Clara Hogan

Zoos provide an amazing chance to connect with wildlife and develop empathy. Who can’t be moved to protect wildlife after watching newborn lemurs energetically play with each other? Or after seeing the placid stare of a tiger or pop-up nature of the prairie dogs? Zoos let us see animals that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to see without traveling across the world, and most zoos do their best to provide habitats that give animals humane treatment and a safe place to roam with as much space as possible. Often, the funds raised by zoos can pay for captive breeding programs that protect endangered species. There are even some species that are extinct in the wild but still living within zoos, such as the Przewalski's horse (can be found in the San Francisco Zoo, among others), Père David's deer (can be found in the Bronx Zoo and others) and the Guam kingfisher (can be found in the St. Louis Zoo and others). Here are the best zoos in the U.S. RECOMMENDED: ⛰️ The best outdoor adventures in the U.S.🌍 The best camping in the U.S.

There are few destinations you can go where you are guaranteed fun in the sun. But we have found the perfect weatherproof paradises: indoor water parks. Whether you like swooshing down slides feet first or head first, it's always sunny and a balmy 84 degrees Fahrenheit at these indoor water parks.  There are 1,153 water parks in the USA and Canada as of March 2021, according to hospitality consulting firm Hotel & Leisure Advisors. While we haven't visited every water park, we have splished and splashed our way through the best indoor water parks. We've spent countless days sliding and gliding round and round and round twisty, turny slides that slosh us with water at every turn and floating on colorful inner tubes down meandering lazy rivers.  Don't let the indoor aspect turn you off from tropical-themed fun. We know a wet and wild time when we see it. If you insist on stepping outside, most indoor water parks have an outdoor water park that is open seasonally and other attractions like arcade games. Nearly all are connected to a resort to extend the fun. Think the beach is the only place to get a tan year-round? Beach, please. Most of these parks have glass or retractable roofs that allow you to lay by a pool and get your tan on 365. Some have swim up bars, as well as comfortable cabanas. So, go on, run, jump, slip and slide into America's best indoor water parks.

Music festivals in the U.S. are changing. Yes, there are still the major annual blowouts, from Coachella in California to Ultra in Miami. But just in the last year or so, we’ve bid farewell to four beloved festivals previously on this guide: Electric Zoo in New York, Wonderbus in Ohio, Hangout Fest in Alabama and Pitchfork in Chicago. Tastes shift, crowds evolve. But as the dust settles on those festivals, new ones have sprung up in their stead. New to our 2025 update is III Points, a Miami music festival showcasing left-field electronic acts. Rolling Loud, the world’s largest hop-hip music festival, has also joined the ranks. And it’s no longer just about the bands or DJs performing—we want more and better food and drink options, wellness activations, cultural experiences and spaces for kicking back socializing all woven into our festivals, too. Luckily, whether it's well-known festivals like Bonnaroo in Tennesse and the Governors Ball in New York or more niche festivals like Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, there’s likely an epic musical gathering that caters to you. From pop and country to EDM, rock and folk—if you're looking to dance your way through the year, we have you covered. Here are the best music festivals across America in 2025. 

Between booking, packing and activity planning, organizing the perfect, cheap family vacation in the U.S. can feel like an Olympic sport. That said, it’s well worth the hassle. There’s something special about whisking everyone off to a new place to explore, away from the hustle of daily life, to create new, lifelong memories. To help alleviate extra stress and make your 2025 travel planning easier, we’ve compiled over 20 of our favorite family- and budget-friendly spots nationwide to appease an array of interests. Outdoor-loving families, for example, can take their pick of renowned national parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Alternatively, those craving an urban escape teeming with history, art and culture should consider major metropolises like Washington, D.C., or Chicago, IL. Last but not least, sun-seekers can post up on the sand along oceanfront locales like Destin, FL. Keep reading to discover our top picks—and start planning, STAT.

