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If there’s one family absolutely nailing the staycation, it’s the Hemsworths. Last weekend, Chris Hemsworth, who happens to be Tourism Australia’s global ambassador, took his entire family on a domestic vacation to Lord Howe Island, a lush landscape located off the coast of New South Wales. The trip marked the first time the entire family has come together since both brothers — Liam and Luke — moved back to Australia amid the pandemic....

Now that Canada’s borders are officially reopened to vaccinated American travelers it’s time to start planning your escape to The Great White North. And for skiers, there’s no better spot to plan a trip to than the new Club Med Québec, Club Med’s first ski resort in North America. Opening Dec. 3, 2021, Club Med Québec is a spot that will “provide guests with all the comforts and luxuries of an all-inclusive vacation while also allowing travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian culture....

Dublin Airport may be seeing fewer passengers these days, but it brought its Twitter game to new heights in a heartwarming exchange over the weekend. In response to one social media user from the UK, named Edmund, who tweeted that he was, “feeling rock bottom,” the Ireland hub reached out with some words of encouragement. “Hi Edmund, you are not alone. So many people are feeling exactly that way at the minute,” the airport wrote....

You can spot rainbows practically anywhere: reflecting off a cloud, arching over a massive waterfall, or even forming a magical halo around something in the distance (under the right conditions). One hiker in England was lucky enough to capture footage of the latter. According to the Daily Mail, Adrian Conchie of Knutsford, Cheshire, was walking in the Lake District in northwest England when he saw what is called a Brocken spectre in the distance....

With peak northern lights season getting closer in Iceland (September through March), Hotel Rangá is looking to showcase its spectacular location for viewing the natural phenomenon. The hotel is searching for its first-ever official “lights catcher,” a photographer who will spend a month capturing photos and video of the night sky’s colors in exchange for room and board. Courtesy of Hotel Rangá The chosen photographer will also receive airfare to and from Iceland and must be available for three weeks from mid-September to mid-October, with the ability to provide high-quality content, of which the hotel will retain the license....

Perched at a table at LaGuardia Airport in New York, I frantically thumbed through papers containing suggestions upon suggestions on what to do in Savannah, Georgia. I was minutes from boarding a flight to the southern city, yet I had absolutely no plans once I got there. You can’t blame me of course, I only found out where I was going when I arrived at the airport. I was headed on a surprise vacation with Pack Up + Go, a company that plans a trip for you based on a survey you fill out weeks in advance and mails you a suggested (and detailed) itinerary that you’re supposed to open when you’re about to leave....

When I think about the warmest winter jacket, it’s a completely anecdotal and haphazard judgement call based on whatever parka or puffer looks the most like a mountain expedition sleeping bag. But it turns out there is actually a scientific rating known as CLO that measures the insulation of a material, or in other words, how much warmth it maintains. And by that standard, a brand called LifeLabs just created one of the warmest jackets that currently exists — meet MegaWarm....

Valentine’s Day weekend is here, and while most of us are celebrating at home due to restrictions from the ongoing pandemic, it doesn’t mean we can’t travel — virtually. Luckily, Orbitz, along with some very special friends, will guide you on an LGBTQIA-friendly tour so you’re not “bummed” out. Now through Feb. 15, travel booking site Orbitz is teaming up with the Instagram account @thetravelinbum and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jackie Cox, as well as others, to “guide viewers on a vicarious tour around the globe, prompting inspiration for when the time comes to travel again....

A massive wildfire in Washington last year started with thievery gone awry. According to an indictment released by the Department of Justice last week, two thieves went to the Olympic National Forest in August 2018 with the intention of stealing wood from big leaf maple trees. They felled the trees and expected to sell them, as they had several times before. But when the tree was down, they found a wasp’s nest in its branches....

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially starting their new lives in Los Angeles. On Thursday, the former royal couple was spotted for the very first time in their new city while out volunteering their time with Project Angel Food in West Hollywood. A sign points to the gated neighborhood near the Malibu country mart where Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are looking to establish there residence, Serra Retreat, Malibu, California on April 01, 2020....

