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For the geography-minded: Try to find the plates that are the farthest away from your home state, or use a map to group plates by region (finding all the plates in, say, the Southeast is easier than getting the whole country). Novar Cottage sells a small map with reusable license plate stickers for $3 (800/465-7230; www.novarcottage.com/statesplates.html). For the math-minded: Look for sequences of numbers (first a 1, then a 2, and so on—you can go to 100), or race to be the first to add up the numbers on any given plate....

Travel is exciting, yes. But, the packing process—especially for families—is stressful. To do it efficiently takes time and focus. To avoid mass dumpage into the suitcase, I start packing two weeks before we leave. And, I challenge myself to halve what I “think” we need. I place a cardboard box next to the table and drop things in as I think of them: books, sunscreen, shampoo, and medicine. First, I pack the kids....

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been that person who is forced to re-pack a suitcase as you’re trying to check it because it’s over 50 pounds. If you’re like me and have experienced this a handful of times, luckily there’s a solution to help make packing easier (no more last-minute scrambling at check-in). I recently discovered how beneficial packing cubes can be when squeezing everything into a carry-on suitcase or even a smaller weekender bag — just call me a packing-cubes convert....

The winter months are closing in fast, and there’s only one thing you can do about it: Seek shelter. But, this season, instead of opting for any old accommodation why not spend a little time inside an ultra-luxurious multisensory igloo instead? Courtesy of Gurney’s Resorts Gurney’s Montauk and Gurney’s Newport are erecting several themed igloos for the chilly months at their respective properties. Each tiny hut will come with its own unique design, activities, warm blankets to stay cozy, a few delicious treats, and even its own thematic music playing inside....

TikTok is a space where you can watch viral dance crazes and unusual trends, but it’s also a place to learn some random facts — even ones you might not want to know. The latest TikTok video making its rounds on the internet comes from flight attendant Kat Kamalani, who dishes on what you absolutely should not eat or drink while on a plane. Brace yourself — her advice might surprise (and perhaps even disgust) you a bit....

The Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards aim to identify and honor companies, individuals, destinations, and organizations taking strides to develop more sustainable and responsible travel products, practices, and experiences. Not only are they demonstrating thought leadership and creative problem-solving, they are taking actionable, quantifiable steps to protect communities and environments around the world. What’s more, they are inspiring their industry colleagues and travelers to do their part. For those looking to incorporate climate-consciousness into their daily decision making, food is a great place to start....

Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure. World-class galleries, delicious cuisine, bustling barrios, and storied nightlife are only a few of the reasons to visit Spain’s energetic capital, Madrid. The landlocked city is often overlooked by beach lovers, but from the upscale Salamanca to the melting pot of Lavapiés, it has a lot to offer....

JetBlue plans to beef up its getaway routes in 2021, with four sunny new routes to be added to its schedule. The airline announced this week that it will begin service to Miami, Key West, Guatemala City, and Los Cabos in the first half of 2021. The new destinations will be introduced as part of the airline’s 24 new nonstop routes planned for the new year. The new routes will debut from February to June....

A California traveler discovered a 4.38-carat yellow diamond in Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park, the largest gem found at the park this year. The woman, Noreen Wredberg from Granite Bay, Calif., uncovered the diamond on Sept. 23 after searching an area in the middle of a field, according to the park. The rare gem was just sitting there on top of the soil, waiting to be found. Courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism...

If you can’t go see the spring flowers, the spring flowers can now come to you — virtually. Coronavirus has affected millions (if not billions) around the world. Globally, cities have been issuing stay-at-home orders and closing down public places in order to combat the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, this also included the Keukenhof Flower Exhibit, which is nearly in full bloom during this time of year in the town of Lisse, Netherlands....

Most of Brazil’s all-inclusive resorts are an easy flight from Rio, clustered in beach towns in popular destinations like Porto de Galinhas in Recife and Bahia’s Praia do Forte. They range from sprawling beachfront hotels near sleepy fishing villages to secluded properties on coral reef-fringed islands. They may all offer guests endless eating, drinking, and activities, but there’s nothing cookie-cutter about these seven resorts. If you’re heading to Brazil, check into one of these places and enjoy beach life without worrying about anything (except maybe how well you applied your sunscreen)....

