As the leaves change and we start to near the holiday season, there’s surely only one thing on everyone’s mind: Vacation! Vacation! Vacation!

One of the things I love most about this country is that there is so much to see and do, whether it be the bright lights of its big cities, its white sandy beaches, or its outdoor sites. Having grown up in a major East Coast city, it’s the national parks out west that interest me the most – these are the places I dream about visiting. While I had the supreme pleasure of seeing the gorgeous Arches National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks, my visit was much too short. I left Utah craving more of nature’s gifts to mankind. And so here’s my National Parks bucket list trip, one in which I’d put many miles on a rental car, but I wouldn’t mind since I feel driving around out west is a treat within itself.

On a recent trip to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, travel writer Cheryl Rodewig stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square hotel. Here’s her take on the experience.

We’ve all seen the television shows where people are forced to eat all sorts of crazy foods, insects, and things that make most of us a bit queasy. But most would be surprised to know that around the world, people happily eat all sorts of things that we just aren’t use to. If you think about it, the same could be said about what we eat. But still, it’s hard to fathom sometimes how anyone could eat something so different, so bizarre, so unknown. Below are 10 foods from around the word that will most likely make your stomach churn, or maybe make you hungry – no judgment either way.

On a recent trip to Niagara Falls, travel writer Cheryl Rodewig stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham Niagara Falls hotel. Here’s her take on the experience.

When I travel these days, I often pack a lot of activity in what is typically a short period of time. I see and do a great deal without always taking time to step back and savor those unique cultural experiences (i.e., the stuff they don’t really tell you about in a guidebook!). So, in no particular order, here are the five places I’d like to live like a local, by way of going the slow travel vacation rental property route, rather than the traditional in-and-out hotel route.

If you’re visiting Dallas for the first time, be prepared for sheer size. There’s a lot of ground to cover — hey, it’s Texas, after all — but with a little planning you can experience the best of the city in just a few days.

There are more than 700 stunning islands in the Caribbean, and during wintertime, it’s the go-to destination for those living in cold climate cities. The best time to visit the Caribbean is from December to April, although the islands are still welcoming year-round, but beware of hurricane season from August to October. Scattered across the Caribbean Sea, the islands are close enough to make it the world’s premier holiday spot for cruising, but still so different, that it’s sometimes hard to choose one over another. Here are a few pointers to help you choose between them.