrastructure developments or revamped cultural attractions. Others caught on this summer, as social distancing made empty expanses of wilderness more compelling than ever and we all looked for new wells of charm in our own home states. What they all have in common is that singularity that makes a destination memorable — the sense that this place has something to offer that you won't find anywhere else in the world.

One day soon, we'll all get back to traveling the way we did before. We'll gripe about security lines and airplane meals , delight at hearing an unfamiliar language or staying in a new hotel , develop passionate loyalties for a particular food truck or coffee kiosk. Until then, we hope this list will serve as something to hold onto — to stoke your wanderlust and keep the tiny flame of optimism burning. Sure, it's a little bit aspirational. But that just means we're still willing to dream.

Related : The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

Ahead, Travel + Leisure 's 50 best places to travel in 2021, listed in alphabetical order.

1. Alaska's Coast

In the midst of the pandemic, Alaska's entire May to September cruise season was cancelled in 2020. That left some 1.3 million travelers unable to board ships to experience thunderously calving glaciers, frolicking humpback whales, lively gold rush towns, and fascinating Alaska Native arts scenes. Tourism providers missed serious income. Cruise lines and local officials express muted optimism about 2021, which may be the best year to see Alaska given that cruise ships are unlikely to sail full and coastal towns won't have their typical crowds even post-vaccine rollout. Or skip the civilization part: Vast national parks such as Glacier Bay, Misty Fjords, and Kenai Fjords are best reached by boat. Small ship soft-adventure lines such as UnCruise Adventures and Lindblad Expeditions — and ultra-luxurious Seabourn with its zodiac and kayak exploration program on the 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey — have one-week itineraries that spend most of their time in the wild. For more privacy, rent the six-passenger, 78-foot Sea Mist for a luxury yachting experience in Prince William Sound, home to more active tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world. — Fran Golden

Listen to Travel + Leisure's "Let's Go Together" podcast for more inspiring stories and adventures celebrating inclusivity in travel!

2. Astoria, Oregon

Goonies never say die, and neither does the nostalgia of visiting Astoria, the northwestern Oregon town at the mouth of the Columbia River where the '80s cult classic film was shot. The oldest American settlement in the West, this charming seaside town evokes a simpler time with its colorful Victorian houses and treasure-filled antique shops. Around these parts, freshness matters only for fish and beer. A new mobile passport program by the North Coast Craft Beer Trail ensures drinkers find their way to both big names like Fort George Brewery — famous for its IPAs — and smaller spots like the 20-barrel Buoy Beer , built in a former fish cannery right on the river. It's one of many old cannery sites that have found new lives here, most notably the boutique Cannery Pier Hotel , where new ownership plans a February unveiling of renovations to its spa — famed for the Finnish sauna and water-view hot tub. Though the town made its name on tinned fish, Astoria now thrives on the direct connection to fresh seafood at places like South Bay Wild Fish House, from the family behind a fishing vessel of the same name. At their restaurant, sustainably caught Dungeness crab, Oregon pink shrimp, black cod, and more goes direct from boat to bánh mì. — Naomi Tomky

3. The Berkshires

City-dwellers have been visiting this region of gently rolling hills and charmingly sedate towns in Western Massachusetts since the 19th century, but a welcome boost of youthful energy arrived with the 2018 opening of the design-forward hotel Tourists in North Adams and, last year, the launch of Miraval Berkshires , the third location of the luxe wellness resort. While summer is still the most popular season, thanks in part to the beloved classical music venue Tanglewood and dance center Jacob's Pillow, there are still plenty of opportunities for social distancing, from the enormous exhibition spaces at the contemporary art museum Mass Moca , to the pastoral acres surrounding the Clark Art Institute (home to the Institute's first-ever outdoor exhibition, Ground/work, through October 2021), to a hike up Mount Greylock or Monument Mountain, to a meal at Cantina 229 , a restaurant set on a farm that offers outdoor seating in warmer months. Mooncloud, a new bar in Great Barrington, is riding out the pandemic with a slate of to-go meals and cocktail kits. Tuck in for the night at the peaceful but chic Inn at Kenmore Hall , a bed and breakfast in a classical Georgian estate. — Peter Terzian

4. Big Sky, Montana

Big Sky 's 5,800 acres of skiable terrain makes it a fan favorite for crowd-free skiing in the Rocky Mountains. But a multi-year, $150 million investment into Big Sky Resort aims to transform this region of Southwest Montana into America's Alps, meaning skiers may soon have to share their powder-perfect runs. Last year, The Wilson Hotel , a Residence Inn by Marriott, made headlines when it became the first and only major brand hotel to open in Big Sky's town center (don't miss the soon-to-open Tips Up, a vintage-inspired tavern across the street). Now, all eyes are on the $400 million ultra-luxury Montage Big Sky , which will open its doors for the 2021-22 ski season within Spanish Peaks Mountain Club , a 3,500-acre private golf and ski community. The 150-key resort features ski-in, ski-out access, an 11,000-square-foot spa, and a four-lane bowling alley. In warmer climes, guests can enjoy the development's 18-hole golf course, nearby fly-fishing rivers, and an extensive network of hiking and mountain biking trails. Two slope-side hotels, the Summit and the Huntley Lodge , have renovations in the works, and Moonlight Basin , another private development adjacent to the ski resort, has plans to build a luxury hotel (a One&Only if the rumors are true) on its 8,000-acre-property, which is also home to a thousand-acre high-elevation Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. New airlift is ushering travelers from Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, and Charlotte, N.C. to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (less than an hour's drive from downtown Big Sky), while a new six-person high-speed chairlift will begin whizzing people up Lone Peak in record time starting next November. When the snow melts, Big Sky's 18-mile proximity to Yellowstone National Park adds even more appeal for nature lovers in search of epic adventures in the great outdoors. Just be sure to get there before everyone else does. — Nora Walsh

5. Birmingham, Alabama

The modern scene in The Magic City is a great example of what can happen when Alabama kids head off to the big city to hone their skills, then return home to do their thing — in a really high-quality way. Take Chef Adam Evans: the Muscle Shoals native worked in New Orleans and New York and opened The Optimist with Ford Fry in Atlanta before heading back to B-Ham to launch Automatic Seafood & Oysters . Moves like this — along with quirky java shops ( Red Cat Coffee House ), upscale cocktail bars ( Paper Doll ), a women-owned vegan food truck , and the Pizitz global food hall — have brought a vibrancy to the city, where contemporary charm and old Southern hospitality mingle on a big scale. The destination is catching up to demand for luxury lifestyle hotels with the Valley Hotel , opening in the historic, cool-again suburb Homewood in January with a new outpost of Edgar's Bakery and more restaurants to come. Railroad Park , a 19-acre green space, has transformed downtown over the last decade, with walking trails, food truck festivals, and an outdoor symphony. And look for Protective Stadium , a 47,000-seat facility and entertainment district, to open in 2021. —Kelsey Ogletree

6. The Black Hills of South Dakota

The great American road trip is the best example of the journey as the destination. As Americans took to the road in search of wide-open spaces this year , places that may have been overlooked for lack of airlift found a new audience. South Dakota's Black Hills have long been a mandatory road trip stop — its mountains are home to Mount Rushmore, the historic town of Deadwood, and several national monuments and parks — and now it's back on the map as a destination in its own right. The region first got a little more glamour two years ago, when glamping outfitter Under Canvas raised its tent poles among the pine and juniper trees just four miles from the presidential monument. And this year, intrepid travelers can see the area in a fresh way with the debut of Adventure Cycling's new Parks, Peaks, and Prairies cycling route, which pieces together trails winding from Yellowstone to Minneapolis. Over in historic Deadwood, a new year-round public space in the heart of town, Outlaw Square, is home to a slew of activities that sound luxurious after nearly a year in lockdown — movie nights, concerts — while in Rapid City, work is underway on the Monument, a massive civic center expansion that will bring bigger crowds to landmark events like the Black Hills Powwow , which marks its 35th anniversary next fall. — Scott Bay

7. Buffalo, New York

Sure, you've heard rumblings about Buffalo's restaurants, or maybe its brewery boom. But lately, the city is getting attention for its visual arts scene — and most notably, a game-changing new gallery that's Native American-owned and dedicated entirely to Indigenous art. Dave Kimelberg, a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, founded K. Art — the only gallery of its kind in the U.S. — this year in an effort to showcase the diversity of Native nations and carve out a bigger space in the market for contemporary Native works. Elsewhere in the city, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is undergoing a massive expansion, currently slated for completion in 2022; until then, visit the institution's Northland campus, or explore projects across the city from the AK Public Art Initiative . Still more developments are in the works: the $65 million Silo City restoration and reuse will bring arts, commercial, and exhibition space to a string of abandoned grain silos, and golf brand OnCore is launching a massive golf complex and hotel on the Buffalo River. — Scott Bay

8. Burlington, Vermont

Escaping to Vermont sounds like a way to get in touch with nature and spend some time on a farm, but Burlington has all the offerings of a much larger city — plus opportunities to get some much-needed fresh air. The city is home to an array of bars and restaurants slinging creative drinks: Deli 126 , The Archives , Misery Loves Co. , Peg & Ter's , and a collaboration between Orlando's Bar & Lounge and Grandma's Spanish Kitchen with Cuban and Peruvian influences. CO Cellars — located in the Soda Plant , a small business base camp with everything from custom lighting to pickles — sells local naturally fermented fruit wines from ZAFA Wines and Shacksbury Cider. And if that's not enough, Dedalus Wine Shop and Market will help you taste through an array of natural wines from around the world, paired with housemade charcuterie, cheeses, and Spanish-inspired bites from the kitchen. Enjoy a slice of private beach with stand-up paddleboarding, yoga, and windsurfing at Burlington Surf Club when the weather is warmer. When there's at least a few inches of snow on the ground, the adventurous can try winter sports: Hotel Vermont will equip you with gear to get you going, whether you want to go snowshoeing or Nordic skiing through the snowy streets or down Vermont hillsides, dare to try snowkiting, or prefer to ice skate on the frozen parts of Lake Champlain. To fuel up for — or warm up after — some time in the snow, try an array of pakoras at the newly-opened Elaichi , tacos and margs at Taco Gordo , dynamic Chinese fare at A Single Pebble 's brick-and-mortar restaurant or roving food truck, or the combo of Café Mamajuana 's Dominican fusion and Poppy Café & Market 's creative sandwiches in one shared space. Wherever you go, you'll get a combination of small-town hospitality and big-city amenities. — Alyse Whitney

9. Cape May, New Jersey

During the summer of 1852, Harriet Tubman worked as a cook and housekeeper in Cape May, the seaside resort town where the Delaware Bay rushes into the Atlantic Ocean at the knifepoint of New Jersey. That was her day job, anyway. Given that Cape May was a hive of abolitionist activity at the time, it's long been accepted that Tubman's real work was guiding enslaved men and women through this critically situated junction between the South and freedom in Philadelphia and points north. Opening on Juneteenth, the years-in-the-works Harriet Tubman Museum chronicles her time in Cape May while contextualizing the city's status as a critical (and critically overlooked) place in Black history. The museum occupies the former parson's house of the historic Macedonian Baptist Church, and the late Reverend Robert Davis's collection of artifacts (Bantu and Bakota masks, iron shackles used on enslaved peoples) ties the experience back to Africa and the transatlantic slave trade. A few blocks away, the Underground Railroad trolley tour departs to landmarks like abolitionist Stephen Smith's house and the Franklin Street School, the city's first segregated school (slated to become a cultural arts and community center). Renewed interest in Cape May has energized the staid hotel stock, with Philly's Lokal brand opening a crisp beach house with a saltwater pool and the famed Peter Shields Inn debuting Inn Town Suites , a pair of palm-patterned quarters above Willow & Stone , a handsome boutique stocked with waterproof ORI knapsacks and knit cashmere for the modern seafaring rake. For more privacy, the meticulously furnished, ag-fantasy Cottages at Bach Plum Farm are situated on the less developed north side of town betwixt blackberry brambles and heritage hog paddocks — and a leisurely walk to the Cape May Lighthouse , a beacon for safety seekers fleeing slavery and stormy seas since 1859. — Adam Erace

10. The Catskills

From the 1920s to the 60s the scenic mountain region about two hours north of Manhattan boomed as the Borscht Belt, full of sprawling resorts catering chiefly to summering Jewish families. Today, young urbanites are snapping up weekend houses in the area at an ever-increasing rate, and entrepreneurs are following their lead by opening small, design-y hotels all over the region. The 15-room Shandaken Inn , in the village of Shandaken, puts outdoor enthusiasts within 25 minutes of the popular zipline canopy tours on Hunter Mountain and 35 minutes of the hiking trail to Kaaterskill Falls, the tallest cascading waterfall in the state. Seven miles down the road is the third outpost from Urban Cowboy . This 28-room fully embraces its rural setting near the Big Indian Wilderness forest preserve with on-site pursuits that include swimming and fishing for trout in the Esopus Creek. About an hour and a half southwest of Big Indian, Kenoza Hall began as a boarding house in the early 1900s. Sims Foster and his wife, Kirsten Harlow Foster, who own the nearby DeBruce inn , have overhauled the building, marrying historic touches like the original hardwood floors with custom elements, including sleigh beds. The boomlet shows no signs of slowing in 2021. Homeware design duo Nolan McHugh and Trevor Briggs are set to enter the hospitality scene in March with Piaule Catskill , a 24-cabin landscape hotel located just outside the region's namesake town. (Expect minimalist structures with lots of glass accented by steel and cedar.) Then in April, Sant Singh Chatwal of the Dream Hotel Group will open Chatwal Lodge in Bethel. Making the most of its position on 60 forested acres of the Chapin Estate, the refuge looks out onto the Toronto Reservoir and takes inspiration from its natural surroundings for decor elements like hand-carved wood accents and massive stone fireplaces. Accommodations will consist of 10 suites, a treehouse, and a glamping tent, and the food and beverage options will include a farm-to-table restaurant that will source fish from the onsite trout stream and produce from its own kitchen garden. — Sarah Bruning

