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This List of the Most Expensive Airbnb in Every State Showcases True Luxury

In the past, there’s been some debate about what’s more expensive: hotel rooms or Airbnbs. Airbnb originally marketed itself as a budget-friendly option for those who love to travel. A lot has changed since 2008, though. Now you can find exquisite luxury Airbnbs that rival some of the most expensive hotel rooms at luxury brands. Joybird, a custom-made furniture company, set out to find the most expensive Airbnbs in each state. We’re not talking about hundreds of dollars a night, but four- and five-figure rooms that offer a unique experience.

The third and second most expensive Airbnbs in the US are tied in price. The first is located in Edgartown, Massachusetts. The four-bedroom residential home sleeps eight, is fitted with four bathrooms, and is located on Oyster Pond, a 2685-acre watershed. Enjoy an indoor pool and hot tub, movie theater, and a private tennis court for a mere $10,000 per night. The second priciest Airbnb is located in Alaska. Guests can stay on a four-bedroom, four-bathroom yacht in Juneau with a hot tub on deck and gourmet meals available.

The Airbnb that will put the biggest dent in your pocket is in Yountville, California. This 22-acre villa in Napa Valley has five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and sleeps 10. Amenities include a private pool and hot tub, but the star of the show is the private daily breakfast chef. All this can be yours for a whopping $15,000 a night.

The top five most expensive Airbnbs by state for a three-night stayYountville, California — $45,000Edgartown, Massachusetts — $34,235Juneau, Alaska — $34,235Flagstaff, Arizona — $32,870Las Vegas, Nevada — $29,321

To find the most expensive Airbnbs in each state, Joybird looked for dates in July (the costliest and most popular month for vacation rentals in the US), and excluded rentals that were already rented out prior to February 3, 2022. Then it took into account the property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, number of guests the rental can accommodate, cost per night, total cost including fees, rental dates, any special amenities, and the average rent for residents by state. Would you be willing to spend up to $45,000 to live in luxury?

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

The most expensive Airbnb in every stateAlabamaAlaskaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Note: Not all states are listed as some listings for states were removed after Joybird’s data research.

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Yosemite’s Rush Creek Lodge Raises the Bar for National Park Accommodation

To experience a fantastic mix of adventure and family-friendly luxury made for travelers of any age just outside Yosemite National Park, look no further than Rush Creek Lodge and Spa at Yosemite. This relatively new “destination within a destination” is located less than a mile from the park’s actual gates and just a few hours from the San Francisco Bay Area.

We hope you love the Rush Creek Lodge and Spa! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

When the lodge first opened its doors in the summer of 2016, it was the first new lodge in the area in more than 25 years. This means visitors can experience more of a contemporary feeling in the sophisticated touches of modern technology — but its overall design still factors in those special rustic features that are appreciated in the outdoor park setting. The property is located on an enormous expanse of nature, with 20-acres of trails and outdoor space in a wooded hillside surrounding.

Enjoy a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere and top-notch amenities such as comfy beds, custom artwork, furnishings, gourmet coffee brewers, Alexa virtual assistant technology, or alternatively a range of classic board games and books to connect as humans.

Rush Creek Lodge is a Certified B-Corporation and a Booking.com certified Sustainable Travel Establishment

Guests can choose from a mix of 143 lodge rooms, suites, and hillside villas — whichever is the best fit for their group’s size. Each room offers a deck that serves as immediate access to fresh air (the majority of which even host sunset views!). The deluxe Lodge Rooms, Suites, and Hillside Villas are spread throughout the 20 acres of property.

Sustainable practices, and a certified B-Corporation

Immediately upon arriving on-site and walking into the lobby, the buildings feature prominent architectural elements like towering vaulted ceilings, cozy fireplaces, and comfy couches for relaxing.

Photo: Booking.com

Photo: Booking.com

Photo: Booking.com

Photo: Booking.com

Photo: Kim Carroll

Photo: Kim Carroll

It’s clear this is a welcoming and warm place to spend a fun evening after a day of adventure. The lobby opens up into the general store which sells standard market goods ranging from hummus, jerky, fresh fruit, and a “make your own trail mix” bar, as well as upscale selections like premium craft beer and wine, and handmade espresso beverages.

Perhaps one of the best parts of staying at Rush Creek is simply exploring the property itself which offers a decent network of hiking trails, as well as secluded spots to watch a stunning Sierra sunset. Another unique element of Rush Creek Lodge is its social and environmental operations. It isn’t just a hotel — it’s a Certified B Corporation that meets social sustainability and environmental performance standards with solar panels and a comprehensive greywater system, and even runs a fully self-funded on-site youth employment program.

Traveling to California? Check out Matador’s California accommodations guides:These beautiful San Diego Airbnbs put you close to the beach and downtownThe best 14 Airbnbs near Yosemite National Park11 magical Airbnbs near Redwoods and Sequoia National Parks9 dreamy oceanfront Airbnbs up and down the California coast10 soulful beach Airbnbs for the perfect SoCal yoga retreat12 very zen Joshua Tree Airbnbs perfect for families and groups

Access to the outdoors sets Rush Creek Lodge apart

But it’s not just the rooms or the design that makes this property shine. The all-encompassing experience at Rush Creek is what makes this resort stand out against other Yosemite lodging competitors. Outside, there is a 2,400 square foot, heated, saltwater swimming pool surrounded by two hot tubs (one open to all ages, and one specifically for adults) which are circled by lounge chairs to relax the muscles after a day of outdoor activity.

Those who would rather spend a day at the resort than out in the park will have plenty to keep entertained any time of year. There’s a fully equipped gym with multiple Peloton bikes to fit in a workout, and the newly opened Rush Creek’s indoor/outdoor spa is a beautiful spot to spend a day rejuvenating. Guests need not book a massage or treatment to experience the spa, they can simply purchase a day pass to enjoy access to enjoying the Warm Waterfall Coves, the Aromatherapy Steam Room, and the innovative Sensory Room, or the Himalayan Salt Sauna which leads to a Cool Mist Room.

In the evening, children and adults alike are invited to gather around the fire pits, which use real firewood, to toast s’mores together. And there’s a giant recreation room inside the main lodge which offers a play structure, multiple pools, foosball tables, dozens of board games, and ample coloring supplies to play with.

Adventure enthusiasts can make use of the full-service onsite recreation department which hosts bookable outdoor adventures such as hiking, photography, and more than 30 guided excursions of the park at various levels of difficulty.

