Erika Mailman

Whether zoos should exist—and whether they are good or bad—has been long debated. What we think of as modern zoos debuted in the early 1800s in Europe and sprouted up across America in the ensuing decades. Over the years, the major zoos in the U.S. have become ultra-focused on making sure they prioritize animal welfare and conservation—and that the animals are not suffering for human amusement. The reality is that there is a huge spectrum of zoos and how beneficial they are for animals. The best zoos in the U.S. are clean, well-staffed, properly care for animals, invest in spacious, well-maintained exhibits and—most importantly—help conserve endangered animals. From the San Francisco Zoo in Golden Gate Park to the historic Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago to the Bronx Zoo in New York, here are our top zoos in the U.S. RECOMMENDED: ⛰️ The best outdoor adventures in the U.S.🌍 The best camping in the U.S.

Why is everyone vacationing in the same place? I often wonder this during travel spikes, scrolling social media to see people with nothing in common having the same experiences. Are we all spring skiers now? Is everyone actually having fun, or are we just yielding to a trend? It’s time we all dig a little deeper, skip the cookie-cutter trip and set off somewhere different. Forget what everyone else is doing! Let’s explore our own interests—and while we’re at it, do it where it’s not so crowded. To help you find the perfect underrated summer travel destination, we tapped our network of writers with plenty of experience discovering cool places. We’re showing new sides to cities and regions you already know and sharing choice spots that might be new to you. From wine tasting your way through Boise, Idaho, and encountering wildlife in Oakland, California, to ferry hopping in Southeast Alaska, these aren’t your typical summer escapes. A little less popular and still very exciting, these underrated U.S. destinations are calling your name this summer.

The best dance clubs in the U.S. span cities and tastes. As a Miami resident with decades of clubbing behind me and (hopefully) many years of late-night dancing still ahead of me, I'd be remiss not to throw in a couple of my local favorites in this latest edit. Like our Vegas picks below, Miami mega clubs are over-the-top in the best way—think bottle service, epic sound systems and light displays for days. Thanks to our local contributors, you'll also find low-key bars and lounges across cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, where you can party all night without any fuss or cut it up in warehouses and restaurants. Whether you're on vacation and looking to let loose after a long day of sightseeing or planning a vacation where you can turn up (think bachelor and bachelorette parties), the best dance clubs in America have you covered.  RECOMMENDED: The best gay clubs in the U.S.

No one ever really wants to add time to their journey, but if you want to arrive early, have a beverage and a bite while you scope out the architecture of your train station, we are with you on this! And often, you’re stuck on a layover anyway, so a beautiful station can make your wait enjoyable. While some stations are lackluster, we adore the ones that inspire civic pride and make us gasp as the train pulls up. Props to the Amtrak website, Great American Stations, for showcasing the benefits of sustainably reusing older stations—and we love newer stations, too. Interesting tidbit: if a train station has the word “union” in its title, it’s usually gorgeous! That’s because a “union station” originally serviced more than one railway, so its design was funded by two different pockets. Some of these are impressive enough that they’re worth visiting even if you aren’t booked on a train—and some have thriving food markets and retail that also make a stop worthwhile. RECOMMENDED: The best train lounges in America

There are national parks, and then there are NATIONAL PARKS. Yosemite’s one of these, with instant name recognition—and with inclusion on many people’s lifetime bucket list. It’s a walker’s paradise, but also enjoyable by car, guided bus or tram tour, so long as you take time to pull over and really inhale the views and the scents of fragrant incense cedar and sequoia. Climbers love the granite face of El Capitan, an impressive monolith, and brave hikers can tackle the seasonal cable climb of Half Dome. Wildflowers abound and wildlife roams free, including bears right in the valley. Striking waterfalls, an amazing February phenomenon called the Firefall, and beauty in all four seasons appeal to photographers—Ansel Adams spent significant time here, and there’s a gallery in his name you can visit. Learn about the Miwok at the Indian Village of the Ahwahnee, which includes, among other structures, a roundhouse still used for ceremonies by the local community. Stay in a tent or upscale your stay at the Ahwahnee, an iconic example of “parkitecture.” Above all, take a few deep breaths and marvel at the incredible natural beauty of America’s third national park.