San Francisco’s got a lot to offer families. Besides the usual fun things you’d expect in a city of a certain size (a wonderful municipal zoo, great science museums), San Francisco has some things you can only do here: ride the bright red cable cars, visit a pirate supply store, walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and watch 1800s animated dioramas spring to life. There are plenty of vantage points to show your kids the incredible beauty of the bay, including the Presidio Tunnel Tops with 14 acres of playspace with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge for every cartwheel and Frisbee toss. And while at the end of the day mom or dad might want to slide into a chair for a Michelin-starred restaurant experience, here is our list of best cheap eats to make this family vacation more affordable. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco  

When you say the word "America," certain symbols more than likely pop into your head. At least one of these is an iconic attraction synonymous with the U.S., like the Washington Monument, Golden Gate Bridge, or the Statue of Liberty. The best tourist attractions in the USA are etched in our cultural memory and draw millions of visitors from around the globe each year for a reason, after all. The top tourist attractions in the USA span regions and draw millions of visitors from around the world each year. They include iconic structures like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis or the Space Needle in Seattle, plus important markers of the country's history like the Liberty Bell and Pearl Harbor. Add in natural wonders like Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon and places of cultural importance like New Orleans' French Quarter or Miami's Little Havana, and you have a rich tapestry of American life. To make it onto this list of the top tourist attractions in the USA, each attraction had to offer something cool or interesting about the American experience. This can take the form of a particularly powerful museum, a majestic natural park, or a historic shopping district. Additionally, each spot offers something worthwhile for a variety of travelers—whether your idea of a great trip is shopping till you drop or hiking a natural wonder, we have something for you. Read on for the 26 top tourist attractions in the USA. RECOMMENDED: The coolest observation decks in America

There’s a reason people travel here from all over the world. We have incredible views, world-class dining, diverse neighborhoods, a park in walking distance from every home, hiking trails overlooking bay and ocean waters, spectacular museums and stunning architecture. A bridge or underground BART train leads you to the fabulous towns of Oakland and Berkeley, or you can take a ferry or the Golden Gate Bridge north to beautiful Sausalito and the wine country cities of Napa and Sonoma. Heading south, you’ll find San Jose and other tech cities. The entire Bay Area welcomes you with memorable experiences like kayaking, visiting brewpubs, tasting your way through Michelin-starred restaurants and perching on a rooftop bar to fondly regard the picture postcard vista below you. Here are a few of our don’t-miss activities to make sure you really get the best of the Bay Area. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in San Francisco

A romantic restaurant isn’t a tall order. We just need some flattering lighting, a space quiet enough to hear each other and food that feels special in some way, either because it’s beautifully plated or because it tastes so good it’s a great precursor. A restaurant doesn’t have to be expensive to be romantic—it just has to have a certain warm, intimate vibe that mirror how the diners are feeling. Here are our 16 picks for the most romantic restaurants in San Francisco. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🏛️ The best museums in San Francisco🍽️ The best restaurants in San Francisco🏨 The best hotels in San Francisco  

Breakfast: It all starts with coffee, but after that it can go a number of different directions, all of them delicious if it’s San Francisco. You might be after a tower of pancakes or a full plate of shakshuka, dashing in for a bagel or luxuriating over some perfectly plated French confection. Whatever it takes to get us going in the morning—eggs, bacon, mimomas—we’re grateful for the chance to sit down with family and friends with a bite to sustain us. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in San Francisco

San Francisco’s such an iconic city that images of it are instantly recognizable: our beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars winding their way up steep streets, the hilltop Coit Tower, the cityscape crowned with the Transamerica Pyramid, the tie-dyed remembrances of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the red lanterns of Chinatown… alright, you get the point. Everywhere you look, neighborhoods bustle with their own identity and history. Add in the blue waters that form a picturesque border around three sides of the city, atmospheric fog that drenches photos in a moody blur, elaborately painted Victorian row houses and an incredible food scene, and you have just a sliver of an idea of how bountiful and rich the City by the Bay is. So get out there (always make sure to pay attention to your surroundings, of course) and enjoy these top things to do in San Francisco for colorful moments you won’t find elsewhere. RECOMMENDED: 🎨 The best museums in San Francisco🛏️ The best Airbnbs in San Francisco🏨 The best hotels in San Francisco

