Erika Mailman

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

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

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

San Francisco has a full slate of world class museums, with sprawling art galleries across multiple levels, tiny genre-specific museums, hands-on playful spaces and serious historical overviews. The great news is, pretty much all of these museums are either free or have a monthly or even weekly free day—so start planning how to time your visit. Of course, if you pay for a museum membership, you’ll get a year of free entry, and if that museum is part of the NARM network, you also receive free entry to all the other NARM museums (Nationally! And 16 in San Francisco.). Just remember to bring proof with you. Please note that free museum days don’t usually include entry to special exhibitions, which will carry their own admission fee. You’ll want to investigate the Discover and Go program through the San Francisco Public Library that offers free or low-cost passes to not just museums but also zoos, science centers, theaters and other cultural destinations. Most museums don’t charge for children under a certain age or for disabled visitors and an accompanying guest; check each website for details.

The mystical, wild, beautiful Northern Lights are firmly placed on many people’s bucket lists. While cities, train rides and road trips are amazing, it’s really standing stock still and watching the sky do its extraordinary trick that many of us consider the No. 1 thing to do in 2025. Also called Aurora Borealis, this phenomenon involves bright colors of neon green, rose and yellow moving in the sky, sometimes so dramatically quickly it can make you gasp. While some southern places in the U.S. suddenly had Northern Lights viewings in recent years, your best bet is to get to the places on this list. They’re notable for being far enough north to have a good chance of seeing them and they have dark skies without much or any light interference. Check weather conditions and timing before booking a trip to give yourself the best chance of making a remarkable connection with nature. RECOMMENDED: The best places for stargazing in the U.S.

For us, free is the best price. And while there are many wonderful things to spend your money on in San Francisco—from great shopping to Michelin starred restaurants—you’ll also find a ton of experiences that don’t cost a cent. Some places like museums offer monthly free days, while others are free every day. And don’t forget the gorgeous hikes that cover the city, yours for the taking. Here’s our list of the eight best things to do in San Francisco that, like J Lo’s love, don’t cost a thing. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco

Picture yourself with a martini in hand, gazing out over a beautiful bay with boats making their way over to the Golden Gate, pelicans cruising above the water—not only are you having a beautiful San Francisco day, you’re also honoring the cocktail that some say was invented here. Legend says that the martini was created for a Gold Rusher on his way to Martinez (hence the name) across the bay who asked for something special in exchange for the gold nugget he placed on the bar. San Francisco gets credit for birthing some other cocktails, too. Whatever the truth is, this city is a great place to toss one back—or to delicately sip your artisanal showpiece—or to choose a mocktail instead. Choose from rooftop bars, cellar dives and waterfront vista points, and enjoy the heady buzz of this great city. RECOMMENDED: These are the best bars to meet someone

San Francisco is a food haven, with so much to offer people curious to try a cuisine that’s new to them or for those who love their tried-and-true restaurants that have been around since the early days. Surrounded by water, we have incredible fresh seafood fished right off our shores, and we’re proud to offer California-grown fruits and vegetables from our sun-dappled agricultural fields nearby. It’s no wonder that San Francisco has roughly one Michelin-starred restaurant per every 1.7 miles… 28 of them to be precise, with three new ones added this year and one adding a second star. But beyond the Michelin-starred experiences, we also love the hole-in-the-wall dumpling spots and the street tacos and the pub grub in beautifully authentic spots. It’s all so very San Francisco—and delicious to boot! Maybe we all eat early and head home sooner, but that’s because our stomachs and palates are happy beyond belief. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🥑 The best brunch in San Francisco🍸 The best rooftop bars in San Francisco🛍️ The best thrift stores in San Francisco🎨 The best galleries in San Francisco

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.

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.

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.

