Matador Network's Blog, page 137

Bird Lovers Can Now Go on Cruises Organized by the National Audubon Society

For some, cruising is about relaxing by the pool while taking full advantage of their drinks package. For others, it’s more about the excellent food served on board. For others still, a cruise is about what you see along the way: scenery and wildlife. And if you’re one of those cruisers, there are brand new sailings that should be right up your alley. Expedition cruise line HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) is partnering with the National Audubon Society to offer bird-watching cruises known as Audubon Voyages.

HX and Audubon are a match made in heaven

Photo: HX

HX is the world’s largest and leading expedition cruise line, sailing to 250 destinations in more than 30 countries from pole to pole. It is also a leader in sustainable cruising. For example, in 2018, HX banned non-essential single-use plastic (including plastic water bottles). Perhaps more significantly, HX operates two hybrid-powered expedition ships, the MS Roald Amundsen and the MS Fridtjof Nansen, both of which emit 20 percent less carbon dioxide than other cruise ships of the same size.

The National Audubon Society is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats since 1905.

“Audubon’s conservation mission aligns well with the hands-on and science-enriched operations of HX,” says Dr. Chad Wilsey, chief scientist for the National Audubon Society in a press release. “HX employs industry-leading efforts in ecofriendly practices and a commitment to conservation across all their itineraries, including important support for community science activities onboard. Through our partnership, we hope to engage more people in the urgent fight to protect birds and the places they need.”

Audubon Voyages

Audubon Voyages will consist of 10 sailings and five different itineraries, including to Alaska, Antarctica, and the Galapagos Islands.

Audubon Voyages currently available for booking include:

Galápagos Islands Cruise | Nine of the Best Isles, starting at $9,149In-depth Antarctica & Patagonia Expedition, starting at $14,973In Darwin’s Footsteps, starting at $7,476Antarctica & Falkland Expedition, starting at $9,547Alaska & British Columbia | Inside Passage, Bears and Aleutian Islands, starting at $8,648

Photo: HX

All Audubon Voyages will have a trained ornithologist or a team of local naturalist guides on board that will take guests through a variety of ecosystems to see diverse and rare bird species.

Audubon Voyages are not reserved for ornithologists or serious birders, amateur twitchers and those who simply take joy in seeing animals in their natural habitats are most welcome. That said, if you’re a Audubon members, it might help. Members save 10 percent on Audubon Voyages with HX. Becoming an Audubon member costs as little as a $50 one-time donation of a $20 monthly gift.

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The ‘Drink Tahoe Tap’ Campaign Makes It Easy to Avoid Plastic in Lake Tahoe

People in the US are extremely lucky when it comes to water, with nearly every state and city in the country having tap water that’s perfectly safe to drink right out of the faucet. But despite that, Americans are some of the biggest consumer of bottled water, spending more than $80 billion on bottled water each year. That averages to each person buying the equivalent of 192 liters of water per person.

Unfortunately, that translates into a devastating amount of plastic waste. Americans buy an average of 50 billion single-use water bottles per year, averaging to 13 bottles per month per person in the US. Producing plastic releases greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, and the bottles primarily end up in landfills, where they take centuries to decompose. Worse is when these bottles end up directly in waterways, or breakdown into microplastics that move into waterways around the world. The impacts of microplastics are just starting to be understood, but it’s likely they lead to animal death and disorders, and leach chemicals into the ground and air.

Photo: Tommy Larey/Shutterstock

In Lake Tahoe, split between Nevada and California, area leaders have already banned single-use plastic bottles in towns around the lake. But they took it even one step further, and created a program to make visitors to the popular tourist towns aware that they don’t need bottled water. Tahoe-area water is “99.994 percent pure,” according to the National Rural Water Association, which makes it almost the same as much of the water bottled in the US.

The campaign, called “Drink Tahoe Tap,” aims to remind visitors that Lake Tahoe’s tap water is some of the best in the country. And visitors with their own water bottles have no excuse not to try it (and no excuse for getting dehydrated), since a collective program installed 63 public and free fill-up stations at area businesses and attractions around the lake. Thanks to a funding effort, area businesses could get grants of up to $500 to install their own airport-style water bottle fill-up stations.

“Drink Tahoe Tap is an environmental stewardship campaign that encourages people to make choices that will create less plastic waste,” says Noah Shapiro, Program & Outreach Coordinator for The Tahoe Fund. “[It’s been] identified as one of Take Care Tahoe’s core initiatives because it applies to everyone in Tahoe, all year long.”

Take Care Tahoe is a collection of initiatives supported by area partners ranging from the US Forest Service to area ski resorts and chambers of commerce. Initiatives as part of Take Care Tahoe include not just “Drink Tahoe Tap,” but also campaigns to encourage visitors to be bear aware, efforts to remind locals and visitors alike to keep rivers clean, and education to help keep invasive species out of Tahoe-area waterways. To some degrees, Tahoe is a victim of its own popularity, with many local residents struggling with the influx of tourists  — an issue seen in mountain towns around the country — and the initiatives aim to lessen the impact of recreators around the lake.