11. Cincinnati, Ohio

The first clues that the Queen City — a Rust Belt capital that was hard hit by the decline of American manufacturing — was poised for a comeback started a few years ago, when tech startups and small businesses moved into disused Over-the-Rhine warehouses, filmmakers flocked in to take advantage of tax breaks and early-20th-century architecture, and historic spaces like the city's Music Hall got a much-needed polish. Now, the urban revival is official — but sneak in a 2021 visit and you can still claim to be a trendsetter. Check into the Kinley , which opened its doors in downtown Cincy in October with a much-buzzed-about restaurant from chefs Kevin Ashworth and Edward Lee. While you're in town, dine at restaurant standouts Please and Goose & Elder , explore new outdoor installations at the Cincinnati Art Museum , and pay a visit the lauded Cincinnati Zoo , whose animal dispatches on social media are the only reasonable justification for keeping your Twitter account. —Lila Battis

12. Delaware

Over the past year, Delaware has been making headlines as the de facto HQ for No. 46 and his transition team, but there's plenty of reason for buzz beyond politics. Many of the recent developments that have drawn young professionals to the capital of Wilmington from nearby hubs like Philadelpha — creative businesses, a high-caliber culinary scene, fewer crowds — also appeal to travelers. Wilmington's marquee hotel, Hotel DuPont , recently underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment that breathed new life into its iconic Green Room, which now houses the refined French restaurant Le Cavalier, and added De.CO , a casual food hall with six stalls and a bar. Sartorially inclined visitors would do well to check out wares from Town and Store Studio. (For the time being, designer Liv McClintock is selling her handmade leather goods and jewelry via pop-ups and trunk shows.) And though Torbert Street Social is temporarily closed to adhere to COVID restrictions, the recent addition to Wilmington's cocktail scene is worth a stop for such well-crafted originals as the LL Mule J, which pairs vodka with blood orange and kombucha. Come summer, it'll be hard to stay away from the revitalized Riverfront area, which encompasses a number of seafood joints and provides access to watersports and local walking trails. — Sarah Bruning

13. Denver's Lower Highlands

When you visit a city, you want to be based where the cool crowd is. In Denver, that means the hip, arty Lower Highlands neighborhood. LoHi, as it's known by locals, has long been the city's hub for creative cocktails, craft breweries, and cult restaurants, like Pan-Latin small plates spot Señor Bear and Israeli hit Ash'Kara . In the face of a pandemic, the hood has loyally supported exciting newcomers including Fifth String , a restaurant focused on family-style dishes and natural wines, and Room for Milly , a cocktail bar inspired by the roaring 20s. The recent addition of 17-room Life House Lower Highlands finally gives visitors an option beyond Airbnb if they want to be immersed in the LoFi action. Located in the heart of the Navajo Street Art District, the intimate stay transports guests to a Victorian-era pioneer homestead — but, y'know, cool — with furnishings upholstered in dusty florals, Wild West nods like cowhide detailing and vintage cowboy photos, and a sexy, saloon-inspired restaurant and bar. Through an exclusive partnership with conservation-minded land management group Ranchlands, guests can escape the city for a day and experience the frontier spirit firsthand at Chico Basin Ranch . For a jolt of 21st-century culture, downtown Denver is just a short walk away and will unveil a massive art installation from New Mexico-backed artist collective Meow Wolf later this year. — Jen Murphy

14. Florida's Middle Keys

The closest you can get to a Caribbean vacation without leaving the continental U.S., the laid-back islands between Key Largo and Key West took the brunt of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and are where you want to visit in 2021 to connect with one of the country's most fragile ecosystems, both above and below sea level: astronomer-led stargazing walks at the family-friendly Hawk's Cay on Duck Key; Grimal Grove , where community organizer-turned-tropical fruit farmer Patrick Garvey is raising five varieties of nutritious breadfruit to fight hunger insecurity; the Turtle Hospital on Marathon, whose recent 911s include caring for babies beached by Hurricane Eta and endangered Kemps-Ridleys cold-stunned (like hypothermia for turtles) in Cape Cod. While unseasonably chilly water spells trouble up north, warming seas and a still-unidentified infection has bleached up to 98 percent of the Keys' local reef — the largest in North America — but the young scientists at the MOTE Elizabeth Moore marine lab on Summerland Key are in the midst of a promising project to rejuvenate the crippled reef through lab reproduction (like IVF for coral). You can even participate in a hands-on underwater coral transplant through a new partnership with Captain Hook 's dive center on Big Pine. To balance good work with sybaritic indulgence, there's no beating the scalloped pool and impeccable residences at Marathon's recently reopened Marlin Bay Resort & Marina . The resort is walking distance to Keys Fisheries , the best place in the islands for stone crab, a sustainable specialty that goes for $3 a claw in season at the pleasingly disheveled upstairs bar. — Adam Erace

15. Fort Worth, Texas

A walloping dose of Texas heritage — with some luxe, modern updates — is drawing visitors to hit the city where the West begins. The historic Fort Worth Stockyards , once a resupply stop for cattle drovers, captures the celebrated legacy of Texas' bustling livestock industry with rodeos, a history museum, and the world's only twice-daily cattle drive. It's also home to an array of boutiques rich with Lone Star style: In Mule Alley, visit Lucchese for a pair of hand-stitched boots, and stop at Stetson for the obligatory cowboy hat. The forthcoming Hotel Drover , too, will pay homage to the cowboys of old. Set to open in early 2021, the property has a design sensibility that's Old West-meets-Spanish Colonial, with a sprinkling of Victorian smoking lounge moodiness. Embark on a tour of the city's booming creative scene with stops at Art Tooth and the recently renovated Amon Carter Museum of American Art , then cap off your evening with some of Texas's best grain-to-glass bourbon at Blackland Distilling . Stay overnight at the soon-to-open Hotel Dryce , a posh, locally owned boutique hotel and bar situated in Fort Worth's Cultural District. — Gabrielle Nicole Pharms

16. Galena, Illinois

Hidden from the highway just a 30-minute drive from Dubuque, the town of Galena was once the largest riverboat port north of St. Louis. That may have made it one of the state's most influential cities in its 19th-century heyday, but today, history buffs are more likely to recognize it by name as home to nine former Civil War generals, most famously Ulysses S. Grant. And in an era when all of us are rediscovering regional treasures instead of heading further afield, the town has all the makings of the perfect afternoon: A main street just blocks from the Galena River that can be fully explored in a few hours, regional history museums , quirky boutiques, art galleries showcasing local talents , a bar on every corner, and a handful of restaurants. The magic begins not at the P.T. Murphy Magic Theatre , but on the journey into the downtown district: the quick and distinct shift from convenient fast food stops and gas stations to Late Victorian facades and cobblestones sets an oddly comforting tone, whether you're a repeat visitor or not. Galena's easygoing charm is enough to draw both domestic and international tourists, but taking a walk along what's locally known as the "Helluva Half Mile" will plant itself in your memory. If you're looking to extend your stay, book a room at the DeSoto House , the state's oldest operating hotel. —Erika Owen

17. Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah

Glamping retreats gained new appeal in 2020 as travelers scrambled to safely scratch the vacation itch. And though the vaccine promises a slow return to normal in the months ahead, the taste for luxury in the wild is here to stay. That's good news for luxury glamping operator Under Canvas, which will round out its western offerings with the new Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase next year. The property sits on a 220-acre expanse right on the edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument , and guests staying in one of its 50 tents can enjoy all the standard Under Canvas amenities — chic, modern furnishings, s'mores by the fire — along with the option to tack on visits to the brand's other area properties for a full Southwestern road trip experience. Just a few miles down the road in Canyon Point, Aman, too, is jumping on the tented-camp trend with Camp Sarika , a ten-suite Amangiri offshoot that has an away-from-it-all feel — along with heated plunge pools, fire pits, soaking tubs, and views of the sunset over the surrounding mesas. —Lila Battis

18. The Gulf Coast

Picture a white-sand beach, clear aquamarine water, gently swaying palms — the almost-too-perfect scene that looks for all the world like a Caribbean paradise or a remote cove in the Seychelles. Along the Gulf Coast, beauty like this is a given, and a road-trip is the best way to get your fill. Tampa is a great kickoff point; stay at the newly opened Hotel Haya , which nods to the city's Cuban roots. On the Florida Panhandle, the cluster of towns that make up the Emerald Coast offer charms to spare. Grab a vacation rental for a few days to explore tony Alys Beach, which feels for all the world like it was plucked from a Grecian isle — its private shoreline, miles of meandering bike paths, and see-and-be-seen pool-restaurant complex have made it a favorite among the ultrawealthy. Over in Sandestin, Hotel Effie opens this February, with 250 rooms and a restaurant from chef Hugh Acheson. Time your trip right and you can make it to the Emerald Coast Open , a tournament focused on spearing invasive lionfish. At the corresponding Restaurant Week, local chefs work delicious magic with a fish long written off as bad eating. End your trip in Alabama's twin Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, where repair efforts are underway after Hurricane Sally swept through this fall. Family-friendly Perdido's Beach Resort will reopen in March after a full renovation, and closed areas of Gulf State Park are expected to reopen next year. Luckily, some of the area's biggest highlights — its 32 miles of pristine powder beaches, the carnival of seafood delights at Fisher's — remain unchanged. —Lila Battis

19. Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis may be famous for its annual Indy 500 motorsports race, but it's the state capital's arts and culture scene that's revving on all cylinders. Next year, the eight-mile Cultural Trail will undergo a two-mile extension, making it even easier to explore Circle City's attractions on two wheels, including the revamped Madam Walker Legacy Center and the new 12-acre Bottleworks District along Carrollton Ave. Here, a $300 million investment is giving new life to an Art Deco gem—a 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant whose restored terracotta facade, original terrazzo floors and tilework, and vintage brass doors will be on full display at the 139-room Bottleworks Hotel debuting this month. An Asian-fusion restaurant, coffee bar, nail salon, and speakeasy are coming soon to the property, while old maintenance garages across the street are being converted into a 20-vendor food hall , a duckpin bowling bar and an independent movie theater. This spring, James Beard-nominated chef Abbi Merriss will open Kan-Kan , an arthouse cinema and brasserie in Windsor Park, while chef Craig Baker is using colorful shipping containers to repurpose a 40,000 square foot building in the 16 Tech neighborhood into a food lover's paradise with a European-style marketplace and dining venues. In June, THE LUME will permanently transform The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields ' 30,000-square-foot fourth floor into a digital art space with an inaugural exhibit featuring 3,000 moving images of Vincent Van Gogh paintings set to a classical music score. — Nora Walsh

20. Kansas City, Missouri

The City of Fountains has so much more to offer than its (rightly praised) barbecue. The Crossroads Arts District, in particular, has seen notable growth since the Crossroads Hotel reopened inside the former Pabst bottling plant in 2018. Last February saw the arrival of Mean Mule Distilling Co.'s Agave Lounge, a tasting room dedicated to blue-agave–based spirits. James Beard finalist Michael Corvino's late-night burger (served at his fine-dining supper club) became so popular that, in September, he decided to launch a dedicated venture, Ravenous, inside food hall Parlor KC . Several new breweries have also established roots in the neighborhood, with Casual Animal , Border Brewing Co. , Double Shift , and Torn Label . Elsewhere in the city, female entrepreneurs have proven particularly resilient in the face of the pandemic. When actor Jackie Nguyen's touring production had to close, the first-gen Vietnamese-American started Cafe Cà Phê , a mobile coffee shop serving both the classic beverage and Nguyen's creative riffs. Yoli Tortilleria brought Sonoran-style tortillas to the city — first with its own retail shop, then through several local markets and restaurants. There's also cultural news of note for 2021: after almost three years, the long-awaited renovation of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum is finally complete, and the facility — with its new multimedia and interactive exhibits — will be ready to go once cultural institutions are allowed to reopen. And don't miss the chance to check into KC's latest arrival, the new Hotel Kansas City , which opened this fall in the 1920s building that once housed the Kansas City Club. — Sarah Bruning

21. Las Vegas

You don't go to Las Vegas seeking solitude — you go to indulge, to splash out, to revel in the nonstop energy of this shimmering, seductive oasis in the desert. A city defined by its hypnotic pool parties, around-the-clock gambling, epic nightlife scene, glitzy, over-the-top hotels, and next-level restaurants — each one trying to one up the other — just dreaming about a visit is enough to push your endorphins into overdrive. And after a year of staying still within our own four walls — the extreme antithesis of Sin City — getting back to Vegas and its many venues designed to bring crowds together will feel like the ultimate luxury. Throw in exciting new properties, like the Resorts World Las Vegas, a 3,500-room mega-resort and casino combining Hilton Hotels & Resorts , LXR , and the Conrad across 88 acres; the recently completed Circa Resort & Casino , the first adults-only casino resort with a pool amphitheater; and Virgin Hotels , set to replace the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and well, you've hit the jackpot. — Alisha Prakash

22. Lexington, Kentucky

A handful of pilgrimage-worthy culinary and cultural developments will draw travelers to the Bluegrass State's second-largest city in 2021. It's not just The Queen's Gambit that has drummed up excitement around Lexington. After sitting empty for 20 years, Greyline Station has been newly reimagined as a 70-stall open market populated by dozens of local small businesses like North Lime Coffee and Donuts and Old North Bar, which will have a "sip and stroll'' license so visitors can enjoy a beverage while they browse. The anchor tenant — taking up just over a third of the 65,000 square feet — is Julietta Market , an open-air grocery in the vein of Seattle's Pike Place and Barcelona's La Boqueria. Elsewhere in the city will be the new Fresh Bourbon distillery from entrepreneur Sean Edwards, who grew up in Lexington and learned the craft from his grandfather and uncles. The 34,000-square-foot facility is set to be the largest Black-owned distillery in the state when it opens and will offer tours and guided tastings. Cultural sites are also furthering initiatives to tell a richer, more diverse history of Kentucky: Don't miss new walking tours of Lexington from the Faulkner Morgan Archive , an organization dedicated to preserving and chronicling the state's LGBTQ+ legacy. — Sarah Bruning