America, the Beautiful. Or so the famous 1893 poem goes. There's nowhere that declaration rings more true than in America's national parks. These protected lands, from coast to coast, safeguard and showcase untamed wilderness with awe-inspiring beauty and diverse wildlife ecosystems. Today, there are more than 400 sites in the National Park Service, including 63 major parks—from America's first national park (Yellowstone) to dramatic landscapes carved by ancient forces. When adventure calls, turn to this list of some of the country's best national parks. (Pro tip: Grab an America the Beautiful pass, which gets you year-round access to all the parks. You'll be glad you did as you hike beneath towering redwoods, camp out under a blanket of stars, and witness the unspoiled natural beauty.  RECOMMENDED: The best national forests in the U.S.

Everyone has their own idea of what Chinese food is in America. Drive through any town in the country and you’ll be able to find the classic egg rolls, lo mein, beef and broccoli, General Tso’s, fortune cookies and so on. And trust—there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! But if you know where to look, you can find authentic dishes from centuries-old recipes, modern takes on beloved treasures, and fresh produce and made-from-scratch sauces worthy of Michelin stars. Ready to expand your palate? Give your taste buds a treat by visiting the following restaurants. Whether you’re looking for a chef’s table experience, an upscale eatery, or an entirely veganized menu, there’s something for everyone. Now it’s up to you: Will you go for the noodles or the dumplings? Have your decision ready when you eat at the best Chinese restaurants in the United States.

What is the Golden Gate Bridge? Built in 1937 to connect San Francisco with the Marin headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most universally recognized landmarks and most photographed bridge in the world. Visitors stand in awe of its 746-foot tall towers and bold International Orange color, which is repainted year-round. Is the Golden Gate Bridge worth visiting? The Golden Gate Bridge is the number one landmark in San Francisco—don't miss a chance to witness its stunning architecture, be it heading across the bridge or taking in views from San Francisco or Marin. Whichever way you choose, just don't forget a jacket—Karl the Fog is often looming nearby.  What's the best way to see the Golden Gate Bridge? Visitors often choose to experience crossing the bridge by foot, bike or car. Bikes and cars are permitted access 24 hours a day, while walkers can cross using the east sidewalk between 5am-6:30pm (5am-9pm during Daylight Savings Time).  Looking for a good viewing spot instead? You'll have plenty of options, including Crissy Field, Fort Point, Baker Beach or our favorite, the brand-new Presidio Tunnel Tops. What's good to eat near the Golden Gate Bridge? There aren't a lot of options directly near the base of the bridge on either side. On the San Francisco side, your best bet is in the Presidio—try Il Parco for a casual option in the Presidio Tunnel Tops park or Dalida, a buzzy new Mediterranean restaurant. On the Marin side, we continue taking in the views from Farl

You can hear the Napa Valley Wine Train before you see it. Starting in Downtown Napa at the McKinstry Street Station, the train rumbles through towns like Yountville and iconic vineyards like V. Sattui on a 36-mile round trip journey to St. Helena and back. The cavalcade of railroad cars were built in 1951 by the Pullman Standard Company and  refurbished for the modern era with details nodding to the original time period such as plush booths and mahogany paneling. Passengers can choose from a variety of dining journeys, including the Gourmet Express (a multi-course meal), Romance on the Rails (dinner and wine in a private booth on the train's Vista Dome) and Murder Mystery (a murder-mystery– themed dinner). One of the most intimate option is the Champagne Vista Dome experience, which guarantees you a private table. This car features curved glass windows in the observation-style dining car that give even more expansive views of Napa's lush countryside.  The three-hour lunch and two-hour dinner rides generally stick to the rails, but if getting off and exploring the vineyards is more of your thing, opt for one of the winery tours; most go to a few wineries and include lunch or dinner on the train.

