Erika Mailman

San Francisco’s museums reward people who like to spend time looking at art or historical objects. We have several world-class art museums and some fun collections that show how life used to be in the area before the Gold Rush brought the population up explosively. But if you’re willing to do a deep dive, you’ll find even more museums that pinpoint fascinating and specific topics. For instance, we have one of only two museums devoted to Walt Disney the man (the other is in his hometown of Marceline, Missouri). Our Cable Car Museum lets you actually see the huge circulating mechanisms that drive the cable cars. Right by the waterfront, the Musée Mécanique has a warehouse full of turn of the century dioramas, which you can animate by feeding them a quarter, while the Cartoon Art Museum, the Beat Museum and the Wells Fargo Museum each provide an insider’s look at a microtopic. Want to get hands-on and feel your way through some science? There are several places to do that, including the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park and the Exploratorium along the Embarcadero. Here’s our list of the very best museums in San Francisco. Prices given below are for general admission; special exhibitions usually involve a separate upcharge. Many are free or discounted for San Francisco residents, and many have monthly free days or pay-what-you-can days. We totally recommend looking into NARM membership; some of these sites belong. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🍽️ The

San Francisco’s a city other cities wish they could be more like. With a small footprint and a profusion of different neighborhoods with their own identities—if you mention Chinatown, the Mission or Nob Hill, people instantly understand the vibe you’re referencing—San Francisco makes it all work with an overall identity of being free spirited, fun and curious. Our mostly sunny and cool weather—plus some very atomspheric summer fog—lets us be outside throughout much of the year, enjoying urban rambles over those steep hills and hiking trails by the seaside. (Hot tip: San Francisco’s winter weather can sometimes be warmer than its notoriously cool summers.) The dining scene ensures you’ll be constantly surprised by the goodness on your plate, with food trucks, mom-and-pop restaurants and neighborhood favorites and a surprising 28 Michelin starred restaurants across our 47 square miles. Have a fondness for architecture? You’ll love the iconic Victorians throughout the city (and the famous Painted Ladies at Alamo Square) plus some more modern buildings with instant recognizability in the city skyline, like the Transamerica Pyramid and Coit Tower. Admire the Golden Gate Bridge—and then walk or ride your bike across it. Visit the famous prison island Alcatraz or neighboring Angel Island; the ferry ride provides a beautiful chance to see the bay waters close up. Linger in one of our world-class museums then ride the cable car—and make it all mellow with a special glass of something

Often, a train takes you where the freeway doesn’t, giving you spectacular views you can’t see otherwise. You roll through the countryside where herds of elk graze or go through back regions of national parks with a vantage point all your own. While the train lets you doze off, read a book or scroll your phone (so long as Wi-Fi works) because someone else is at the wheel, odds are you’ll instead be glued to the window, unwilling to miss a single picturesque thing that floats by. But not all trains are created equal. While some traverse uninteresting corridors, others earn the title of a “scenic” railway. We’re most interested in those, and the chance to make the journey just as enjoyable as the destination...or maybe the train ride really is the destination. That’s especially the case with trains that focus on luxury. Here’s our list of the most scenic train rides across the United States. (Unless otherwise stated, prices below are for one-way travel).

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.

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  

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

Here in the City by the Bay, there’s always something cooking, whether it’s a jaunt across the elevated playspace of the 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops, taking an urban hike across the Golden Gate Bridge, celebrating gay culture in the Castro neighborhood, dancing yourself into a frenzy or chilling to incredible music. There’s always a festival of some sort unfolding, and one of the best things is that many of these events are free. We’ve put together our picks for the best things to do in San Francisco this weekend (you can check the website for each event for further details). Now: Grab that weekend by the horns! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco

A train is already a luxurious thing as we sit back and let someone else whisk us past beautiful landscapes and drift into a lulled sleep. But some trains make the experience even more extraordinary by offering little touches to upscale the ride. That may be special food delivered to your seat, a glass of champagne to sip, velvet upholstery, huge windows that open up the view or service that adds that extra level of indulgence. Here is our list of the best luxury train rides in the U.S., plus some extra information about what to expect for travel time and pricing. RECOMMENDED: 13 weird and funky train rides to experience across America