 

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Anyone can use any bottle at the refill stations, but Tahoe-area Raley’s grocery stores are selling “Drink Tahoe Tap” bottles at area stores for $20, with a small amount of the proceeds going back to the Tahoe Fund. But if you’re visiting South Lake Tahoe, you may be able to get a reusable water entirely for free. “In South Lake Tahoe, Visit Lake Tahoe has been distributing free water bottles with the Drink Tahoe Tap logo on them to spread awareness around the single use plastic bottle ban that went into effect in April 2024,” says Shapiro.

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Sober Cruises Are Rare, but This Sober Cruise Expert Knows Foregoing Alcohol Can Be Just as Fun

The only sober cruise line you’ll find right now is AROYA Cruises, and it’s not even operating yet. Saudi Arabia’s one and only cruise line is scheduled to sail for the first time in December 2024. For now, sober travelers don’t have a choice: If they want to cruise, they must do it along with the drinkers. And for some, it’s a challenge.

I am a cruiser and a non-drinker. I’m not a teetotaler (I have been known to enjoy a cocktail on special occasions) and neither am I a recovering alcoholic — I just don’t care for alcohol and its effects on me. Therefore, being among people who drink doesn’t really bother me, as long as it’s not an extreme, binging situation. That’s lucky for me since cruising usually means being in the presence of people who overindulge in that regard.

A cruiser who purchases a drinks package with alcohol needs to have about six to seven drinks per day to break even. Often, they can have up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day with their package. With that kind of math, of course, cruisers tend to drink a lot.

Kyle Valenta, senior SEO editor at Cruise Critic, is a budding cruiser and a sober traveler. While he had gone on only five cruises when we spoke, he has a distinct travel perspective.

“Part of the reason I came on board [at Cruise Critic] was to shine a light on the rookie cruiser’s experience, especially as a queer traveler who abstains from alcohol,” Valenta says.

I talked with Valenta at length about his experience cruising while sober and the advice he would give non-drinkers who want to travel the world by cruise ships.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Matador: When and why did you become a sober traveler?

Kyle Valenta: My personal sobriety journey started out of necessity — by 2013, I’d survived four medical detoxes over the course of two years due to potentially fatal alcohol withdrawal after severe bouts of binge drinking.

Since then, I’ve abstained from alcohol for nearly 10 years. Over that time I’ve had both hard and easy times while navigating alcohol-centric experiences. Of course, that includes travel, which I’d already been hooked on for years by the time I stopped drinking. Once I quit drinking, though, travel quickly became my go-to dopamine hit. After 2013, I began traveling far more, and began my full-time career in travel media in 2015.

You recently wrote a piece that lists tips for sober travelers who want to cruise. Do you personally find it complicated to be a sober cruiser?

I’m lucky enough to have over a decade of sober travel under my belt. While traveling without alcohol is easy and almost second nature to me now, it wasn’t always this way, and I’ve spent plenty of time in destinations where alcohol can be a prominent part of the experience.

For instance, when I was in Madrid for the first time in 2015, I thought I’d explore the tapas bars my first night in town, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Could I have done it sober? Probably. But I would have felt too conscious of myself at that point in my alcohol-abstinence journey, and didn’t actually know if my sparkling water qualified me for the free pinchos they often give away with beer, wine, and cocktails.

When I began taking cruises, I definitely had cruise stereotypes in mind — that typical idea that everyone will be drunk all the time. That quickly changed with my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. I saw that there was an array of things to see and do both on the ship and off, and that there were seemingly hundreds of other people who weren’t drunk at all hours of the day either. The great gym onboard, the high-speed waterslides at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, and a friendly group of Disney World employees that I met only made it easier, to be honest.

What cruise lines would you say are best suited for sober travelers?

It’s not really fair to say one cruise line is better suited for sober travelers than another, though some cruises to some destinations on some cruise lines tend to be a little more booze-centric. This is really no different than all-inclusive resorts on land in places like Cancun or Cabo San Lucas, which tend to be a bit rowdier and fueled by booze, but where you can also find more relaxed, less alcohol-centered experiences.

It’s really on the sober cruiser to do their research to make sure a cruise offers enough of what you want to do to really enjoy your vacation, regardless of the cruise line. This can include researching mocktails onboard — nearly every line can at least crank out a virgin piña colada or mojito — but also check out onboard entertainment and activities, features like the spa and gym, as well as shore excursions on offer.