23. Lopez Island, Washington

Only the chilly saltwater splashing onto the rocky shores — and the occasional moo of the local farm animals — seem to disrupt the peaceful calm of Lopez Island. Idyllic nearly to the point of absurdity, the pace of life on these 30 acres in Puget Sound appeals to those who find serenity in the scenic route. For bicyclists, that comes in the form of the gentle, rolling roads that double as bike paths as they wind around the island. For food lovers, it means a feast of artisanal baked goods, heritage meats, and foraged foods from farm stands, markets, and restaurants. Midnight's Farm encapsulates the Lopez ethos, selling rotationally grazed grass-fed beef from little more than a cash box nailed to the side of a lean-to, hosting yoga classes in an on-site studio, and renting out the homey field house for farm stays. North Star Farms uses their own wheat to bake bagels and doughnuts from the kitchen at the Edenwild, a cozy boutique inn. And Barn Owl Bakery sells its wild sourdough alongside spreads from Ursa Minor , where chef Nick Coffey distilled the flavors of Lopez Island into world-class multi-course menus before swiftly transitioning to community-centric takeout during the pandemic. — Naomi Tomky

24. Los Angeles

Visit Los Angeles for the stress-relieving powers of sunshine and surf, stay to see two long-awaited museums finally open their doors. Renzo Piano has reimagined the 1930s May Company department store in Mid-Wilshire, where the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will unveil its centerpiece, the last-surviving full-scale shark model from Steven Spielberg's "Jaws," when it opens in April. Other collection highlights include Judy Garland's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," items from the late Debbie Reynolds' personal collection, and memorabilia from the Star Wars and Matrix films. If all that entertainment leaves you thirsty, 2021 will be the year a craft beer scene flourishes in South L.A.'s Florence neighborhood, thanks to the soon-to-open 13,000-square-foot South Los Angeles Beverage Company, a Black-owned brewery, tasting room, cidery, and coffee roastery. Meanwhile, a spate of new hotel openings is led by the Pendry West Hollywood , the brand's first L.A. property, opening in January at the former House of Blues on the iconic Sunset Strip. In Century City, the expansive Fairmont Century Plaza will have 400 rooms and 63 luxury residences, and in Downtown L.A., the latest Proper location will feature Kelly Wearstler's eclectic design combining work from California-based artists, plus restaurants, bars, and a rooftop pool sure to be a hit with the Staples Center crowd. — Nina Ruggiero

Miami continues to prove it's much more than its blockbuster beaches and hedonist party scene. Early next year, the initial phase of the Underline , a planned 10-mile linear park below Miami's Metrorail (from the same design studio as New York's High Line ), will debut as the "Brickell Backyard" on a half-mile stretch from the Miami River to Coral Way. Expect public art, free concerts, outdoor gathering spaces, fitness activities, and lush landscapes with butterfly gardens. Cap off a visit with a bite at one of Brickell City Centre 's various new dining concepts, like the Cuban-inflected Marabu . Meanwhile, the neighborhood of Allapattah has become a fledgling arts district home to billionaire Jorge Perez' year-old museum El Espacio 23 , the Rubell Museum , and the highly-anticipated 50,000-square-foot experiential art space, Superblue , launching with three large-scale installations this spring. Throughout 2021, an overhauled CocoWalk will bring retailers, eateries, and slick architecture to quaint Coconut Grove. And when it comes time to bed down, travelers have their pick of glossy new Miami Beach hotels flaunting Art Deco design, swoon-worthy pools and exceptional food and drink. Check out souped-up iterations of the W Hotel , Mondrian , the Ritz-Carlton ; recently opened Palihouse and Kimpton's Palomar; and upcoming sure-to-be-hot spots Moxy Miami , Citizen M Citizen MCitizen M and Goodtime Hotel , the brainchild of hospitality mogul David Grutman and singer Pharrell Williams. —Nora Walsh

26. Nantucket

The charm of Nantucket is that not much changes. Luckily, the historic cobblestone downtown, the tiny rose-covered S'conset cottages, the timeless beaches — they're all still here. But as locals mark the 200th anniversary of the sinking of the Nantucket whaling ship Essex and cannibalism on the high seas, it's a perfect time to remember that even on Nantucket, some changes can be okay. This year, the iconic Century House on Cliff Road left the ranks of Nantucket's bed and breakfast lodgings to join the new Life House Nantucket . It's just the latest of the new boutique hoteliers marrying tradition with luxury in the historic downtown — check out the Greydon House and their new Venetian-inspired small plates at Via Mare. From there, grab locally sourced provisions from Proprietors Bar and Table , Company of The Caldron , or Black-Eyed Susan's , or wander to Tap Room , recently restored to the cellar of the Jared Coffin House. Out of town, Cisco Brewers is upping its game, partnering with the Levitate Music and Arts Festival to bring a schedule of big-name bands to play their festive outdoor island flagship location. After 2020, couldn't we all use some outdoor tunes, craft beer, and a few cocktails? — Charles Graeber

27. Nashville

Nashville has been an "it" city for a while, we know. But if you look past Lower Broadway — and the hoards of bachelor and bachelorette parties that roam the stretch — there's a lot more to the city than honky-tonks and country. In January, the long-awaited National Museum of African American Music will open its doors, adding a permanent home to celebrate the work of Black musicians and the evolution of gospel, blues, jazz, and hip-hop, among others. The 346-room W hotel will bring new flavor to the upscale Gulch, while legacy brands like Conrad and Four Seasons continue building out a true luxury market in Music City. Assembly Food Hall , at nearly 100,000 square feet, will bring over 24 restaurant stalls and a new music venue space overlooking the historic Ryman Auditorium downtown. And we'll all be celebrating the Dolly Parton-funded vaccine at Graduate Hotel's Dolly Parton-themed rooftop bar, White Limozeen . —Tanner Saunders

28. New Orleans

New Orleans never goes out of style , though for a moment, with 2021's Mardi Gras parade season called off due to crowd concerns, it looked as if next year would be a low point for the city. But the top krewes rallied — drumming up virtual parades and scavenger hunts, making plans to deck out houses in lieu of floats , and charging forward with fundraising efforts to support their communities — reminding us all that this beloved city's spirit is irrepressible. And while Mardi Gras may not look the same in 2021, that doesn't mean there's nothing to look forward to. This fall saw the opening of The Chloe , a 14-room hotel on St. Charles with an interior that marries old-fashioned drama and playful, pastel-colored sweetness. Still to come: Four Seasons New Orleans , a $530 million conversion of the landmarked World Trade Center building, right on the banks of the Mississippi. — Lila Battis

29. New York City

It's often said that change is the only constant in New York — the very name serves as a reminder that new is indeed its hallmark. When the pandemic hit hard this spring, the city — resilient at its core — slowly reinvented itself: Restaurants eventually set up shop curbside, performances and museums went virtual, bars began peddling to-go cocktails from modest, makeshift windows, and hotels transformed rooms into remote offices. When the city cracks its door open to travel again, it will undoubtedly be another new New York. Its fresh look will include a slew of new hotels, like the Aman New York , with a three-story spa and sweeping Central Park views; the sophisticated yet laid-back Pendry , perched in Manhattan's Hudson Yards district; and the Ritz-Carlton NoMad , a 38-floor tower touting a public garden, rooftop bar, and striking city vistas. Meanwhile, luxury hospitality group Six Senses , known for its wellness resorts in places like Bali and the Maldives, will soon bring a dose of its signature tranquility to the high-octane urban landscape, with a standout spa and calming views of the High Line and Hudson River. Restaurants, shops, and museums are poised to make a comeback, too. The only missing ingredient? You. — Alisha Prakash

30. North Carolina's Triangle

For starters, let's get one thing straight: Raleigh-Durham is an airport, not a city. But, okay, it's handy to have a catchall term for this buzzy part of the Southeast, so go with local parlance: The Triangle, shorthand for the Research Triangle, a cluster in the North Carolina Piedmont anchored by the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Even as the area saw through-the-roof growth in recent decades, leisure travelers have overlooked the Triangle in favor of N.C. getaway spots like Asheville or the Outer Banks. That's finally changing as new hotel stock has made it more inviting to linger. Boutique properties like the 53-room Durham Hotel and the tiny, stylish Guest House Raleigh have opened in the past few years, raising the bar for local accommodations and kicking off a wave of new spots with a design-forward sensibility. January 2020 saw the opening of the Longleaf Hotel , a downtown Raleigh motor lodge revamped with a fittingly midcentury-inspired aesthetic, and the sleek Origin Hotel — the upstart brand's fourth location — made its debut this summer. While you're in town, make time to explore the trails of Duke Forest or Umstead Park , wander down Durham's Main Street or Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, and hit up the many incredible restaurants in the area. Much talked-about spots like Saltbox Seafood Joint , Brewery Bhavana , and Garland — not to mention chef Ashley Christensen's stable of restaurants — live up to the hype. But don't overlook the Triangle's longstanding gems: You can't go wrong with La Farm Bakery in Cary for artisan bread and a signature white chocolate baguette, Char-Grill for unfussy burgers, or Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill for the platonic ideal of shrimp and grits. Cap it off with a visit to the downtown Raleigh Krispy Kreme right when the HOT light goes on and you're practically a native. —Lila Battis

31. Northern Minnesota

The promise of starry skies awaits in Minnesota's northern reaches, where Voyageurs National Park recently joined Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as a certified Dark Sky destination. Clear views of the cosmos — and even the Northern Lights, if you're lucky — are only part of the fun in this water-rich region. Adventurers flock to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness' 1.1 million rugged acres to paddle 1,200 miles of canoe-portage routes and camp under the constellations. Meanwhile, more than a third of the neighboring 218,000-acre Voyageurs National Park is a watery wonderland, making motorized houseboats a novel way to stargaze and explore the park's five main lakes and boreal and deciduous forests. Both parks offer an abundance of wildlife from aquatic birds and beavers to timber wolves and black bear; miles of scenic nature trails; and opportunities to angle walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass. In winter, the firmament glitters even brighter, plus there's dog sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling (the latter is only offered in Voyageurs National Park). Call on local outfitters to help organize year-round itineraries and stock up on necessary gear.— Nora Walsh

32. Northwest Arkansas

With the opening early last year of the Momentary , a center for arts and culture housed in a former cheese factory, the formerly sleepy town of Bentonville in northwest Arkansas continued its transformation into a hub for creativity and outdoor experiences. Last October, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art , founded by Walmart heir Alice Walton, announced that it will augment its collection with an outdoor play space that promises to harmonize with the surrounding landscape. The 21c Museum Hotel offers further art adventures, as well as the Hive , one of the region's best restaurants. Venture beyond the town to Bella Vista, where you can hit the 39 miles of mountain biking paths at the recently expanded Little Sugar Trail System, or to Springdale, home of the new J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center , where families can explore exhibitions, nature trails, and an archery range. — Peter Terzian

33. Oahu, Hawaii

In October, America's 50th state once again welcomed visitors from the mainland after six months of pandemic lockdown. And while many travelers opt to use the capital and most populous city, Honolulu, as a stopover to Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, there's good reason to stay put on Oahu this year. The hotel scene continues to expand — most recently with a complete overhaul of a Waikiki classic, Queen Kapi'olani , which debuted its new look in December. Inspired by vintage Hawaiiana and local art, the 315-room resort sits across the street from legendary Waikiki Beach, and is (fittingly) home to a new surf school and shop. Over is Kaimuki — a neighborhood that's become the center of Oahu's increasingly dynamic food world — chef Chris Kajioka followed up his wildly popular (and perennially packed) Arts District restaurant, Senia, with Miro , featuring a French-inspired menu using Japanese techniques and ingredients. And for a look at the island's contemporary art, fashion, and design, head to Kaka'ako, a warehouse-filled industrial area near downtown with an ever-expanding open-air commercial compound, SALT at Our Kaka'ako to check out local creations and a weekly Saturday morning farmers market. — John Wogan

34. Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska's largest city is hitting its stride. Omaha 's patchwork of eclectic neighborhoods (one of which is home to billionaire Warren Buffett) blends old with new in exciting ways. A shining example: The just-opened Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel , a $75 million reinvention of the iconic Blackstone Hotel, which has played host to notable dignitaries like Eleanor Roosevelt, John and Jackie Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. Special attention was paid to preserving the 105-year-old grand dame's hand-carved terra cotta columns, marble staircase, hardwood floors, and grand ballroom's vaulted ceilings. The property's 21st-century updates include five contemporary dining venues, including a modernized Orleans Room (which, in its heyday, consistently ranked as one of the nation's best restaurants), a steakhouse, and reimagined speakeasy. A host of top-notch culinary purveyors and a 70-work art collection curated by artist Watie White highlights the best of Omaha's local talent. To experience the revival playing out in the surrounding Blackstone District (birthplace of the Reuben sandwich), guests can hop in the hotel's electric tuk-tuk to cruise streets chock full of ultra-hip eateries, craft-beer bars, and trendy boutiques. Be sure to grab front-row seats to Omaha's hot-ticket events in 2021 including the buzzy Omaha Fashion Week in March, where attendees can buy looks right off the runway; the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in June to see the nation's top athletes compete; and the annual Maha Festival , a high-caliber music and food festival happening late July. — Nora Walsh