Overall, Rush Creek’s balanced approach to feeling like a trip to the great outdoors while still offering visitors the chance to enjoy the comforts of modern living is what makes it a fantastic place to spend an overnight, just outside the iconic sights of Yosemite.

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Take Better Photos: 8 Landscape Photography Tips for Self-Taught Travelers

“Are you self-taught?”

It’s a question I’m often asked, and I am pretty darn proud to say that I am, in fact, a self-taught photographer. What started as a hobby turned into always having a camera in hand and morphed into a career change – though it wasn’t as easy and simple as that.

Although my work as a travel writer and photographer has me capturing anything from European street scenes to portraits of tea plantation workers in Sri Lanka, my main focus is on outdoor and landscape photography. It’s what I love the most and where I feel most at home with my camera – truthfully, I may or may not have a serious thing for dramatic scenery. (Bonus landscape photography tip: go for drama.)

You’ll often find me in awkward positions on mountain summits, covered in dirt, crouching to get the perfect shot. I’ve bundled up in temperatures of -45 degrees Fahrenheit to capture the northern lights and slept in the back of rental cars more times than I can count. Landscape photography can be rewarding, breathtaking, and incredibly humbling. It can also be cold, wet, disgusting, and unforgiving. You have to be willing to brave the elements. If you are, then these landscape photography tips are for you.

I set up shots constantly in my head, even when I don’t have a camera on me. It’s something I can’t turn off in my brain. People say that photography is a combination of technical skill and having “an eye” for it; I’m personally heavy on the artsy and composition side of things. Learning the technical end of working a camera outside of my iPhone proved to be my biggest challenge. But I managed to do it (and I’m still learning).

Here are eight landscape photography tips I’ve learned for anyone who’s self-taught, just like myself. Keep ’em in your back pocket for later.

Buy a camera

Photo: rukawajung/Shutterstock

This should be the obvious starting point; it’s essential for all other landscape photography tips, after all.

We live in a world where “everyone is a photographer” because they own a phone. And yes, phones can take decent photos sometimes, especially in ideal light conditions. But no, everyone is not a photographer, and a phone will limit you more than it will help if you’re serious about learning the ins and outs of the craft. So you’ll have to purchase a real camera – but you don’t have to go nuts and spend your life’s savings on it.

Do your research. Buy a beginner DSLR or mirrorless model (mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller and lighter) with manual capabilities, and consider something used/refurbished to save money. You’ll probably want to trade it in and upgrade at some point down the line. I graduated from a good ol’ point-and-shoot to my beginner Nikon D5300 when I changed careers, and that Nikon got me through five years of traveling through more than 20 countries. It also was the camera that captured the photo that catapulted my photography career.

Then, I spent my life’s savings and splurged on a high-end, professional mirrorless camera. You may also want to invest in a good tripod, since they come in handy during landscape photography for longer exposure shots, astrophotography, or artsy selfies.

Use all available resources

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Your camera comes with a manual for a reason. But it can be overwhelming to paw through and absorb the information you need to get started. But hey, that’s what YouTube is for, right?

No, seriously: YouTube can be a decent resource with instructions and tutorials for getting certain shots. I’ve used it to find what f-stop works best for specific strategies, like capturing waterfalls. It’s particularly great for visual learners such as myself.

You can also flip through photography books and see what catches your eye, absorbing inspiration from your favorite shots. Many books also have step-by-step, photo-a-day challenges to help you learn about your camera.

You could also join some Facebook groups and get insight from other photographers, sign up for an in-person workshop to get hands-on experience from a professional photographer, or become part of a forum where you can get critiques and landscape photography tips from fellow enthusiasts. Heck, just Google “landscape photography tips” and read articles like this. Choose whatever works for you and set aside time to learn each week.

Take your camera everywhere

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Your camera is your most important tool for success and it should be with you at all times. Is it always convenient? Nope. But carrying your camera will keep you poised for any possible photography situation and, in turn, make you a better photographer.

It’s a bit painful when there’s a great photo opportunity, but you didn’t want to lug your camera around. Imagine leaving it at home for a hike because you didn’t feel like having the extra weight in your pack, the weather wasn’t ideal, or you had already photographed the exact trail before. Suddenly, a moose appears against the backdrop of the most epic sunset that came out when the clouds cleared at the last second. But guess who didn’t bring their camera and missed out on the shot of a lifetime. Spoiler: it’s you.

While this is probably a slightly unlikely scenario, it gets the point across. Like memories, sometimes the unplanned and more spontaneous moments are the best ones.

Get up early, stay out late

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

It sounds a bit contradictory, but stick with me here. Midday photographers have to deal with harsh light, which can wash out your images, create weird shadows, and leave you with solid-blue, somewhat boring skies.

Without a doubt, dawn and dusk are the best times to shoot. Not only do you get more variety in the sky day-to-day and season-to-season, but it also happens to be when wildlife is most active. If you’re looking to add some little (or big) creatures to your landscape photography, sunrise and sunset are the ideal times to do it. Wildlife can gussy up any landscape photo, and trying to include them in your photos is one of my top landscape photography tips that adds a lot to your photo without too much work. Just be sure to do it from a safe distance, and always prioritize the animal’s safety and habitat over capturing the shot.

And if you’re thinking about how much you hate waking up early, me too – but photography turned me into a morning person. I like to sleep in with the best of them, but sunrise lures me out of my cozy bed, making me willing to brave dark drives, hikes, and at times, unfavorable temperatures in order to shoot with that early morning light. Add in some fog, and I’ll swoon.

There’s nothing quite like watching and capturing the silent landscape before the rest of the world wakes up. Additionally, early morning is a great time to have otherwise-busy locations all to yourself.

Sunset has the same dreamy effect. Shoot as many sunsets as you can; back to back if you’re traveling.

Shooting in the field during these times will teach you to adapt to changing light and train you to change your settings quickly while also giving you some of the most dramatic light possible.

Don’t be afraid to shoot in automatic

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

…just don’t do it forever.

Set your camera to automatic when you first start out, and take note of the settings for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (International Organization for Standardization). You’ll find lots of landscape photography tips that say you should never shoot on automatic — ignore them if you’re just starting out.