A piece of San Francisco’s heart is beating again. After a 16-month pause in service during the pandemic, the city’s historic cable cars started operating again on Monday — and rides are free through the month of August while they rev back up on a limited schedule, according to the SFMTA, which runs the trolleys. “Our cable cars are part of what makes San Francisco a world-class destination,” the city’s mayor, London Breed, said, according to the Associated Press....

Few things are as synonymous with the holiday season as a Yule Log video, a cracking virtual fireplace perfect for bringing festive ambiance to even the smallest apartments. And this year, Canada’s Fairmont Hotels are putting a modern spin on it, welcoming viewers into three spaces decked out for the holidays — with the addition of some fun guests. The Yule Log Fireside video series, an initiative by Destination Canada, posted to YouTube, brings travelers into the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec, and the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in Montréal in three-hour videos....

Oahu’s North Shore is the picture of serenity. Its population regularly swells as it hosts some of the top surfing events in the world thanks to its surf break along Ehukai Beach Park, better known as Pipeline, but its tight-knit locals manage to maintain their small beach town vibe. And one thing these locals know is that the North Shore is home to perhaps the best slice of pie you’ll ever taste in your life....

Before you drop your hard-earned cash on a new tablet, check out this deal from Walmart that is way too good to pass up. Right now, savvy tech consumers can buy the latest generation of the iPad for only $249 (that’s $80 off the original price of $329). This 32GB, WiFi-enabled, 6th Generation tablet comes in Space Gray, Gold, or Silver and has a 9.7 inch Retina display screen. Not only is this Apple’s latest design for the iPad — complete with the more advanced 8MP iSight camera and multi-touch display — it also supports the Apple Pencil for people who are looking to do a little more with their new toy than just checking their email and streaming Netflix....

Over the past six months, private vacation rentals have surged in popularity as travelers embrace exclusive escapes that offer plenty of social distancing. Now, the travel brand Inspirato is here to make finding the perfect spot even easier. Courtesy of Inspirato The company’s new Inspirato Pass is like subscribing to vacation: For $2,500 a month, you get unlimited access to a portfolio of villas and rooms at luxury hotels, plus, once coronavirus lockdowns are lifted, invites to special private events like a weekend at the C Lazy U Ranch (a Travel + Leisure reader favorite) or a safari at some of the top camps in Botswana that typically sell out quickly....

The Urban Coco Drape Front Open Cardigan is made from a soft, stretchy blend of viscose and spandex, and it’s light enough to pack in any travel bag or backpack. That said, several reviewers mentioned that it resists wrinkles well, making the sweater a solid option if you’re planning to keep it packed in your luggage as a last-minute layer. Plus, its no-fuss, machine-washable fabric is incredibly easy to care for....

A nice shower can improve even the worst moods. Evidence: This tortoise. The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee decided to brighten everyone’s day by posting a video on Facebook showing their radiated tortoise (named Turnip) “dancing” in a steady stream of water. According to the aquarium, the radiated tortoise exhibits a “dancing” behavior during periods of heavy rain in its native southern Madagascar, where the climate is extremely dry. If you had to walk around in a dry heat, you’d also start dancing for a little rain....

Seeing Australia’s landscape is a spiritual experience—cultures dating back 40,000 years have called its terrain home. It would be hard to find a bad angle of the country and, in a video on YouTube, Kartikeya Sharma has found some of the best. The intro and background music are more “feature film” than anything—hey, I’d spend money on a movie called “The Ancients”—but make sure and stick around for the ethereal scenes of the night sky later on in the video....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised six more destinations to its highest travel warning level on Monday, including popular vacation hotspot the Bahamas. The agency raised the Bahamas to a “Level 4,” warning travelers they should avoid heading to the island nation, especially if they are unvaccinated. Destinations are classified as a “Level 4” if there are 500 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. Similarly, the Department of State issued a travel advisory on Monday mirroring the CDC’s message....

The airline industry may be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few Australian flight attendants tried to make the best of it by sending off its last international flight with a joy-inducing dance number. Virgin Australia, which suspended all international flights from March 30 through June 14, gave its last departure a jolt of positivity with a choreographed dance set a rendition of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin.’ The video included uniformed crew dancing and waving on the tarmac as the plane pushed off while even more crew danced inside the terminal — complete with hand motions typically reserved for pointing out emergency exits....