Since 1994, the old stone cottage in the heart of wine country that houses the French Laundry has stood among the holiest of holy grails not only for destination diners, but aspiring industry pros around the world. Chef Thomas Keller’s influence on the culinary world is inestimable; without him, there’d be no Noma, Alinea, Benu or Frasca Food and Wine, to name just a few iconic restaurants his mentees have gone on to open. The pilgrimage to this intimate, 17-table Napa Valley institution remains at the very top of foodies’ bucket lists. Reservations open a month in advance, with seatings occurring daily from 4pm to 8:15pm. Every meal begins with a crisp salmon tartare cornet paired with a glass of champagne. From there, diners select one of the two prix fixe menus (one for meat eaters and one for vegetarians) and are then promptly taken on a three-to-four hour culinary journey. Dishes consist of classic and refined, yet unstuffy, French cuisine that showcase California-fresh produce sourced from the culinary garden across the street. The French Laundry has served as the pinnacle of fine dining for 25 years, with hospitality as unwaveringly pristine as the food. The restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars every year since the first Michelin guide to the San Francisco Bay Area was issued in 2007, making Keller the only American chef to have two three-star restaurants at the same time (the other being Per Se in New York.)  The restaurant recently underwent a stunning $1

Think of San Francisco’s largest Halloween pub crawl as trick-or-treating for adults. Thousands of costumed revelers take over Polk Street for drinks, music and dancing, and costume contests. This year, whether you show up on foot or via the San Francisco Party Bus, you’re sure to be in spooktacular company at 20 haunted watering holes including Mayes, Nick's Crispy Tacos, Del Mar, and Wonder SF. It’s free to join the festivities.     

Napa Valley’s BottleRock festival is back this year for its first “normal” event since 2019. The festival was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and, in 2021, it was delayed until the fall and had pandemic precautions in place. This year, BottleRock is back in all its glory in its usual slot, Memorial Day weekend, with big-name headlining artists from Pink to Metallica and Luke Combs. Other performers include Twenty One Pilots, Kygo, Pitbull, Alessia Cara, Vance Joy, and Amos Lee. The event will also host a slew of other activities from famous chefs and celebrities on the culinary stage to an impressive food and drink line-up and a series of more intimate performances outside of the main event.  We’ve rounded up answers to all of your questions to give you everything you need to know about BottleRock 2022. We also have you covered on where to go, eat, and sleep in Napa Valley should you want to explore more.  What is BottleRock?BottleRock Napa Valley, presented by JaM Cellars, is a three-day music, wine, craft brew and culinary festival that started in 2013.  When is BottleRock? BottleRock 2022 will run Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, in downtown Napa at the Napa Valley Expo fairgrounds. How do I buy BottleRock tickets? Three-day tickets are sold out, but one-day general admission tickets for Friday and Saturday are still available through the BottleRock website. You can also still buy sold-out passes through the official ticket exchange Lyte. How much are BottleRock tickets?

What is Alcatraz? Alcatraz was once host to the first lighthouse on the West Coast, but it is most famous for serving as a former maximum security federal prison from 1934 to 1963. A small island situated in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, the formidable fortress was home to some of the 20th century's most notorious criminals. Today, the site is run by the National Park Service, and you can visit “The Rock” on a reserved tour. After taking a ferry departing from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing, you'll receive a headset that allows you to take a self-guided audio tour of the prison.  Is Alcatraz worth visiting? A trip to Alcatraz is worth it both for the scenic ride out and back—where you can take in sweeping views of the bay and cityscape—and for the enthralling tour of the abandoned prison. Narrated by former inmates and guards, the audio tour will tell you stories of harrowing escape attempts, prison riots and the 19-month long occupation of the site by Native Americans demanding reparation for broken treaties in 1969. What's the best way to see Alcatraz? There is only one way to visit Alcatraz: book a tour (which often book up in advance, so look early.) The site is operated by the National Parks Service and only one ferry company — Alcatraz City Cruises — has a contract to transport people to and from the island. Tours are offered year-round, and ferries depart every half an hour throughout the day. To get a more creepy bang for your buck, opt for a night tour. Plan to spe