Aperture is your depth of field and affects how much of your image will be in focus based on the amount of light that passes into your lens. This is where “bokeh” comes from – that coveted, blurry, out-of-focus background when the subject of your choice is in close, crisp focus. Usually, this is achieved with a low F-stop or wide aperture (usually 2.8 or wider). With most landscape shots, you want the majority of the image in focus, which requires a narrower aperture (usually around F12 or higher).

Your shutter speed manages the length of time that your camera’s sensor will be exposed to light coming in and can be anywhere from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds. Quicker shutter speeds are typically used for movement (like when shooting sports), and slower shutter speeds are typically used for astrophotography to capture stars in the night sky. This is where a tripod comes in super handy.

Slower shutter speeds require your camera to be kept extremely still while it’s working. A great example of this is the smooth, ethereal effect achieved when taking images of waterfalls, using a slower shutter speed between one and four seconds. But with subjects moving quickly, like animals running, anything but the fastest shutter speeds will result in blurry photos.

The other major player within your manual settings is ISO, which controls the darkness and brightness of your images. Most people avoid using ISO values that are too high (1600 and above) because it gives the image a grainy or “noisy” appearance.

These settings are all connected and it’s your job as the photographer to mix them appropriately, creating the ideal cocktail to produce the photo you want.

Your camera’s choice of automatic settings may not always be correct, but they’ll give you a good idea of what works in various situations. Once you have a grip on those manual settings, you can slowly start controlling them yourself one at a time until you’re managing everything yourself on the manual setting.

Play around

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The best landscape photography tip I can offer for figuring out your personal style and creating unique shots is to play around with perspectives, focal points, and composition. These things can completely change an image based on what you choose. Don’t be afraid to get dirty; you can add a fresh perspective to an already well-photographed location by shooting from an unusual vantage point.

I have personally climbed into a tree, rolled around on the ground, made a step stool out of rocks, sat on someone’s shoulders, and squatted down until my legs were going to give out. Changing the focus up can also create a fresh take on a photo. Try focusing on the flowers on the ground with the mountain backdrop slightly blurred (and vice versa) to see what works best.

This also includes playing around with various lenses to see what you like working with best. A wide-angle lens (around 12-16mm) can take fantastic shots of wide, epic scenes, while a 24-70mm lens will get most of the scene but also work for closer details you’ll encounter in nature. A good zoom lens will capture wildlife, mountain ridges, and the moon.

Also play around with adding subjects, which is an ideal way to show scale in landscape photography. Whether it’s a stranger taking in the view, an animal doing its animal thing, or a friend forced to pose, having a subject can add a focal point and a lot of flavor, resulting in overall more interesting photos.

Learn how to use Lightroom

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

This post-processing tool will become your best friend for quick and easy edits. A more user-friendly version of Photoshop, Lightroom is a fantastic program for adding some pizzazz to your photos while also learning more about photography in the process.

You can brighten up a photo with a click, add a dash of warmth, give your colors a bit of a boost, play with contrast, and much more. Even easy edits can give your photographs a refined and professional look. Lightroom can certainly bring your photograph to the next level. Refer to tip number two for learning it: look on YouTube.

Cut yourself some slack

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Photography isn’t easy, the hustle is real, competition is steep, and you have to be willing to work hard at learning how to do it to be successful.

That said, it’s easy to get sucked into self-doubt when perusing social media apps like Instagram, comparing your work to others. Although it’s easier said than done, try to use Instagram as a tool for inspiration (not copying), rather than a tool for spawning negative feelings or self-doubt. For every one photo like the one above, you’ll have 40 that are blurry, too dark, or otherwise less-than-ideal. Everyone has a different style and background, but the only way you will improve is to keep on shooting.

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This Historic Castle Distillery Is the Best Place To Drink in Kentucky Bourbon Country

There are plenty of iconic places to drink bourbon in Kentucky. But there’s one experience that might just top them all: drinking whiskey on the castle grounds designed by the man known as the Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry.

Castle & Key Distillery is a working distillery that produces gin, vodka, rye whiskey, and, most importantly, bourbon. It also doubles as one of the best places to drink any of the above spirits in the state, thanks to the limestone castle and surrounding bar, sunken garden, and botanical trail.

It was originally built by Kentucky-born Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. (better known as Colonel E. H. Taylor). Taylor, who also served as the major of Frankfort, Kentucky, used his own private rail car to bring guests from New York, Chicago, and New Orleans to Frankfort. When politicians and business leaders wanted to highlight Kentucky, they would turn to Taylor and others like him, and use distilleries to showcase the economy-powering activities going on in the state. Today, anyone visiting Kentucky looking to sip a cocktail can experience the same level of luxury.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Castle & Key falls under the Craft Tour Trail along with 22 other smaller distilleries. The more famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail includes the biggest names in the spirits industry. The latter sees more than 1.5 million visitors, while the Craft Tour gets about 600,000 visitors every year, according to an industry report. Yet while the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is seeing fewer people than in the past (down 13 percent compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic number), the Craft Tour Trail set a record year in 2021 with 40 percent more visitors than the record set in 2019.

“We approached this with an ‘if you build they will come,’ perspective,” Brett Connors, brand ambassador and head blender, says. And they have: 65,000 people came last year despite COVID restrictions, and Connors says he wouldn’t be surprised if the guest numbers topped six figures this year.

Castle & Key’s transformation into the go-to destination to sip whiskey in Kentucky goes back to E. H. Taylor’s original vision of the castle and distillery serving as a tourism center where people could learn about the region and the spirit.

“Colonel Taylor’s goal was ‘hey, come see us and get to know us,’” says Will Arvin, the owner of Castle & Key and the man largely responsible for bringing the grounds back to life. “And that’s ours too.”

Bourbon tourism rooted in history

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

The Castle & Key team decided to highlight, rather than remove, any old structures or equipment that wasn’t harmful or dangerous. The old ash collector, for example, is now part of the HVAC system, and a massive mash evaporation tank sits behind the tasting room bar. As Arvin put it on a recent trip, “If it’s not in the way, it can stay.”

“The history is a lot of what draws our team and guests to the site,” Connors explains.

In addition to being a lead blender for Castle & Key, Connors has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Colonel Taylor’s history.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

In 1869, Taylor went to Europe, where he learned modern distillation techniques and fell in love with the architecture. He also saw how German brewers were capitalizing on welcoming people to the brewery. It’s impossible to know for sure, but Connors thinks this may have been a big influence on Taylor’s perspective on alcohol and hospitality.

