Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author
As seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, Fox, Wired, Yahoo!, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal
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Tagged Lonely Planet

Published Works: Urban Melting Pots, Best Value Cruises, Terrific Tokyo

Here are my latest travel dispatches for Paste Magazine and Lonely Planet:

Published works: Mexico City is awesome, toad-licking is dumb, magic travel pills

My latest for Lonely Planet and Paste:

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Published works: My recent Lonely Planet stories on Utah, Tucson, and National Parks

Tucson’s Valley Overlook Trail courtesy Blake Snow

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Recent travel stories I’ve published for CNN, NatGeo, USA Today, LA Times, and more

For nearly 10 years, I’ve written and published hundreds of travel articles for CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, LA Times, Washington Post, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Expedia, Orbitz, Frommers, and Travel Weekly. For that last six years, I’ve served as the monthly travel columnist for Paste Magazine (5 million readers), which has taken me to six continents and dozens of countries. For my most recent articles, click here. For some of my favorites, consider these:

Best of 2023

  1. What I’ve learned after 10 years of travel writing
  2. 5 funny ways Europe differs from America
  3. With war next door, I hiked 50 miles into Petra on the Jordan Trail
  4. Is Fairbanks the best place in America to see the Northern Lights?
  5. 5 things to love about Celebrity Apex
  6. The most cosmopolitan cities in the world
  7. 5 things to know before road-tripping to Southern Colorado’s National Parks
  8. Why some New Yorkers never visit the Statue of Liberty
  9. Tokyo: What my family learned in the world’s largest and safest city
  10. 18 travel tips that actually work
  11. The best way to visit Paris with kids
  12. Amsterdam: Cozy canals and the “Garden of Europe”
  13. Everything you need to know about the 7 wonders of the world
  14. Safari with kids: Seeing Africa’s “big game” on a budget
  15. Ultra-long haul flights: How I survived 16 hours in the sky
  16. Wasting away again at Margaritaville’s newest Cancun all-inclusive
  17. Will travel for music: Beck and Phoenix in sunny California
  18. Is skydiving the most physiological rewarding form of travel?

Continue reading…

Published Works: Utah’s Best National Parks For Every Traveler

Here’s my latest love letter published in Lonely Planet about the state I call home: “Utah is known around the globe for its five national parks, dubbed the “Mighty 5.” But some are better than others, depending on how you travel. Before booking your next adventure to red rock country, here’s what you need to know.” Continue reading…

Where to find them: America’s 11 newest National Parks

Courtesy Lindsey Snow

The United States recently designated “White Sands” as the country’s latest and 62nd National Park—the highest honor given to protected lands. But New Mexico’s newest national park isn’t the only one. Since 1994, America has recognized more than 10 new National Parks. Here’s where to find them and what their biggest draws are, according to my latest article for Lonely Planet.

Recent clippings: Surviving recessions, travel restrictions, and COVID winters

Courtesy Shutterstock

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What it’s like to hike in 5000-year-old trees

My latest for Lonely Planet:

“At nearly five millennia old, the bristlecone pines in Nevada’s only National Park are some of the oldest living organisms on earth. Although they don’t have the height or size of record-setting redwoods and sequoias standing in nearby California, ancient bristlecones can live over a thousand years longer, which makes hiking among them a surreal experience.”

Continue reading at Lonely Planet…

Published works: Parks vs Monuments, coping with no travel, best quarantine trips

Courtesy Shutterstock

Although several of my international travel stories are still on hold, a handful of domestic ones recently published that I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading and sharing any you like:

Miss travel? Here are 10 ways to cope, according to science

My latest for Lonely Planet: “The past few months have been a challenge for everyone. But for travelers, wanderlusters, and global adventurers, the closed borders and shrinking world have been especially depressing. Here are 10 ways to cope for the foreseeable future, according to experts.”