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

There’s an incredible exhibit at SF MOMA right now, “Amy Sherald: American Sublime.” If you haven’t seen this collection of almost 50 large-scale portraits of Black Americans in an array of thoughtful conversation-sparking paintings—including the famous, official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama—it’s time to go: The show closes March 9. Particularly in the middle of Black History Month, it’s important to call attention to two important exhibitions at the SF MOMA that showcase the work of two contemporary Black women artists; Kara Walker’s installation with a fortune-telling automaton is in the free part of the museum through spring 2026, and when I popped down to see it again on this visit, children were enthralled before it, waiting for the slips of paper to issue from its mouth. Look closely and you’ll find a connection between the two artists, too. In one room of Sherald’s show, there’s a to-scale photograph of her bookshelves and I scanned the spines with interest to see that a big book on Kara Walker was included (as was one on San Francisco figurative painter Joan Brown). Contemporaries in their 50s, both Walker (back in 1997) and now Sherald have had solo shows at the SF MOMA. In this room, a video plays in which we see Sherald visiting her childhood home in Georgia. In the video, Sherald references artists Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth and says, “I want my work to join a larger conversation” of being “an American realist,” and later, “it just so happens t

Pizza is a lot of people’s “go to” dinner when you’ve had a long day and you just want something easy to eat that you know you’ll love. It’s a delicious mixture of cheese, tomato sauce and dough, and a huge part of its appeal is just lifting it up in your hands to take that first incisive bite of the triangle at the tip. Screw that chia seed slurry; this is a real meal! And a recent Harris Poll confirms that 21 percent of Americans count pizza as their favorite food, according to MSN. Another survey, by Talker Research, revealed that one in seven Americans has been eating the same pizza, ordered the same way each time (because, why mess with perfection?) for more than five years. But 57 percent of us are willing to try a new pizza combination but just don’t know how to make that happen. Could it be by...adding spice? Not going to do that, say Michigan and South Carolina; they’re the states least likely to spice up their pizza, while New Mexico and Hawai’i residents are enthusiastically sprinkling that red pepper and hot sauce over their circular landscape. Loyal to your usual array of topics? That is the stance of Hoosiers and Vermonters, who are most likely to stick with the same pizza toppings each time. Who eats the most pizza per month? You might think it would be New Yorkers wandering around Manhattan with a hand-held or Chicagoans sitting down with a deep dish pie, but it’s Iowans, North Dakotans and Alaskans. Who hosts the most pizza nights? The folks who know how to p

Coffee could be said to be the gas in the workworld’s fuel tank...many of us need it to be coherent and effective. And if you’re a student or an artist, you probably also need a mid-afternoon sit-down with the beverage. Its importance can’t be overestimated, so when we saw this list of the 100 best coffee shops in the world, we knew we had to hasten to examine the findings. The No. 1 cafe in the world is across the pond (and then the other pond) in Australia, but we garnered the No. 2 spot: the Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas. To be on the list, coffee houses must demonstrate quality of coffee, barrista expertise, excellent customer service, innovation, a pleasant atmosphere and ambiance, sustainable practices, quality of food and pastries and consistency. Coffee drinkers are urged to vote in a public voting phase (limited to just one vote), then an expert panel assesses the nominees, and then the votes are weighted (we, the public, get 30 percent of the final scores while the experts contribute 70 percent and then the ranked list is created. Established in 2012, the Onyx Coffee Lab travels the world to acquire their beans (currently sourcing from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia), roasting them stateside for a craft coffee experience. Unusually, Onyx also gives drinkers information on each coffee, sharing “its pricing and trade data, meaning you can see what we paid for it, what it scored at, who we bought it from, and other details right on its product page. This is not only somethin

One of our favorite things to do in the Bay Area is to see a show in a place with a history, like San Francisco’s The Chapel, an old mortuary that’s now a concert venue, and Club Fugazi, which began life as a social club for immigrants. So that’s part of why we’re so excited about Ceremony across the bay in Oakland, which will be opening next month, as reported by KQED, as a live music venue inside a historic theater (the Fox Oakland knows that’s a recipe for success). Ceremony sits on Broadway, in a space squarely in front of the escalators down to the 12th Street BART station that was once home to the Lux Theatre. The venue will have a 1,000-person capacity and will showcase touring rap, R&B, punk, queer pop and Latin artists, as well as comedians, local performers and DJ nights. While there’s no website yet, Ceremony—whose logo styles its “O” as a flame—has an Instagram presence with some events already listed, including opening night, March 7, with a DJ event titled “A New Ritual with Andre Power.” Early bird pricing starts at $19 for the 21-plus show with Andre Power, J. Jaxx and a back-to-back-to-back set with Dom Izzo, MicahTron and Tittsworth. Ceremony’s ground floor is 6,000 square foot along with a second-floor mezzanine. There will be two bars flanking the dance floor and a kitchen for food and snacks. The music will be pumped out via a D&B Audiotechnik sound system. Rewinding back three quarters of a century, the Lux opened in 1948 as a first-run theater with 550