35. Orlando

Remember roller coasters? Dole Whips? Carefree days when the most important thing was not getting vertigo on the Tower of Terror? Next year, there's no better place to live out your pent-up theme park fantasies than Walt Disney World Resort, which turns 50 in 2021. No details yet on the actual celebration, but we do know there's a huge transformation of Epcot underway, including new experiences like Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and a space-themed restaurant. Seeking an adrenaline rush (and who isn't, these days)? Hit the new Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal come summer, where you'll catapult upward at 70 miles per hour. Feel safe knowing Orlando was one of the first cities to develop a citywide health and safety program , with major parks going above CDC requirements. (Expect virtual kiosks and check-in at each.) And though its new south terminal won't be open until 2022, Orlando International Airport just introduced on-site COVID testing, one of the first airports in the country to do so. Helping to welcome visitors back, newcomers to Orlando's hotel scene include internationally inspired TRYP by Wyndham opened in November, Dockside Inn and Suites at Universal Orlando Resort in December, AC Hotel Orlando Downtown expected in January 2021, and the upscale Reserve tower at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort (with free shuttle service to Disney) in mid-2021. Fancy downtime away from the city? The tranquil Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes completes a $120 million transformation in February. —Kelsey Ogletree

36. Palm Springs, California

From the cocktails and pools to the starry night skies, the swath of desert east of L.A. never gets old. And now, a new crop of hotels, restaurants, bars, art and even sound bathing experiences are lending fresh energy to Palm Springs and its neighboring desert cities. Soak in mineral-rich waters at the just-opened Azure Palm Hot Springs , a 40-room resort and spa, in Desert Hot Springs. At the reimagined Casa Cody , rooms — 30 in total — feature fireplaces and patios, as well as colorful details such as Moroccan zellige tiles and otomi-embroidered pillows. And at year-old, 27-room Les Cactus , guests wake up to breakfast baskets with freshly baked croissants. Debuting its third installment this year, biennial art exhibition Desert X , which has quietly become a major art attraction, returns with new site-specific installations. Also opening in 2021, the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is part 48,000-square foot museum and gardens, part bathhouse-cum-spa celebrating the history and culture of the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians. Come dinner, sample inventive rolls paired with scotch at Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey , helmed by chef Engin Onural. His latest venture is Tailor Shop, a cocktail bar drawing inspiration from faraway places including London, Norway and Hong Kong. For adventure of another kind, head to otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park nearby. The hiking, rock climbing, and stargazing do not disappoint. — Tanvi Chheda

37. Park City, Utah

With Sundance events going mostly virtual and many still wary of travel, Utah's greatest ski town is likely to take a tourism hit this winter. But once it's safe to do so, make a beeline for this outdoor paradise — before everyone else does. A series of big-deal developments in the works have Park City poised for major growth in the coming years. Mayflower Mountain Resort — a massive 6,800-acre, multi-hotel complex which creators claim would be the first new ski resort in the U.S. in 40 years — is in the works for a 2023 opening. If and when it finally debuts, it's expected to bring serious crowds, and a potential agreement with Deer Valley might mean some of the most exclusive slopes in the States (and famously, some of the last to ban snowboarding) get a little more traffic. Elsewhere in town, development for a new arts district is underway, and the forthcoming Pendry Park City is setting up shop in Canyons Village, with 152 guestrooms, a luxe spa, and the area's first rooftop pool. Until that all arrives, soak in the highlights that have made Park City so beloved: the small businesses on historic Main Street , the crowd-free powder at tony Deer Valley , and the year-round outdoor adventures to be found in the surrounding mountains. —Lila Battis

38. Rhode Island

Known for its Colonial seaside towns and Gilded Age mansions, Rhode Island is a destination steeped in history. But it's become a modern hot spot recently with the openings of several new properties. The Wayfinder Hotel in Newport, created by a group of locals, touts its anti-nautical design vibe — visit the on-site restaurant, Nomi Park, for traditional New England fare with a twist. And the past blends with the present at Providence's new hotel, the Beatrice , once the 1887 Exchange Building. Now, it's a 47-room boutique property within walking distance of the university city's buzzing downtown. And there are even options for outdoor enthusiasts thanks to the opening of the 3,500-acre Preserve Sporting Club & Residences in Richmond, from the team behind Ocean House . The one-of-a-kind wilderness retreat features an 18-hole golf course, zip line, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, archery, and more. The pint-size state is having such a moment, luxury travel company Black Tomato even included a stop at the Vanderbilt in Newport on a New England road trip itinerary launched as part of its curated Take the Open Road with Auberge and Black Tomato collection. Of course, the classic experiences are just as appealing: You can't leave the Ocean State without making a pilgrimage to try the epic Sunday brunch at Castle Hill Inn , overlooking Narragansett Bay. — Jordi Lippe-McGraw

39. Richmond, Virginia

One of 2020's most indelible images, and the one that best captured the changing identity of Richmond, was that of Marcus-David Peters Circle on Monument Avenue: A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee astride a horse, its stone plinth a kaleidoscope of tags in support of Black Lives Matter. Now, with the statue's removal in the works, Richmond is looking toward a new, more inclusive future. Virginia's governor announced a proposal to allot $10 million in state funding to redesign the site, along with the stretches of Monument Avenue that once held similar tributes to Confederate figures. Another $9 million is proposed to help improve Richmond's existing Slave Trail and establish a Slavery Heritage Site. Elsewhere in the city, look for public art created this year as part of Mending Walls RVA , a project spearheaded by muralist Hamilton Glass that brings together artists from disparate backgrounds to create murals around Richmond. Newly launched nonstop flights from Florida, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles will make visiting in 2021 a breeze, and Richmond's location — within easy reach of Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, and wine country — makes it an ideal home base for a lengthier exploration of the state. —Lila Battis

40. The Rockies

Colorado's peaks have been all the more alluring in 2020 as outdoor activities became the default and the Great American Road Trip made its long-awaited comeback. But next year holds even more in store for visitors: Rocky Mountaineer , known for its impossibly scenic, glass-domed train rides through western Canada, will launch its first U.S. route in August, from the Rockies via Denver along the Colorado River to the Red Rocks in Moab, Utah. The two-day journey includes sparkling wine toasts and three-course meals served with views of canyons and cliffs, deserts and mountains. Before hopping on board, take time to visit Colorado's newest state park, Fishers Peak , opening its 30 square miles of land in phases. Marked by a 9,633-foot mountain, it's home to black bears, elk, mountain lions, and more wildlife to spot. For skiers, Aspen Snowmass will debut a high-speed chairlift, additional snowmaking for seamless shredding, and a new dining concept at High Alpine Marketplace , an offshoot of local favorite Gwyn's, serving warming dishes with fresh ingredients sourced sustainably from local farmers. At the Viceroy Snowmass , a COVID-era uptick in interest in backcountry skiing has prompted a new Uphill Thrills experience, where guests can book an excursion to Aspen's most isolated slopes and forego the lifts all together. —Nina Ruggiero

41. Santa Fe, New Mexico

A UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art as well as City of Design, Santa Fe is widely known as an arts mecca. Stalwart stays like the Inn at Five Graces and the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi , celebrate that status with their adobe architecture and distinctive art. But sometimes it takes a new hotel to help us see a destination with fresh eyes. The reimagined Bishop's Lodge , Santa Fe's newest luxury hotel in nearly a decade, aims to showcase far more than the city's artistic side when it opens this spring. Set on 317 acres bordering Santa Fe National Forest, the 100-room Auberge Resorts Collection property will offer fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and wrangler-led trail rides from its on-site stables. A restaurant helmed by Dean Fearing, the godfather of Southwestern cuisine, and a healing arts studio with therapies such as turquoise gem therapy are respites from wilderness adventures. The lodge will serve as a base for new four- and six-day cycling trips from Trek Travel, as well a new road trip itinerary from Black Tomato. Meanwhile, Marcia Gordon, the New Mexico-born co-owner of African safari specialist Extraordinary Journeys, has cast her attention back home, with custom itineraries that might include hikes in Georgia O' Keeffe's beloved Ghost Ranch or Navajo-led walks through the ruins of Chaco Canyon. — Jen Murphy

42. The Sea Islands

Running along the southeastern coast of the U.S. are the Sea Islands, a chain of over 100 tidal and barrier islands spanning from Florida to North Carolina. The marshy region is also home to the Gullah Geechee Corridor , a 12,000-square-mile National Heritage Area — the cultural homeland of the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of enslaved Africans who have preserved their traditions and language for centuries. The Sea Islands have emerged as a compelling travel destination in recent years, beginning with President Obama's 2017 move to establish a Reconstruction Era National Monument in South Carolina's Beaufort County. In 2019, a redesignation expanded the corridor, and this year brought still more attention to the region, with the new Reconstruction Era National Historic Network incorporating several sites in the area. You'd need a lifetime to fully explore the islands, but start your trip in South Carolina: Johns Island is home to Moving Star Hall, the last remaining praise house in the region, along with the Angel Oak Tree, rumored to be one of the oldest of its kind east of the Mississippi River. Visit St. Helena to see the Penn Center , one of the first schools for free Black children in America and the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. composed his "I Have A Dream" speech. On Georgia's largely undeveloped Cumberland Island, undisturbed views more than make up for the bare-bones facilities, while further south in St. Augustine, Florida, Fort Mose Historic State Park offers opportunities to learn about the first legally recognized free Black settlement in America. Don't leave without a stop at Gullah Grub Restaurant on St. Helena for a taste of true Gullah Geechee cuisine, a seafood- and grain-rich culinary tradition similar to the soul food developed by enslaved Africans across the American South. —Danielle Dorsey

43. Sonoma, California

In the face of back-to-back years of wildfires, Sonoma County is forging ahead to achieve a more sustainable future. As of 2019, 99 percent of the region's vineyards were certified sustainable, earning Sonoma the accolade of world's most sustainable winegrowing region. And last year, area vineyards launched a pilot program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With that earth-conscious ethos, it's only fitting that nature is the star of Sonoma's newest experiences. Guests at the new Montage Healdsburg, which debuted this December, will literally feel like they're living amidst the vines. Nestled among 258 acres of rolling vineyards, the resort's 130 rooms each have spacious outdoor living areas, and guests can book experiences such as yoga classes and wine tastings amid rows of Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. While Montage begs indulgence at its terroir-to-table restaurant, Hazel Hill, nearby New Tree Ranch , a 120-acre biodynamic farmstead that opened last November, caters to guests in need of a reboot with plant-based menus, sound journeys, and cold water therapies. Boutique operator Bohemian Highway has launched chef-led tours of Healdsburg farms and vineyards leading the way in organic and biodynamic practices. Any DIY wine tasting tour of Healdsburg should include stops at winemaker wunderkind Jess Katz's new sustainably-minded tasting room, Aperture Cellars, and the hip new al fresco venue from winemaker Noah Dorrance's new project, Blood Root Wines . Sonoma's restaurant scene is also heating up. Star chef Michael Mina debuted his first wine country project, Wit & Wisdom , in the town of Sonoma last fall, and later this year, acclaimed chef Douglas Keane will put sleepy Geyserville on the map when he unveils Cyrus 2.0, a reinvention of his two-Michelin-star restaurant previously in Healdsburg. —Jen Murphy

44. Texas Hill Country

Just outside the capital city of Austin is the idyllic region known as the Hill Country . Comprising over 20 towns — along with plenty of lush, loping countryside — the Hill Country has an inimitable charm that those outside of the state just seem to be catching onto. Experience the best in Texas terroir by visiting Driftwood-based wineries like the renowned Fall Creek Vineyards , run one of the founding families of the Texas wine industry, and acclaimed Duchman Family Winery , which makes exceptional wines (try their award-winning Aglianico) from Italian grape varieties. Stay the weekend in one of the rustic-chic Getaway cabins, which opened in early 2020 in the quaint town of Wimberley , and stop for a dram in Dripping Springs' Distillery District, which is home to more than 25 distilleries, such as Treaty Oak Distilling and Deep Eddy Vodka . Complete your weekend road trip with a stay at the luxurious Camp Lucy , situated on 289 acres on a bluff above the famous Onion Creek. — Gabrielle Nicole Pharms

45. Tucson, Arizona

Tucson has long lived in the shadow of its higher-profile Southwestern siblings like Phoenix, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. But this undercover desert rose has come into its own recently, as more visitors discover the saguaro-dotted city that's been a magnet for wellness enthusiasts long before the term went mainstream. Lately, new, boutique hotels have popped up, joining established spa resorts like Miraval and Canyon Ranch. These include The Tuxon — a 112-room property that takes its whimsical design cues from the region's Mexican and Native American roots — and JTH Tucson , a five-suite earth-toned escape on the edge of Saguaro National Park. And architecture buffs will appreciate projects saved by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, like the Ball-Paylore House, an important mid-century modern residence designed by Arthur T. Brown which became available for overnight stays last year. Meanwhile, Tucson continues to cater to outdoorsy types, and anticipation is high for the forthcoming Bike Ranch, a sustainable, 20-acre resort adjacent to Saguaro National Park that's dedicated to all aspects of cycling and mountain biking. — John Wogan

46. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Big, open green spaces like the 100-acre Gathering Place and a high quality of life — especially as measured in microbreweries and trendy restaurants — brought new crowds to the Art Deco darling of Tulsa in recent years. But Tulsa's renaissance remained incomplete without a reconciliation and recognition of the city's dark past. As much of the U.S. learned only last year, through television depictions on Lovecraft Country and Watchmen , the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 wiped out the thriving and successful neighborhood of Greenwood, known as Black Wall Street. Approaching the 100th anniversary of the horrific attack, a new class of Black artists and entrepreneurs honors and explores that history, bringing residents and visitors to face the dark past through creative means. The Black Moon collective, Black Wall Street Gallery , and Fulton Street Books and Coffee each aim to heal and unify by centering the work and narratives of the Black community. Those narratives come in physical form in the sculptures at John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park , near the coming Greenwood Rising center dedicated to the legacy of Black Wall Street, and site of commemoration events planned leading up to a candlelight vigil marking the anniversary. —Naomi Tomky