Previously, American whiskey was primarily a value added product for farmers and lacked the appreciable flavors bourbon drinkers seek out today. Taylor changed that — he made it a point to bring people to Kentucky just to taste whiskey and get the full experience of the region he also governed.

Politics and Kentucky promotion played a big role in Taylor’s life. The nephew of President Zachary Taylor, he served as the mayor of Frankfort from 1871 to 1887. He wrote magazine stories advocating for bourbon. In 1897, he used his influence to help pass the Bottled-in-Bond Act that regulates how whiskey is aged and bottled to this day (conveniently, he owned much of the whiskey that qualified at the time the new legislation went into effect).

But Rome wasn’t built in a day. Or in Taylor’s case, Kentucky’s premiere bourbon castle wasn’t built in a day.

Taylor’s first foray into distillery ownership was the O.F.C. whiskey brand in 1870. His lavish spending on things like electricity and furs for his wife incurred debt, however, and people came to collect. In 1878, Taylor sold the distillery to George Stagg to pay off his debts, but stayed on at the renamed George T. Stagg Distillery to help with growth and marketing.

“He had Rasputin-level charm,” Connors says.

It didn’t take long before Taylor got another shot at distillery ownership in Millville, Kentucky. Taylor built a limestone castle fashioned after those in Europe in 1887. He spared no expense on the classical springhouse and a sunken garden for entertaining. Taylor even built his own private rail line to drop guests at a train depot right next to the castle. Most importantly, of course, he also made and aged the bourbon that people were taking the train to come and taste. It was the start of bourbon tourism — only he was more than 130 years ahead of the trend.

The distillery went dormant in 1920 due to Prohibition. Taylor died at 93 in 1923.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

His legacy was revived when the conglomerate National Distillers bought the property in 1933. It became more of a place for distilling whiskey and storing barrels than for hosting guests under the new ownership. Yet as clear spirits took over in America in the 60s and 70s, National Distillers stopped distilling on-site in 1972 and ended the aging and bottling programs in 1987.

The castle hit its roughest years in the 90s and early 2000s, and the grounds were essentially abandoned. It was during that time that an architectural salvage company took copper, brass, and brick from the site.

Despite the state of the formerly grand distillery, Arvin and his business partners saw an opportunity.

The site cost about $950,000 in 2014, according to the AP. But that was just the start of a movement to breathe new life into Taylor’s whiskey castle.

A Kentucky drinking experience that Colonel Taylor would have approved of

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Walking toward the barrel warehouse toward the back of the property, Arvin points to a flat patch with stone garden beds. The spot used to be used for aging whiskey, but was in too bad of shape to repair and it looked at first like the entire building would have to be scrapped. Instead, the team kept the foundation blocks to outline plots for rosemary, lemon verbena, and other plants that go well in cocktails.

The transformation was made in a relatively short time and now the garden helps make the drinks from Castle & Key’s cocktail bar even more special with seasonal, freshly picked ingredients. Examples of this type of renovation are everywhere you look.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

“Taylor wasn’t afraid of taking a big swing, and I don’t think Will is either,” Connors says.

The key-shaped spring house was cleaned and the resident bats relocated so the water could be used for distilling and the building as an entertaining space. The train depot turned into Counter 17 cocktail bar and a tasting room. The old boiler room is now a well stocked gift shop with an adjoining tasting room bar. Inside the castle, mash ferments and liquor run through the stills.

“Early on, we didn’t have whiskey, but we had our park,” Connors says.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

Lexington interior designer Donna Winfield kept with the theme of the original metals and concrete and added rugs and accents from Kentucky’s Maynard Studios. New touches, like gas lamps and a leather-topped bar, blend seamlessly with the restored original features.

Landscape designer Jon Carloftis restored the Sunken Garden and is responsible for lining up the plants and restoring the tourist attraction to its grandeur.

A botanical trail is lined with some of the same types of plants that Castle & Key puts in its gin.

Photo: Castle & Key

One of the most eye-catching nods to Taylor’s original mission of bringing in bourbon tourists is the sunken garden. Arvin had read about the sunken garden and knew where it was supposed to be, but there was only a mass of trees and snakes. Then, when landscape designer Jon Carloftis was working on the renovation, they hit the sidewalk. It was the original sunken garden sidewalk, and plans were reconfigured to bring the sidewalk and the rest of the garden back to its former glory.

“Early concrete walkways were ludicrously expensive, and Taylor probably bought it because of that,” Arvin says. He later adds that they found pictures of Taylor with a cane and top hat standing next to the pond in the sunken garden. “Now here we are 150 or so years later living what Taylor dreamed.”

How to make the most of a visit to Castle & Key

Photo: Castle & Key

Castle & Key is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30 to 5, and Sundays from 12 to 5.

There are a number of tours you can take if you want to experience the property with an expert. The four-and-a-half hour all-inclusive Castle & Key Experience tour covers every detail about the property from the Sunken Gardens to the Boiler Room for $10. There’s also a live music schedule with bands every first Wednesday from April through October for $15 with a retail space, walk-up bar, and food vendors. There’s even an opportunity to stretch it out on the distillery property. Yoga in the Sunken Garden is an hour long and costs $10, with instructors from Homegrown Yoga in nearby Versailles leading the group.

Regardless of when you visit, you can count on something good to drink. There’s a line of gins with a flagship option as well as seasonal offerings, vodka, and a rye whiskey. But the brand’s recently released bourbon is the main attraction (this is an historic bourbon distillery, after all). Castle & Key released its first bourbon on March 26 in a limited Batch 1 run. Batch 2 will be released in May.

The bar serves cocktails on tap along with beer and wine. What’s on tap depends on what’s in season, and the menu changes weekly. On my trip, the featured drink was a play on the paper plane cocktail with Nonino, bourbon, and soda water called the paper train.

No matter what you get at Castle & Key, you can be sure that the experience of drinking on the castle grounds is unlike anything else you’ll find in Kentucky bourbon country.

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

In “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie sang the words, “As I went walking that ribbon of highway / I saw above me that endless skyway.” If Guthrie was singing about some of the most beautiful ribbons of highway in the United States, there’s a good chance he was talking about one of the country’s scenic byways.