Virgin Voyages offers some of the most dynamic and interactive entertainment at sea, as well as all-day programming that goes beyond shopping presentations and quiz shows. They also offer creative mocktails in every restaurant onboard — likewise for Cunard. Royal Caribbean, who some might think of as a party cruise line, has a huge array of programming and entertainment, plus countless places to unwind away from the bar on their Oasis- and Icon-Class ships. The water show on Wonder of the Seas has enough octane to supplant any rush a cocktail might give you.

Would you say that luxury cruise lines are better suited to sober travelers than others?

Almost any kind of cruise can be more alcohol centered, so sober travelers really need to do their research — particularly focusing on reviews by previous cruisers, like in Cruise Critic’s community forums. Honestly, there are luxury lines with Caribbean itineraries (and elsewhere) that definitely have a more alcohol-fueled vibe — at Cruise Critic, we’ve certainly seen that vibe even on some luxe sailing ships in the region (as opposed to traditional cruise ships). Other lines, like Silversea, Oceania, and others, do have a more chilled-out, quiet reputation that reflect cruises with less of an emphasis on drinking.

Expedition cruises are an even more reliable way to get away from the alcohol-centric experiences on some mainstream cruise lines. Check out offerings from Uncruise, HX (Hurtigruten), Seabourn, or Lindblad, which are often so packed with adventure that most passengers fall into bed early at night. In other words, the rush of the expedition itself supplants the need for alcohol for even non-sober travelers.

What, in your opinion as a sober cruiser, could cruise lines do to better include sober travelers?

Most 12-step groups and addiction therapy teach the sober person that personal accountability is a critical part of the process for those who are sober. That means that those who abstain from alcohol don’t necessarily expect that an event, destination, or vacation will cater to their sobriety.

However, nearly every cruise offers 12-step meetings onboard as part of their regular programming. If you’re more comfortable with your home group or a group that’s not based on the ship, many lines now have powerful WiFi that can make it easy to join a group on land (or connect with your therapist).

My only thought is that while all cruise lines serve mocktails (even though they aren’t always on the menus), many could be more creative with alcohol-free cocktails and should shine more of a spotlight on them in their restaurants and bars. In the same vein, diversifying wellness beyond spa treatments would also be great, as many sober people rely on these to maintain their sobriety.

What are the top three pieces of advice you would give a person who does not drink and would like to go on a cruise?Be honest with yourself about where you are in your recovery journey: Nearly any social setting involving alcohol can trigger cravings and other uncomfortable feelings for newly sober people. This was the case for me in my first couple years of alcohol abstinence. However, if you have a robust support network and practiced and proven tactics that have kept you sober in those situations, it can be far easier to avoid a potential relapse while on a cruise or vacation. That often comes with time.Do your research: This is true for anyone who cruises, but it’s critical for sober cruisers. Forums and online groups provide advice and reviews from plenty of alcohol-abstinent cruisers. These are likely your most honest, up-to-the-minute source of intel on how alcohol-soaked the cruise you’re considering is likely to be. Additionally, research what you can do onboard, what you can do on land, and what kinds of less alcohol-centric spaces are offered on your cruise.Make a plan, be accountable to someone, and play the tape through to the end: Three powerful tools for sober people that apply on a cruise as well.Planning provides structure to avoid endless stretches of free time, which can trigger sober people or open them up to making more impulsive decisions. Staying accountable to someone also helps. Take lots of pictures and send them to a friend, family member, sponsor, or other trusted person. Staying in touch about your cruise — the good and bad things — with someone meaningful to you can help you from staying true to your goal of staying sober, whether you’re feeling a craving, took an amazing shore excursion, or enjoyed a long nap on the beach. Finally, playing the tape through to the end is a tried-and-true recovery tactic. You can do this before departing by imagining the specific triggering situations you might be in on a cruise, and honestly visualizing each step of how you might navigate cravings, triggers, and so on. While on the ship, use this tactic before situations where temptation might be higher: near the pool bar, in the nightclub, during typical happy hour times, and so on. More like thisTravelA New Data Analysis Shows the 40 Best Countries for Sober Travel

This Airline Just Launched New Routes to Beach Destinations, Starting at $39

Sure, it may be summer now, but when the temperatures start dropping in most of the US around November, those hot, sunny days are going to start sounding pretty good again. But thanks to new cheap flights launching from Allegiant Airlines, if you have $78, you may be able to make a beachy winter getaway come true.

Allegiant announced it will launch nine new routes in November, with one-way rates for some flights starting as low as $39.

