Blake Snow

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

Tagged National Geographic

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

Over the last decade, I’ve written and published hundreds of travel stories for CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, LA Times, Washington Post, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Expedia, Orbitz, Frommers, Cool Material, and Travel Weekly. For the same period, I’ve been a weekly syndicated travel columnist for Paste Magazine and Utah newspapers, which has taken me to all 7 continents, over 55 countries, countless national parks, and hundreds of cities. In addition to my other published works, here are some of my favorite travel dispatches.

Best of 2025

  1. 5 things to know before visiting a nude beach (Fodor’s)
  2. Why is over tourism happening? Blame capitalism. (Matador)
  3. Cancun all-inclusives: What first-timers need to know (Matador)
  4. Visiting the Great Wall of China: Which section is best? (Matador)
  5. 5 ways your wasting money on travel (my travel column)
  6. Cruise a new megaship for less on MSC World America (my travel column)
  7. 5 travel hacks that actually work (my travel column)
  8. Niagara Falls is the summer vacation every American needs (my travel column)
  9. Do not follow this wretched travel advice (my travel column)
  10. The oldest trees on Earth are just a few hours drive from Utah (my travel column)
  11. Kids menus: A well-intentioned by bad idea (my travel column)
  12. See European-like Alps, Patagonia-like views at Glacier National Park (my travel column)
  13. North America’s finest fjord rivals Norway (my travel column)
  14. This rust belt city is one of the prettiest in America (my travel column)
  15. Eagle Point is what family skiing used to be like (my travel column)
  16. Volcanos, in-room infinity pools, 24-hour butlers at Jade Mountain (my travel column)
  17. Ipanema is the greatest beach in the world (my travel column)
  18. Lake Powell is magic, even for first-time houseboaters (my travel column)
  19. First-class bathrooms: Yes, you can use them! (my travel column)
  20. Oh, there’s no place like Europe for the holidays (my travel column)
  21. Marriott Traveller: 5 quick nature escapes in the U.S. | Best places to fish
  22. Cool Material: Chicago | Aspen | Miami | Vegas | Honolulu | LA | SF | London | Paris
  23. Sponsored Content: 6 winter activities in Minnesota | 5 spring festivities in Yosemite

Continue reading…

Published works: Amsterdam’s tulips, Costa Rican creatures, Colorado TikTok’s

Here are my recent clippings—thanks for reading:

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

Courtesy Shutterstock

Thanks for reading and sharing:

After seeing this movie, I’m never complaining about air travel again

To paraphrase Louis C.K., “Aviation is amazing and nobody’s happy.” That’s the argument Living in the Age of Airplanes succeeds in making.

Because we’ve commercially enjoyed airplanes for half a century, however, we now take them for granted. We bemoan their 20% delay rate. We ignore an accident rate of LESS THAN one in a million (safer than driving). We overlook the wonderful places airplanes take us, the game-changing experiences they enable, and the beautiful things they deliver (including flowers).

Not anymore.

After seeing this movie, I’m gonna bask in their awesomeness. I’m going to treat airports as speed portals to this big round ball. The next time I pick up a two-day package from Amazon, I’m gonna pour a little out for the flying metal tube that brought the world to my doorstep. Seriously, not even monarchs had it this good. Continue reading…

The time I hiked Patagonia with National Geographic

It took the world a long time to discover Patagonia, the trendy adventure area shared by both southern Chile and Argentina. While other mountaineers had been hiking and climbing the Alps and Rockies for over a century, Patagonia wasn’t explored much until the 1980s. In fact, the recreational area didn’t become mainstream until the 21st century, when more accessible transportation, lodging and tourist amenities were finally added.

What’s all the fuss about? In between knife-like mountains, this is arguably the best place in the world to see moving glaciers. It is also a great place to meet gentle but playful people.

Last month I had the chance to examine this hauntingly majestic land up close on a guided tour with National Geographic Expeditions, the society’s official tour operator. Spoiler alert: it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here’s what I witnessed hiking to what some call South America’s greatest “national park.” Continue reading…