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

Time spent in nature is always healing, but you can also find equal pleasure in traversing city streets. Whatever your favorite type of hike—on a sinuous path above oceanside cliffs, through a historic part of town, over the span of a very particular bridge or in rustic meadows where you can almost forget you’re in a city—you’ll find it here. And while San Francisco is famous for being steep in certain parts, you’ll always be able to find a relatively flat hike if that’s more your style. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in San Francisco

Lunar New Year is a spectacular community festival with colorful elements like dragon and lion dances, firecrackers going off to scare away evil and people wearing red clothes for the same reason: it’s a vibrant, exciting way to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new one. Sometimes called Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year is a more inclusive term that draws in other East Asian countries that celebrate the lunar calendar, including Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Many U.S. cities put on parades and celebrations in the streets so everyone can be festive, eat traditional food, wear masks, exchange red money envelopes and cheer on—this year—the onset of the Year of the Snake. This year’s festival cycle begins January 29 (the official Lunar New Year this year, based on the moon’s phases) and ends February 16, and the lucky color is green. Where is the largest Lunar New Year celebration in America? That title would go to San Francisco, whose Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is one of the largest and most spectacular in the world.  RECOMMENDED: The best Chinatowns in the USAThe best Chinese restaurants in the USA

Dolores Park is the kind of place that can give you all those San Francisco feels, with green grass covering a slope that gives you incredible city views. It’s also much warmer than Golden Gate Park and appeals to locals and visitors. Named for nearby Mission Dolores, the property became a park in 1905 and served as a refugee camp for those uprooted by the 1906 earthquake. You’ll find palm trees, sports fields and courts, off-leash dog play areas and a playground. But the real draw is the expanse of luscious lawn, where scores of people in various states of undress sunbathe, read, do yoga, drink, smoke, play lawn games and socialize on warm weekend days. Bring a blanket and a burrito from nearby La Taqueria. Why visit? Dolores Park is worth visiting because it gives great views of the city skyline and the bay—and even the East Bay glimpsed across the water. You can take Muni’s J Church line to get here, or the closest BART station (16th Street Mission) is a half-mile away. It’s almost 16 acres, giving you plenty of room to roam, which is important since on a sunny day you can find a few thousand people here sharing the park. There’s a festive atmosphere when the weather is warm and vendors walk around selling tamales and even crème brûlée. Fun fact: The park has a pissoir (an open-air urinal, for those of you not accustomed to peeing alfresco) in its southwest end on Church Street. This grated hole in the cement has a curving fence around it for privacy—and a white tarp for c

Visit the redwood park tucked in beside the Transamerica Pyramid daily from sunrise to sunset to view 20 major sculptures of Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, inspired by flora and fauna. Les Lalanne is the collective name used by these artists. These sculptures constitute the first public installation of Pyramid Arts, which will rotate twice a year. Free.

Attend the CinemaLit film series for a 6pm showing of a different vintage film each Friday. The café opens at 5:30pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice and fresh-popped popcorn for sale, and the movie begins at 6. The Mechanics’ Institute was built in 1906 to house the 1854 organization providing classes, a library and a chess room for residents (some say, “out of work gold miners”). Today it’s a cultural center as well as a library. The film series is curated by author Matthew Kennedy who has written several books on film. 

We realize an hour isn’t very long, but if you embrace the calm and tranquility, an hour at the Japanese Tea Garden can reward you for the rest of the day. Each Friday from 9 to 10am, you can enter the garden with its arched bridge, pagodas, stone ornaments, koi ponds and, of course, gardens. San Franciscans can enter for free anytime (with ID), but visitors can have a free hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10am. The teahouse, with tea and light snacks, is open for purchases at that time as well. Admission outside the magic hour is currently $19 for adults.

San Francisco City Guides offers walking tours of the Ferry Building, once the second busiest transit hub in the world at its peak in the 1930s (construction of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge created a devastating blow to ferry service). Tours are on Tuesdays at noon and Saturdays at 10am. Free, but a $20 donation is encouraged; guides can’t accept tips.

Every day at 4pm, gather at the campfire circle to hear a free talk by a National Park Service ranger, covering the stories of the Presidio: indigenous history, military stories including the Buffalo Soldiers’ connection to the Presidio, and the story of the Presidio’s role in the WWII Japanese American internment camps. Having a view of the Golden Gate Bridge during the talk isn’t too shabby. Free.