From Grand Rapids, MI, to Palm Beach, FL (starting at $69)From Savannah/Hilton Head, GA, to Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, FL (starting at $39)From Savannah/Hilton Head, GA, to St. Pete/Tampa, FL (starting at $39)From Savannah/Hilton Head, GA, to Fort Lauderdale/Miami, FL (starting at $39)From Cincinnati, OH, fly to Orlando, FL (starting at $49)From Fort Lauderdale/Miami, FL, to Savannah, GA (starting at $39)From Fort Lauderdale/Miami, FL, to Newburgh, NY (starting at $69)From Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL, fly to Flint, MI (starting at $59)From Sarasota/Bradenton, FL, fly to Portsmouth, NH (starting at $69)

The new routes begin on November 13 or 14, 2024, but to take advantage of the super-cheap rates, you’ll have to book your flights before July 17, 2024, and travel by February 10, 2025. But if you miss the July cut-off date, it’s likely that flights will still be pretty inexpensive as the routes are brand new. The listed fares include taxes and government fees, but don’t include add-ons like checked bags, carry-on bags, seat selection, early boarding, or food or drink.

Allegiant is considered one of US’s low-cost carriers, and won the title of “” at the 2024 World Airline Awards. It was also ranked as the airline least likely to lose your luggage in 2021. However, it’s also received its share of not-so-great accolades, like being voted the “worst airline in the US” by The Points Guy in 2021. But if you know what you’re signing up for — a cheap, no-frills flight to a mid-sized airport — the prices are a steal. And come December or January, you may not care how budget an airline is, as long as it gets you to somewhere with sunshine and palm trees.

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How Tapooz Travel Makes Customized, Accessible Dream Trips Possible for a Wide Range of Needs

By World Health Organization numbers, one in six people worldwide have a disability. Around the world, the accessible travel industry is working to become more inclusive for people with a wide range of special needs. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has created programs for people traveling on the autism spectrum, for example, while Wheel The World specializes in travel planning for people with mobility challenges. Others include Cruise Planners, focused on cruise ships, and Travel For All. Still, accessible travel is a nearly $60 billion market that’s largely untapped, according to the BBC.

Just like any traveler with a specific goal for their trip, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula in accessible travel. That’s particularly true the more specialized the needs are. In many cases, a knowledgable and specialized travel agent who intimately knows the location is the only way to make travel possible and safe.

Photo: Tapooz Travel

Tapooz Travel, one of the most recommended and trusted accessible travel companies led by Laurent Roffé and his wife Aïcha Nyström, is fully aware of this and creates individualized itineraries that are need specific and completely custom.

Roffé is French and has been a resident of the Bay Area of California since moving there in the 1990s with Nyström. He specializes in accessible kayaking, while Nyström specializes in accessible skiing for people with visual impairments. Thirteen years ago they created a business plan to offer a small number of accessible excursions — sea kayaking, wine country tours, etc. — around the Bay Area as something to do in retirement.

Fast forward to today, and Tapooz is a full-fledged travel company that’s well recognized for tours in 30 destinations around the world that are custom designed for each traveler’s needs. Tapooz focuses on individual trips, but also facilitates group trips or trips where only part of the group requires assistance — whether that’s traveling with specialized medical gear to a foreign country or creating an itinerary around specific mobility issues.

Photo: Tapooz Travel

“Right away when we said that we have an accessible travel company, it’s like the floodgates opened and never closed,” Roffé says over a call. “Very naively, we didn’t know there was such a demand for accessible travel, and that demand became more and more.”

It’s a demand that will only continue to grow as populations age, considering as people get older they naturally need more assistance. Roffé also has a travel accessibility consulting company, Accessio Consulting, focused on business travel, and has a list of other trusted accessible travel planners if it’s decided that a particular trip can’t be done with Tapooz for any reason.

The importance of first-hand vetting in accessible travel

Photo: Tapooz Travel

It’s one thing for a hotel or attraction to state that it follows accessibility guidelines and regulations. Specific details, however, take seeing something first-hand. Tapooz personally vets the entire travel network — from the transportation options, to the hotels, to the equipment onsite, and more — for each destination it offers.

Growth is slower this way, but it’s a key differentiator when choosing an accessible travel company. Only through seeing something for oneself and building one-on-one relationships can a travel company guarantee that traveler needs are met. For Roffé, that meant an early focus on the Bay Area and France, and then expanding through connections and his own travels to Canada, India, Portugal, Scandinavia, and Morocco.

After someone reaches out to Tapooz, trip planning starts with a questionnaire and a Zoom call about what type of experience the guest wants to have on a trip. Maybe it’s cultural and centered around museums and music, or perhaps food-focused or a wine region tour. For others, adventure and high thrills are top of mind, like adaptive surfing in Santa Cruz or skydiving over Yosemite. From there, the conversation shifts to specific needs to make sure Tapooz can offer the right tools, people, and equipment.

Photo: Tapooz Travel

A loose draft of a travel plan comes from those conversations, which is then refined with the guest to cover any questions and formulate back up plans. It can take as little as a week to create an itinerary from start to finish, or as long as a few months depending on the urgency of travel. The final result of the planning is a complete custom guide with every detail needed, from types of vehicles, to the names of drivers and emergency contacts, to equipment that’ll be delivered to a room at what time, and more.

