Senior Citizens Can Get a Discounted National Park Pass

Above, one of the gateways into Yosemite National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ten years ago, I turned 62 which qualified me to get a national park lifetime senior pass. At the time, the pass was only $10. It is currently $80, but it is still a bargain if the holder makes use of it. The standard entrance fees for U.S. National Parks range from $15 to $35 per private vehicle.

Conde Nast Traveler has posted an article on the lifetime senior pass and what benefits it gives to the holder. 

They begin it with:

From the jagged red sandstone of the Grand Canyon to the moss-cloaked forests of the Pacific Northwest, the allure of America’s iconic landscapes defies generational divides. Whether you’re a lifelong lover of public lands or a national park newbie, US citizens and residents aged 62 years or older can nab a discounted lifetime pass to travel to over 1,000 federal recreation sites.

Yes, the pass famously covers entrance fees to all 63 national parks, but its true value is in its other great perks and discounts. The pass allows for free entry into all national forests, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sites, Bureau of Land Management areas, national monuments, and offers discounts on popular campgrounds and more. In short, it’s a one-way ticket to adventure, at a bargain price. Here’s what to know, whether you’re applying for yourself or a loved one.

 

Above, the South Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

Tokyo Named Best Big City In The World

Above, a view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I've been to Tokyo eight times and I have enjoyed it every time. I even enjoyed it during snowstorms as was the case in 2014.

It is really no surprise to me that Tokyo was named world's best large city by Conde Nast Traveler.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

Tokyo officials were overjoyed after the Japanese capital was named the world’s best large city in a leading U.S. travel magazine.

Conde Nast Traveler’s 2024 reader survey, which excluded U.S. cities, showed that Tokyo gained 575,048 votes to gain the top spot for the first time in three years, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government.

It was the sixth time Tokyo earned the No. 1 place in the survey, which started in 1988.

Singapore ranked second, followed by Sydney, Cape Town and Vienna.

 To read more, go here.

How To Explore Crater Lake National Park

Above, Wizard Island through the smoky haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in August 2017, during my Great American Eclipse trip to Idaho, I headed into Oregon to visit Crater Lake National Park. I hadn't been there since 1971 when I camped there with my parents.

Except for smoke from wildfires in and around the park at the time, Crater Lake was as I remembered it.  

Condé Nast Traveler has an article on the park on what one an see and do there.

They begin it with:

In the remote forests of southern Oregon, a dramatic caldera harbors the deepest lake in the United States. 

Cliff-encircled Crater Lake is what remains of a volcano, once taller than Mount Hood, that erupted here nearly eight thousand years ago. The snowmelt- and rain-fed lake is called Giiwas in the Klamath language. For the Klamath Tribes, the original stewards of these lands who continue to live in the surrounding area, Giiwas is the legendary site of a dramatic conflict. It remains a place of great spiritual significance—something respectful visitors will appreciate when they first take in the sight. 

To read more, go here.