Just as airports have lounges where first-class passengers can wait before their flight, many train stations also offer lounges for their upscale passengers. These lounges provide a quieter place to wait, plug in devices to charge, eat some snacks and imbibe a drink or two, and then proceed, relaxed, to boarding. Staff members are on hand to answer questions and help you with reservations and ticketing. Some lounges have beautiful art, some have extra services (like having an escort take you directly to the train, which in some busy cities can be a confusing path through the station), and some offer signature cocktails based on the station and its history. These places of calm help make waiting for the train—especially if it’s delayed—easier. Another understated benefit is clean, less crowded restrooms. Many lounges offer a day pass price if your ticket doesn’t include entry. So, why not give lounge life a try? RECOMMENDED: The most beautiful train stations in America

So many of us crave to see the Northern Lights that we’re willing to book a vacation to be closer to the north where they can be seen. The phenomenon, also called Aurora Borealis, is where dramatic ribbons of lime, rose and other colors can be seen moiling in the sky, rewarding us with a sense of awe and a closeness to the beauty of our universe. The experience can be moving and leave us with a sense of gratitude for our complex universe. Also, have you met STEVE? He’s an atmospheric optical phenomenon, and his name is an acronym for “strong thermal emission velocity enhancement.” That means he is a purple and green light stripe or arc in the sky—what a life—named in 2016 by folks in Alberta, Canada, enjoying his lovely light. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is studying the phenomenon using the fun acronym. Now, brace yourself: the Northern Lights may appear less dramatic in real life than in photographs because cameras have more photoreceptors than our eyes—don’t be surprised if you see something more gray than neon. But many people feel that seeing them, even if they aren’t as brilliant as in a photograph, is impossible to describe or match. Just another drop in the bucket list! Make sure to check each destination for weather conditions and timing to give yourself the best chance of seeing them. RECOMMENDED: The best places for stargazing in the U.S.

We love a European vacation as much as the next person, but perhaps less so these days. Despite the many flash sales luring us abroad, there’s just too much to see and do right here in America. The rise in low-cost airlines expanding their routes throughout the U.S. has also refocused our wanderlust, nudging us toward short escapes closer to home. And with limited time and budgets, a weekend getaway in the U.S. is just the vacation we all need right now. Our picks bypass the obvious choices, say New York or L.A., in favor of smaller cities with booming art scenes, lesser-known towns with incredible restaurants and coastal spots with plenty of room to spread out on the sand. You’ll find fewer crowds and plenty of small-town charm at these unexpected destinations. Looking for someplace to go in 2024? These places should absolutely be on your travel radar this year. RECOMMENDED: The best cities to visit in the U.S.

There’s a reason car commercials often feature California’s Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a beautiful, sinuous ribbon of highway that goes along the Pacific Ocean, sometimes on high cliffs that make you hold your breath. All along Highway One, you’ll find great places to stop and experience the things that make California so rad—like fresh seafood, coastal breezes, palm trees and the ever-noisy but charming sea lions. These stops are listed in geographic order, starting in SoCal and working your way north up the coast. Note: As of this writing, Highway 1 is closed between Limekiln State Park and the north end of Paul’s Slide near the town of Lucia, with no predicted re-opening date. That’s thanks to winter storms that literally took out some of the roadway. However, coastal businesses remain open. This website lets you check conditions and learn the detours that will keep you moving. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in California

Dining out can be expensive, and it's not getting any cheaper. Menu prices have been rising more quickly than inflation for several years now, especially at fast-casual and fast-food spots. So finding an interesting, intriguing, delicious cheap eat that truly hits the spot can be a real challenge. And while there's a time and place for a splurge restaurant or a multi-course tasting menu, some of the most memorable dishes come from no-frills, hole-in-the-wall, long-loved community restaurants.  So, if you're hungry and on a budget, we've got you covered. From regional delicacies like a reindeer sausage in Anchorage to BBQ pork buns in Chicago to Cantonese rice rolls in New York, you're never too far from these spots with some of the best cheap eats in the USA.