Photo: Tapooz Travel

“Myself, my spouse, my team, we’re very much part of this community,” Roffé says. “So we have a special sensibility to even the terminology that we’re using and the way that we talk with people.”

Mobility is only one aspect that needs to be covered. Others include how well a person can communicate verbally, for example, or access to certain types of doctors or medical equipment. Entirely seperate acommodation needs for a travel companion must also be considered.

“We’re very respectful, and we ask the hard questions when they need to be asked, because it goes into equipment or another need,” Roffé says. “A lot of that has to do with the guests feeling very comfortable sharing with us.”

The need for specifics guided by an agent

Photo: Tapooz Travel

The individualized nature of accessible travel and the need to work through a dedicated travel agent inherently raises the cost of each trip. AI travel tools, like Matador Network’s GuideGeek, are getting better every day at creating travel plans tailored to a traveler’s interests. AI has not, however, reached a point where it can answer the most specific needs, like a particular hotel bathroom’s accessibility or the height of the beds or the varied surfaces on the sidewalk when you exit a building.

Roffé gives an example of someone who uses a wheelchair who wanted to go down Bryce Canyon. In addition to the exact tested route, Tapooz worked with providers in the area for the exact types of straps needed to get the guest’s specific wheelchair back to the top.

The costs that go into an accessible travel agent’s fee go into providing the granular details “that AI cannot address all of — right now,” Roffé says.

Travel risk tolerance and the importance of being prepared

Photo: Tapooz Travel

It’s not as easy for accessible travel itineraries to shift, “so we build a lot of redundancy, a lot of plan B, a lot of ‘what if’ scenarios,” Roffé says. The human connection to people at the hotels and experiences is important as well, to ensure there’s an immediate on-the-ground contact who can responsibly handle any issues that come up.

When a Tapooz traveler had a head injury on their scooter in Scandinavia, for example, Tapooz was able to immediately have a team member meet with them, find a doctor in a remote area, find a hotel that could install a special bed, and help deal with the insurance claim requirements.

Anyone who has traveled knows that things happen and there’s a certain level of flexibility needed. With accessible travel, that could mean a lost battery or broken wheelchair. It can also mean a medical emergency. It’s important to match the risk tolerance with each specific guest, and to have all risks clearly communicated ahead of time.

Tapooz doesn’t offer travel insurance directly, though all of their guests use a travel insurance company and Tapooz is happy to make recommendations.

This story was inspired by a reader question solicited through the Matador newsletter. Have a travel question you’d like the Matador Network team to look into? Send us an email at nick.h@matadornetwork.com.

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North Dakota’s Sunflower Trail Will Brighten Up Your Summer

France has lavender, The Netherlands has tulips, and North Dakota has sunflowers. The midwestern state, the birth place of the Sunflower seed and one of the top producers of sunflowers in the country, even celebrates National Sunflower Day on the first Saturday in August. The date is chosen to correspond to peak blooming time — sunflowers usually flower between late July and mid-August.

During blooming season, travelers to North Dakota can enjoy the magnificent spectacle of giant fields full of the bright and joyful flowers by following the state’s SunFlower Trail. The 2024 Sunflower Trail consists of 13 fields spread out throughout the state which you can visit for free.

“North Dakota Tourism often receives calls from soon-to-be fiances wanting to know where to find sunflower fields as a location to pop the question. The best time to do so varies, as their peak colors depend on planting and weather, but usually late July to early and mid-August,” North Dakota Tourism explains on its website.

The map above includes all 13 sunflower fields. Upon clicking on one of the fields, you can obtain the GPS coordinates to get there easily. North Dakota Tourism has also included directions for every sunflower field on its website.

Around some of the fields, visitors will notice mailboxes featuring the message “ND Be Legendary”. They contain sunflower seeds which are free to take.

The Sunflower Trail is different every year as farmers rotate the crops they plant in each field, so don’t use the map above if you’re planning a road trip along North Dakota’s Sunflower Trail in 2025 or 2026.

No matter which of the 13 fields you opt to visit (maybe all of them), just make sure to respect the location by not entering the fields without the owner’s permission — even if you really, really want a photo among the blooms. Also, don’t go check out a field while it’s being sprayed with insecticide or herbicide — look up at the sky before you go and if you see a spray plane, stay away.

Photo: ND Tourism

Before you set off on the Sunflower Trail, get your facts straight about this beautiful crop: Sunflowers are five to six foot tall on average; one sunflower head can contain up to 2,000 seeds, sunflowers heads follow the path of the sun throughout the day, from east to west; and sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine.

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A Taylor Swift Train Is Coming to Florida. Here’s How You Can Ride It.

