Jennifer Simonson

new chapter is unfolding along the coastline of Tulum, Mexico. With the late 2024 opening of Parque del Jaguar—or Jaguar National Park—a stretch of once loosely regulated beachfront has been transformed into a protected zone of forest trails, Maya ruins and quiet beachfront. Covering more than 2,400 acres, Jaguar marks a shift from the noise and congestion that have come to define much of Tulum's rapid growth. Inside the reserve, the pace slows. Cars are limited, beach vendors are prohibited,...

Boats begin skimming the blue waters of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala’s highlands at daybreak. The lanchas, as the 20-seat speedboats are referred to here, act as taxis picking up and transporting local villagers on their way to work, women wearing traditional Maya dress heading out to sell their handmade crafts and tourists exploring the region. Surrounding the 1,049-feet-deep lake, which fills a volcanic crater, are three perfectly cone-shaped volcanoes and 11 Maya villages. Each village is kno...

The island town of Galveston on Texas's southeast coast is a treasure trove for history-loving travelers. Incorporated in 1839, it quickly became the most active U.S. port west of New Orleans. By the late 1800s Galveston was the state’s largest, wealthiest, and most sophisticated city.
Nothing, however, holds a candle to the historical importance of the spot near the Bay of Galveston where, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 announcing that all enslaved Africans...

A Texas road trip can create memories that last a lifetime. In between Austin and El Paso are hundreds of miles that weave through vast landscapes under that iconic expansive sky. Starting in the “Live Music Capital of the World” this trip will have you wine tasting in the Hill Country, horseback riding on dude ranches and stargazing in the dark skies of West Texas.
Austin
Start your ultimate Texas road trip in the heart of the state. Not long ago the capital city was a laid-back college town...

Bar Louis photo courtesy of Bar Louis. Tenement Photo from Shutterstock. Moxy photo by Michael Kleinberg, courtesy of Moxy. Travel Features new york city
While visiting New York City it is easy to get swept up in the glitzy magic of the Broadway shows, the chic displays of storefront windows and back alleys where strands of leftover Christmas lights still cast a warm glow above Little Italy’s bistro tables. However, the city’s enchantment tends to wane when you find yourself trapped in a taxi...

Main photo by Jennifer Simonson. Other photos courtesy of Yemaya Reefs Resort. Travel Features nicaragua
Paradise is never easy to get to. If it were, everyone would be there, and it would no longer be paradise. Reaching Little Corn Island in Nicaragua is a testament to this. It takes three planes and a boat from almost anywhere in the States to get there.
The final plane ride—a 90-minute hop from Managua to Big Corn Island—was described in one online review as “a white-knuckle ride in a ratt...

Jennifer Simonson
The first thing you notice in Nipton, California, is the silence. When the breeze picks up, you might hear leaves rustling in the distance or a rhythmic clang as the wind lifts a rope, then snaps it back down against a metal flagpole. But on a still day, you don’t hear anything. No cars, no voices, no birds, no airplanes, nothing.
The tattered outpost of about 20 residents sits on the bottom of a prehistoric lake bed on the northern edge of the Mojave National Preserve. Scru...

Domingo cuts the boat engine and we begin to float along the grassy marsh lands of the Laguna Iberá in Northern Argentina’s Iberá National Park, watching the clouds reflect off the mirror-like water. The unusual morning fog has burned off leaving a deep blue sky, and we sit for a few minutes just taking in the view. Eventually Domingo speaks up. “When I was a kid, I would swim in here all the time.”
He had just told us the lagoon was full of piranhas, so I ask the obvious question: “Did it sc...

While it doesn't get the fanfare of Sonoma and Napa Valley, the SLO Coast tucked off the famed Pacific Coast Highway is one of California’s most unique wine regions – and one well-deserving of the hype.
Wine-thirsty travelers tend to turn off the Pacific Coast Highway before hitting the SLO Coast, whether to peel towards Paso Robles to the north or Santa Barbara to the south. Those who do make it can taste high-quality wine in a totally relaxed environment and without the crowds.
In addition ...

Fifteen-year-old Parker Prewozniak is the youngest student on the Rankin High School barbecue team, and he looks it. Standing at least three inches below his teammates on competition barbecue team Kickin’ Ash, Prewozniak hunches over a rack of pork ribs. He’s trying to remove a layer of thick membrane that prevents the meat from fully absorbing the desired smoky flavor. He holds down the ribs with one blue-gloved hand while pinching a piece of the connective tissue attached to the underside o...

Haven’t found the perfect warm weather wine yet? With a few more months of tan lines, ice cream trucks, and garden parties to look forward to, it’s time to look for thirst-quenching approved wine. What exactly can you look for? Think soft tannins, fresh acidity, and fruit-forward.
If you need an example of how spring, summer (and even fall depending on where you live), wines should taste, look to the Italians. For centuries, winemakers there have perfected the art of crafting wines that pair ...

El Paso's vibrant cultural scene is strongly influenced by its proximity to the border, its rich history as an Old West frontier town, its thriving communities of artists and creatives, and the tight-knit family roots of its people.
Each of the city’s neighborhoods makes its own unique contribution to this lively city vibe. If you're looking for the best places to explore during a trip to El Paso, we've broken down the city by neighborhood so you know exactly where to go.
Las Plazas Arts Dist...

¡Pura Vida!
Once a backpacker, now a resort-lover—it’s all good in CR.
I spent 2003 backpacking around Costa Rica. At the time I was a 26-year-old newspaper reporter wanting a break from my life to “figure things out.” I thought spending a year in Central America would be a great way to decide on my next career path, and as a bonus I would learn Spanish along the way.
To travel for such a long period of time required a constant evaluation of how much money I was spending. Hotels charging more...

As a Texas travel writer I often find myself on ever-stretching highways crisscrossing the broad shoulders of my great state. While there is a certain comfort that comes from an endless dashboard of wide open spaces, a nice break to stretch the legs and get something cold to drink is always appreciated. Usually I have to stop at some wayward gas station with sticky floors and broken-down soda machines, but if I am lucky a Buc-ee’s will sprout up on my route. And when it does, it feels like st...