Lauren Mack

There are few destinations you can go where you are guaranteed fun in the sun. But we have found the perfect weatherproof paradises: indoor water parks. Whether you like swooshing down slides feet first or head first, it's always sunny and a balmy 84 degrees Fahrenheit at these indoor water parks.  There are 1,153 water parks in the USA and Canada as of March 2021, according to hospitality consulting firm Hotel & Leisure Advisors. While we haven't visited every water park, we have splished and splashed our way through the best indoor water parks. We've spent countless days sliding and gliding round and round and round twisty, turny slides that slosh us with water at every turn and floating on colorful inner tubes down meandering lazy rivers.  Don't let the indoor aspect turn you off from tropical-themed fun. We know a wet and wild time when we see it. If you insist on stepping outside, most indoor water parks have an outdoor water park that is open seasonally and other attractions like arcade games. Nearly all are connected to a resort to extend the fun. Think the beach is the only place to get a tan year-round? Beach, please. Most of these parks have glass or retractable roofs that allow you to lay by a pool and get your tan on 365. Some have swim up bars, as well as comfortable cabanas. So, go on, run, jump, slip and slide into America's best indoor water parks.

Love is in the air, at the seashore, and in the great outdoors. While candlelit restaurants and cozy cafes abound, some of the most romantic places in the USA don't require an admission price or a hefty tab. Nature provides the picture-perfect backdrop for romance and sets the mood for love. In some instances, it won't even cost you a dime. Whether you're searching for a great date spot, trying to reignite passion with your special someone on Valentine's Day, or plotting the perfect place to pop the question, these natural hotspots are so lovable that even non-outdoorsy folks will find them irresistible. From long walks on Cannon Beach to cozily clinking glasses at wineries on Bainbridge Island to getting carried away—literally—on a hot air balloon ride in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we heart these most romantic places in America. RECOMMENDED: The most romantic hotels in the U.S.

Now that the holidays are over, it's time to bead it at Mardi Gras. The carnival celebration synonymous with purple, gold and green beads is here. The weeks-long celebration begins on Twelfth Night, the 12th day of Christmas, and continues through Fat Tuesday, the day before the start of Lent, a period of 40 days of sacrifice and reflection observed by many Christians. Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) has been celebrated since ancient times, first in Greece and then in Rome. The pre-Lenten Christian festivities later made their way to Paris in the Middle Ages, and then French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville brought the winter festival to the southern U.S. in 1699. The revelry includes parades and parties hosted by krewes, who toss "throws" like beads and festooned coconuts from decorated floats. Get ready to show your beads and laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll)! RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in New Orleans

If you're a fan of all things that go bump in the night, read on. These scarily good Airbnbs put the 'boo' in booking – admit it, you laughed. We've scoured Airbnb's most eclectic and eerie listings to find the most haunted Airbnbs in America, from creepy castles to spooky spare bedrooms and mysterious mansions. These rental haunted houses feature charming creaking floorboards, whimsical wainscoting, and vintage vibes along with chills, thrills, and frights from spirited ghost hosts that are straight out of the best Halloween movies of all time. Probably not for the faint-hearted. Prepare to be spooked. You might not rest in peace in these haunted homes, but you're bound to have a memorable night preparing for paranormal activity, seeking the supernatural, and greeting ghosts. Or if you're among the skeptical, these Airbnbs will have you make or break what you believe. But beware, bookings go as quickly as ghosts playing tag, so secure these haunted hotbeds ASAP. Updated October 2024: With Halloween around the corner and things getting spookier by the day, we've added a couple more of the most haunted Airbnbs in the U.S. Enter if you dare! RECOMMENDED: The 10 most unique Airbnbs in the U.S. This guide was written by Time Out USA Contributor Lauren Mack. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, we

When it comes to U.S. wine country, we often think of Napa and Sonoma, California, but there are wineries in all 50 states. It was in the South where the U.S.'s first winery opened in 1799. While the aptly named First Vineyard, just outside Lexington, Kentucky, operated for just one decade before shuttering, the South has since become a wonderful place for fine wine. From the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Texas Hill Country to sunny South Florida, award-winning wines can be found at vineyards throughout the region. Plus, there's  Southern hospitality to look forward to. Raise your glass and start plotting your adventure: America's most scenic Southern wineries await. RECOMMENDED: The best Midwest wineries worthy of a getaway

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas—a glowing Christmas—everywhere you go. From tiny lanes in historic neighborhoods to vast convention centers to entire Christmas towns, it seems everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit through magical light displays. It's a sight that Clark Griswold and Christmas lovers could only dream of…until now. These fantasylands of twinkling lights, animatronic holiday displays, and kitsch are full of Christmas cheer, Christmas markets, festive food, entertainment, and holiday shops. Whether you pile into a car to drive through these illuminated wonders or bundle up with hot cocoa to immerse yourself in a sparkling, spectacular stroll, these charmingly lit displays are the ultimate Christmas light extravaganza to ignite the holiday spirit. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas towns in the U.S.The best Christmas markets in the U.S.