47. The U.S. National Parks

The National Park Service saw another banner year in 2020 — even if it was for all the wrong reasons. As the pandemic spurred interest in outdoor pursuits, Yellowstone National Park recorded the busiest September in history . Other biggies, like Joshua Tree, were bracing for huge holiday-season crowds . It should come as no surprise: Travelers also swarmed parks and nature preserves during the 1918 pandemic, according to Quartz . But record visitation and crowding at iconic spots kind of defeats the point of exploring wide-open spaces, doesn't it? Enter TCS World Travel, a luxury outfitter that coordinates private jet trips. They've just launched a private itinerary — designed for quarantine pods of four to 12 guests — that hits many of the most in-demand national parks, including Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton, and Zion, by private Citation CJ3 or Hawker 800XP jet. These fully customizable trips will have adventurers tracking wolves in Yellowstone, hiking past hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, standup paddleboarding on Lake Powell, or whatever else your crew wants to do. And while TCS can't promise you won't see another soul along the way, they can get you into some of the most exclusive hotels in the American West, including Amangani, Amangiri, and Sage Lodge. —Paul Brady

48. Washington, D.C.

The push and pull between past and present is the great drama of Washington, D.C. Once you know to look, you'll see it everywhere. The newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza — its great yellow block letters both immediately recognizable and extremely photogenic — abuts Lafayette Square, in front of the White House, which once was an open-air slave market. The Smithsonian Institution marks its 175th anniversary with its first national Latino gallery on the National Mall : a new exhibition space to open inside the National Museum of American History. The new Kimpton Banneker Hotel , just north of Scott Circle, is named after the city's great polymath, Benjamin, the 18th-century free black writer and astronomer who surveyed the District's boundaries. And making his debut at the National Zoo is Xiao Qi Ji ("Little Miracle"), a panda cub whose presence can be traced back to Nixon's 1972 trip to China. But the pandemic-age inauguration of a new president in January will doubtless be the city's biggest milestone — unless this is the year D.C. finally becomes a state. —Molly McArdle

49. White Sands, New Mexico

Nothing is as it seems in White Sands , the 176,000-acre swath of New Mexico desert that was first established as a national monument in 1933. From afar, the gypsum dunes —the world's largest such expanse — look as sterile and sun-scorched as the surface of a distant planet. Up close, the luxuriously cool sand teems with life. Bleached earless lizards, Apache pocket mice, and sand wolf spiders — all mostly white, to blend in with their surroundings — skitter across the dunes. At first, there's no evidence of humankind, but investigate the right spot and you'll find fossilized footprints overlaid by mammoth and giant-sloth tracks. Last year's redesignation as a national park expanded the protected region's scope by 2,030 acres, and, more importantly, increased its visibility to travelers. Researchers estimate that the change in status could contribute $7 million in spending, and 100 jobs, to the local economy. — Kieran Dahl

50. Wyoming

No one could have dreamed up a better marketing plan for Wyoming than social distancing. The country's least-populated state has only six people per square mile, meaning it's not only easy, but natural to stay safely apart. Yellowstone and Grand Teton have both seen huge spikes in visitation (credit "Yellowstone" binges), but don't overlook Wyoming's 12 state parks . A new 4-mile section was recently added to the famous Continental Divide Trail, too. Not so good with a compass? Go deeper into the park (without getting lost) with new itineraries from ToursByLocals, including a full-day adventure in Grand Teton National park, or book the new winter experience with wolves from Scott Dunn. In Casper, College National Finals Rodeo (the Rose Bowl of the sport) resumes in June after a year off, and the world's largest outdoor rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days , celebrates its 125th anniversary in July 2021. Hit the pancake breakfast to feel like you really belong. In south central Wyoming, the Relais & Chateaux Magee Homestead reopens to leisure travelers and relaunches its popular culinary events. And in Jackson, the first hotel on the historic town square, the 100-room Cloudveil , opens in spring with a huge rooftop terrace overlooking Snow King Mountain. —Kelsey Ogletree

Atlas & Boots

The UK's most popular outdoor travel blog

95 most inspirational travel quotes ever penned

Our favourite inspirational travel quotes have encouraged us to travel with abandon over the years. Perhaps they will do the same for you…

For us, there is no such thing as luxury travel; travel is, by default, a luxury. It is a privilege provided by the country of our birth, a privilege that many are not as fortunate to enjoy.

Sometimes, we have to pinch ourselves at just how ridiculous our lives have become: an ex-teacher and jobbing writer travelling the world for a living. It is absurd, it is astonishing, it is luxury.

When I first went travelling at 21 years old, my father gave me this quote scrawled on a piece of card.

It infused me with wanderlust. It encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone, make the most of my time, see the world and enjoy the freedom that comes with being on the road. It remains one of the most inspirational travel quotes I’ve read (even if Twain did not actually say it).

Today, 20 years and almost 100 countries later, it’s still in my wallet. Despite its tattered and dishevelled appearance, it’s every bit as important to me now as it was then.

With that in mind, we’ve collated our most beloved inspirational travel quotes to encourage readers to “explore, dream and discover” for themselves.

inspirational travel quotes

1. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

3. “Travel is never a matter of money, but of courage.” – Paulo Coelho

4. “With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.” – Sandra Lake

5. “When overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re visiting.” – Clint Borgen

6. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

7. “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” – Paul Brandt

8. “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau

9. “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling

10. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

11. “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller Anderson

12. “No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.” – Chuck Thompson

13. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

14. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

15. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner

16. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships were built for.” – John A. Shedd

17. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux

18. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

19. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

20. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

21. “Once a year, go somewhere you’ve never been before.” – The Dalai Lama

22. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

23. “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re travelling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

24. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

25. “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux

26. “A traveller without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi

27. “Your true traveller finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” – Aldous Huxley

28. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

29. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson

30. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

31. “I can’t control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” – Ricky Skaggs

32. “We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment.” – Hilaire Belloc

33. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

34. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

35. “The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

36. “You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor

37. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

38. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

39. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost

40. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

41. “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

42. “Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.” ― Michael Palin

43. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

44. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

45. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

46. “There are far, far better things ahead than we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis

47. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

48. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

49. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveller learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” – Paul Fussell

50. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain

51. “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G.K. Chesterton

52. “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” – Elizabeth Drew

53. “People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck

54. “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury

55. “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

56. “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot

57. “Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” – Robert Orben

58. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

59. “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” – Oscar Wilde

60. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

61. “If an ass goes travelling, he’ll not come home a horse.” – Thomas Fuller

62. “Travelling tends to magnify all human emotions.” – Peter Hoeg

63. “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote: To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen

64. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

65. “I am not the same having seen the moon shine from the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

66. “I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth. Then I ask myself the same question.” – Harun Yahya

67. “I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.” – George Bernard Shaw

68. “A wise traveler never despises his own country.” – Carlo Goldoni

69. “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

70 “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

71. “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin

72. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

73. “The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

74. “A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

75. “He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

76. “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

77. “The more I travelled the more I realised that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” – Shirley MacLaine

78. “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” – Stephen Covey

78. “Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” – Lawrence Block

80. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle – or Si’ahl

81. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

82. “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville

83. “We live in a world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

84. “The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself” – Wallace Stevens

85. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch

86. “Paris is always a good idea.” – Julia Ormond (although it is often wrongly attributed to Audrey Hepburn)

87. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the trip.” – Babs Hoffman

88. “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

89. “Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.” – Jaime Lyn Beatty

90. “It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.” – Sir Ernest Shackleton

91. “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” –  Jack Kerouac

92. “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain

93. “Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets.” – Oscar Wilde

94. “Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” – Roy M Goodman

95. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain (or possibly H Jackson Brown Jr )

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My Top 10 Best Trips EVER.

At the end of last year, in a vain effort to make sure I was posting travel content on my Instagram when I wasn’t actually travelling anywhere, I did a little top 10 of my best trips ever. And you know what? I really enjoyed reliving all of the once-in-a-lifetime, pinch-me-this-is-a-dream trips I’ve taken over the years. Because seriously, I’ve done some crazy good stuff on my travels.

So I thought it might be a good idea to list them all out in a blog post, with lots of links to past posts in case you wanted to read more about these sick trips. Let me know what you think of my top 10!

Top 10 Best Trips Ever.

#10: australia.

I’m kicking off my most favourite trips, down under. I actually lived in Australia for a year in 2011-12, mostly spending my time travelling the West Coast , living in Brisbane and living in Sydney . But that’s not actually the trip I’m on about… Don’t get me wrong, doing my working holiday was an awesome experience and I learned a lot about myself during that year. But it was hard work. Finding jobs, making friends, moving cities, living in tiny apartments and trying to fit some kind of travel inbetween, made me realise that I’d rather be based in the UK and fit travels around my home life.

But in 2016 I went back to Oz for a friend’s wedding and had a REALLY great time. I think just being somewhere with all of your friends is what makes a trip tbh. It was a beaut wedding in Adelaide , then a few of us hired campervans and drove the Great Ocean Road . We had a few days of amazing food and cool bars in Melbourne and then Josh and I had a few days in Sydney . I loved showing him my favourite parts of the city – like the Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk and getting the ferry through the harbour.

#9: Deep South USA

My trip to USA’s Deep South with Trek America is actually the only Press Trip on this list. I think because you generally have a better time when you’re travelling with friends or family or you’re on a solo adventure. Y’know rather than being shipped off to a new destination with a group of people you’ve never met before.

But actually, the #iTrekHere trip in 2017 was such an epic adventure! It helped that I was travelling with an A+ bunch.

The 10 day trip took us through Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana and I got to tick off some awesome things that were on my bucketlist. I went abseiling in Alabama, wrote a song with a country music writer in Nashville, went to Graceland in Memphis , experienced the awesome Beale Street Music Festival, drank a LOT of moonshine (regrettably), saw a Mississippi sunset, ate REAL Southern food , saw wild crocs on a swamp tour, and fell in LOVE with New Orleans .

#8: Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a weird one for me. It’s definitely not my favourite destination in Asia and feels more commercial than places like Thailand or Vietnam. But it was my first long-haul with Josh and his first time in Asia, back in 2016. So it felt a lot like I was seeing Asia through his eyes – the awesome food, the idyllic beaches, the lovely people. So this trip definitely has a place in my heart.

Highlights include cycling around Gili T and watching sunset on the beach, hiking the rice terraces of Ubud, having all the fun at Waterbom water park in Kuta, having lunch with a view of Mount Batur, and recovering from it all on Sanur beach. I love trips that have a good combo of fun-filled activities and a bit of R&R, and Bali was definitely that!

#7: Wroclaw, Poland

My long weekend in Wroclaw is not one of my epic backpacking trips. It isn’t one of those destinations that are MUST-VISIT like some others on this list. But it made my top 10 trips purely because I had a lot of fun at the Christmas Market in 2017.

I think because it’s a smaller destination with not that many landmarks/attractions that you HAVE to see, the trip became more about having fun, enjoying each other’s company and having a ball at the Christmas Market! We shopped for decorations, we drank a lot of Gluwein, saw the pretty lights and went on some rides. But we also ate some AMAZING food in Wroclaw . It was all unexpectedly good and I would go back in a heartbeat for the brunch at Foguljemy or the curry at Mango Mama.

#6: An epic USA backpacking trip

Believe it or not, my great big backpacking trip in the States was ELEVEN YEARS AGO now. It was actually my first ever time backpacking , as well as my first solo adventure when I was 21, so it’s high on my list for sentimental purposes.

But also, it was a fucking epic trip.

I spent around 5-6 weeks, and all of my savings, travelling both the West Coast and the Northeast of the USA. I started in LA and did a big loop around Arizona , Nevada and California , including partying in Vegas, taking a hot air balloon ride over the Arizona desert, exploring Yosemite National Park, falling completely in love with San Francisco (I HAVE to go back, if only for the vintage shopping), setting my eyes on the Grand Canyon from a helicopter, and having some pretty awesome parties with my new travel pals.

I then did a few days of theme parks and beaches in LA and flew to New York for a few days of shopping and eating all the best food.

And then it was time for another overland adventure, exploring Pennsylvania Avenue and the Smithsonian in DC, camping in “Bear Country”, experiencing Maid Of The Mist in Niagara Falls and discovering all of the history in Boston.

I did a combo of tours and down time and I think it was a great introduction to both making friends on my travels and staying in hostels. It also massively gave me the travel bug. And the rest is history.

#5: New York

Ok, I know I mentioned NYC briefly above as part of a larger USA backpacking trip, but I felt like New York needed it’s own slot. I’ve visited this kickass city 4 times over the last 10 years and every time I go I love it a bit more.

I feel a bit ashamed saying that, because let’s face it, it’s a bit ~cliche~ for a 30-something woman to love New York , isn’t it? Maybe it’s all of the years of Friends and Sex And The City and How I Met Your Mother, but I just feel like this city GETS me. It’s got awesome bars, crazy-good food , the skyline of dreams, massive museums, cool shops, Broadway, donuts, nightlife, brunch, street art… I JUST LOVE IT, OKAY?

My last trip to New York involved a lot more of Brooklyn and Queens than Manhattan, and really that’s where the magic happens if you ask me. Now I just need to show Indi this insanely cool city…

#4: Slovenia

I think the reason I loved my 2017 trip to Slovenia so much is that I had quite low expectations before I went. I hadn’t seen much about it, I didn’t think I would like the food, I wasn’t sure if there was lots to do there. But it delivered on all fronts.

Ljubljana is such an incredible city, with colourful buildings, really great food inspired by nearby Italy, a cool castle that makes you feel like you’re in Game Of Thrones, a beautiful river and alternative Metelkova . But I also loved getting out and doing day trips around this fairly small country. Lake Bled was just as beaut as it looks in pictures. Vintgar Gorge was a lovely surprise. Postojna caves made me feel like I was in Aladdin.

I honestly think Slovenia is super underrated and would definitely recommend a holiday here to see for yourself.

