Good morning. Summer is coming up fast, and there’s no better feeling than having an epic vacation locked and loaded ahead of the warmer months.

To help you avoid letting your PTO pile up like a bunch of cicadas, we put together Travel Brew, a special-edition Sunday newsletter that’ll update you about the hottest travel trends, give you outside-of-the-box destination ideas, and offer other tips for top-tier adventure (or relaxation).

Bon voyage!

All vacations have to trend eventually

One of the most challenging aspects of travel can be selecting a destination, which is only slightly more difficult than understanding why a bottle of water at the airport costs $8.

All the options can be overwhelming, especially when you’re staring down portmanteaus that make you wonder if using your PTO is worth it (“bleisure,” “buddymoon,” “friendcation,” etc.). But do not light your luggage on fire out of frustration—we’re here to look past the cringey names and offer our favorite trends for your well-deserved break from the grind.

Beat the heat with a ‘coolcation’

With every year breaking the record for hottest ever, chilling is becoming necessary in a much more literal sense. The planet’s increasingly sweltering temperatures have increased demand for trips to places like Iceland, Finland, and Scotland.

Get on board: UK cruise agent Iglu saw a 235% increase in demand for trips to the Arctic from 2022 to 2023; demand for Canada jumped 137% over the same time. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators reported a record number of visitors during the 2022–2023 austral summer, which runs from November to March.

But…sustainability is an issue. Increased tourism (and shipping) in the Arctic can contribute to the climate problem that is making this poorly named trend so popular.

Let TV and movies inspire you

“Set-jetting” has been a popular concept dating back to the 1970s, when Star Wars fans flocked to Death Valley to see the backdrop for Tatooine but had the self-respect to…never refer to it as set-jetting.

Cut to now: Expedia identified several popular destinations from TV and movies for 2024. Among the locations seeing a bump in interest due to popular TV shows are Romania (Wednesday), Paris (Emily in Paris), and South Korea (Squid Game).

The White Lotus Effect: The hotels featured in the popular HBO series are getting a major boost from the phenomenon. Availability checks for The Four Seasons on Maui, featured prominently in Season 1, found a rise of 386%. The Four Seasons in Sicily, where Jennifer Coolidge was betrayed during Season 2, also saw interest peak. Thailand, the site for Season 3, wanted The White Lotus bump so badly that it offered a $4.4 million tax credit to bring the show there (and got it).

Consider extreme measures

Extreme tourism, or adventure tourism, is for people with deep pockets who consider lounging next to a pool more boring than sitting at a desk.

• The most well-known destination for the adrenaline seeker is Mount Everest—last season, the Nepalese government issued a record number of permits to scale it.
• Interested in an extreme coolcation? It costs $100,000 to make your way to the South Pole.

A market like no other: Grand View Research believes the adventure tourism market generated $316.6 billion in 2022 and will balloon to a little more than $1 trillion by 2030. But if your tastes lean a little less death-defying, we’ve got you covered: In today’s newsletter, we’ll explore destinations you can reach by train and car, the newest national parks, and more.—DL

Exploring the US by train

Domestic flights are expected to get more expensive and crowded thanks to plane production delays stemming from the pandemic and a slowdown in aircraft deliveries from mishap-riddled Boeing. So, if you’re looking for a summer getaway with more cabin space and fewer airport headaches, consider the humble Amtrak trip. Here are some of the most scenic routes (with each trip’s prices as of April 12):

NYC ←→ Montreal

New Yorkers can roll out of bed, stumble to Penn Station, and be in Montreal 10 hours later thanks to the Adirondack route, which runs through Hudson Valley’s wine country before crossing into Canada. The cost: One-way tickets start at ~$72 each.

LA ←→ Seattle

Go from farmers markets to Pike Place Market via one of the most gorgeous train rides in the US: The 35-hour Coast Starlight route from Los Angeles to Seattle. You can drool over unabridged views of the Pacific Ocean and rolling hills from a semi-glass-dome observation car. The cost: One-way tickets start at ~$117 for a coach seat and ~$794 for two-person roomettes.

Chicago ←→ SF

Running from Chicago through Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada before ending in San Francisco, the California Zephyr line is 51 hours of Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, ancient desert, and river gorges. The cost: One-way tickets start at ~$151 for single seats and ~$875 for two-person roomettes.—ML

Welcome to the newest national parks

Trying to explore all of the country’s national parkland in one summer is a lot more difficult now than when President Roosevelt cut the ribbon for the first one at Yellowstone in 1872. There are now 63 destinations with “National Park” in their name, but there are 429 “national park sites,” which include everything from battlefields to seashores.

And they keep adding more: Last year, additional designations were made to preserve natural elements, like the three new scenic trails added to the National Park System (NPS). But others were to recognize a location’s history, like the Amache National Historic Site in Granada, CO—the site of a former Japanese Internment Camp, which detained nearly 7,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. Here are some other recent additions you can visit:

• In 2020, the NPS added New River Gorge National Park & Preserve in West Virginia, popular for white-water rafting and rock climbing.
• White Sands National Park in New Mexico (home to the world’s largest gypsum dune field) and Indiana Dunes National Park were both added in 2019. Big year for dunes.