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

A new sleeper car train system could connect New England and the Midwest, with a limited demonstration train available as soon as 2026, as reported by Newsweek. Aptly named the Lunatrain, the private company wants to develop an express, nonstop sleeper train system between major cities on the East Coast and the Midwest. It’s also looking to connect through Toronto and Montréal. The goal is for riders to make their trip in a single night and for the train to not make any stops that wake up passengers. Rendering: Courtesy Lunatrain, Inc. The company is based out of Philadelphia and is working on developing a network of night trains with different-sized cabins to suit solo travelers, couples, and families or groups. All the cabins will be private, so you won't have to share with strangers. They’ll have multiple power outlets for device charging, have soundproofing and vibration dampening so you feel the sway of the train less and offer onboard amenities. There will be two classes of service, economy and premium, that the company says will be priced the same or less than an airline seat of the same class. RECOMMENDED: The best train rides for seriously gorgeous views Lunatrain’s map shows connections as far east as Boston and as far west as Denver, spanning from Montréal down to Miami. Other cities include Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, New Orleans, Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Toronto. Rendering: Courtesy Luna

Dogs of San Francisco, this is your moment to shine: The Best in the Westin dog show is happening on March 8 from 11am to 2pm for a day focused on you and your lovableness. Taking place in the landmark Westin St. Francis hotel, this show for well-behaved dogs—which of course you are, you sweetie pot pie—includes the chance to compete in the categories of waggiest tail, sassiest strut, best dressed and best lobby greeter (a friendly dog sure would make a great hotel concierge). Along with these prizes, there will be a showcase of dog-oriented local businesses like Mishka Dog Boutique (a bakery crafting meat pâté dog cakes), the Hub by Pack Animals (a training and dog gym in San Ramon) and Doggylicious mobile dog wash and grooming. You can get your photo taken in a SnapFiesta Photobooth to remember this fun day. Along with all this goodness, there will be a dog groomer and a trainer on hand and, best of all, personalized doggo lattés. Photograph: Courtesy Westin St. Francis The $34 ticket proceeds go to benefit Muttville, a senior dog adoption site here in San Francisco that is known for being a cage-free facility (the first in the nation) that offers fostering, an on-site veterinary suite and even a hospice program. At the dog show, your human can talk with the Muttville folks about adding a senior dog to your family. The Westin’s always fun for playful events and holidays. This beautiful historic hotel dates to 1904 and has survived both major earthquakes. The cable car sto

Here’s something to lift our spirits. For many, tulips represent spring, since it's one of the first bulbs to send a flower up above the ground on a sleek, strong stem. For the last few years, Union Square has hosted Flower Bulb Day with more than 80,000 tulips in receptacles throughout the square, and it’s happening again. On March 22, come see the beautiful spectacle and take home your own free bouquet. The flowers were grown in America, but the bulbs originate from Europe (America is the largest export market for them—we take in a half billion bulbs every year!). The organization Anthos, which created the event (there’s also one in New York on March 30) and represents flower bulb and nursery stock companies, is housed in the Netherlands—exactly the place we’d expect for tulips! Fun fact: Anthos, which was established in 1900, was designated Royal Anthos by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix in 2000, so these are truly royal flowers. The chance to walk around and pick your own tulips starts at 1pm and ends by 4:30pm. In the past, we’ve seen long lines (enough so that we gave up), so make sure to have a friend to chat with while you wait. You’re allowed to pick a maximum of six tulips. In 2023, the event coincided with International Women’s Day, and pink tulips were arranged to spell out “LOVE” in a large, Instagrammable arrangement. While rain fell and visitors perused the tulips under umbrellas, the saturated color of the gorgeous blooms made for amazing photographs. Flower Bulb Da