SEE ALSO: My latest for Orbitz—What your summer vacation will look like this year

Here’s what it’s like to visit a theme park during the pandemic

Courtesy Blake Snow

Here’s my latest travel dispatch for Lonely Planet

Depending on where you live, amusement parks can be one of the best day trip experiences around. But like everything else, coronavirus indefinitely changed them.

As one of the US states with the lowest rates of coronavirus infections, Utah was also one of the first to lift restrictions and open its doors. In late May, one of those doors was the highly-rated Lagoon Park, which USA Today recently named one of the best “hidden-gem” theme parks in the country.

Local reaction to the park’s reopening was tepid at best. Is a tightly packed, and line-filled attraction really such a good idea, especially after over two months of quarantine? At first my wife and I said no. But after reading favorable reports of “no crowds,” “attendance limited to 15% capacity,” and “we had a lot of fun,” – not to mention almost no getaway options at our disposal (even Utah’s national parks still hadn’t yet opened) – we booked our family for the following Saturday. Continue reading…

Published writing: Why you should visit Utah’s High Uintas wilderness

Credit: Blake Snow

This wasn’t the first time I’ve written about my favorite, lesser-known Utah outdoors. And it probably won’t be the last. Hope you enjoy. 

Utah has some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States, if not North America as a whole. Because of this, numerous state parks and other protected lands are often forgotten; many would likely have national park status were they not located somewhere that already has five. Read on to learn about one of Utah’s best kept secrets. Continue reading on Lonely Planet…

See also: Which Utah park is right for you?

Recent writing: National Parks in lockdown, kids books, when can I travel again?

Courtesy Shutterstock

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Published works: When and how might travel rebound?

Courtesy Shutterstock

My latest for Lonely Planet: If you’re hoping that travel will return to normal in 2020, don’t hold your breath, experts say. That said, you will likely be able to vacation on a reduced basis later this year, if not by summer, some believe. Although not ideal, that’s better than the “do not travel” orders the world has endured since March.

So what might a travel reopening look like?

“The travel industry is a huge part of the economic health of so many countries, so I imagine by the end of the summer tourism will begin again,” says Jorge Branco, director of the World Travelers Association. “I don’t think schedules will be as they were pre-coronavirus right away, but there will be options available to begin the transition.”

In other words, we won’t hit the “on” switch as quickly as we hit the “off” switch. Rather, governments, health experts and tourism providers will metaphorically install “dimmers” to gradually increase lifestyles and travel to normal levels.

Continue reading on Lonely Planet…

Published works: How to travel at home, places you can’t visit, leftovers I forgot

Courtesy Shutterstock

Some of the below are no longer relevant right now, due to coronavirus quarantines. But others still are, and I wanted to add them to my portfolio in any case.

Thanks for reading, bookmarking, or sharing any that you enjoy.

Stuck in quarantine? Virtual tours are the next best thing

Courtesy AirPano

There is no replacement for seeing something with your own eyes. Let alone hearing, smelling, and feeling it with your own presence.

But despite coronavirus quarantines, there’s still something you can do about it. With the help of modern technology, there’s a lot you can do about it.

From seeing the seven wonders of the world and world-class museums, to exploring the great outdoors and National Parks on foot, these are the best virtual tours I found online in a story I wrote for Lonely Planet.

Hope you enjoy.

My recent travel writing: Portugal, National Parks, Tucson, Best Biking Cities

Courtesy Shutterstock

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Recent writing: Utah skiing, breathtaking buildings, rafting with family, waterproof gear

Excluding my non-bylined commercial writing, here’s what I’ve written for news media lately:

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Published travel: Wellness retreats, Aspen, midwest standouts, Seattle’s waterfront

Here’s a roundup of some of my latest travel writing:

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Making headlines: The best things I published recently

Courtesy: Blake Snow

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Recommended reading: The best travel listicles I published recently

Courtesy Sam Dean/Visit Rapid City

Excluding non-bylined commercial work, here are my recent published works for news media:

Thanks for reading.