What’s in it for the parks? The two biggest reasons to snag the official “National Park” label are conservation and federal funds. The government has a ton of public land designations, but the national park status provides the most protection from mining, logging, and other private industries. National parks can also use federal taxpayer money for upkeep, but that comes with the loaded option of charging visitors to visit the park.—MM

These trips won’t make you ask “We there yet?”

Wanderlust is sometimes best satisfied on wheels, so let the interstate highway system be your oyster. Whether you yearn to follow in Jack Kerouac’s tire tracks or just want to glimpse some hidden gems in your region, check out these road trip ideas. They’re all under 12 hours, so you’ll need bathroom breaks, but you won’t get bored.

New England Neverland: Experience the different states of Maine, from vacationland to rural backcountry, by cruising down the iconic US Route 1 past contrasting landscapes and roadside relics from bygone eras, like the site of a failed French colony. (11.5 hrs)

Midwest metropolises: Motor from Chicago to Minneapolis. Tour Taliesin, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s sprawling Wisconsin estate, and stop at the admission-free SPAM Museum in Austin, MN. Take the Great River Road along the Mississippi. (8 hrs)

Western wanderings: The 42-mile scenic desert stretch of legendary Route 66, which used to run from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA, is a natural Western movie backdrop. Stop at the old-timey mining town of Oatman, AZ, to hang with the wild donkeys that roam there. (1.5 hrs)

Southern sojourn: Zoom from Atlanta to Louisville via Nashville with a stop at the Chickamauga Battlefield on the first leg of the trip. If you’re thirsty, swing by the historic Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, KY, the self-proclaimed bourbon capital of the world. Take the Cohutta-Chattahoochee Scenic Byway. (7 hrs)

Hit the road like On The Road: Kerouac’s novel is a heckuva guide to marvel at the country. Use these real maps of the beatnik’s fictionalized travels.

Once you’ve picked your itinerary…here’s a playlist of favorite road trip songs and the car snacks enjoyed by travel editors. Or, peruse this list of movies to watch if you want to experience the open road from your couch.—SK

The Brew’s bucket list destinations

We love Disney World as much as the next newsletter, but sometimes, it’s good to dream about where you would go if there were no obstacles.

Here, the Brew writers share dream travel spots.

Cassandra: La Rioja, Spain. Idyllic countryside known for its wine—say no more.

Molly: Tromsø, Norway. I want to see the northern lights!

Matty: Martinique. My friend who grew up on the island talks about how there’s a mountain you can only hike when it’s not foggy, and I just think that’s so fun.

Sam: Estonia. There’s nothing more magical than celebrating the summer solstice with folk dances next to a bonfire as the sky remains illuminated long past golden hour in these Northern stretches.

Neal: Chengdu, China. It’s the capital of Sichuan province known for its numbingly spicy food and giant pandas. Plus, it’s a day trip away from Chongqing, the most cyberpunk city in the world.

Abby: Bora Bora. I’ve always wanted to go so I can wake up and swim straight out of my overwater bungalow while taking in views of the volcano (because there is no budget in this fantasy).

Adam: New Zealand. I’ve been planning a trip to see the Lord of the Rings filming locations pretty much since I was 10 years old. One day, I shall form a fellowship and make the trek.

Dave: England. Check out the historic stuff, a play, a football match, and have fish and chips for every meal.

Holly: The seat of inner consciousness. A free place with lots of peace and quiet that, if your journey is successful, you never have to leave.

Crowd work: Your travel plans

Here are the results from last week’s survey asking you about your summer travel plans.

Overrated/underrated: We also asked you for one underrated and overrated thing in your city for visitors. Here are our favorite responses:

• “Geneva: Avoid the Jet d’Eau (Geneva Water Fountain) and l’horloge fleurie (the flower clock). Go to the botanical garden.”—Joël from Geneva, Switzerland
• “Underrated: Local Speakeasy bars; overrated: Lan Kwai Fong.”—KY from Hong Kong, China
• “I’m in Frankenmuth, MI. Bronner’s is a must-see. It’s the world’s largest Christmas store. Zehnder’s and Bavarian Inn restaurants are overrated. It’s just chicken, and it’s not that great for the price.”—Jess from Frankenmuth, MI
• “If you come to Missoula, definitely hit the Roxy for an indie film followed by the underground arcade and craft beers at GILD. Avoid any kitschy Wild West-themed anything…it ain’t like that.”—Bex from Missoula, MT
• “I’m new here but please don’t try the Pittsburgh Primanti style of burger with chips and coleslaw in it. Maybe you’ll like it but the mess is not worth the stress so I’m not jumping on that bandwagon. Especially if I have to unhinge my entire jaw for it. Instead, Chengdu Gourmet and Nicky’s Thai Kitchen are great choices.”—Victoria from Pittsburgh, PA

This week’s question

Abandoned malls dot the American landscape. What’s your unorthodox idea for how to revitalize them?

Matty’s answer to get the juices flowing: “Finally let American Girl create a gaggle of indoor theme parks.” Share your response here.

✢ A Note From GolfSuites

This is a paid advertisement for GolfSuites 1, Inc.’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.golfsuites.com.

¹ Source: National Golf Foundation