Cutting through prairies, grasslands, mountains, forests, and deserts, many of our scenic byways are not only modes of transport, but destinations in themselves. While highways are wide traffic-filled roads connecting major cities, byways tend to be narrower, secondary roads in more rural areas. The National Scenic Byways Program began in 1991 to promote roads of special aesthetic or cultural significance in one of six topics: archaeological, cultural, natural, historic, recreational, or scenic. Those that meet two or more criteria are designated “All-American Roads.”

2021 was the first year since 2009 that new routes have been added to the list of National Scenic Byways — for a total of 34 byways and 15 All-American Roads across 28 states — making now the best time to go out and explore them. And best of all, they can be done in a day or a long weekend depending on how many stops you want to take.

These are the byways to keep in mind for your next road trip.

1. Florida Keys Scenic Highway

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Best time of year to go: Summer

Notable stops:

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key LargoAnne’s Beach, IslamoradaSeven Mile BridgeBahia Honda State Park, Big Pine KeyMallory Square, Key WestErnest Heminway Home and Museum, Key WestSouthernmost Point Buoy, Key WestDry Tortugas National Park

Covering 110 miles of US Route 1 — which runs all the way down the East Coast from the Canadian border to the tip of Florida — this route connects some of the most coveted real estate in the Sunshine State. It stretches from Key Largo, the northernmost of the Florida Keys, to Key West, the southernmost point in the continental US. In between, drivers cross a network of bridges that cut between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to island hop across one of the most breathtaking archipelagos in North America.

Beaches, reefs, and the parks that protect them — including John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Bahia Honda State Park — are a big part of what brings travelers to this part of the country. But the Keys have plenty of cultural heritage too, with influences ranging from Cuban to Bahamian and historic sites like Fort Taylor, a 54-acre national historic landmark housing the world’s largest collection of Civil War weaponry and equipment. In the 1930s, author Ernest Hemingway bought a house across from the Key West Lighthouse, both of which are easily accessible from this scenic highway and Florida’s only All-American Road.

2. Red Rock Scenic Byway in Arizona

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Best time of year to go: Fall

Notable stops:

Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping VillageAirport MesaChapel of the Holy CrossCathedral RockBell RockDevil’s Bridge TrailRed Rock State ParkOak Creek Canyon

Central Arizona is the heartland of Red Rock Country, hence the name of this scenic byway that runs from artsy, spiritual Sedona through the hills of Coconino National Forest to a small community called the Village at Oak Creek. Spanning just 7.5 miles, the drive only takes about 30 minutes without stops, but the hiking here is too good to pass up.

Be sure to stop by the Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center to map out all the best trails, especially the ones that take you up close and personal to world-famous sandstone formations like Chapel of the Holy Cross and Cathedral Rock. And if you really want to stretch out your visit, take your time soaking in Sedona’s spas, art galleries, gourmet restaurants, boutiques, and golf courses before or after exploring the many wonders of the Red Rock Scenic Byway.

3. Outer Banks Scenic Byway in North Carolina

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Best time of year to go: Spring

Notable stops:

Cape Hatteras National SeashoreCape Hatteras LighthouseBodie Island LighthouseFort Raleigh National Historic SitePea Island National Wildlife RefugeAvon Fishing PierGraveyard of the Atlantic MuseumWright Brothers National Memorial

North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands that separates a trio of geographical sounds — Pamlico, Albemarle, and Currituck — from the Atlantic Ocean. Home to some of the first European settlements in the Americas, and a number of Indigenous populations before that, the region is steeped in history: the infamous Roanoke Colony mysteriously disappeared from Roanoke Island in 1587, Ocracoke Island was the final home of the pirate Blackbeard who died in 1718, and the Wright Brothers had their first controlled flight at Kill Devil Hills in 1903.
The 138-mile Outer Banks Scenic Byway connects the islands starting in Dare County. The total drive time is about five and a half hours, complete with two ferry rides totaling roughly three and a half hours. (The first ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island is free, while the second from Ocracoke to Cedar Island costs $15 per car.) Listen for the Ocracoke Brogue as you explore the region’s towns, beaches, lighthouses, and shipwrecks — the local dialect is vaguely reminiscent of 17th-century English.

4. San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway in Colorado

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Best time of year to go: Fall

Notable stops:

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge RailroadOld Hundred Gold MineHistoric Strater HotelUncompahgre GorgeMesa Verde National ParkChimney Rock national MonumentMount SneffelsBridal Veil Falls

Driving the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway gets you a front-row seat to 236 miles of Rocky Mountains. The byway loops through several historic towns in southwestern Colorado that got their start as mining hubs, including Telluride, Durango, and Silverton. Surrounding these towns are the incomparable San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests — there’s a reason the stretch of byway connecting Ouray to Silverton is called the Million Dollar Highway.

It’s hard to say when the best time to drive the byway is. Spring ushers in lemon-yellow wildflowers, while fall is awash in golden foliage. Thankfully, the area’s natural, archaeological, and cultural sites are explorable year-round, from Telluride’s waterfalls to the ancient cliff dwellings of nearby Mesa Verde National Park to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

5. Badlands Scenic Byway in South Dakota

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Best time of year to go: Summer

Notable stops:

Notch TrailheadBig Badlands OverlookSaddle Pass TrailheadFossil Exhibit TrailheadPanorama PointSage Creek Rim RoadBurns Basin OverlookYellow Mounds OverlookPinnacle Overlook

Rugged, ancient, and expansive, South Dakota’s badlands are a world unto themselves. Geologic wonders like buttes and spires rise overhead while the fossils of extinct species are buried deep beneath the grasslands. The Badlands Scenic Byway loops through Badlands National Park to showcase the best of the region, from wildlife like prairie dogs and buffalo to numerous hiking trails and 16 official scenic overlooks.

The byway itself is a relatively unremarkable two-lane road that stretches just 39 miles of South Dakota Highway 240. Though the drive technically only takes about an hour to complete, plan to dedicate several hours to the excursion. The photo opportunities alone can keep you busy for an entire day. We recommend starting your visit from the Badlands Northeast Entrance near Cactus Flat, as opposed to the Pinnacle Entrance near Wall, so you can map out an itinerary at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center before heading out.

6. Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway in Maine

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Best time of year to go: Fall

Notable stops:

Rumford FallsRangeley Lakes State ParkHeight of the LandBald MountainCoos CanyonRangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage MuseumSmall Falls Rest Area

Ever want to experience the Appalachian Trail without the grueling hike? Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway passes right through the trail’s Maine leg on State Routes 17, 16, and 4. The byway’s namesake water bodies are obvious highlights of the drive, particularly if you like to fish, but it’s the Height of the Land rest stop that offers the best vantage point. There, you can survey everything that makes this part of the state so pristine: lakes, islands, waterfalls, gorges, peaks, forests, campgrounds, and swimming holes, to name a few.