#3: Iceland

Iceland is popular for a reason. It’s the only place in the world I’ve visited where I felt like I was on a completely different planet. I mean you don’t see landscapes like that anywhere else, at least nowhere else that I’ve been so far.

But I think the reason it’s so high on my list is that I went there on my own. It was just 4 days for my little solo adventure, but I enjoyed it so much. I just felt FREE. And I think that’s the appeal of solo travel, doing what you want, when you want. I spent way too long in coffee shops because there was no-one to judge me. I spent longer than I would taking photos than I would if I was with someone. It was just the ultimate freedom.

I did the obligatory Iceland experiences like soaking in the Blue Lagoon and visiting some amazing spots on the Golden Circle , like epic waterfalls, insane geysers and impressive national parks. But things I loved most were a bit more alternative – like the Olgerdin micro-brewery tour where I learned a lot about Iceland’s prohibition and got pissed with a group of guys on a stag do. I loved exploring Reykjavik’s vintage shops and eating solo in nice restaurants. Oh and I went horse riding in the mountains on cute Icelandic ponies!

An awesome trip and a fab experience of solo travel. Would recommend it to anyone. (I definitely need to go back to see the Northern Lights though!)

#2: Backpacking Southeast Asia

Ahhhh my 4 months of backpacking Southeast Asia in 2011 were a total dream. I say it was a solo adventure because it started that way, but on my first day in Bangkok I met Kate, my now best friend, and we travelled together for almost the entirety of the trip. We travelled through Thailand , Laos , Vietnam , Cambodia and Singapore and had a damn ball.

It was the highest of highs (beach parties on the Thai islands , taking a cooking class in Chiang Mai, buying too many friendship bracelets, spending too much time in Sihanoukville, The Night Of Two Dinners (don’t ask), cycling around Hoi An , being far too hungover at Halong Bay, tubing in Vang Vieng for not one but EIGHT days, having the Indian meal of our lives in Luang Prabang, to just name a few!) and the lowest of lows (money and phone stolen, death threats from a tuk tuk driver with a face tattoo, car bombs at the Cambodian border, being scammed SO MANY TIMES, following boys we liked to different countries like absolute bellends, lost credit cards). (That might be the longest sentence I’ve ever written.) But it was the ULTIMATE backpacking experience with hostels and guest houses and overnight buses and visa runs and long, deep conversations with people you’ve just met. Even the bad stuff makes for the best travel stories and I got to see such amazing countries and meet some truly awesome people. Obviously the best part is that I got a best friend out of it. The friend that convinced me to move to Milton Keynes . Where I met my fiance. And had our baby. Oh and it’s also the trip that inspired me to start my blog.

So basically it’s the trip that changed my life. No big deal.

I know what you’re thinking, what trip could possibly be better than this one?! I mean, you probably know by now…

#1: Cinque Terre, Italy

It had to be Cinque Terre , right? I go on about the colourful Italian Riviera enough on here.

I’ve been to Cinque Terre twice and will definitely go again. I love the place as a destination as it has everything I love: the BEST Italian food, gorgeous colourful towns, beaut beaches, pretty hiking routes , lovely people and just a chilled vibe where you can grab a glass of wine and some apperitivo nibbles and relax with a view of the coast, y’know? The dream.

But obviously this place has larger meaning for me. On my first trip it was both my first ever trip with Josh AND my first ever blog freebie (I got free accommodation at a couple of places). So it felt like a big deal to me.

Then on my second trip it’s where Josh proposed , at sunset in gorgeous Riomaggiore. Oh and probs a bit too much information but I’m 99% sure it’s also where our daughter was concieved. Yeah probs TMI but hey it’s a special place, okay?

Ahhhh I’ve loved doing this little rundown of my best trips. It’s made me so excited to plan some more! And also, I feel quite proud if that’s ok to say? These days I beat myself up for being a shit travel blogger and not travelling all that much. But actually when you look at it all written down – I’ve done alright haven’t I?

Did you like this top 10 of my best trips ever? Which of these trips would you like to do?

Head on over to my Instagram and Twitter pages for regular updates on my (occasional) travels, millennial motherhood and life in general.

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Taylor Swift’s Best ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Lyrics: ‘So Long, London,’ ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,’ ‘LOML,’ ‘The Black Dog’ and More

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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The torture is over for fans who waited weeks and months for Taylor Swift ’s “ The Tortured Poets Department ” to arrive. But the truly faithful still have some work ahead, in trying to decode what or who is the subject of each of the 16 songs (plus four bonus tracks). Even without immediately solving all those mysteries, though, the album is filled with lines that are bold and striking (and sometimes funny).

Here is our guide to the most quotable lyrics from every song on the standard edition of “The Tortured Poets Department,” plus some of the bonus tracks. (Additionally, we’ve broken down some of the lyrics of the surprise double album .)

Popular on Variety

Ask about the weather Now you’re in my backyard Turned into good neighbors Your wife waters flowers I want to kill her

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

A fairly blissful love song — destined not to last, in the overall arc of the album. Speaking of things that people don’t get over, Charlie Puth may never get over this shout-out.

You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist I scratch your head, you fall asleep Like a tattooed golden retriever

The singer brightens at being considered marriage material, even if it’s only hinted at in a toying way.

At dinner you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on And it’s the closest I’ve come to my heart exploding

The first of the album’s many F-bombs appears, albeit in a sweet way in this first instance.

Who’s gonna hold you like me? Nofuckinbody

MY BOY ONLY BREAKS HIS FAVORITE TOYS

The first of the true breakup songs has the singer feeling like Weird Barbie.

I felt more when we played pretend Then with all the Kens Cause he took me out of my box Stole my tortured heart Left all these broken parts Told me I’m better off But I’m not

Crying at the gym Everything comes out teenage petulance Fuck it if I can’t have him

SO LONG, LONDON

Anyone who’s spent years in an ultimately failed relationship, maybe especially women, will have a line to relate to here.

I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free

The singer references an altar where she was never joined… and rues having to break up with a city as well as a bloke.

You swore that you loved me but where were the clues? I died on the altar waiting for the proof You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days And I’m just getting color back into my face I’m just mad as hell ‘cause I loved this place For so long, London Had a good run

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM

One of the album’s most comical and upbeat songs has her quoting the title line lifted from “The Little Mermaid,” and faking her folks out with some good/bad news.

Now I’m running with my dress unbuttoned Screaming “But daddy I love him” I’m having his baby No, I’m not, but you should see your faces

Things get more serious as the narrator spits fire at anyone who clutches pearls and judges her for hooking up with a bad boy.

I’d rather burn my whole life down Then listen to one more second to this bitching and moaning I’ll tell you something about my good name It’s mine alone to disgrace I don’t cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing

Another serious keeper, along those same lines:

God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what’s best for me Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see

FRESH OUT THE SLAMMER

The title phrase is comical, but Swift’s description of a long prison sentence, i.e. years spent with a fickle jailer, sounds dead-serious.

Handcuffed to the spell I was under For just one hour of sunshine Years of labor, locks and ceilings In the shade of how he was feeling But it’s gonna be alright I did my time

She sings about ignoring good advice from those who wanted her to go for parole a lot earlier:

My friends tried but I wouldn’t hear it Watched me daily disappearing For just one glimpse of his smile

Not a love song, but a song about escaping bad or boring circumstances by relocating (metaphorically or otherwise). Here comes the album’s single funniest line…

My friends all smell like weed or little babies

…which is soon followed by the album’s second funniest line, shared as a twin lead vocal with Florence from Florence + the Machine:

Fuck me up, Florida

GUILTY AS SIN?

It’s not clear if Swift deliberately means to reference her own song “Mine” here, but the sensual fantasy that she’s bringing to life works either way:

What if he’s written ‘Mine” on my upper thigh only in my mind?

Religious imagery comes to the fore as she looks for redemption in perceived sin.

WHO’S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME

In one of the few non-love songs on the album, Swift harks back to songs where she riffed on the bad image people have had of her, from “Blank Space” to “Mad Woman.”

I was tame I was gentle till the circus life made me mean Don’t you worry folks, we took out all her teeth Who’s afraid of little old me? Well, you should be

Moving on from the circus, she proudly paints herself as the town witch:

I want to snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me So all you kids can sneak into my house, with all the cobwebs I’m always drunk on my own tears Is that what they all said? That I’ll sue you if you step onto my lawn That I’m fearsome and I’m wretched and I’m wrong Put narcotics into all of my songs And that’s why you’re still singing along

I CAN FIX HIM (NO, REALLY I CAN)

Swift references a lover known for his inappropriate humor. Sound like anyone in her past life we know?

The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud They shake their heads saying, “God help her” when I tell ‘em he’s my man But your good Lord doesn’t need to lift a finger I can fix him (no really I can) And only I can

Her argument about being able to rehabilitate a guy falls apart with one nearly tossed-off final line:

Woah maybe I can’t

Before she gets into a relationship that has more recently devastated her, she looks back to a previous one, in which she feels she sacrificed deep romance or passion for stability.

I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed

With this newer guy, she cleverly mixes language usually reserved to describe mutually getting drunk with language about the promise of marriage and family.

You shit-talked me under the table talking rings and talking cradles

And then come accusations of cowardice and casual ghosting:

Oh what a valiant roar What a bland goodbye The coward claimed he was a lion I’m combing through the braids of lies “I’ll never leave” “Never mind”

I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART

The most upbeat track on the album is about smiling through tears — presumably meaning the giant smile that was the Eras Tour, during which, it’s clear, she was nursing a broken heart for at least part of the early going.

I’m so depressed I act like it’s my birthday Every day

She finds a reason to be cocky as well as depressed in the song’s big finish.

You know you’re good when you can do it With a broken heart And I’m good Cause I’m miserable And nobody even knows! Try and come for my job

THE SMALLEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED

The details get remarkably specific in the song that may count as her most dramatic cut-down of an ex ever.

You tried to buy some pills from a friend of friends of mine They just ghosted you Now you know what it feels like

And I don’t even want you back, I just want to know If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal

Looking for motives of a hit-and-run lover, she can only imagine ulterior ones.

Were you writing a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy? In 50 years will all this be declassified? And you’ll confess why you did it And I’ll say “good riddance” Cause it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden

The fusillade continues:

You crashed my party and your rental car You said normal girls were “boring” But you were gone by the morning You are what you did And I’ll forget you But I’ll never forgive The smallest man who ever lived

THE ALCHEMY

Back to love songs, she makes a curious reference to possible past drug use, in setting up a common play on words.

He jokes that it’s heroin but this time with an “E”

But then come sports team metaphors… if not written more recently than a lot of the rest of the album, then possibly coincidentally prophetic.

Shirts off and your friends lift you up over their heads Beer sticking to the floor Cheers chanted cause they said There was no chance Trying to be the greatest in the league Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me

The entire lyrics to this song are set off in quotes, coming from the points of view of people who look up to starlets but demand they be non-stop dazzling. Swift references silent screen star Clara Bow in the first verse and Stevie Nicks in the second before finally getting around to name-checking a third superstar.

“You look like Taylor Swift In this light We’re loving it You’ve got edge She never did”

BONUS TRACK: THE BLACK DOG

Thanks to shared location tracking that never got turned off, the narrator gets evidence her recent ex has just entered a bar called the Black Dog, where, apparently, they would have memories of hearing songs by the 2000s pop-punk band the Starting Line.

And I hope it’s shitty in the Black Dog When someone plays The Starting Line And you jump up, but she’s too young To know this song that was intertwined In the tragic fabric of our dreaming Cause tail between your legs You’re leaving

BONUS TRACK: THE MANUSCRIPT

The singer quotes a sweet-talker who was equally good with promissory bedroom talk and baby talk.

He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was Soon they’d be pushing strollers But soon it was over

An age difference is brought up, as it’s clear this song is describing a relationship that happened in youth, in the narrator’s case. She’s still trying to figure out how inappropriate the disparity was.

Then she dated boys who were her own age With dartboards on the backs of their doors She thought about how he said Since she was so wise beyond her years Everything had been above board She wasn’t sure

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'Conan O'Brien Must Go' is side-splitting evidence of life beyond late night TV

Eric Deggans

Conan O'Brien dresses as a Viking in Norway. Conaco/Max hide caption

Conan O'Brien dresses as a Viking in Norway.

To be honest, when I first heard Conan O'Brien was ending his TV talk show in 2021, I assumed news that he might turn to variety shows and online programs to continue his career was some combination of face-saving and wishful thinking.

But after watching the four episodes of his new Max series Conan O'Brien Must Go , it's now obvious — even to a thickheaded critic like me — that leaving late night TV really was liberating for O'Brien. He's leveraged his unique sensibility into several different podcasts, a deal with Sirius XM , specials featuring other stand-up comics and now this travel series for Max — which resembles jokey specials he did for cable channel TBS back in the day.

And as the late night TV genre crumbles under sagging viewership and the decline of traditional media, O'Brien's renaissance also provides an example for the future — where fertile comedy minds and talented performers can spread their work over a much larger canvas.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is conan o'brien the best 'hot ones' guest ever discuss., learning a lesson from 'hot ones'.

O'Brien already made a splash recently with his brilliantly maniacal appearance on the interview-while-eating-hot-wings show Hot Ones , slobbering over hot sauces while claiming, as he was checked over by a fake doctor, that "I'm fine! I'm perfectly f*****g fine!"

This is the place where O'Brien shines — he's called it "this strange phantom intersection between smart and stupid" — and it's on full, freakish, super silly display in every episode of Conan O'Brien Must Go .

The conceit of the show is pretty simple. O'Brien heads overseas to visit average folks in Norway, Argentina, Thailand and Ireland who had once Zoomed in to speak with him on the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan . Sometimes the visits seem like a surprise — he catches one aspiring Norwegian rapper in shorts and Crocs after popping up on his doorstep — and others seem a bit more planned, including his visit to a radio show with about four listeners in Buenos Aires.