The local coffee scene across American cities has exploded in recent years — but which city loves its coffee the most? That would be the City by the Bay, at least according to one recent report. San Francisco is the number one coffee city in America, ranked by a survey from the personal-finance website WalletHub. The calculation compared the 100 most populous cities across the US using 12 key metrics, including the average spending on coffee per household, the share of homes with coffee makers, the number of coffee shops and manufacturers per capita, and the number of coffee-centric events.  After San Francisco, Seattle, Orlando, Honolulu, and Portland rounded out the top five coffee cities.  Source: WalletHub Coffee has played an important role in San Francisco's history: the first cup of restaurant coffee in the West was served there, large coffee brands such as Hills Brothers and Folgers started in the city, and the Italian espresso houses of North Beach were popular meeting spots for famous Beat poets. Today, the "third wave" of coffee shops has meant a coffee boom.  San Francisco's top coffee shops are independent, full of local personality, and spread throughout the city. Favorites include Ritual Coffee, Andytown Coffee Roasters, and Farley's. A few of the factors for SF's number one rating — it had both the highest number of affordable coffee shops and cafes rated 4.5 stars or above per capita, as well as the highest number of manufacturers. It also ranked number on

Add another must-do to your San Francisco bucket list: the Presidio Tunnel Tops, a project 30 years in the making. The new federal parkland is now officially open, offering 14 acres of space to play along the bay and take in stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Tunnel Tops, located within the Presidio, a national park formed out of a former military outpost, debuted on July 17 to an outpouring of crowds eager to see the city's newest national park destination. It is a creative solution to creating usable green space in a densely packed city, located on top of the busy Presidio Parkway highway tunnels and connecting the center of the Presidio to the park’s Crissy Field waterfront. The unique design feat was a perfect fit for James Corner Field Operations, the firm behind New York City's High Line, which also found ways to connect urban streets to more peaceful, nature-focused settings.  The park is already a hit with locals and visitors alike, featuring picnic sites, a campfire circle, trails, native plant gardens as well as the Outpost, a sprawling two-acre, nature-inspired play area for children.    Photograph Courtesy of the Trust for the PresidioTunnel Tops   Getting to the Tunnel Tops is easy from most places in the city. Several of the city’s MUNI lines stop at the nearby transit center and there's a free PresidiGo shuttle from downtown.  If you get hungry, you can count on a variety of food trucks and carts nearby, in addition to a slew of eateries offered with