There’s a strong connection between the holidays and indulging in over-the-top, exquisite desserts! Many people incorporate cookie-making into their celebrations, and the bûche de Noël is an elaborate “yule log” made of rolled-up cake that is supremely beautiful and delicious. But even a detailed milkshake or a winter take on summer s’mores can qualify for a dessert that makes reveling in this time of year special. And if you’re looking for a Kwanzaa recipe, this lovely chocolate fruit cake recipe from Hersheyland with seven colors of fruit helps honor the holiday’s seven principles of unity, faith, self-determination, responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose and creativity. Whatever your December celebration entails, hopefully, one of these destination bakeries will lure you in with a glittering sugar glow! RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas markets in the U.S.   

Ridesharing apps are a popular mode of transportation in San Francisco, a sprawling city with so much to see and do. It's also a convenient way to hit up the city's top spots as we recently learned from data shared with us by Lyft. The information is making one thing very clear: people in San Francisco love eating out. From popular chains to local institutions to buzzy award-winners, restaurants are the top destinations for Lyft users in San Francisco.  The data recorded includes rides taken between July 2022 and July 2023 and includes information about where Lyft users go for brunch, the destinations they're most loyal to and the places tourists frequent the most. It also doesn’t consider those who live within walking distance from the spots or those who choose to drive themselves or take public transit. Studying the six categories of rides provides an interesting look at where people are going. Some destinations are obvious, such as Original Joe's, the top spot frequented by Lyft users and the one loyal users visited the most. This San Francisco institution has been serving classic Italian cooking to the public since 1937, beloved by tourists and locals alike.   On the opposite end of the spectrum, you'll find the destinations that have exploded in popularity over the last year, with Mission bar Dalva ranking near the very top. This longtime favorite underwent a massive transformation, reopening with a fresh new look in January last year. Buzzy Michelin-starred restaurant F

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

Celebrating 55 years of cruising to Alaska, Princess Cruises is rolling out an immersive experience that “guarantees” your Northern Lights viewing—even if it’s just inside the shipboard planetarium. Hopefully, you’ll also see the Aurora Borealis in the real sky, too! The Voyage to the Stars experience debuts with 2024’s cruise tour season and is part of the North to Alaska with Princess program, which showcases local storytellers, cultural experiences, and Alaskan culture. For the first time ever, guests will enter a planetarium in the ship’s theater for an engaging show with live imagery to get everyone ramped up about the beautiful phenomenon nature offers. Alaska is one of the places where you’re most likely to see the Northern Lights—but the planetarium show is a great precaution in case it’s not the right season or weather to see them. And hey, if your kid is young enough, they may actually think they saw the real thing. Astrotourists love sky-based phenomena like meteor showers and last month’s total solar eclipse, and the Aurora Borealis is one of the most spectacular things you can ever crane your head back to see. #BucketList, ammirite? Besides Northern Lights viewing, Princess's Alaska cruises offer five glacier viewing experiences on seven ships and 91 different cruises to Glacier Bay National Park.

Have you ever skipped a show just because the ticket price was outrageous? It's a bummer to know the concert's happening without you when you are a fervent fan. But with a little planning, you can see a ton of shows in 2024 for a downright wholesome price tag. Live Nation is bringing back Concert Week for its 10th year of awesome music, and you’ll have to put an alert in your phone to grab these $25 tickets starting May 8 and ending May 14. That’s just one week to pick from more than 5,000 shows taking place throughout the U.S. and Canada during the rest of 2024. Buy all your year's shows in this one magical week. The 900 participating artists include heavy hitters like Cage the Elephant, Pixies and Modest Mouse, Janet Jackson, Blink 182, Meghan Trainor, Alanis Morrisette, Iron Maiden, Missy Elliott, 21 Savage, P!nk, and many more. The tickets are only open while supplies last, so if you wait until May 13, you may lose out. Study the list of musicians and buy as soon as you can when sales open on May 8. On Live Nation’s promotion homepage for Concert Week, the list of artists is alphabetized and in all caps, and just scanning through is an exciting menu of music to come (and they aren’t all listed). If you are a T-Mobile or Rakuten customer, you may even get early access on May 7 to buy tickets; follow the instructions on the Live Nation website. Hilton Honors members can also earn points for ticket purchases. Once you’ve selected a show from the website, look for the ticket