Each episode begins with a solemn monologue which sounds like it is delivered by the film world's most eccentric voice, German filmmaker and actor Werner Herzog (he's not credited in the show and when asked, a publicist at Max shared a quote from O'Brien: "I can neither confirm nor deny the voice in question.")

The torturous accent by "Herzog" makes every line sound absurdly hilarious, describing O'Brien as "the defiler ... with dull, tiny eyes ... the eyes of a crudely painted doll ... he scavenges in distant lands, uninvited, fueled by a bottomless hunger for recognition and the occasional selfie."

Now that's smart. And oh so stupid.

A funhouse mirror version of a travel show

O'Brien performs onstage with a fan in Norway Conaco/Max hide caption

O'Brien performs onstage with a fan in Norway

Fans of O'Brien's Conan Without Borders specials on TBS already know what his style is when he tackles a travel show — throwing himself into outrageous reactions and situations while working his quirky brand of improvised conversations with hapless bystanders.

In the Max series Conan O'Brien Must Go , that includes O'Brien offering screechy vocals onstage during a performance of a Norwegian emo/rap band. Or asking provocative questions of a couple therapist/sex expert. Or getting beat up in a "fight" with a 10-year-old boy in a bar.

It's all an excuse for O'Brien to unleash his energetic wit, taste for silly absurdity and skill at drawing laughs from sympathetic — if often befuddled — strangers. Whether you enjoy this special will depend on how you feel about O'Brien's style, which can feel a bit like the world's best class clown doing everything possible to make you crack a smile.

(Rent a family in Norway so they can say goodbye when he gets on a SeaCraft? Check. Get local artists to paint a mural of O'Brien, a soccer star and The Pope on the side of a building in Argentina? Double check.)

'Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend' Is A Joke Name For A Podcast — Sort Of

But what amazes in a larger sense is how O'Brien has turned his sensibility into a comedy brand to fuel work on many different platforms. And, at age 60, with more than 30 years as a comedy star, he's been released from the shackles of any genre to shine wherever he chooses — whether it's an episode of Hot Ones or a streaming service which sometimes looks like a collision between True Detective and 90 Day Fiancé .

Leaving late night TV as late night left him

I'm old enough that I started covering TV not long after O'Brien made his first move from the shadows of life as a comedy writer – he worked on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons — to succeed David Letterman in 1993 as host of NBC's show Late Night (now hosted by Seth Meyers). Back then, NBC gave O'Brien years to figure out the show, honing his smartly serious comedy in a way that would inspire then-teenage fans like Seth Rogen and Bill Hader .

O'Brien left NBC after a disastrous deal where the network tried to make him host of its venerated late night program The Tonight Show and also keep its former host Jay Leno at the network. He moved to a late night show on TBS in 2010, but even then, there was a sense that his creativity was a bit hemmed in by the format.

After 28 Quirky Years, Conan O'Brien Is Leaving Late Night

By the time he left his TBS show Conan for good, it seemed O'Brien was already caught in a trend which would hobble other late night shows — as young viewers consumed his content online and ratings on cable dropped.

Now, with a podcast and digital media company worth many millions and growing status as a TV comedy legend still willing to do almost anything for a laugh, O'Brien is proving there is a successful life beyond late night.

Particularly, if you have the talent to play the fool while leaving little doubt you're also the smartest person in the room.

Trump Forced to See Mean Memes About Him Shared by Prospective Jurors

By Miles Klee

Donald Trump , a man renowned for craving adulation and approval, has this week been confronted with the disdain of Manhattanites called as prospective jurors in his New York criminal trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels . No wonder he’s apparently trying to sleep through the proceedings.

While no jurors were selected on Monday — with dozens excused after indicating they could not be fair and impartial in weighing the 34 felony charges against Trump — seven made the cut on Tuesday. (The court will need 18 people to qualify in all: 12 jurors and six alternates.) However, more were dismissed after questions arose about content they had shared on social media that disparaged the former president, and Trump himself was not spared from hearing what they had posted.

At another point, tweeted Tyler McBrien of Lawfare , the judge read a meme into the record that seemingly disqualified the would-be juror who shared it. The joke referenced the Thai youth soccer team dramatically rescued after they were trapped in a flooded cave system for more than two weeks in the summer of 2018, when Trump was still in office: “Trump invites the Thai boys to the White House, and the boys request to return to their cave.”

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At least one juror missed their chance to deliberate on Trump’s case due to his explicit political disagreements with the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee for president. “Good news!! Trump lost his battle on his unlawful travel ban!!! Get him out, and lock him up,” they wrote on a social media account when the administration suffered a legal setback in upholding executive orders preventing entry into the U.S. by individuals from several countries with majority-Muslim populations.

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Trump's hush money trial begins Monday. Here's what to expect.

Donald Trump will become the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case next week — and he'll do so against the backdrop of a presidential campaign in which he's the presumptive Republican nominee.

Jury selection begins Monday in New York City, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Here's a look at what you need to know and what's expected to happen.

How long is jury selection expected to last?

Jury selection is expected to last one to two weeks. Starting Monday, prosecutors and lawyers for Trump will seek to whittle a pool of potentially hundreds of people to 12 jurors and six alternates. Each juror will answer 42 questions designed to discern whether they can be impartial about the polarizing former president. Questions include inquiries about what news sources they follow and whether they've ever attended any Trump rallies or protests. The jurors will be anonymous, meaning their identities will be withheld from the public because of security concerns.

A criminal trial involving Trump's company before the same judge in 2022 took a week to select 12 jurors and five alternates.

What is Trump charged with?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a low-level felony. Trump faces a maximum of four years behind bars if he’s convicted.

What is the prosecution alleging?

Prosecutors allege Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

At the heart of the case are allegations of various sex scandals that prosecutors say Trump tried to suppress with the help of his lawyer Michael Cohen and top executives in charge of the National Enquirer. In the final days of the election, Cohen paid $130,000 to one of the women, adult film star Stormy Daniels, to keep silent about her claim she'd had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the allegation.

After he was elected, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of checks from his trust that were processed through the Trump Organization and labeled as payments "for legal services rendered" — a claim the DA says was false.

What is Trump’s defense?

Trump has maintained he didn’t do anything wrong, and while he has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen, he has said he didn’t know details about what Cohen was doing.

His lawyers are likely to target Cohen on the witness stand by painting him as a liar who loathes the former president and whose testimony shouldn’t be believed. They’re likely to be aggressive with Daniels, as well, and they’re expected to focus on comments she has made mocking Trump in an effort to portray her as biased and untrustworthy.

Who will testify for the prosecution?

Cohen, who says Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels, is expected to be a key witness, as is Daniels. Trump's attorneys sought to bar both from testifying, but Judge Juan Merchan gave both the green light to take the stand. Daniels' former attorney Keith Davidson is likely to testify about his negotiations over the payment, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Also expected to testify is Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump, a claim he denies. She received money from the Enquirer to keep quiet about her allegations in what prosecutors said was part of a "catch and kill" scheme designed to keep a lid on potential Trump scandals.

David Pecker, a Trump ally who was the CEO of Enquirer publisher AMI at the time, is also expected to be called, the source said. Dylan Howard, another former AMI executive involved in the discussions with Trump and Cohen, may also testify.

Former White House communications director Hope Hicks — who prosecutors have said was involved in phone calls among Trump, Cohen and AMI — and former Trump assistant Madeleine Westerhout are also likely to take the stand, the source said.

Jurors are also expected to hear from Jeffrey McConney, the former controller for the Trump Organization, and Deborah Tarasoff, a former accounts payable supervisor at the company, the source said.

Who will testify in Trump's defense?

Court filings show Trump plans to call Bradley A. Smith, a former Federal Election Commission chair who will testify about the FEC and its function, laws it's responsible for enforcing and definitions and terms that relate to the case. The judge ruled he won’t be allowed to offer his opinion about whether Trump's actions violated election law, as Trump had hoped he would.

Trump, who is the only person who can directly rebut some of Cohen's claims, said Friday that he would "absolutely" testify in the trial. He is not required to take the stand.

Will Trump have to be in court every day?

Unlike the New York civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll defamation trials, the DA's case is criminal, so Trump is required to be in court every day to participate in his defense. The trial is off on Wednesdays, but Trump will have to be in court for the four other days of the court week. The trial days are expected to last from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Trump has suggested he might do campaign events at night after having attended court during the day.

How many jurors' votes are needed for a conviction or an acquittal?

To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree on whether Trump is guilty or not guilty of a specific charge.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made

• Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on Friday.
• The standard edition's 16 tracks are reminiscent of "Midnights," but more textured and chaotic.
• The best tracks are "Loml," "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," and "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"

Taylor Swift's 11th studio album "The Tortured Poets Department" arrived Friday in all its messy glory after a pointedly low-key rollout .

In a prologue included with the CD booklet, Swift describes the album as "a detailed rewinding / For the purpose of warning / For the sake of reminding."

Swift frames "Poets" as a debrief of an ill-fated love affair, "a mutual manic phase" in the wake of a breakup — torrid, brief, yet creatively fruitful. "A smirk creeps onto this poet's face," she writes. "Because it's the worst men that I write best."

"Poets" is the first set of all-new songs that Swift has released since her breakup with Joe Alwyn, whom she dated for about six years before their split made headlines last April . Shortly after, she was linked to The 1975 frontman Matty Healy .

The follow-up to Swift's record-breaking 2022 album "Midnights" echoes the commercially favored pop-forward sound of its predecessor, with much of the album produced by Swift's longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff . Aaron Dessner, who worked extensively with Swift on sister albums "Folklore" and "Evermore," produced the remaining chunk of songs.

Two hours after the album's release, Swift surprised fans with "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," which contains 15 additional songs . However, for the purposes of our review, the standard-edition tracklist will be treated as the primary, cohesive body of work.

As Business Insider's senior music reporter , I listened to the new album on my own, jotting down my initial thoughts track by track.

Here's what I thought of each song on "The Tortured Poets Department" upon first listen . (Skip to the end to see the only songs worth listening to and the album's final score.)

"Fortnight" sounds like a vault track from "Midnights" (derogatory).

Throughout my life, pressing play on a new Taylor Swift album has been a treat. But as soon as the opening synths on "The Tortured Poets Department" hit my eardrums, I felt my body tense up.

Antonoff has caught a lot of flack from music critics and other skeptics for doubling down on his signature sound and failing to innovate, particularly when it comes to his creative partnership with Swift. I don't tend to agree — to assign all blame to Antonoff is to belittle his female collaborators — but alas, "Fortnight" is a prime example of this complaint. The song immediately sounds like a "Midnights" B-side: boring, banal, and exactly what I do not want from this album .

Worse still, "Fortnight" squanders Post Malone . The rapper-turned-earnest-dude singer is coming off an acclaimed set of duets with Noah Kahan ("Dial Drunk") and Beyoncé ("Levii's Jeans"), both of which offered the proper platform for Malone's surprisingly folksy voice. In Swift's world, however, he is rendered superfluous.

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a cringe-worthy song and an unworthy title track.

It is objectively hilarious that Swift released "1989 (Taylor's Version)" in October with a direct request to stop speculating about her personal life , only to name her new album after a song that invites us to speculate about her personal life — specifically her (alleged) fling with Matty Healy last spring.

"You left your typewriter at my apartment / Straight from the tortured poets department," Swift sings in the song's opening line, perhaps confirming her album title was inspired by a caption from Healy's now-deleted Instagram, " Gay Poets Society ." (I can't think of anyone else in Swift's social circle who's gleefully pretentious enough to carry around a typewriter.) "You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate," she sings later, likely a nod to The 1975's breakout hit " Chocolate ."

Not only does "The Tortured Poets Department" invite speculation, but in the bridge, it even names names.

"You told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave / And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen," Swift sings. Note: Her friend Lucy Dacus (of boygenius fame) was filmed dancing with Healy at The Eras Tour . The second name almost certainly refers to Antonoff, who also coproduced The 1975's latest album, " Being Funny In a Foreign Language ."

"Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be," Swift adds in a teasing lilt. "'Cause we're crazy." No kidding!

This song is surely meant to be over-the-top corny and tongue-in-cheek amusing, and it succeeds on both counts. Even the title is an inside joke.

Unfortunately, lyrics like "We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist" and "I scratch your head, you fall asleep / Like a tattooed golden retriever" will haunt me until the day that I die. I can already see disparaging tweets about "Kidz Bop (Taylor's Version)" in my mind's eye. This is worse than the "sexy baby" fiasco .

Especially with its typical Antonoff production, this song sounds like an AI-created "Midnights" parody. Swift is right about one thing: This is definitely not the Chelsea Hotel.

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" would be right at home on "1989 (Taylor's Version)."

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" sounds exactly like the vault tracks from "1989 (Taylor's Version)" — which, you guessed it, were accused of sounding eerily similar to "Midnights" songs.

To be fair, I love all the "1989" vault tracks (especially " Is It Over Now? "), so this isn't necessarily a knock in my book. But it does mean that "My Boy" fails to stand out. It relies on a fast-dulling formula.

"Down Bad" is the "Slut!" sequel no one expected.

There were rumors The 1975 was meant to be featured on " Slut! " and Healy is even listed as a cowriter in some physical copies of "1989 (Taylor's Version)." (He met Swift a decade ago, around the time the album was originally written.)

Healy's contributions to the song were apparently erased after fans condemned their relationship last year . We assumed it would go down as a glitch in her legacy. But as always, Swift gets the last word .

Where Swift once sighed, "If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once," now she fumes, "Fuck it, I was in love. So fuck you if I can't have us."

Both songs confront the disconnect between Swift's polished public image and her salacious desires, as well as the intersection of romance and delusion.

On "Down Bad," this album starts to pick up steam. Antonoff's sparkly synths and Swift's breezy vocals persist, but we're teased with a slice of her brain that's enthrallingly unhinged.

"So Long, London" illustrates the agony of a drawn-out goodbye.