This recurring event series comes to a neighborhood shopping district near you, with backyard party vibes, live music, DJs and family-friendly activities. On October 26, it starts at noon at Faxon and Ocean Avenues; check the website for the next happening. Free.

The Function, San Francisco's brand new Black-owned comedy club, spotlights the Bay Area’s top Indian, Pakistani and South Asian comics every Sunday (and on Saturdays check out the "Crazy Funny Asians" shows). Many other themed nights happen, and there’s always a full bar, dance floor and comedy. Tiered tickets range from free to $18. 

Every Sunday there’s a free event at the Great Highway Park, from chair or mat yoga to tai chi and live music performances through the Second Sunday Serenades. You can’t really say you’ve reached nirvana until you’ve done yoga in the middle of a former highway. Free.

History buffs, come out for a video installation, Fort Point: A Bastion of Memory, created by artist Ben Wood in collaboration with the Fort Point National Historic Site. The 45-minute work consisting of historical photographs will be projected onto the interior walls of San Francisco’s Civil War fort to interpret area history, such as the lighthouse that once operated here, the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and more. Free (as is admission to the fort).

Meet Loren Rhoads, the author of 222 Cemeteries to Visit Before You Die, along with writers Emerian Rich and Francesca Maria, who’ll be discussing cemeteries and horror stories. This SFinSF event takes place at 7pm at the San Francisco Columbarium. Rich and Maria were contributors to the anthology Death's Garden Revisited. $10 at the door. 

With a history as a simple coffee shop and now expanded to multiple locations as a resort hotel, the Peppermill is an upscale, kitschy, Italian-inspired resort. If you love marble columns, gambling under golden ceilings, and walking past the benevolent view of old-world statuary, you’re in for a fun stay. The Reno resort sprawls with two towers and two wings, with its entry lobby a nod to the Duomo in Florence with its Gothic dome. The AAA Four Diamond resort treats guests well, with an 82,000-square-foot casino and a playful outdoor pool (swimmable in winter) with a cascading waterfall descending from the top of a round, columned structure and the chance to swim in a circle around a statue of a fabulous mermaid. Heavy on fantasy and architecture that places the modern next to the ancient-seeming, the Peppermill is a quick eight-minute drive from downtown Reno and its Riverwalk, world-class art museum, casinos and hiking trails. Photograph: Erika MailmanThe Caldarium at the Spa Toscana The best part, however, has to be the Spa Toscana, rated the third best hotel spa in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. We highly recommend getting a day pass to experience the three-story spa, where you travel by elevator to the exquisite Caldarium. Originally, a Caldarium was a Roman space with a hot plunge bath and steam room heated by a fire-fueled furnace. The Peppermill’s version is a beautiful space with a vaulted ceiling, an indoor pool with beautiful mosaic tiles

Anytime we leave home, we expose ourselves to a bit of vulnerability, not knowing the places where we’ll rest our heads and the kitchens that will make our meals. And LGBTQ+ people may have to ask questions like, is it safe to be openly gay in this city? Is there a way to know exactly where I’ll be welcomed, at restaurants, hotels, and other places? One helpful source is misterb&b, a website that lists queer-friendly lodgings (whether that’s a hotel, an apartment rental or a private room in a home), trips and restaurant recommendations—and its annual Queer Safety Index lists the safest U.S. cities for LGBTQ travelers. This year’s #1 city is Chicago, the third largest in the U.S. and with plenty of “gayborhoods” and an active LGTBQ+ presence. In particular, Boystown (also called Northalsted)—the oldest officially recognized gay neighborhood in the U.S.—and Andersonville are known as celebratory and safe neighborhoods. Check out Legacy Walk, an outdoor LGTBQ history museum. Chicago’s first pride parade was in 1970 in honor of the Stonewall riots. Second is Seattle, historically a place of activism for LGTBQ+ issues. The Capitol Hill neighborhood boasts a number of gay-friendly or gay-owned businesses, and each year, there’s a major Pride celebration, which takes place June 27-29. Third on the list is a city that will surprise no one, San Francisco, long considered a celebratory harbor for gays, lesbians and transgender folks (and everyone in between). Its Castro District is the