For singles, the cost of living can be higher without someone to split expenses with, like the rent/mortgage, groceries and utilities. But there are also distinct benefits, such as having time and space to think, the ability to decorate as you wish and the ability to lead the life you want to live. So, for those who want to keep that single lifestyle and are curious about what parts of the U.S. are best for affordable solo life, here’s a study by RentHop, an AI-powered apartment search platform, to get you started. Most expensive cities for singles Surprising absolutely no one, New York City is the most expensive city for singles. If you want that apartment all to yourself, you’ll pay through the teeth (and some other expendable body parts) for the honor. The median rent for a studio apartment—not even a one-bedroom!— is $3,375. Here are the top five most expensive cities for singles: 1. New York, New York 2. Miami, Florida 3. Detroit, Michigan 4. Boston, Massachusetts 5. Los Angeles, California Most affordable cities for singles We’re big fans of Kansas and are excited to see that Wichita is at the top of this list. It offers fascinating aviation history and is the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle. It also has a great activism history, as the first place where a cafeteria sit-in happened was when Black people were sitting at an all-white lunch counter in 1958. There are also 19 museums, a food truck coalition, 10 breweries and the largest dinosaur theme park in the U

When the world is a dumpster fire, we can always turn to nature and the arts to feel better, except when part of the conflagration involves the firing (no pun intended) of national park staff and the canceling of arts events. To that end, here’s our list of the Kennedy Center’s shows that are canceled as a result of the recent changes in the leadership of the art institution’s board. What is the Kennedy Center’s cancelation list? A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride, a performance of the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC with the National Symphony Orchestra Finn is a children’s coming-of-age musical about a shark who realizes he may be comfortable hanging out with gentler fish. The creators have said it carries a “be yourself” message and could be read as a metaphor for being gay. Which artists have canceled their performances in protest? An Evening with Issa Rae, a sold-out show, was canceled by the actor “due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums," according to her Instagram story as reported by CapRadio.org. The rock band Low Cut Connie canceled their scheduled performance, posting on Instagram (according to Rolling Stone): "I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution's Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice, and equity through the arts. Upon learning that this institution that has run non-partisa

After the happiness of Beyoncé's multiple Grammy wins last night (where she literally looked stunned to win), we woke up to the news that she has announced a COWBOY CARTER Tour across the U.S. and the world. The tour celebrates the release of her groundbreaking eighth studio album COWBOY CARTER. Promoted by Live Nation and produced and directed by Parkwood Entertainment, the tour includes some four-night runs in some lucky cities: Los Angeles, East Rutherford (New Jersey) and London. No city gets her for just a single night (this sounds like a country music lyric), so all the other cities on the tour will see two nights: Chicago, Paris, Houston, Washington and Atlanta. This ain’t Texas, but for a magical night under Beyoncé’s spell, we’ll happily play Texas Hold’Em and lay our cards down, down, down, down. When did Beyoncé announce the Cowboy Carter tour? This morning! Many of us awoke to the Live Nation email announcing it. What are the dates for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour? April 28 through July 11, 2025. How can you get tickets? Go online to Beyoncé.com to purchase tickets when the sale date opens. You can also check Ticketmaster, Stubhub and TicketNetwork. When do presale tickets go on sale? The BeyHive Presale begins Tuesday, February 11, at noon local time, while the Artist Presale begins Thursday, February 13, at noon local time. (Not an Artist member? Sign up at livemu.sc/beyonce for U.S. + UK shows and livemu.sc/beyonceparis2025 for the Paris shows). Additional pres

Spring break is on the horizon—kids are getting antsy at school, and mom and dad are ready to duck out, too. We all want a fun trip but hopefully one that doesn’t bring infinite regrets when we later look at the credit card statement. A Dollar Flight Club report lists the 11 best spring break destinations for families on a budget. To create the list, the company looked at airport pricing trends over the last few years, considered which destinations appeal to families and which have the best weather and hotel rates this time of year and priced out some actual flight deals. At No. 1 is Montego Bay, Jamaica. Here, families can find budget-friendly, all-inclusive resorts and fun activities like river tubing and swimming on warm beaches. There are free spots like Montego Bay Marine Park and plenty of affordable locally-made souvenirs.Actual flight deal: NYC (JFK) to Montego Bay, $270 (February 28–March 5, 2025) Coming in second place is a city that’s not unexpected: Orlando, Florida. Theme parks here may not necessarily be budget-friendly, but families can skip a park hopper pass and just park one day, bringing in their own snacks and water bottles. Choosing an off-campus hotel saves money, especially if the hotel runs a free shuttle to the parks. Actual flight deal: NYC (JFK) to Orlando, $89 (March 15–22, 2025) At No. 3 is Cancún, Mexico, another place with reasonably priced all-inclusive resorts. Families can shave money off day trip excursions by booking with local providers in