On a regular day, Brightline, Florida’s high-speed train service, takes travelers between Miami and Orlando via the west coast of Florida in 3.5 hours or less. While going between the beach and Disney at 130 mph is what Brightline does best, on October 18, 19, and 20, 2024, the rail operator will shake things up a little. On those three dates, Brightline, in collaboration with iHeartRadio, will add some serious pizzazz to its regular route by running a Taylor Swift-themed train ride. The Sing-Along Train will take fans from Orlando to the pop star’s Eras Tour concerts at Hard Rock Stadium.

On board the appropriately decorated Sing-Along Train, concertgoers will be able to sing to their favorite Taylor Swift songs thanks to the talents of two DJs: XL106.7 and Magic107.7. But that’s not all. There’ll be cocktails and snacks served to tie fans over before the big event, and there’ll be photo opportunities. Of course, passengers will be encouraged to swap friendship bracelets during the unique ride to the stadium.

“At iHeartRadio, we’re all about connecting our listeners with the music and experiences they love. Our partnership with Brightline allows us to bring fans even closer to the action, with an unforgettable journey to The Big Concert. We’re thrilled to be a part of this first-of-its-kind Sing-Along Train, and can’t wait to see the memories our listeners will make on board,” said Jeremy Rice, Program Director iHeartRadio’s XL 106.7 + Magic 107.7 Orlando in a press release.

The Taylor Swift train will start from Orlando Station and end in Aventura where shuttle buses will take passengers straight to the Hard Rock Stadium. The train will not stop to any other Brightline stations on the way.

There will be two departures for the Sing-Along train on those three dates: At 12:50 PM or 1:50 PM from Orlando for an arrival in Aventura at 3:56 PM or 4:51 PM.

Tickets for the Sing-Along Train are now on sale on Brightline’s booking system, starting at $209 for Smart and $309 for Premium one-way. The difference between the two classes of service include seats with extra space, priority boarding, and access to the station lounge for Premium passengers.

Beyond the Sing-Along Train, Brightline will also be running Hard Rock Connect trains that will include the shuttle ride from the Aventura station to the Hard Rock stadium. However, Hard Rock Connect trains will not have the DJs, the sing-alongs, the photos opps, etc.

There will be one Hard Rock Connect southbound train from Orlando with stops in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, to Aventura, as well as three Hard Rock Connect northbound trains from Miami to Aventura.

After the concerts, there will also be three Hard Rock Connect trains (two northbound trains and southbound trains) available will take passengers back home. Schedule and bookings for the Hard Rock Connect trains are now available on Brightline’s website.

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Osprey’s Amazon Prime Day Sale See’s Over 50 Percent Off Outdoor Gear Today

It’s Amazon Prime Day 2024 today and tomorrow, and Osprey has some great deals. With discounts on some of the iconic packs, now is the time to upgrade your outdoor gear. Matador editors are die-hard Osprey fans. We’ve traveled the world with the trustworthy backpacks, roller packs, and hydration packs because they are so durable, well-made, and look great.

Here’s the best of Osprey’s Amazon Prime Day deals. If you’re not a Prime member, sign up now with a free 30-day trial and take advantage of the great discounts.

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to purchase. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

Osprey Farpoint (men’s) and Fairview (women’s) travel backpacks — up to 27 percent off

Photo: Amazon

Osprey packs are known for their suspension systems, comfortability, and durability. The Farpoint and Fairview are two of the brand’s most popular packs. They utilize an adjustable harness with breathable mesh panels to keep you cool and comfortable during treks. The padded shoulder straps and hip belt distribute weight effectively and are constructed with tough, weather-resistant materials. If you’re looking for a sturdy pack for anything travel or outdoor-related, check out the Farpoint and Fairview. They also come in multiple sizes and colors.

Price: From $130

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Osprey Hikelite 26L Unisex Hiking Backpack — 12 percent off

Photo: Amazon

The Hikelite 26L strikes a balance between comfort and functionality. Osprey states it’s one of their more pared-down models, which is great because a day pack doesn’t need bells and whistles; you just want something that does the job.

The key feature is the Osprey’s AirSpeed back panel. This ventilated system creates space between your back and the pack, allowing air to circulate and keeping you cooler on hikes. The pack also comes with an ergonomic shoulder strap and hip belt for a comfortable fit that distributes weight evenly. With 26 liters of capacity, the Hikelite offers enough space for essentials like food, water, extra clothing layers, and basic navigation tools. It features a main compartment with a hydration sleeve for your water bladder and a hip belt pocket for easy access to snacks or your phone.

Price: From $115

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Osprey Raven 10 Women’s Bike Hydration Backpack with Hydraulics Reservoir — 45 percent off

Photo: Amazon

Osprey offers a lifetime warranty on their workmanship and materials, so you can hit the road weekend after weekend and your hydration system won’t let you down. Osprey’s Prime Day sale also includes 25 percent off men’s hydration backpacks and 40 percent off hydration running vests.