The Sphere’s got a new trick up its sleeve. It’s rolling out a new, intensely immersive experience called UNITY, and tickets go on sale March 31 for the August performances. UNITY is a live show put together by Tomorrowland (global festival phenom) and Insomniac (music events purveyor, including the Electric Daisy Carnival you may have seen in Las Vegas, Mexico or Thailand, among other places). The best part? Each performance will end with a surprise one-hour set from a world-renowned artist. Let the speculation mills start grinding out their theories on who it’ll be. UNITY will involve cutting-edge technology, lights, lasers, eye-popping spectacles, and a live orchestra to bring forward the message of togetherness through music. The three performances take place over Labor Day weekend: August 29-31. Vibee tickets and accommodation packages go on sale March 27 at 10am at unity.vibee.com. If you’ve been missing Tomorrowland, it’s because it’s been a full decade since its first installment here in the U.S., while it’s been thrilling audiences in Brazil, Spain, and Belgium with festivals and VR experiences. It only took building a gigantic sphere in Las Vegas to bring it back stateside. UNITY will be the first partnership ever between the two biggest festivals out there. If you can score tickets for this limited run at the Sphere, maybe you’ll get to see an incredible performer close the show that you never thought you’d get the chance to see.

You all need to chill out and stop weeping over your burrito: Chipotle isn’t closing. The only thing that closed was Farmesa Fresh Eatery, which USA Today describes as “a restaurant concept tested by Chipotle for a few months in a Santa Monica food hall in 2023.” That is very dramatically different from what the rumors have been saying. And in fact, Chipotle’s opening a bunch of new locations this year, so the rumors need to come to a halt. Why Chipotle is closing restaurants? It’s not. Which Chipotle Farmesa Fresh Eatery locations are affected? None. There was only ever one location in Santa Monica, and that closed in 2023. Where is Chipotle expanding in 2025? Chipotle spokesperson Erin Wolford told USA Today, “We anticipate opening between 315 to 345 new restaurants this year with at least 80 percent including a Chipotlane." The Chipotlane is a cute way of saying digital drive-through. So, just to be sure, Chipotle isn't closing? No.

A few hours ago, Lady Gaga rocked everyone’s world by announcing on Instagram that she would hit the road again with her MAYHEM Ball tour. In a brief but exhilarated post, she explained that she hadn’t planned to tour this year after she completes her upcoming shows in Singapore, but that fan response to her new album proved inspirational.  In her Instagram post, she said, “It came together super quickly thanks to Arthur Fogel and the amazing team at Live Nation, who planned a global tour in just a few weeks.” the MAYHEM Ball tour will go all over the world. In the U.S., you can see her in Las Vegas, Seattle, New York City, Miami and Chicago. Internationally, she’s hitting cities in Canada, England, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.  Lady Gaga explained that this run will only be in indoor arenas so that she can control the details of the show in a way that’s not possible with stadiums. She explains: “This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings MAYHEM to life exactly how I envision it.”  Can't wait for the tour? Watch her headline Coachella next month and hit her prearranged dates in Mexico City, Brazil, and Singapore. How to get tickets for the Mayhem Ball: Tickets go on sale March 31. There’s an artist pre-sale on April 2 starting at noon wherever you are, but you first must sign up here by 8am on March 30. The general sale starts April 3 at noon. Other vendor-connected pre-sales happen too; c

Each year, the choice of where to travel could be the culmination of months of planning—or the happenstance of seeing an airfare sale or someone mentioning a place to you. Maybe you make a split-second decision based on seeing an inspirational photo and thinking to yourself, “I’ve got to go there.” Whatever the trigger, sometimes other people have the same thought and a destination starts trending. American Express’s annual list of Trending Destinations highlights those places. The list was compiled based on travel bookings by cardmembers as well as consulting with travel consultants. Of the 10 that American Express has designated as the most trending destinations, two are in the U.S. (and not the New York – Los Angeles – Miami that you might expect). No, nestled among locations in Greece, Japan, Brazil and others were two cities you might not think would show up on such an international list: Sun Valley, Idaho and Moab, Utah. Sun Valley is a ski resort town that people find appealing because it isn’t as crowded as some others. Its gorgeous Bald Mountain rises 9,150 feet to give a good ride to skiiers and boarders. It just added new state-of-the-art chair lifts and 91 more acres of glade terrain (and new fire safety measures). Fun fact: The first chairlift was installed at Sun Valley, adapted from the systems used to move banana cargo onto ships in Panama. When you ride one, you are really just a large banana to the mechanism. In summer, Sun Valley turns into a fishing and wh