Looking to save money on your next vacation? Brake-free (get it?) from car-congested cities and consider a car-free getaway. Cities across the U.S. and the world are creating pedestrian zones and banning cars, from a few hours each month to a day or two each year to 24/7/365. Some cities are doubling down on the car-free craze by building car-free rental apartment communities like Culdesac in Tempe, Arizona. Going car-free in the U.S. not only saves money on pricey rental cars and parking fees, but it also helps reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, you can burn extra calories by walking or biking around towns like historic Colonial Williamsburg, laid-back barrier islands like Little St. Simons Island, and mesmerizing Mackinac Island, Michigan. Forgo four wheels and hop a ferry or bike, or use your own two feet to explore these destinations, which range from remote to right around the corner. RECOMMENDED: The best bike trails in the USAThe best adventure vacations in the U.S.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, thanks to festive holiday markets held coast to coast in November and December. These fun, festive fairs are a nod to Europe's Christmas markets, which have been held in cities, towns, and villages for centuries. Festooned in twinkling lights and boughs of holly, you'll fa-la-love the Christmas markets in Chicago, Denver, New York, and beyond. Each market is unique, but nearly all feature food, shopping, and festive activities, from musical entertainment to meet-and-greets with Santa to holiday activities. Strolling these seasonal markets filled with food, trinkets, and merriment is a must. These markets are the place to stock up on stocking stuffers, gifts, and ornaments while indulging in savory and sweet treats like bratwurst and donuts and drinks like glühwein (mulled wine), cider, and hot chocolate. Bundle up and get ready to eat, drink, and be merry at the best Christmas markets in the U.S. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas light displays in the USAThe best Christmas vacations for an epic holiday

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.

When temperatures rise, it means it's time to take a walk on the boardwalk. These iconic planked pathways that meander along the U.S.'s most iconic beaches are a beloved American pastime—so loved that they have been romanticized in many formats, including Nickelodeon's 2023 movie Under the Boardwalk, the TV show Boardwalk Empire, and classic board game Monopoly. There are dozens of boardwalks in the U.S., some more well-known than others. While the boardwalks in Atlantic City, Coney Island, and Santa Monica are widely familiar, there are some lesser-known and equally impressive beach boardwalks like Kemah Boardwalk in Kemah, Texas, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, and Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Grab some friends and get ready to stroll, snack, and play along America’s best boardwalks. RECOMMENDED: The best riverwalks in the U.S. for scenic strolls

Sometimes, we just need a different vantage point, like the kind that comes with a visit to the highest observation decks in the USA. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, North America started the phenomenon of building observation platforms to drive building revenue and allow visitors to see the surroundings from a new, sometimes vertigo-inducing, perspective. But it's not just skyscrapers that offer the most enviable views of America: Natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls have them, too. Whether atop a tall building or in nature, many of the most impressive observation decks you'll see today have also added unique features like glass ledges, revolving floors, and amusement rides to enhance an already exhilarating experience. Ready to face your fears? From glass floors and open-air skywalks to perches that look out into several states, soar to new heights at the coolest observation decks in America. RECOMMENDED: The coolest lighthouses in America

Nothing beats a classic road trip on Route 66, complete with a dog-eared map highlighting the route and notes of where to stop off along the way.  Nicknamed "The Mother Road" by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, Route 66 offers drivers plenty of history, nostalgia and quirky curiosities to entertain and comfort drivers on their journey. Completed in the late 1930s, the iconic 2,451-mile stretch was the highway for folks wanting to travel from middle America to the West Coast in the 20th century. The eight-state journey along Route 66 begins in Chicago and meanders through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California. Driving from east to west, road trippers can admire the kitsch and neon that make this stretch of road so famous. From roadside architecture like Cadillac Ranch to superlative selfie spots like the world's second-largest rocking chair to landmarks like Wigwam Village Motel #6, these are the best Route 66 attractions worth the multi-week drive.

I love cruising, particularly during the off-season when rates are lower and ships are less crowded. Hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June to November, peaking from late August to the end of September, but that doesn’t stop me from booking cruises in the summer. One of my favorite times to cruise is during the latter part of hurricane season, after children return to school and before the Thanksgiving holiday. The weather isn't actually as bad as you might think and there are a lot of benefits.  Cruise prices are lower during hurricane season. Cruise prices drop several times per year, including during hurricane season. The off-season for cruising the Caribbean begins after Labor Day on the first Monday in September and ends just before Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Family travel drops off during these months as children are back in school. The beginning of hurricane season (June through August) coincides with summer holidays for children, making it one of the peak seasons for cruising. Prices also spike during holidays, including Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and spring break. I love to book fall cruises because I can save some serious cash, particularly when I can be flexible about departure dates and ports. Plus, cruise lines often offer incentives like free drink packages and shipboard credit. Sometimes, I've booked cruises at the last minute to add to my savings, but this can be risky if you have your heart set on sailing to

When booking a trip, one of the last things on my mind is a medical emergency or unexpected delay. After all, I'm busy packing and dreaming about sipping tiki cocktails with my toes in the warm beach sand. I've been traveling overseas for 25 years, but it wasn't until I booked a trip to country No. 41 that I learned a valuable lesson before stepping on the plane. I booked a dream vacation to Costa Rica in 2014. A week before the trip, I became ill. I could not travel and lost the $1,300 I had prepaid for airfare and accommodations. I vowed never to travel without travel insurance again. I'm not alone. Between 2020 and 2022, U.S. travelers spent nearly $4.27 billion on all types of travel protection. I have purchased travel insurance for every trip in the decade since I lost all my money on a vacation I didn't get to take. Thanks to travel insurance, I have traveled to 20 countries on four continents and saved $10,000-plus in expenses related to trip delays, trip interruptions, and medical expenses. Here's why I always buy travel insurance. Travel insurance is actually cheap. When I first purchased travel insurance, I started small by paying for trip protection à la carte. When booking plane tickets or accommodations. I just checked the box at checkout to add trip protection. After a couple of years, I traveled more, and I found it cheaper to buy an insurance policy that covered an entire trip. For example, for a nine-day cruise in December 2021, I paid $79 for Allianz Travel