Price: From $85.22

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Osprey Moki 1.5 Kid’s Bike Hydration Backpack — 7 percent off

Photo: Amazon

This pack is specifically designed for children aged four to 12 to carry water and essentials comfortably outdoors. It comes with a 1.5-liter BPA / PVC-free hydration bladder, which is a good size (and weight) for most children. There’s also a small external zippered pocket for snacks and other necessities and a front shove-it pocket for stashing a light jacket or gloves.

Price: From $57.97

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Osprey Water Reservoir Insulation Kit, Silver — 34 percent off

Photo: Amazon

Maintaining a comfortable drinking water temperature is a key factor in hydration and overall well-being for activities like hiking, biking, or camping across various seasons. The Osprey kit insulates the water, keeping it cooler for longer during hot days and preventing ice in freezing temperatures. Even after a long day summer hike, I find that my water stays still cold. I also I drink more with a hydration bladder compared to a bottle and despite the faff of cleaning the kit, I wouldn’t do long hikes without it.

Price: From $21.01

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Osprey Ace Kids’ Backpacking Backpack — 13 percent off

Photo: Amazon

The Osprey Ace Kids’ Backpack is a specifically designed pack for children who would rather hit the trails than sit on a screen. Unlike adult backpacks, the Ace features an adjustable torso and hip belt that can grow with your child, ensuring a comfortable fit throughout their developmental stages. This feature is also important to help with weight distribution, so your kid is comfortable carrying heavier loads. Padded shoulder straps and a ventilated mesh back panel also add to the pack’s comfortability, and there’s a built-in rain cover, and multiple pockets and compartments.

Price: From $139.50

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Osprey Poco Child Carrier Backpack — 27 percent off

Photo: Amazon

Getting a decent carrier can be a game-changer if you enjoy the outdoors with your kids. There’s a lot on the market, but Osprey has designed the Poco line specifically for those want hit the trails with a little one in tow. The company used its skills in designing backpacks to create comfortable child carriers for hikes and trips to the wilderness. There are a few key features that we love. First, it’s light and slimmer than most, and an adjustable back panel fits either parent. Best of all, the pack itself is adjustable, so you can make it bigger as your baby grows.

Price: From $212.50

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How to Take a Great American Summer Road Trip

How to Take a Great American Summer Road Trip

Photo: Kyle T Perry/Shutterstock

Summer is the most popular time to travel for many reasons. Getting out on longer, warmer days can quickly make you forget about wintry days spent inside and messy mud season trips. While a summer Euro trip or rugged backpacking tour is almost always a good choice, there are few summer travel plans as iconic in the United States as a road trip.

Stretches of open road, random pit stops that lead to some of the most memorable moments of a trip, and an understanding that getting there is half the fun all await. But like any type of travel, you’re not going to enjoy a road trip to its fullest unless you’re properly prepared. From trip planning and the best routes to what you need to know on the road, this guide will ensure your next road trip meets its full potential.

Find the Perfect Summer Road Trip

Strike It Rich on This California Gold Panning Road Trip

Yes, you can still find gold in California — if you know where to look.

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These 11 Scenic Byways Are Some of the Most Beautiful Road Trips You Can Take in the US

No need for an abundance of stops when the road is this gorgeous.

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How to Take a Beach-Filled Great Lakes Road Trip From Chicago

Consider this your “no-coast” coastal road trip.

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Find the Perfect Great American Road Trip in South Dakota

A state best seen from the road.

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For the Ultimate Pacific Coast Road Trip, Go North to Oregon and Washington

The PCH runs through more than just California.

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Find the Wild West on an Idaho Road Trip

Road Tripping Know-how

 

The Essential Car Maintenance Skills to Know Before Your Next Road Trip

There’s an undeniable excitement about planning a road trip route. That doesn’t often carry over to car maintenance, despite the fact that even a minor breakdown can send a whole journey into a spiral. Duane ‘Doc’ Watson, a decorated automotive mechanic and instructor, knows this all too well — and knows how to stop problems before they happen. These are his tips.

Prepare for the road ahead

Taking a Road Trip in an EV? Here’s What to Bring With You

Vehicles are changing for the better — especially when it comes to fuel efficiency. There’s no road trip more sustainable, however, than one in an electric vehicle. The days of “range anxiety” are over, and there are more EVs on the road than ever before. That said, it does take a slightly different approach to planning a road trip in an EV.

Road trip sustainably

Your Dog Should Be Wearing a Seatbelt on Road Trips. Here’s Why

You wouldn’t want a loved one to be in the car for long stretches without a seatbelt, so why would you let your four-legged love one do it? The founder of the Center for Pet Safety explains what you need to know about securing your dog in the car.