Just looking at the official website for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. is a happy experience with its beautiful photos of trees in bloom and pink blossom illustrations (even the bright pink cookies notification banner is nice!)—attending the festival itself must be a joyful, uplifting experience. It’s an intense celebration of Spring and its wonders, and celebrates friendship between our country and Japan. The festival honors the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees by Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo; First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees of the 3,000. The U.S. reciprocated in 1915, sending flowering dogwood trees to Japan. The Washington, D.C., orchard was augmented in 1965 by the gift of another 3,800 Yoshino trees from Japan. The festival will be filled with the beautiful vision of pale pink and white blossoms, as well as their light aromatic almond scent. National Cherry Blossom Festival 2025 Dates This year’s peak bloom is predicted to be March 28-31. The festival itself spans from March 20 to April 13. You can peek in via the BloomCam to see how things are progressing. Right now, things are looking pretty wintry and spare. Best places to see the cherry blossoms The hands-down best place is the Tidal Basin, according to the website cherryblossomwatch.com. The Tidal Basin famously provides a glorious view and is free to enter. It’s right next to the National Mall. The stretch along t

You guys, spring is happening tomorrow. I know we are all still reeling about Daylight Savings and now we have another seasonal thing to contend with, but this one is great news. Snow will subside, flowers will arise and the beaches are busy getting the sand ready for you. Here are some FAQs to assist: When is the first day of spring 2025? It’s Thursday, March 20, 2025. What is the vernal equinox? It’s the beginning of spring, but the reason why it’s the beginning is a little more complex. It refers to two moments in the year when the sun is exactly above the equator, and day and night are of equal length (thank you, Britannica, for explaining). The United States fits completely into the northern hemisphere, where the vernal equinox traditionally falls around March 20 or 21. The sun, after creating that perfectly poised moment, then crosses the equator and heads north, which is why our weather then gets warmer. For the southern hemisphere, the March equinox is their autumn equinox. But why did you say two moments in the year? Because there’s another moment when the sun does the same trick, on September 22 or 23. For us in the northern hemisphere, that’s our autumn equinox, and for the southern hemisphere, it’s the spring equinox. When does this end? When we get the summer solstice, which happens June 20 or 21 in our northern hemisphere (and December 21 or 22 in the southern hemisphere). Are these dates solid each year? Let’s run that past the Farmer’s Almanac. That handy reso

It seems like the news changes daily. President Trump’s original January 20 executive order asked the State Department to identify countries where passengers to the U.S. may not be stringently examined and checked—to the degree that the U.S. would not admit them. Since then, there has been “credible reporting,” according to the Guardian, citing two Yale law professors’ emails, that nationals from targeted countries may be banned from entering the U.S. The professors Muneer Ahmad and Michael Wishnie urged students studying in those countries to consider returning to the U.S. right away or staying in the U.S. if they are already here. Here's what we know so far: What are President Trump’s new travel bans? These possible travel bans affect people from other countries trying to visit the United States. The Trump administration has initially suggested a sweeping ban against entry for residents of as many as 43 countries, with 11 nations specifically targeted for a complete travel prohibition, as reported by the Guardian. Which countries face U.S. travel restrictions? The 11 "red tier" countries whose residents might face a total ban against coming to the U.S.: Afghanistan Bhutan Cuba Iran Libya North Korea Somalia Sudan Syria Venezuela Yemen There is also a second “orange” tier identifying countries with sharp visa restrictions on entering the U.S.: Belarus Eritrea Haiti Laos Myanmar Pakistan Russia Sierra Leone South Sudan and Turkmenistan In a third “yellow” tier, 21 countri

