The Atlas Obscura Audio Guide to Maine’s Wilderness

In this Atlas Obscura series, we soak in the beauty of Maine’s wilderness. Join us in exploring its rugged coastline, lush forests, and craggy hills alongside locals who draw inspiration from these landscapes in their work—be it pottery, culinary experimentation, or guided coastal tours. First, we set sail with Captain Becky Sigwright on the oldest […]

The Rebirth of Pennsylvania’s Infamous Burning Town

“There’s not much there anymore, it’s pretty much just a crossroads.” I read the posts online telling me not to bother, but I wanted to go anyway. Certainly I could feel something as we got close: the sense of desperation, of ruin and abandon. So I drove with a small group of friends deep into […]

The Quest to Visit 1,000 Places

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. I’m Kelly McEvers, and this is Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. So I don’t know about you, but I like to keep track of all the places that I have visited, say, in the past year. […]

Inside America’s First Destination Ski Town

In the heart of Idaho, about 150 miles east of Boise, the steep slopes of Bald Mountain tower over a sun-kissed valley. For roughly a century, visitors have flocked to Sun Valley from all over the country for its premiere skiing and snowboarding. But behind these sought-after slopes, there’s an impressive history and one-of-a-kind cultural […]

The best new points hotels for families to visit in 2026

Regardless of who I’m traveling with, I always look for hotels that participate in major hotel loyalty programs, allowing me to earn points and enjoy elite status benefits, such as room upgrades and late checkout. Aside from that, though, the types of hotels I look for when traveling with my family can differ vastly from […]

The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pay an eye-watering annual fee to get a travel credit card. If you don’t travel enough to use all the benefits that come with a top-tier card — or simply don’t have room in your budget to justify these fees each year — there are still plenty […]