You’ve got one last chance to make the most of summer. Before the season disappears for another year, Yelp rounded up 10 of the best Labor Day weekend destinations in the U.S. for last-minute trip planners, based on popularity. Using its database, Yelp identified the 10 cities around the country that got busiest around Labor Day. The company then ranked them based on how much busier each city got compared to the seven days before and after the holiday....

The Disney Wish is going to be Disney Cruise Line’s most magical ship yet, and we’re giving you a first look at all the incredible experiences guests will find on board. Setting sail July 14, 2022, the Disney Wish is packed with firsts that Disney fans will love, including the first-ever Disney attraction at sea, a Frozen-themed theatrical dining experience, a Marvel dinner adventure, an Imagineering lab for kids, and an adults-only Star Wars lounge....

Seychelles, an Indian Ocean archipelago about 900 miles off the coast of East Africa, is about as close to heaven on Earth as it gets — with 115 tropical islands renowned for their lush landscapes and unique biodiversity. But even paradise is vulnerable to climate change. Forests across Praslin, the nation’s second-most-populous island, have been decimated by fires in recent decades, exacerbated by increasing drought, erosion, and agricultural land clearing. With blazes as recent as August 2020, roughly 40 percent of the island’s forests are now unlikely to recover without an intervention....

William Cook, a professor at the University of Waterloo, led a team of researchers in a two-year project to find the shortest possible route for visiting 49,603 historical sights pulled from the National Register of Historic Places. The researchers used Google Maps’ walking distance data between points to show the quickest possible tour for visiting all of the sights. The route, which covers 217,605 miles, passes through archeological sights, historic homes, parks, and more landmarks across America’s cities and towns, providing history fans with quite the itinerary....

The Devoko 5-Piece Patio Furniture Set includes a sectional sofa and a glass-top table, giving you everything you need for a comfortable and stylish outdoor seating area. The sofa and table are made from durable synthetic rattan that offers a polished look but will stand up to the elements and wear. For added comfort, there are plush, weather-resistant cushions and two bright pillows for a pop of color. And since the sectional-style sofa has multiple parts, you can adjust the configuration to fit your space....

If you haven’t been able to score tickets to the immensely popular immersive Van Gogh art exhibit happening in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and a host of other cities this summer, you may still have another option to envelop yourself in a different world. Illuminarium, a new immersive entertainment experience, aims to bring the African safari to life in Atlanta. Illuminarium’s “Wild: Safari Experience” is scheduled to open on July 1 and designed to take visitors to Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa — without requiring them to leave the city or spend hours on a plane....

The longest-running hotel in the Southeast is celebrating 150 years since it opened with a series of dinner parties that invite guests to step back in time. Chattanooga, Tennessee’s The Read House is hosting a “Through the Decades Dinner Series” throughout 2022, each highlighting a different decade of the hotel’s history. Courtesy of The Read House The dining experiences include painstaking adherence to historical accuracy. Each menu was influenced by historic cookbooks and draws from the menus The Read House served during each of the featured eras....

The train is an underutilized and underappreciated form of transportation — I learned this when I traversed the West Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle on Amtrak’s scenic Coast Starlight route one summer. The route covers the best of the Pacific Coast Highway and lets you navigate one of America’s most treasured routes without the hassle of a car, yet few are aware of it. Perpetuating our nation’s ongoing rivalry between its left and right boundaries, the Eastern Seaboard is not to be outdone: Amtrak’s Silver Service/Palmetto route stretches between Miami and New York City, highlighting the best of the East Coast — Savannah, Charleston, Washington, D....

Travel + Leisure Group is helping wine lovers discover the best varietals through tastings and experiences with the launch of Travel + Leisure Wine. In partnership with Vintage Wine Estates, Inc., the new wine club membership program, found at travelandleisurewine.com, offers access to highly-curated experiences including VIP tastings either at participating wineries or virtually, annual harvest celebration events, and more from wineries throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. “The Travel + Leisure brand is synonymous with extraordinary experiences, and our latest offering extends that brand promise to a whole new platform....