In terms of sequencing, "Poets" is like the anti-"Midnights." Where the latter was front-loaded with album highlights, "Poets" kicked off by testing my loyalty. The first 16 minutes or so had me seriously concerned.

"So Long, London" marked a key turning point in my listening experience — a blessed wellspring of trust in Swift's vision.

Dessner's influence is immediately felt in the song's slow-burn pacing. As a production team, Swift and Dessner excel at creating tension and building toward catharsis. (Think "Exile," "Champagne Problems," " Would've, Could've, Should've ," etc.) "So Long, London" is another such success story.

Swift's lyrics mirror the production, mounting with urgency as the seconds tick away — as if her love is crumbling in real time.

"I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free," she sings, her voice heavy with grief. "You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof."

"But Daddy I Love Him" is a scorched-earth song where Swift really comes alive.

Last year, I wrote an article encouraging Swift to criticize her own fans , particularly those with an intense fixation on her personal life. At the time, this felt like a pipe dream. Swift has long embraced a laissez-faire approach to fan behavior, even when it's been obviously invasive, homophobic , or even threatening .

Now, my request doesn't seem so far-fetched. "But Daddy I Love Him" is the closest Swift has ever gotten to scolding parasocial Swifties, many of whom were vocal about their distaste for Healy .

After cracking some jokes at their expense ("I'm having his baby / No I'm not! / But you should see your faces"), Swift goes absolutely scorched-earth in the bridge.

"God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what's best for me," she spits. "Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see / Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me."

The song plays like a grown-up, jaded version of "Love Story," where societal pressures and family feuds are no match for Swift's wildest whims. And she goes all-in: "But Daddy I Love Him" is the longest song on the album, stuffed with Shakespeare-level dramatics.

"Fresh Out the Slammer" is a fascinating tale of freedom and lust.

"Fresh Out the Slammer" kicks off with an Orville Peck-esque electric guitar, adopting a vintage Western-rock vibe. After flipping off her audience in the previous track, this feels like the ideal moment for Swift to assume the role of an outlaw.

The song title, a euphemism for getting out of jail, works in this context, with Swift using the phrase to evoke her newfound single status. She's recently left a relationship and she's eager to "run back home" to an old flame.

This is juicy on many levels when compared to the timeline of Swift's love life (at least, the timeline the public is privy to). But speaking broadly, this song is juicy no matter who it's about. Swift revels in her long-sought freedom, justifying her rebound with a loaded shrug: "I did my time."

I don't know the intimate details of Swift's love life, but I do know one thing. If you ever compare your relationship to jail time, my hope is that you'll run — as fast and as far away as possible.

"Florida!!!" includes a potent feature from Florence + the Machine.

"Florida!!!" is a fascinating outlier on this tracklist. The lyrics are rich yet cryptic, boasting clear traces of Florence Welch's creative touch.

Welch is a painfully underrated lyricist, so I'm thrilled she was given a proper feature on this album. (We all remember what happened with Lana Del Rey's wasted vocals on "Midnights.") I can only imagine that Swift heard recent Welch cuts like "King" and " Girls Against God " and thought to herself, "I wish I wrote that."

"Florida!!!" is ambiguous with its bottom line, but with a song that sounds this cool and spooky, it's hard to care if the story has a moral. Swift sings of a town that "reeks of driving myself crazy," while Welch fantasizes about getting drunk and drowning her exes in a swamp. "Is that a bad thing to say in a song?" they harmonize with a knowing smile, all but winking at the listener.

Welch infuses a jolt of mystic, curious energy into Swift's modern-pop diarism. Their duet is a fever dream, full of hedonistic pursuits and hallucinations. It's perfectly placed at the album's midway point, foreshadowing a descent into madness in its latter half. Both women succumb to Florida's charms like they're following a siren song — and they're beckoning us to follow.

"Guilty as Sin?" is somehow sad and horny at the same time.

For those who'll accuse this album of barely addressing Swift's longest public relationship, allow me to enter the first verse of this song into evidence: "My boredom's bone-deep / This cage was once just fine / Am I allowed to cry? / I dream of cracking locks / Throwing my life to the wolves, or the ocean rocks / Crashing into him tonight."

In just a few lines, Swift offers a more poignant portrayal of the " seven-year itch " than I have ever heard or read. In reality, falling out of love is a sluggish and bitter process.

Swift copes with this phenomenon by projecting her carnal cravings onto a clean, blank slate — a man who hasn't disappointed her yet.

"Someone told me, 'There's no such thing as bad thoughts, only your actions talk,'" she continues. "We've already done it in my head / If it's make-believe / Why does it feel like a vow / We'll both uphold somehow?"

To put it bluntly, these lyrics are bonkers. I cannot believe Swift committed these thoughts to paper, recorded them in a studio, submitted them to her label, and then released them into the world. She has been horny in her music before ("Dress," "Maroon") and she's been audacious in her music before (the entirety of "Speak Now"), but given her current level of fame, this is unprecedented.

To be clear, I mean that in a positive way. I'm eating this up. After all, Swift's been warning us for years that she's the maddest woman this town has ever seen . She had a marvelous time ruining everything, haven't you heard?

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is an obvious standout.

Swift loves a self-righteous battle cry ("I Did Something Bad," "The Man," "Vigilante Shit"), but this might be the first time she's gotten it exactly right. Backed by warlike drums, Swift lays siege to the celebrity machine.

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" contains some all-timers in Swift's storied catalog of one-liners: "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" is a personal favorite, but every lyric lands like a bomb or a punchline: "Put narcotics into all of my songs / And that's why you're still singing along."

This song is everything that "Reputation" wanted to be: darkly funny, sharply observed, vulnerable, sinister, and formidable at every turn.

"I was tame, I was gentle, 'til the circus life made me mean / Don't you worry folks, we took out all her teeth! / Who's afraid of little old me?" Swift wails in the chorus, before adding coyly: "Well, you should be."

Indeed, if that question is coming from Swift, the answer is me. I am terrified of this woman for making me feel so demented and powerful with a five-minute package of pop melodies.

"I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" depicts Swift at a crossroads in her relationship.

As its title suggests, "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" begins to reveal the cracks in Swift's feverish love story. "The smoke cloud billows out his mouth like a freight train through a small town," she sings to open the song. "The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud."

Although she spends the rest of the song pledging to "fix him," balking at any suggestion that she might be out of her depth, Swift's doubts taint the whole affair.

In a stroke of surreal brilliance, Swift paints her unlikable lover as an old-school cowboy — cruising down a Texas highway, hands calloused from his trusty pistol — calling back to her lawless behavior in "Fresh Out the Slammer."

"Loml" is the most heart-wrenching song on the tracklist.

"Loml" sees Swift reflecting on a doomed relationship, retracing her steps, watching helplessly as the "love of my life" becomes the "loss of my life."

"You shit-talked me under the table / Talking rings and talking cradles / I wish I could unrecall / How we almost had it all," Swift sings in the show-stopping bridge. "Dancing phantoms on the terrace / Are they secondhand embarrassed / That I can't get out of bed? Because something counterfeit's dead."

These questions recall " The 1 ," the opening track on "Folklore," which Swift began to perform on The Eras Tour after her breakup with Alwyn was made public.

"The 1" is all about existential probes and what-if doom spirals, all about "digging up the grave another time." In "Loml," Swift falls back into her old patterns: "Still alive, killing time at the cemetery / Never quite buried."

"Loml" is the only song on "Poets" that made me cry on the first play.

I'll admit I'm surprised there aren't more songs like this on this tracklist. But a love that burns, crackles, and explodes is much easier to obsess over (and write pop songs about) than a love that decays, resurrects, and dies again. That's what makes the painful precision of "Loml" even more impressive. Swift's grave-plotting memory is her greatest asset as a lyricist.

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" is extravagant, self-referential, and exhilarating.

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" might be the most pop-forward fit of maximalism on this entire tracklist. Against all odds, it's an album highlight.

This is a masterful exposé of a carefully constructed spectacle. Swift depicts her onstage performance as a kind of perverse wish fulfillment: "All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, 'MORE!'" (Fans will recognize this imagery from the "Folklore" standout "Mirrorball," which Swift performed acoustically on the opening night of The Eras Tour.)

We don't have time to unpack all the revelations in this song, but suffice it to say that "Broken Heart" succeeds as a satire, a confession, and an indictment of sexist double standards ("Lights, camera, bitch, smile!"), all at the same time.

Women in pop music are expected to refract sequin stars, hit their marks, fake it 'til they make it — even when they wanna die — while men are permitted to show up in T-shirts, stand still, and lip-sync . If this song makes you uncomfortable, it's probably meant to.

In the outro, Swift leaves little room for ambiguity, exclaiming deliriously: "I'm miserable! And no one even knows!" It's campy and it's vicious. She lands the punchline, but it feels more like she's twisting the knife.

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is a classic Swiftian takedown.

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is alive with malice, full of deliciously specific anecdotes: "You tried to buy some pills / From a friend of friends of mine / They just ghosted you / Now you know what it feels like." If someone had written that lyric about me, I'd be forced to fake my own death and start fresh with a new identity. And that's just the first verse. The bridge is positively lethal.

If you're surprised by the proficiency of this takedown — all for a man who was "gone by the morning" — may I remind you of Swift's magnum opus, " All Too Well ," which she reportedly wrote about a three-month relationship that blew up in her face.

This is where Swift thrives as a songwriter: the interpretive limbo between possibility and security; the yearning for what could've been; the aftermath of short-lived bliss, when all that's left is the future you once imagined.

"The Alchemy" is open to interpretation.

Much like "Mastermind," the closing track on "Midnights," "The Alchemy" could be interpreted as a love song or a metaphor for Swift's career .

"What if I told you I'm back? / The hospital was a drag / Worst sleep that I ever had," she sings in the first verse, poking fun at her own propensity to spin painful experiences into albums.

Indeed, the chorus plays like a tongue-in-cheek nod to Swift's dominance in the industry: "Ditch the clowns, get the crown / Baby, I'm the one to be," she winks. "Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?" She manages to toe the line between cheeky and sincere, tipping her hat to the fans who transformed her life and put her on the throne.

"Clara Bow" draws a parallel between Swift and the first "It Girl."

"Clara Bow" joins Swift's collection of songs about the peculiar experience of fame. (Think: "The Lucky One," "The Last Great American Dynasty," "You're On Your Own, Kid," etc.) To hear her tell it, Swift felt stardom beckon from a very young age, almost like an invisible string was tying her to the stage.

In the song, Swift dreams of glory and promises to be "dazzling." She even name-drops Stevie Nicks and her mysterious moonlit magic . But she also allows for a sliver of regret in retrospect: "Only when your girlish glow flickers just so / Do they let you know / It's hell on earth to be heavenly."

As the song winds down, Swift adds her own name to the succession of Bow and Nicks, doubling as the observed and her own observer. It's a fitting end to an album full of pomp and performance.

Final Grade: 8.4/10

Here's the thing: Swift knows that people will pore over the details of this album to dissect her romantic travails. I'm as guilty as anyone else, and I know it's not a noble practice. It's an obsessive storm Swift is willing to weather to do what she loves for a living.

But Swift did not become as big and beloved as she is because of that storm. In fact, I would argue she's successful in spite of it. 

Most people are not chronically online Easter egg hunters. Most people do not play Swift's music in the car, in the shower, or in a dark room after a bad day, over and over for years, because they crave the details of her latest breakup.

We don't listen to Swift's music because it necessarily is true. We listen because it feels true. She writes about characters we recognize and experiences we've lived, blowing everything out of proportion in the way we wish we could. The size of Swift's platform is directly proportional to the bigness of her feelings, whatever or whoever may have provoked them.

That said, don't let the "tattooed golden retriever" (the man or the lyric) distract you from the truth. Corny as some moments may be, this is a marvelously deranged pop album.

Despite the rough start, Swift builds incredible momentum from track four onwards, tossing out confessions and confronting hecklers with a tearaway, absurd kind of zeal.

Of course, there are still mid-tempo synths and simple earworms by the fistful. This is hardly new sonic territory — nor would I praise the album as an artistic risk — but "The Tortured Poets Department" is bolder and more berserk than Swift's previous pop achievements. "1989" was a tricky pivot at the time, but Swift still made sure to play by the radio's rules, sticking to traditional song structures and repetitive hooks. More recently, "Midnights" gestured toward interesting themes but ultimately felt thin.

On "Poets," Swift doesn't exactly break with her well-established, commercial-friendly conventions — but she does toy with her audience in interesting ways.

There's depth and texture in these songs, even shades of the guitar-forward rock sound that many fans crave. It's a pop album without an obvious radio hit. Swift's lyrics are surprisingly meta, packed with fourth-wall breaks and self-aware pouts. Her vocal delivery is varied, passionate, often performative. She shrieks and snarls and deploys a whisper that's dripping with lust, such that we've rarely heard. For a pop star with Swift's relish for mass appeal, this album almost sounds bloodthirsty by comparison.

"The Tortured Poets Department" won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's chaotic, verbose, and full of words that scream "I own a thesaurus."

It still works, because Swift is in on the joke.

At the end of the day, I'd rather have a sensitive and self-indulgent album than one that's trying too hard to be pretty and perfect. I can't relate to the woman looking statuesque onstage, with her polite grin and sequined silhouette. But I can relate to the woman who bares her teeth when the crowd demands, "MORE!"

Worth listening to:

"So Long, London"

"But Daddy, I Love Him"

"Fresh Out the Slammer"

"Florida!!! (featuring Florence + The Machine)"

"Guilty as Sin?"

"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"

"I Can Fix Him (No Really, I Can)"

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"

"The Alchemy"

"Clara Bow"

Background music:

"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"

Press skip:

"Fornight (featuring Post Malone)"

"The Tortured Poets Department"

*Final album score based on songs per category (1 point for "Worth listening to," .5 for "Background music," 0 for "Press skip").

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