Bringing back a purse from Ibiza, purchased in the Dalt Vila marketplace? Or carefully packing a hand-painted ceramic mug from the Amalfi Coast? Or maybe it’s that beautiful pair of turquoise earrings made by a Navajo artisan that you purchased at Scottsdale’s Native Art Market (that last example is mine). If you’re someone who buys souvenirs to have a tangible way to remember where you travel, you’re not alone, says Amex.   In 2025, more people will buy bespoke souveniers  According to American Express’s 2025 Global Travel Trends Report, 82 percent of Millennials and Gen Z folks and 68 percent of Gen X and Boomers that participated in the survey look for one-of-a-kind goods to remind them of their trip. While a T-shirt can shrink in the wash and tiny tchotchkes get lost, a more substantial souvenir—especially something bespoke and handcrafted—can bring pleasure each time you look at it. And it’s a great way to support the local businesses where you travel, which 73 percent of respondents said they try to do. The breakdown for purchases was 58 percent purchasing designer goods like handbags, clothing and leather items, 46 percent purchasing beauty products like perfume, makeup and skincare and 43 percent purchasing housewares like rugs, ceramics, art and furniture. Besides travelers redefining their travel mementos, three other themes arose in the Amex report. Family adventures are back in a big way Multi-generational travel is up, as is letting kids have a say in planning. T

There’s a thing you can do to get the Wiggles out: take your kids to see The Wiggles. The popular singing and dancing group embarks this summer on their North American Bouncing Balls! tour. We remember them announcing they'd never tour again so we feel a little lied to. People have been snapping up tickets, and so they’ve added additional shows in seven different cities. This live show will feature favorites like Tree of Wisdom, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Captain Feathersword and, of course, the Wiggles themselves. They’ll perform classic songs and fresh ones, too. When do tickets go on sale? Tickets go on sale today at 10am local time. Which cities have been recently added to the tour? Los Angeles, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Vancouver and Hamilton, Ontario Which cities were already included? Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Fresno, Tucson, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Arlington, Memphis, Nashville, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Huber Heights, St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, Tysons (Virginia) and Brooklyn. That’s a whole lot of wiggling. How can people buy tickets? Visit the website and do it as fast as you can. Thanks to the artist/fan club pre-sale, many shows are listed as sold out or selling fast. Sadly, right now in Tysons, Virginia, the only seats available are single ones, which makes that hard when you’re trying to take your kids. Good luck, babe! Is there anything strangely hypnotic we could watch? Yes, it’s “Bus Stop.” P

If your spring break travel plans involve jumping in the car and heading out on the highway, you’re not the only one. AAA says that nearly 30 percent of people surveyed in eight states plan to make their spring break one of looking out the window, drinking from the sweaty fountain drink in the car’s drink holder, devouring gas station snacks and cruising along on an adventure. As always, thinking ahead just a little bit helps avoid trouble down the road (although spontaneity sometimes rules the road trip), so Pilot Travel Centers offers some tips to consider while you’re throwing bags in the trunk and pulling up your playlist. 1. Plan your stops: That doesn’t mean you can’t immediately pull over when you see the sign for the dinosaur attraction, but plotting out the best places to stop to eat, stretch your legs and gas up is a smart idea so you don’t find yourself, say, on the loneliest road in America without knowing where your next pit stop is.2. Stretch out your pit stops: If you’re just stopping for gas and then bolting away, you’re missing out. Walk around, take a few deep breaths, peruse the snack aisles and head to the bathroom just in case the next one isn’t for another 200 miles. Some rest stops have a little historical plaque you can access via a short trail, especially in wagon train country. 3. Download rewards apps: If you’re stopping at the same place each time for gas and snacks, make sure you’re not missing out on discounts available through the app. 4. Be pla

Don your tinfoil hat for this one! Along with a beautiful coastline, you may find that California is attractive for humanoid organ gathering. A study by the National UFO Report Center, crunching data from 1974 to 2025, finds that of the 149,000 UFO sighting reports, a whopping 36,286 of those were in California. That’s important news as National Alien Abduction Day looms (March 20: it’s on your calendar, right?). This gem of interstellar data is that one in every 1,075 Californians may be abducted. For Americans in general, the risk factor is 1 in 1,834, according to this spurious, I mean valuable, data. Need to relax a little? Fill your bowl with gumbo and enjoy the fact that people in Louisiana are the least likely to be abducted by aliens. You’re probably thinking about Area 51 in Nevada; that state is the 10th most likely one for you to find yourself in the tractor beam (1 in 1,740). The study actually conflates UFO sightings with alien abduction rates, but we suppose seeing a UFO could get you one step closer to being beamed up.  The states with the most UFO sightings: 1. California 2. Washington 3. Florida 4. Oregon 5. New York 6. Texas 7. Pennsylvania 8. Arizona 9. Colorado 10. Nevada