Bring the pup

 

Roadside Attractions That Make the Trip

Sputnik, Carhenge, and 5 Other Can’t-Miss Midwestern Roadside Attractions

All pieces of art unto themselves.

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The Bizarre Roadside Attractions of the California Desert

Unlike anything you’ll find in a museum.

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You’ll Want to Take a Detour to See These 10 Massive Roadside Food Statues Around the World

Delicious, though not edible.

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Bring Your Tent

This Rooftop Tent Makes Camping Road Trips Easy Even With a Small Car

The easiest tent you’ll ever pitch.

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The 8 Best Places to Go Beach Camping in Texas

Hit the Gulf Coast right.

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Paddle, Hike, or Drive to These 6 Sites for Adirondacks Camping in New York

Get out of the city.

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The Best Beach Camping in California, From NorCal Wine Country to SoCal Surf Spots

Stay right on the beach.

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The Ultimate Colorado Stargazing Road Trip to Remote Dark Sky Sanctuary Towns

You won’t forget to look up.

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CREDITSEditorial lead

Nickolaus Hines

Contributors

Eben Diskin, Alex Bresler, Tim Wenger, Katie Scott Aiton, Morgane Croissant, Jacqueline Kehoe, Suzie Dundas, Natalia Iwanek, Matt Meltzer, Malee Oot, Jeremy Long

A Famous Bygone Airline Is Returning to the Skies in 2025

Today, air travel on US-based airlines isn’t exactly glamorous (for non-first-class passengers, at least). Seats become more cramped every year, amenities are slim, and it feels like you get charged extra for just about everything.

But back in the middle of the 20th century, air travel was a luxurious affair. Passengers got dressed up, seats were padded and roomy, and meals were served on trays, with cocktails in crystal glasses.

Dinner service on an early Pan Am flight. Photo: Pan Am Historical Foundation

That glamorous vision of air travel of yesteryear was thanks primarily to Pan American World Airways, known as Pan Am Airways. It was founded in 1927 and became the first airline to offer transatlantic flights, but it eventually went bankrupt in 1991. But it’s coming back in 2025 — kind of.

From June 27 to July 8, 2025, 50 passengers will be able to take to the skies on a trip around the world managed by Bartelings, which runs luxury travel vacations via chartered aircraft, and Criterion Travel, which creates niche travel itineraries for groups like alumni organizations or museums. And that’s fitting, since the “Tracing the Transatlantic” trip will be hosted by Pan Am’s CEO Craig Carter, and co-sponsored by the Pan Am Museum Foundation.

The luxury Pan Am Airways trip will fill follow the path of the airlines’s original route between New York City and Marseilles, France; as well as the airline’s former northern route between New York and London. In addition to those cities, the trip will also make stops in Bermuda, Foynes (Ireland), and Lisbon (Portugal). Travelers will stay in five-star hotels along the way, including Dromoland Castle in Ireland and New York City’s historic Waldorf Astoria. Travel will be aboard a Pan Am-branded Boeing 757 with all-business-class seats, with meals and drinks included.

All seats on the one-time trip will be lie-flat business class seats, with all meals and drinks included. Photo:

As you may expect, the trip won’t be cheap. The trip will run you $65,000 per person for a single room, or $59,950 if you’re sharing with a friend or partner.

While Pan Am Airways doesn’t exist as an airline anymore,  Pan American World Airways, LLC., does exist. It’s in negotiations to open a few airport lounges around the country, and is re-opening the “” (a 747-200-themed restaurant) in Los Angeles later this year.

The company says it expects interest to be high for the limited number of spots, which are now open for booking on the trip website.

What happened to Pan Am Airlines?

 

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A post shared by The Pan Am Experience (@panamexperience)

Pan American World Airways, or Pan Am, was a cultural icon and a pioneer of global aviation in the 20th century. Pan Am Airways was synonymous with international travel, embodying the glamour and romance of jet-setting. Its rise was meteoric, its fall deeply symbolic of broader economic shifts.

After becoming the first airline to offer transatlantic flights in 1939, it continued to innovate through the following decades, introducing technology like advanced navigation systems and high-tech jet aircraft. The Pan Am Airways’ blue globe logo became a symbol of adventure and exploration, and celebrities, diplomats, and the global elite flocked to the airline, solidifying its status as a symbol of prestige and success.

However, the golden age of Pan Am was not without its challenges, and increasing competition, economic downturns, and the turbulent geopolitical landscape of the late 20th century led the business to shrink. A series of high-profile incidents eventually eroded public confidence, and it went bankrupt in 1991. Many of its assets were bought by Delta and United Airlines.

But despite its closure, the airline’s legacy lives on into the fabric of popular culture, inspiring films, television shows, and countless works of fiction. Its luxurious service was captured in movies like “Catch Me if You Can” (2002) and several classic James Bond movies.

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