When you’re not knee deep in nature, stop by the charming towns of Rumford or Rangely for Victorian architecture, hearty meals, and museum visits. In between, swing by the Swift River to try your hand at gold panning. Better yet, visit in early October to participate in Rangeley Oktoberfest, a four-day festival with activities for both the drinkers and drivers in the group.

7. Scenic Byway 12 in Utah

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Best time of year to go: Spring

Notable stops:

Grand Staircase-Escalante National MonumentDixie National ForestCottonwood CanyonHole-in-the-Rock, Burr TrailCapitol Reef National ParkHell’s BackboneRed CanyonBryce CanyonAnasazi State Park Museum

Stretching 122 miles from Panguitch to Torrey, Utah, Scenic Byway 12 connects US 89 with SR 24. It cuts right through the Dixie National Forest, offering views of the Henry Mountains, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Capitol Reef National Park from the road’s 9,000-foot viewpoint. Scenic Byway 12 is also an All-American Road, a special designation meaning it has unique features you won’t find anywhere else in the country.

While the full drive takes just three hours, you could easily spend multiple days exploring the surrounding state and national parks, including Kodachrome Basin state park and Bryce Canyon national park. The road connects Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks, passing through two red arches in Red Canyon, the surreal sandstone “stairs” of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and the meadows of Boulder Mountain.

8. Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway in New Mexico

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Best time of year to go: Fall

Notable stops:

Wheeler PeakD.H. Lawrence MemorialVietnam Veterans Memorial State ParkArtesanos de QuestaRed RiverEagle Nest LakeElizabethtownAngel Fire ski and shopping resort

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway is a circular route that starts in Taos on NM 522, the home of the first Vietnam War memorial in the US. It runs through the hiking and camping areas of Cabresto Lake, Mallette Canyon, and Midnight Meadows, the old mining town of Red River – now known for its beautiful alpine scenery – then into Bobcat Pass and into the Moreno Valley, before finishing back in Taos.

The byway encircles Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico at 13,100 feet, and home to some of the oldest rocks in the southwest, dating back two billion years. One of the road’s most unique aspects are the many artist galleries and studios along the Taos Canyon stretch, as the area is home to a community of artists. Painting, pottery, bronze casting, and woodworking studios are open to the public, and you can watch the artists themselves at work.

9. North Shore Scenic Drive in Minnesota

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Best time of year to go: Summer

Notable stops:

Great Lakes Aquarium, DuluthGrand Portage State ParkTettegouche State ParkGrand MaraisSplit Rock Lighthouse

Skirting the north shore of Lake Superior, the North Shore Scenic Drive is a designated All-American Road as well as a Scenic Byway. It passes through a variety of small shoreline towns filled with boutique shops, art galleries, and local seafood restaurants, as well as eight state parks. Spanning 154 miles from Duluth to Two Harbors, the byway is defined by views of the lake, waterfalls, cliffs, forested hills, and wilderness streams.

Make sure to check out the Split Rock Lighthouse, dating back to 1910, the Grand Portage National Monument fur-trading post, and the picturesque harbor town of Grand Marais. If you’re looking to get out of your car and explore, Lutsen has a mountain biking park, and the Superior Hiking Trail offers 310-miles of hiking trails over the rocky ridges of Lake Superior.

10. Selma to Montgomery March Byway in Alabama

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Best time of year to go: Spring

Notable stops:

Edmund Pettus BridgeNational Voting Rights Museum and InstituteAlabama State CapitolDallas County CourthouseCecil B. Jackson Public Safety BuildingFirst Baptist Church, Selma

This 54-mile byway marks one of the most significant routes in the history of the US Civil Rights movement, stretching from Selma to Montgomery. The first march in Selma began on March 7, 1965, to protest laws designed to keep Black people from voting, but was violently halted by police officers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Martin Luther King Jr. later led a group of protestors 54 miles, from the bridge in Selma to Montgomery. The march laid the groundwork for the passage of equal voting rights legislation.

Along the byway, you can visit the First Baptist Church and Brown Chapel – which served as gathering places for the Civil Rights movement effort – as well as the jail where Civil Rights activists were often imprisoned. Then there’s the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the steps of the Montgomery capitol building, where King spoke to a crowd of nearly 30,000.

11. Flint Hills National Scenic Byway in Kansas

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Best time of year to go: Summer

Notable stops:

Kaw Mission State Historic Site and MuseumSanta Fe TrailOld Cowboy JailPost Office Oak and MuseumTallgrass Prairie National PreserveCottonwood FallsRoniger Native American Museum

From Council Grove to Cassoday in east central Kansas, the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway is defined by panoramic views of the tallgrass prairie. It’s surrounded by historic sites like Kaw Mission State Historic Site and Museum, the Santa Fe Trail, Old Cowboy Jail, and the Post Office Oak and Museum. The byway also passes through natural beauties like the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and Cottonwood Falls.

The byway passes through one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies in the country, with much of the untouched land here looking exactly as it did centuries ago, when it belonged to the Osage and Kaw tribes. Today, you can immerse yourself in Native American history at Kaw National Heritage Park and the Roniger Native American Museum. Many towns along the route, especially Cassoday, are known for antique and artisan craft shops.

More like thisRoad TripsLooking for Your Next Favorite Road Trip? You Need To Take a Scenic Byway

Everything You Need To Know About Tipping at Hotels

In some hospitality arenas, tipping is rather straightforward. Everyone knows that 15 percent is customary at restaurants, and when your taxi or Uber drops you off without incident, throwing them a few bucks is pretty standard. But if you’ve ever thought about how to leave a tip at a hotel, you are not alone.

The rules of hotel tipping are ill-defined at best and nonexistent at worst. When you order room service, it’s a no-brainer to tip the person who delivers it. But what about the concierge? The bellhop? Front desk workers or valet? You don’t have a waiter at a continental breakfast, but what about the people who stock the buffet, and clean up? If you do decide to pull out the wallet, how much is enough, or too much?

