Air travel this summer is going to be nuts: Some 246.1 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines between June 1 and August 31—an average of about 2.68 million passengers per day, according to the recent forecast from Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group that represents the largest airlines in the U.S. Put more simply? That security line—and the one at your regular airport Auntie Anne's—is going to be longer than usual. Here's what you can do to minimize the stress of handling the summer rush.

Each year, we vet hundreds (hundreds!) of hotel openings around the world to produce our annual selection of the best of the new: the Hot List. We're not gonna lie, it's a sweet gig. But there's a lot more to the process than simply dialing room service, testing the fluffiness of bathrobes, and hoping the bartender in the (fabulous) lobby bar remembers that we like our Old Fashioneds with *one* piece of ice. On this week's podcast we unpack just what goes into the year-long process of creating the final list. And in the process, we ask ourselves how the meaning of "great," when it comes to hotels, may be changing.

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Each year, we vet hundreds (hundreds!) of hotel openings around the world to produce our annual selection of the best of the new: the Hot List. We're not gonna lie, it's a sweet gig. But there's a lot more to the process than simply dialing room service, testing the fluffiness of bathrobes, and hoping the bartender in the (fabulous) lobby bar remembers that we like our Old Fashioneds with *one* piece of ice. On this week's podcast we unpack just what goes into the year-long process of creating the final list. And in the process, we ask ourselves how the meaning of "great," when it comes to hotels, may be changing.

Everyone has their summer vacation spot—the beach bungalow on the Outer Banks or the Jersey Shore, or the lake house in Michigan or Idaho where the whole family gathers every year. It's wonderful, it's nostalgic, it...gets old. What if you could convince the crew to visit, say, Isla Holbox in Mexico this Fourth of July, where there aren't any crowds or chain restaurants, the weather is in the mid-80s, and the hot new Punta Caliza resort just opened? Or maybe you plan that trip to Switzerland you always wanted to take because the Swiss franc is no longer stronger than the U.S. dollar, and resorts in St. Moritz are more affordable now than in the winter? Those are just two spots that are prime vacation destinations this summer—and there are ten more we recommend in this week's Travelogue podcast.

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Everyone has their summer vacation spot—the beach bungalow on the Outer Banks or the Jersey Shore, or the lake house in Michigan or Idaho where the whole family gathers every year. It's wonderful, it's nostalgic, it...gets old. What if you could convince the crew to visit, say, Isla Holbox in Mexico this Fourth of July, where there aren't any crowds or chain restaurants, the weather is in the mid-80s, and the hot new Punta Caliza resort just opened? Or maybe you plan that trip to Switzerland you always wanted to take because the Swiss franc is no longer stronger than the U.S. dollar, and resorts in St. Moritz are more affordable now than in the winter? Those are just two spots that are prime vacation destinations this summer—and there are ten more we recommend in this week's Travelogue podcast.

Planning a safari can be overwhelming. So on this week's Travelogue podcast, some of our more seasoned safari-goers chat with a first-timer to talk the malaria threat (the farther south, the lower the risk), where and when to bring your kids, and how to book a camp where your plunge pools might double as elephant drinking holes. We also share some of our more, let's say, adrenaline-raising safari tales; you'll have to listen to find out at which camp an editor was joined by predatory leopards and hyenas on her walk back to her tent, and argue over which creature is the savanna's deadliest (a few colorful anecdotes are attached to that one, too). To check out our complete guide to safari head to: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-complete-guide-to-safari

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We called in some experts to school us on National Parks 101: What's the difference between a monument and park? How many are there of each? How long have we had them? Are any of our beloved parks under threat? What does it take to maintain a national park, and can we all help?

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We called in some experts to school us on National Parks 101: What's the difference between a monument and park? How many are there of each? How long have we had them? Are any of our beloved parks under threat? What does it take to maintain a national park, and can we all help?

As of today—April 20, natch—recreational marijuana is legal in 9 states plus the District of Columbia. That gives everyone who *doesn't* live in those states a whole new reason to travel. And it’s birthing a new wing of the travel industry, too—one that’s spread roots through everything from food to hotels to souvenir shops. On this week’s podcast we take a long, deep hit of this nascent phenomenon. No doubt weed, now that it’s legit, will be big. But how will Big Weed change travel?

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As of today—April 20, natch—recreational marijuana is legal in 9 states plus the District of Columbia. That gives everyone who *doesn't* live in those states a whole new reason to travel. And it’s birthing a new wing of the travel industry, too—one that’s spread roots through everything from food to hotels to souvenir shops. On this week’s podcast we take a long, deep hit of this nascent phenomenon. No doubt weed, now that it’s legit, will be big. But how will Big Weed change travel?