Here’s where summer memories are made for a lifetime: crafting sand castles, getting chased by the waves, the sun beating down on your drowsy self: all accompanied by the scent of sunscreen. It’s the beach, and kids remember these warm sea breeze days for the rest of their lives. As we know, however, not every beach offers the same gentle surf, restaurants that appeal to children (they'll want a lot of chicken nuggets after all that running back and forth), and rental spaces large enough to accommodate families. Here to help is the U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best family beach vacations in the U.S. The report takes into account a lot of different metrics that make a beach appealing to families rather than single adults. The top beach spot for families according to this study is Gulf Shores in Alabama, a 60 mile stretch of white sand beaches. You’ll find affordable hotels and lots of family activities—and your chance of seeing a dolphin cavorting in these aqua waters is high. There are plenty of kid-friendly dining options as well as arcades galore. The second best place for a family beach vacation is the Outer Banks, a group of barrier islands in North Carolina. The surf here isn’t too rough, and the weather is almost always perfect for the beach, in the high 80s. There are family-sized cottages and condo rentals not far from the shore. The third prize goes to Anna Maria Island in Florida. This chilled-out island has colorful architecture, a trolley system and hist

When you’re already tense in an airport, a terse word from a staff member can make you feel worse. Dealing with someone who doesn’t seem to care that your flight is delayed, doesn’t want to help you find your lost luggage, and isn’t into answering your questions: that just makes you feel even more helpless. People turn to review sites to complain about those kinds of reactions (and hopefully, to give praise where it’s due), and a new study from Upgraded Points looked at passenger feedback from Yelp and Google reviews to see which of our 50 busiest airports are doing better in terms of being friendly and helpful—and in terms of being rude and careless. One interesting takeaway is that only 6 percent of airport reviews mention friendly staff and less than 2 percent mention friendly TSA. But maybe that’s because, in general, we don’t notice friendliness when we’re focused on getting through the airport on time...we just notice the opposite. Portland International Airport in Oregon is our country's friendliest airport. It received a friendliness score of 44 out of 50. On Yelp, 19 percent of 2,300 passengers’ reviews mention the airport’s friendly staff. Clearly, Portland’s doing something right in creating a climate where staff members enjoy their interactions with passengers and make flying more fun. In second place is Indianapolis International in Indiana, with a score of 43. More than 10 percent of the combined reviews called out friendly staff, while less than 1 percent of th

North America’s 50 Best Bars just announced the best bars in North America and New York sweeps the list, with three of the top five mentions. The first is Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy, and in second place is New York’s Superbueno, a Mexican-American cocktail bar in the East Village. It opened last year and has earned tons of awards, and Food & Wine noted its mole negroni, mango martini and mushroom margarita. Nice! In third place is Overstory and in fourth is Martiny's, both in New York. Overstory offers cocktails, wine, and bites in a retro bar with a 64th-floor deck with panoramic views, while Martiny’s is an elegant spot with exposed brick walls that serves fancy mixed drinks and snacks. In all, 26 of the bars on this top 50 list are in the U.S., while 15 are in Mexico, seven are in Canada, and two are in the Caribbean. And check this out: New York has 12 of the 26! San Francisco, L.A., and Chicago, you better get your drink game on for next year! Before listing all the 26, here are a few standouts that won specialty awards: True Laurel, San Francisco, No. 30, earns the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award Meadowlark, Chicago, No. 32, wins the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award Martiny's, New York, No. 4, is the Nikka Highest Climber Award winner Avondale Bowl, Chicago, earns Bareksten Best Bar Design Award Superbueno, New York, No. 2, wins Disaronno Highest New Entry Award Jewel of the South, New Orleans, No. 7, is named the Best Bar in South USA, sponsored by Tia