No universal rules exist for tipping in hotels, but there are some best practices frequent travelers should probably know about. We spoke to experts from across the hospitality industry for the inside scoop. From which staff to tip to when, how much, and whether it really makes a difference, this is everything you should know about tipping at hotels.

How to leave a tip at a hotel

Hotels aren’t like restaurants, where you pretty much only interact with one person: your waiter. In the course of a brief hotel stay, you could easily cross paths with a dozen workers in a variety of roles, from the front desk to housekeeping and concierge services.

Brooke Bergen, a former front desk associate at a five-star hotel, advises tipping anyone in a non-managerial role, “including waiters, valet, bellhops, bar and restaurant staff, front desk staff, concierge, and housekeeping.”

When it comes to the continental breakfast, the rules are a little hazier.

“It is not customary to tip at a continental breakfast that is served buffet-style,” Bergen says. “It is customary and appreciated to tip during breakfast when there is a server who takes your order or serves coffee and juice.”

Eva Keller, another former front desk associate, takes a different view. “I would leave a tip of $5 or less for the attendants that go around and wipe off the tables after each guest,” she says. “If there is no one there doing that, don’t feel obligated to leave anything.”

The more touch points you have with a particular staff member, the more appropriate it would be to tip. Concierges, for example, might be an integral part of both your hotel stay and vacation experience, and tipping is certainly expected. But how often?

“If you’re going to a concierge to help make your arrangements every single day,” Keller says, “then you should tip them each time. But if you go once to knock out all the big things and check up on little things throughout your stay, then I would tip only once. Keep in mind, many services that concierge assists with, like booking rides or entertainment, they generally earn a commission for already.”

According to Bergen, “Most guests prefer to tip out the concierge every time they use their services, while others prefer to leave a larger tip, all at the end of their stay. Either is appropriate.”

How much to tip at a hotel

If you’re looking for one industry-standard number to guide your hotel tipping habits (like 15 percent for restaurants), you won’t find it. Instead, it depends on who you’re tipping, what they’re providing, and even where you’re staying.

“The standard tipping amount varies widely based on the quality of the hotel,” says Bergen. “For example, a $5 or $10 tip for a one-night stay at a two or three-star chain hotel is not unusual, but a five-star Hotel guest will usually tip $20 or more.”

Conventional wisdom, however, seems to suggest that $10 is the upper limit for most tipping situations.

“For a bellhop or breakfast attendant, anything in the $5 to $10 range is appropriate,” Keller says. “For housekeeping, you want to tip $1 per occupant per night. Always feel welcome to tip more though when you feel like you want to.”

Jenny Preece, sales manager for Hilton Hotels, says tips are never expected at hotels as a matter of course, though you should always tip staff who you feel has improved the quality of your stay. “It doesn’t need to be a large tip,” she says. $5 or under is fine.

So, when should that wallet come out? Some suggest it’s better to tip at the start of your stay, to encourage attentive service, while others may advise waiting until the end, to be sure the service was actually worthy of a tip.

“I recommend tipping at the completion of the service provided,” Keller says. “For a bellhop, I wouldn’t hand them a tip as they’re taking bags out of my car. I would hand them the tip once the bags were delivered to my room. Same with breakfast attendants. I wouldn’t go to breakfast and hand them a tip in advance. I would leave it on the table when I am finished. For housekeeping, I recommend leaving a tip each day that you receive service because you’re not necessarily getting the same housekeeper each time.”

Bergen, however, favors leading with a tip to ensure good treatment.

“For valet, bellmen, front desk and concierge, it is most effective to tip at the beginning of your stay, or as services are requested, for the best likelihood of receiving preferential service.”

Why should you tip?

According to Bashar Wali, Founder and CEO of hotel management company Practice Hospitality, tipping is a tangible form of personal acknowledgment. It serves the double purpose of giving hotel staff deserved recognition and making yourself stand out in their eyes.

“Tipping is not just about the money,” he says, “it’s about being seen. Valued.”

The jury’s still out, however, on whether tipping actually garners better service. Technically, staff should provide the same level of service regardless of whether you put an extra $5 in their pockets, though it certainly makes sense that a tipping customer might enjoy a slight edge.

“A well-respected five-star hotel should provide exceptional service without expectation of tipping,” says Bergen. “Though nothing is ever guaranteed, a nice tip goes a long way to ensure the staff goes above and beyond to make your stay an extraordinary one.”

According to Keller, it all comes down to whether the tip feels like a bribe and the attitude with which it is given.

“If someone is trying to play the system and bribe me to upgrade them or give them something for free, then no, I do not go out of my way to provide better service for those guests,” she says. “Same if they keep flaunting around cash and keep demanding more and more. The guests I make genuine connections with are the ones that I provide service above my pay grade.”

Which hotels you should tip at

Just as tipping protocol varies by role and situation, it also varies by hotel. As guest services are more comprehensive and specialized in luxury hotels, tipping is more of an expectation.

“In general, tips are less frequent at budget properties than at a five-star property,” Bergen says. “To be frank, if you’re paying over $600 a night for a room, it’s a bad look to stiff the housekeeping staff that works so hard to keep your room spotless!”

In Keller’s mid-range hotel, tipping rules were more ambiguous, and tips certainly were not expected. “The vast majority of guests never tipped anybody at all,” she says. “Every once in a while someone would tip front desk or breakfast attendants when extra assistance was provided, but it was pretty rare. In more upscale hotels, more services are provided that are usually tipped.”

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Win a Fall Equinox Stargazing Experience in Joshua Tree Complete With Stars and Tequila

Tequila and astrology typically only cross paths over a buzzed conversation about everyone’s biological sign. But Astral Tequila is a new super-premium tequila with ingredients nurtured by the sun and the moon. Inspired by “astral,” which means “of the stars,” the company is giving away the perfect glamping experience stargazing in Joshua Tree.

The winner of the sweepstakes and five of their friends will be invited to spend three days and two nights in late September (close to the timing of the fall equinox) glamping at the House of Astral, “a new-to-world celestial getaway that provides guests with an incredible experience filled with the vibrancy from the sun and stars.” The campsite is located in one of the California’s best dark sky parks — Joshua Tree, California. The chic camp was co-designed by acclaimed astrologer Aliza Kelly who assisted in creating activities meant to help connect with the earth and each other and cocktails that encapture the unique characteristics of each zodiac sign.

