Where to Next: Adventure Awaits
Where to Next is The Local Foreigner’s guide to traveling in 2021, highlighting hotels destinations, and activities that are open and accessible to American travelers during the transitional period between the pandemic and the eventual return to round-the-world travel.
Does anyone else feel like they’re busting at the seems? Ready to spring out of the house and do something so epic it makes the last year seem like the prologue to the greatest chapter of your life? Ready to just GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING? Yeah, we’re ready too.
ADVENTURE AWAITS
"Life is either a daring adventure, Or Nothing at all”
Helen Keller
Rocky Mountain High
Crested Butte, Colorado
At 9,000 feet above sea level, the town of Crested Butte gives new meaning to mountain majesty, so it's no surprise adventure outfitter Eleven Experience has two properties here -- Scarp Ridge Lodge, a former mining saloon turned six-bedroom villa in the middle of town, and Taylor River Lodge, a gold rush bait and tackle shop framed by emerald pines and the Gunnison River. In the summer, mountain biking reigns supreme (there are over 750 miles of trails to explore), though lazy days leave plenty of down time for mountain climbing and river rafting. Winter brings fresh powder and cat skiing and family-friendly activities like the Taylor River Olympics.
Highlights
Taylor River Lodge's newly expanded winter offerings focus on wellness & winter adventure activities.
Who Should GO
Groups, multi-gen families, competitive spirits, adventurers, anglers, avid outdoorsmen
Best Time to Visit
June-March
Amangiri…and Then Some
Southern Utah
Anyone can go to Amangiri for the weekend, but for those who truly want to experience the wonders of the southwest, we suggest kicking off your high-octane adventure in Moab. Start your trip with a 4x4 ride through the juniper trails and pinyon trees of Dead Horse State Park, then spend the night along the Colorado River in a luxury tented camp, enjoying a gourmet fireside dinner beneath the stars. Rise with the sun and set out for a full day of white water rafting on the Class III-V rapids of Cataract Canyon -- an 85-mile journey that will land you in Lake Powell. All this adrenaline practically requires a stay at Amangiri, where you'll trade in your river rafts for reflexology reservations. If you can bare to leave your poolside lounge chair the next day, we highly suggest a day trip to Lake Powell -- hiking and repelling for true adventurers only.
Highlights
Seeing some of the most awe inspiring natural landscapes in the United States in one weekend
Who Should GO
The intersection of Aman junkies and adrenaline junkies
Best Time to Visit
late April-May
Back in the Saddle
Luxury Biking in the United States
If you're the type of traveler who dreams of biking through charming European villages, Southeast Asian paddy fields, or South American mountain terrain, why have you never thought to do the same, right here at home? Luxury bike trips offer travelers a unique perspective of destinations across the United States. In Maui, bike iconic routes like the Road to Hana or discover the island's farm-to-table culinary scene by riding to local producers. Rediscover California wine country as you pedal along the Pacific coast into redwood forests before stopping off at local tasting rooms. Bike the South Rim of the Grand Canyon or challenge yourself along Sedona's Brins Mesa trail. Or tackle Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Valley, one of the country's most scenic bike routes.
Highlights
Gaining new perspectives of familiar destinations
Who Should GO
Those who want to try something new in their own backyards
Best Time to Visit
Year-Round
The Best Parts of Being a Cowboy
Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico
Attention city slickers: ranch life is calling! Summer is the perfect time to check out three of our favorite wide-open-wonders. Located on 6,600 stunning acres in Big Sky Montana, the lavish Ranch at Rock Creek is the only dude ranch to ever receive a Forbes Five Diamond rating, making it an ideal base for first-time ranch hands. For those looking to embrace their rustic side, Wyoming's family-owned Brush Creek Ranch invites you to hop on your horse and trot to a remote corner of the 30,000 acre property to spend the night in a glamping yurt. Though if you really want to leave the world behind, visit New Mexico's Vermejo Park Ranch, where you'll have an entire 980 square miles of wilderness to yourself...as long as you're willing to share with a few thousand bison.
Highlights
You can leave your passports at home, but you'll feel like you're on an entirely different planet.
Who Should GO
Family reunions, celebrations, [much needed] corporate retreats
Best Time to Visit
June-October
Pura Vida Paradise
Costa Rica
Few places on earth have discovered the secret to good living in the way that Costa Rica has. An exemplary nation known for its sustainable initiatives, eco-minded practices, and peaceful approach to world order, Costa Rica is a well protected treasure trove, where happy people live in a bubble of natural beauty. Visiting Costa Rica is all about succumbing to "pura vida," whether that means booking a suite and holing up at the Four Seasons for a week, glamping on the Papagayo Peninsula, white water rafting to your hotel in the Central Valley, learning to surf in Santa Teresa, or swimming with dolphin pods along the Osa Peninsula.
Highlights
One of the most biodiverse nations on earth, Costa Rica is a haven for wildlife and tropical plant species.
Who Should GO
Just about anyone
Best Time to Visit
November-April