We’ve got 63 national parks here in the U.S. and some of them lend themselves more easily to family visits. Whether it’s because the hikes are better for short legs, the sights are particularly compelling to little eyes, or there are plenty of eating options to fuel those growing bodies, these parks win. The Family Vacation Guide analyzed the top 30 of those 63 parks to figure out which ones are the best for families. The winner is Sequoia National Park in California. It’s about three hours southeast of Yosemite and is part of the Sierra Nevada range. Here, kids can marvel at the largest tree in the world, a giant sequoia named General Sherman: link hands and see how many people it takes to encircle it. There are other huge trees in the park’s Giant Forest. There are a ton of dining options to refuel in between meadow walks, waterfall visits and even a half-mile loop trail through a marble cavern (Crystal Cave, which will reopen to the public in 2025 after repairs from wildfire and extreme weather damage). Second is Acadia National Park, which is in beautiful coastal Maine. Our family loves riding bikes here, and there are beaches, mountains, lakes and meadows to explore. There’s a historic carriage road system that makes for easy walking and sometimes leads you across atmospheric curved stone bridges. Plus, lighthouses! In winter, explore on snowshoes or cross-country skis. If it were not so heavily visited—with 3 million guests a year—this park would have actually come in f

Good news: the travel industry is BACK! The business of travel has returned to prepandemic levels, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and we’re all so relieved. In particular, airlines have rebounded. The airlines have hit an all-time high of customer satisfaction (a grade of 77 out of 100) after their second straight year of improving from the previous year by 1 percent, a small but significant number. Hotels, car rentals, and online travel agencies have all also seen growth. A side result of the study, which was released yesterday and covers 2023 to 2024, is that we learn which airline Americans consider the best. So, if you want to follow the recommendation to head toward colder climes and Northern Lights (or just hit some U.S. cities), Alaska Airlines has an ASCI score of 82, the highest on the list. American is in second place, with a score of 79. Both Alaska and American have raised 1 percent since last year. But other airlines have made huge gains in the last 12 months. Spirit Airlines has bolstered its reputation by 5 percent to land a score of 67. Allegiant is up 4 percent to 78, and Frontier is up 3 percent to 67. Allegiant took third place on the overall list. The only airline to lose customer satisfaction points since last year was United, which slipped 3 percent to a score of 75. What can explain these differences, according to ACSI? Airlines are hiring back staff after the pandemic layoffs, making the parts of flying that are staff-driven muc

Picture this: you emerge from your wooded hike to hear water gurgling and rushing over the falls, and as you make your way to the waterfall, you are struck by its beauty. Part of the lushness of nature, waterfalls are often seasonal and emerge out of snowmelt, while some are there year-round. If you want to find the most beautiful ones, the company BonusFinder has released a study that analyzed more than 2,700 US landmarks, including 79 waterfalls, to rank them by their social media hashtags. Oregon’s Multnomah Falls is the most picturesque waterfall; it received more than 289,000 pictures hashtagged on Instagram. At 620 feet, it’s the state’s tallest waterfall, and more than 2 million visitors stop by to see it each year on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. It’s the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest. The falls are at their most powerful in winter and spring. Second on the list is Yosemite Falls inside Yosemite National Park, with 232,929 hashtags. It’s the tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet. Visit it any time of year as it’s nearly almost always flowing, although it’s a gusher in May or June and may be only a trickle by August. Yosemite in winter can provide beautiful photography, as some of its waterfalls develop frost along their edges overnight. This third one kind of seems like it ought to be in the first place, as an iconic waterfall that many people have built vacations around for centuries. It’s Niagara Falls in New

Bark Air announces that it is launching new luxury flights for dogs and their humans, and we’re wondering if this includes a Frequent Fido program. The same company that brings you the monthly subscription service BarkBox is taking to the skies to make sure your canine friend gets to the same destinations you do—both domestic and international—just with flair and treats, according to Dollar Flight Club. These flights will start next month between White Plains, New York (the Westchester County Airport, 30 miles north of New York City), Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, and Stansted Airport in London. The private jet charter company Talon Air will take care of those with paws and dewclaws for takeoff and landing, while Bark will deliver safety measures during the flight itself. That includes a concierge team devoted to the comfort of both dogs and humans. There is a socialization time with dogs in the lounge before boarding, so everyone gets along once in the air. Right now, the flights are limited, but Bark will expand based on customer feedback after these flights, honing the experience to keep the tails wagging. An adorable video on the company’s website shows a flight attendant delivering food to a dog in a silver dome—when she removes the lid, it’s a sneaker. The “critically acclaimed in-flight entertainment” includes a close-up of a squirrel eating a nut, which two dogs are riveted by in their plane seats, headphones slipped to around their necks (that’s okay: they hear gr