イギリスの金融商品比較サイト、Money.co.ukは新しい分析調査を実施し、LGBTQ+コミュニティーに最も友好的な世界の都市ランキング『The most LGBTQ+ accepting cities』を発表した。 分析に使われたのは、さまざまなデータ。例えばSocial Progressから入手した各国の受容度に関する世界的な指標、人口10万人当たりのLGBTQ+施設の数を示すTripadvisorのデータといったもの。出生証明書や運転免許証の性別表示変更が州相当レベルでどれだけ容易か、成人におけるLGBTQ+自認の割合、子育てをしている25歳以上のLGBTQ+成人数なども含まれている。 その結果、世界で最もLGBTQ+の人々を受け入れていのは、アイスランドのレイキャビクとなった。同地のLGBTQ+受容度スコアは満点の10ポイント。LGBTQ+専用のバーやクラブが最も多くあり、それらの質も高いことが結果に反映されたようだ。 2位、3位はオランダのアムステルダム、ロッテルダムが続いた。アムステルダムは、惜しくもレイキャビックにトップの座を譲ったが、スコアの差はほとんどない。受容度も9.8ポイントと非常に高く、ナイトライフについても数、質ともに大差がなかった。ロッテルダムは、LGBTQ+向けの施設の数が上位2都市に比べると少ないため、この順位になったようだ。 4位に入ったのが、アメリカのサンフランシスコ（アメリカの都市として1位）。同地は、人口10万人当たりのLGBTQ+施設の数が全都市中2番目に多く、それらのTripadvisorの平均評価も星4.2つと高い。サンフランシスコが高順位になったことは、この都市がLGBTQ+コミュニティーにとってリベラルで進歩的な避難所であるという長年の評判や、LGBTQ+運動の歴史を考えると大きな驚きではないだろう。 このランキングのトップ20を見てみると、、アメリカからはボストン（11位）、シアトル（12位）、ロサンゼルス（16位）、シカゴ（17位）の5都市がランクインしている。 ただ、同時発表されたアメリカの州別ランキングで1位になったのは、カリフォルニア州ではなく、ハワイ州だった。同州では人口の4.6％がLGBTQ+を自認。労働安全や出生証明書の性別表記を変更する手続きなどでも高い評価を受け、LGBTQ+コミュニティーで子育てをしている割合が30％と、上位5州の中で最も多い。ハワイに続く2位にはメイン州、3位にはバーモント州がランクイン。カリフォルニア州は4位となった。 ランキングと分析内容は、Money.co.ukの公式サイトで確認できる。 原文はこちら 関連記事 『ブライダル大手が同性婚のためのウエディングプランを紹介』 『東京、学びのクィアスポット6選』 『日本のジェンダー観や婚姻制度のあれこれ、もう一度社会の前提を疑おう』 『ニューヨーク歴史協会がLGBTQ+博物館の設立を発表』 『6年で日本は「ジェンダー平等」に近づいたのか、公平な制度の実現へ』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら

A new study shows which cities around the world are the most friendly toward the LGBTQ+ community, and we're not that surprised at the winners.  The study, conducted by Money.co.uk, analyzed cities based on a variety of criteria, including a worldwide indicator sourced from Social Progress on the level of acceptance in each country, Tripadvisor data showing the number of LGBTQ+ establishments per 100,000 people, as well as how easy it is at the state level to change the gender marker on your birth certificate and driver's license, the percentage of adults who identify as LGBTQ+, and how many LGBTQ+ adults over 25 are raising children, among other factors.  In the United States, San Francisco came out on top as the number one most accepting city in America, and fourth in the world. The city has the second-highest number of LGBTQ+ establishments per 100,000 people and has an average rating of 4.2 stars.  San Francisco coming in the first place isn't a huge surprise, given the city's long reputation as a liberal and progressive haven for the LGBTQ+ community and its history of LGBTQ+ activism. Out of the top 20 most accepting cities, five are based in the US: Boston ranked 11th; Seattle ranked 12th, Los Angeles placed 16th and Chicago came in at 17th. At the worldwide level, Reykjavik, Iceland was number one. That was followed by Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.  In terms of states in the US though, California wasn't number one. It came in fourth. Hawaii actually cam

Napa Valley is a bucket-list destination for every wine lover – the rolling vineyard hills, award-winning wineries, and gourmet California cuisine make it a foodie mecca that people around the world flock to. And one of the most magical ways to take in all that wine country has to offer is aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train.  The wine train is an iconic piece of Napa that’s been operating for more than 30 years, running directly through the valley on a rail line originally built in 1864. It was on a long hiatus during Covid, but officially re-opened in May. And now it's bringing back its popular Murder Mystery rides starting this month through October. The themed rides include 'Crime and Punishment,' 'Death of a Gangster' and a 'Wizards and Witches' tour that sounds perfect for Harry Potter fans (wizarding robes and hats are highly encouraged).  Photograph: Courtesy Napa Valley Wine Train While aboard the refurbished 1951 Pullman coaches, guests will have two hours to solve a murder (all while being served a multi-course fine-dining experience). On the Wizards and Witches tour – which takes place October 2, 9, and 16 – feel free to dress up as your favorite Hogwarts character and imagine you're aboard the Hogwarts Express!  Not into dress-up? The train offers a variety of other tours. Choose from various experiences and times, including daytime and evening rides, an intimate meal in the Champagne Dome, as well as those that includes stops at wineries and special ones like j