USA Southwest

Cape Cod has more accessible trails than most people realize. If you use a wheelchair or have mobility limitations, there are paved and boardwalk trails through marsh, dune and forest landscapes that give you a real experience of the Cape, not just a parking lot view. Accessible Trails The Cape Cod National Seashore has several … Read more

The Coastal Villages Trail in Rhode Island links the small beach communities along the southern shore — Narragansett, South Kingstown, Charlestown, Westerly. Not the Newport mansion crowd — this is the quieter, less manicured side of Rhode Island where the beach road passes through salt marshes, seafood shacks and state beach parks. The Route Route … Read more

The American Southwest works for family vacations because kids respond to the landscape. Red rock canyons, dinosaur tracks, ancient cliff dwellings, living deserts with giant cactus and roadrunners — this is not a museum trip where you drag children through galleries. They are into it before you leave the car. Best Family Stops Grand Canyon … Read more

Palmyra is a small town on the Erie Canal in upstate New York, significant in American history for two reasons: the canal that transformed commerce in the early republic, and the birthplace of the Mormon movement. Joseph Smith grew up here, and the Hill Cumorah where he reported finding the golden plates is just outside … Read more

Tucson is the gateway to Mexico by bus and the best city in the Southwest for someone who likes desert hiking, Mexican food (the real kind, not Tex-Mex), and museums that go beyond the usual. It sits in the Sonoran desert surrounded by saguaro cactus forests, mountain ranges and Native American history. Saguaro National Park … Read more

Moab is the base camp for Arches National Park and Canyonlands, sitting on the Colorado River in southeastern Utah. Red rock country — sandstone arches, canyon rims, mesa tops, and more mountain bike trails than you can ride in a month. Arches National Park Over 2,000 natural stone arches in one park. Delicate Arch is … Read more

Yellowstone is the original national park and still one of the best places in North America for watching large wildlife in the open. Bison, elk, wolves, grizzly bears, moose — all visible from the road or short hikes, particularly in the Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley. Add in geysers, hot springs and a landscape shaped … Read more