Neighboring Canadian national parks Banff and Jasper in Alberta have no fewer than three aerial tramways that will carry you up mountainsides for spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies. Being from a flat state (highest point in Florida: 345 feet), I find mountain vistas irresistible, and so on a trip north of the border, I rode all three. Here are my observations.

Jasper Tramway 
Location: The Whistlers (or Whistlers Mountain, not to be confused with the famous ski destination and Olympic site near Vancouver, British Columbia) in Jasper National Park near the town of Jasper, Alberta... Read More

Frank’s notes from last summer’s trip to the Alberta, Canada area may inspire travel planning – and now is the time to make reservations at popular summer destinations.

I decided to make the entire 30-mile drive to Maligne (pronounced mah-LEEN) Lake from the town of Jasper because I wanted to see the canyon, which was just a few minutes away from my hotel near the beginning of the route, and I thought, “Why not go all the way to the end?”

Not much of a reason, I’ll admit, but I’m glad I did it. The mountain scenery along the way is amazing, and the namesake lake at the end figures prominently on postcards sold at gift shops throughout Alberta, and for good reason. But I’ll get to that.... Read More

Our last stop on our southwest tour (after Lubbock and Roswell) was Carlsbad, New Mexico.  My folks took me there when I was a kid and I had a great time.  It was 1985 and The Goonies was my favorite movie.  The Goonies spent a lot of time in a cave so I hoped to have a similar adventure.  Unfortunately, there was no One Eye Willy at the end of the Carlsbad Caverns tour, but I still remember it fondly.... Read More

Due to the enormous popularity of the national parks, now is the time to start planning your 2011 trip.

We are planning an RV trip from Tennessee to the Grand Canyon in June. Can you tell me about any great stops along the way and any must see opportunities near the Grand Canyon?
To help you with the planning, here is a custom TripTik routing. Zooming into the map will ... Read More

 Winter travel in the U.S. means one thing to me: obsessively checking weather.com in advance of my trip. Then, on the eve of my departure, the inevitable happens: my destination’s 10-day forecast is wall-to-wall rain or snow. Enter the umbrella. Exit half the sightseeing plans I’d made. 

This year I decided to give my OCD a vacation and hit the road for Death Valley National Park. In summer, the place is famously an inferno (daytime highs of 120-degrees are the norm). But in winter, the park’s high season, the desert days are warm and chances of a vacation rain-out are practically zilch. ... Read More

News and trends from around the Web ...

Visit America’s Most Underrated Parks
Among the 58 national parks in the United States, the marquee parks — Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite — are well worth visiting, but have drawbacks, like high admission prices and enormous crowds. Nearly 400 national parks can be found all across America, just waiting for people to strap on their boots and go exploring.  Full story from MSN.com

Protests Continue in Bangkok
The U.S. Department of State elevated its travel warning to advise citizens to defer all travel to Bangkok and defer all ... Read More

I’m not an adventure traveler. So when I tell you that I went on the overnight mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, you should understand that I was way out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t my idea -- it was my father-in-law’s and he thought it would be a great experience. So, one lovely day we headed over from Las Vegas, spent the night in a cabin at Bright Angel and prepared for our journey the next morning. ... Read More

During National Park Week April 17-25, entrance fees at all 392 U.S. national parks will be waived. This does not include fees for camping, reservations, use of concessions or those collected in advance. The National Park Service uses this special week to encourage families to spend time together while connecting with nature. Various parks are planning family friendly activities and offering special deals on tours, food, souvenirs and more.

See AAA's Travel Guides to many popular national parks as well as a list of parks planning National Park Week activities.  

I’ll never forget the first time I went to the Black Hills of South Dakota  and saw Mount Rushmore. I was on a quest to visit all 50 states and I had three left- South Dakota, North Dakota and Hawaii.

I’ve heard a saying that you go to some famous places three times in your life: As a child, with your children and on a senior bus trip.... Read More

From our Q&A mailbox:

Question: Do you recommend a road trip to Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon in late March (Spring Break) with a tent trailer? We are concerned about road conditions and enjoyment if weather is bad. We will be traveling with boys age 10 and 7 and we have a heater and generator.

Answer: Our AAA Arizona contacts say that March can be a heavy snow month, but the end of March may not be too bad. In the Zion area in March the temperatures at night are in the 30's and day time temps are upper 40's, lower... Read More