“We’re incredibly proud to introduce Astral Tequila. Our traditional and time intensive process creates a delicious, unique Tequila, made to be enjoyed with close friends for brighter cocktails and connections,” shares Christina Choi, senior vice president of tequila for Diageo North America. “We also recognize that connections go far beyond drinks at the table, which is why we’re giving back to the community through our sustainability initiative where we upcycle our spent agave fibers to make bricks that will be used to create new places for people to gather in local communities in Mexico. That’s what Astral Tequila is all about, brightening connections.”

US residents (excluding those in Hawaii or Alaska) over the age of 21 are eligible to enter by filling out a quick form. The sweepstakes will close on June 28 at 11:59 PM EST.

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This New TSA Search Tool Answers Every Carry-On Allowance Question You Could Have

If you’re a frequent flyer, then you probably know basic TSA rules like no liquids over 3.4 fluid ounces or lithium batteries in your carry-on. But when it comes to less common items like traveling with food or equipment, sometimes the rules are a bit more complicated. The worst thing that could happen is your item ends up confiscated and sold for a profit, or it ends up on the agency’s Instagram page, which known for its bad dad jokes and puns. Now, nearly 21 years after its creation, the TSA has made it simpler to find every answer to whether or not you can keep something in your carry-on.

The TSA website used to offer only a list of TSA rules for which items can be brought on board an aircraft and how to pack them if they are explicitly allowed. Now, on the What Can I Bring? page, users will find a search engine to find what you’re looking for. Food is predominantly good to go in carry-on bags if you want to pack some snacks. However, if you type “cheese” in the search bar, you’ll find it’s an interesting case. Creamy cheese is treated like any other liquid and can only by 3.4 oz, or you must check it. However, solid cheese is perfectly fine.

If you still can’t decide whether TSA rules say an item is safe to fly, it is easy to ask quickly through Twitter. Last week, the agency held a “Prohibited Items Week” that featured confiscated items and quizzes about things like wrenches and hiking poles. You can also use @AskTSA or #AskTSA for specific questions. Past questions ranged from items like full-size hand sanitizer and C-PAP machines to bladed wine-bottle openers and tasers.

Final quiz to close out #ProhibitedItemsWeek! Can I take my wrench on a flight? You can reference our “What Can I Bring?” tool, here: https://t.co/GVkZpSMYwk

— TSA (@TSA) April 15, 2022

So the next time you’re ready to fly, and you’re wondering what items are a yes or a no, know that the answers aren’t too hard to find. It’s better safe than sorry.

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A Federal Judge Just Ruled Masks Are No Longer Required on Planes and Public Transportation

The federal mask mandate for air travel and public transportation recently received its biggest rebuke yet. A federal judge in Florida has ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mandate is unlawful.

“The Court concludes that the Mask Mandate exceeds the CDC’s statutory authority and violates the procedures required for agency rulemaking under the [Administrative Procedure Act],” US District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle wrote in her ruling. “Accordingly, the Court vacates the Mandate and remands it to the CDC.”

In the ruling, Mizelle also added: “Because ‘our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends,’ the Court declares unlawful and vacates the Mask Mandate.”

Mizelle got the lifetime appointment to the court in 2020 by President Trump when she was 33 years old. The American Bar Association judged her “not qualified” for the position at the time.

BREAKING: A federal judge voided the current mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation. pic.twitter.com/3bGodH5xRJ

— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) April 18, 2022

The order comes as a surprise. While it can still be appealed, the mask mandate was most recently extended until May 3 to allow time for officials to judge the danger of the BA.2 Omicron variant. The majority of the country, however, does not require masks and the CDC said in February that most people in America don’t need to mask up indoors because community spread is at a low or medium risk.

Regardless of whether you want people to continue masking up or are ready to fly mask free, there’s no denying that a snap ruling like this is destined to cause confusion. Airline employees are already struggling to deal with people unhappy or unclear on the current rules and regulations around masks.

Mizelle’s order stems from a case dating back to July 2021 in which two Florida residents said masks increased their anxiety and panic attacks, according to BuzzFeed News. The conservative Health Freedom Defense Fund brought the case forward.

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‘Pilot Fatigue’ Is Plaguing the Airline Industry. Here’s How That Impacts You.

When you board a flight, the perks of free wifi and ample legroom are nice, but, truthfully, the most important thing is making it safely to your destination. On that front, the latest data from Southwest and Delta Air Lines may leave you concerned. Reports of pilot fatigue are on the rise, putting passengers at risk.

“Fatigue, both acute and cumulative, has become Southwest Airlines’ number-one safety threat,” the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
(SWAPA) told airline executives, as reported in Business Insider.

Cancellations due to severe weather combined with increasing demand and staff shortages are wearing out pilots. Passenger numbers have reached 90 percent of what they were this time of year in 2019, and yet major passenger airlines in the United States are at a 3,000-employee deficit, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Pilots are leaving the industry voluntarily and due to forced retirements at 65. In response, Southwest Airlines promised to hire 8,000 more employees, but this doesn’t solve the problem of mass delays and other scheduling conflicts in the short term.

Pilots are required by law to take a minimum of nine hours of rest between shifts, and are capped at a 30-hour workweek. But the current state of the industry has placed more stress on pilots even before reaching their cap. Pilot fatigue reports have risen from 10 reports of fatigue for every 10,000 duty reports for March of 2019 to 35 out of every 10,000 duty reports for Southwest pilots. Union representatives at Delta say the company should’ve used the pandemic as an opportunity to fix procedures and staffing issues, but instead pilots are picking up extra shifts.

Pilots are “the last line of defense” in aviation safety according to Jason Ambrosi, chairman of the Delta group at Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the company’s union. But “too often we are being pushed to our limits as Delta tries to add back flying and capture revenue.”

The union wrote a letter to Delta members stating their concerns, which the company responded to. The company also concludes that they have followed federal guidelines regarding pilot shifts.

“We continuously evaluate our staffing models and plan ahead so that we can recover quickly when unforeseen circumstances arise, and the resilience of the Delta people is unmatched in that regard,” spokesman Morgan Durrant told CNN. “All of our people, including our pilots, are working hard to restore our airline and deliver for our customers as we emerge from the pandemic. We are grateful for and proud of their efforts.”

Delta pilots have begun hosting demonstrations at various airports across the country this month to call attention to the “longer days and shorter nights” caused by staffing issues. Until the issue is addressed, you can count on pilot fatigue being just one more factor making it hard to find a flight that’s on-time, and for the right cost.

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