We all love the idea of trains as a more sustainable way to travel. And adding strength to that notion is Amtrak’s announcement yesterday that it has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek options to convert its fleet to zero-emissions technology. It’s yet another step towards Amtrak’s long-range goal of completely eliminating emissions. Any qualified companies can respond to the RFI with their ideas and proposals. The RFI supports the nation’s 2023 U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization to transition to a decarbonized transportation system. Amtrak aims to achieve Net Zero emissions by the year 2045 as part of its Climate Commitment. So far, the company reports in its press release that it has taken these steps: Committed to doubling ridership from 2019 levels to 66 million riders per year by 2040, displacing more energy-intensive cars and plane trips  Procured more than half of the company’s electricity from carbon-free sources with the goal of achieving 100 percent by 2030 Supported California partners in a May 2023 switch to renewable diesel (RD) on Amtrak Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquins trains  Ordered 83 new Amtrak Airo trains that will operate on the fully-electrified Northeast Corridor and on routes throughout the country, producing 90 percent less particulate emissions in diesel operations Ordered 28 new all-electric, high-speed Acela trains that are designed to use 40% less energy per passenger than the existing Acela

If you’re a serious traveler, you’re someone who keeps track of your mileage, which may guide your decision of which airline to fly and be loyal to. But even if you don’t fly that often, it’s still worth it to join a frequent flyer program because they’re free to join and save you money on airfare. Some airlines will consider your membership if they need to bump people off an overbooked flight. And if you get an airline credit card, you can start racking up miles even if you aren’t traveling. You can earn perks like free flights (of course, the goal), priority boarding and free checked bags. WalletHub has analyzed the various loyalty programs and has information to share with its 2024 Best Frequent Flyer Programs report. This ranks the 10 largest U.S. airlines based on 21 metrics, such as the value of a point/mile and its tendency to blackout (or not) dates for reward flights. Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst, says that two airlines have the best frequent flyer programs in 2024: Alaska and United. She says, “Alaska Mileage Plan and United MileagePlus ...save members the most money and generally have the most consumer-friendly policies. For example, neither has blackout dates, award-ticket cancellation fees, short-notice booking fees, or miles that expire. Plus, both offer retroactive flight credits for up to 12 months and the ability to book flights more than 300 days in advance.” But of these two, Alaska edges out last year’s winner, United, for 2024. Other takeaways: S

One of the best vacations you can have is a trip to a national park. It fills you with awe, connects you with nature, costs less and helps support the parks. Plus, you often have a more active vacation than you would otherwise, hiking and exploring, so that you return home feeling good and not as if you overindulged. There are a few standout national parks that everyone talks about, and two of them start with the letter Y, but the online travel guide Travel Lemming has created a list of national parks ranked by data...and it upends what we usually think. Data, you say? Yes. This report crunches info in seven categories: crowds, reviews across Google Maps, Yelp and Tripadvisor, weather, affordability, jobs (this one seems perhaps odd, tabulating the number of jobs linked to the park), accessibility—referring to how close it is to an airport or a population hub rather than referring to disability access—and biodiversity. First of all, Yellowstone lands No. 16 on this list, tied with Mount Rainier National Park, while Yosemite ties for No. 22 with Sequoia National Park (out of 63 parks). Why did these two well-loved parks fall so low on this particular report? For Yellowstone, data shows that it’s kind of crowded (20th) and was only the 20th best-reviewed of the national parks. It fared pretty poorly for affordability (40th), accessibility (38th), and weather (56th)—remember when flooding closed it a few years ago? For Yosemite, it was the 37th least crowded and the 36th best re