The waves that day had been fierce, the current strong, and the searches had mostly been busts all morning. 

The wild humpbacks we sought are the gentlest giants I’ve ever met – aware of their bodies and dancing through the water so effortlessly, in ways few animals can. 

Captain Onoi’s coffee brown eyes widened as she spotted the scene in the water. It was a rare and exciting opportunity to swim with a mom and calf while she was pursued by a juvenile male, hell-bent on mating. 

Sometimes whales make eye contact and play for hours with us, and sometimes they are too busy to care we are there – this drop would be the latter. 

Onoi put us in perfect position to slip in and see the show. She’s the only female boat captain in French Polynesia and between you and me – she’s the best. Her cascading mermaid

With the end of the year comes a new world of travel possibilities. You can spend December fully embracing the chill of the season, or find a warm getaway if that’s more of your style! Good thing the United States offers opportunities for travelers of all types, with destinations scattered throughout the country.

Starting from the West Coast heading east, here’s a list of the top 21 destinations to visit this December:

1. Joshua Tree National Park, California

Winter is without a doubt the best time to visit the deserts in California. Joshua Tree National Park is one of the best places to visit in the colder months. The park’s temperatures lower on average by December to a range of near 40 degree F overnight to near 60 degrees F by afternoon, which makes daytime hiking and rock climbing infinitely more enjoyable than the unbearable summertime heat.

Deserts make

Lake Tahoe, which sits on the California-Nevada state line, is one of the most popular destinations in the western United States, and with good reason. The massive lake is stunningly beautiful and crystal-clear, the surrounding mountains are a winter sports heaven, and the alpine forests between the two make for a hiker’s paradise.

In my humble opinion, it’s the most beautiful lake in the world. As someone who grew up loving the ocean, it almost satisfies my intense urge for the seaside given the sheer size. There’s something mesmerizing about the clarity, the depth, and the gorgeous surroundings that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere.

There is no shortage of things to do and see in Lake Tahoe, so to help you narrow it down, here’s a list of 50 of the best from a local:

1. Tahoe Rim Trail

The Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile

As the leaves change from the vibrant greens of summer to warm tones of fall, The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the prettiest ways you can experience the season. This 469 mile-long parkway runs through North Carolina and Virginia’s Appalachian region, connecting spots like Asheville and Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.

If you want to explore the parkway to the fullest, camping is one of the best way to do it. Starting from western Virginia going south, here’s a guide to the parkway’s eight campgrounds:

Otter Creek Campground

About the Campground: Otter Creek campground is the northernmost of the parkway’s campgrounds. It’s located near Lynchburg, Virginia, by the James River. Since the Parkway is numbered from north to south, you’ll find Otter Creek on milepost 60.8.

The campground is currently closed due to COVID-19, but it

Backpacking is a chance to get farther into the wilderness, solitude, and yourself more than any other activity I can think of. There are some things that only your feet can bring you to, and one of those is an amazing sense of accomplishment.

Since starting 5 years ago, I’ve backpacked more than 1,000 miles and guided over 50 women on their first backpacking trips. It’s addictive to me now.

That said, backpacking is different from day hiking in more ways than I had initially imagined – ways that are worth knowing prior to taking it on. Don’t worry, this post won’t scare you out of backpacking. I’m just here to share 9 things I wish I knew before I started backpacking so that you don’t have to learn the hard way:

1. It’s More Mental than Physical

It

It’s no secret that California is the land of warm sunshine and stunning stretches of coastline; however, the Golden State is also home to amazing springtime wildflowers! All across the state, spring brings colorful displays of nature’s best blossoms, sometimes so concentrated and intensely beautiful that it’s referred to as a superbloom. No matter which part of California you like best, here’s where to check out amazing wildflowers and superblooms:

Northern California

King Range National Conservation Area

The King Range National Conservation Area, located in Humboldt County, protects 68,000 acres along 35 miles of California’s north coast. Established in 1970, it was the first National Conservation Area in the country. Today, it offers more than 80 miles of hiking trails and is home to breathtaking springtime blooms like the one pictured above, as the hillsides erupt