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This year’s New York Times Travel Desk’s list of 52 Places to Visit features all kinds of destinations around the world. Several of the locations on the list will host special events in 2024. As an example, Paris is the host of his 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mexico, Canada and his 13 states in the United States will offer the best views of the total solar eclipse across North America this spring. Other destinations such as Morocco and the Hawaiian island of Maui are hoping to welcome visitors again after last year’s devastating natural disasters.
Some locations were chosen with personal experience in mind. Below, four of her contributors to this year’s list shared the stories behind their selection. One revisited a favorite destination from his childhood. One found a “safe haven” during his country road trip. Some traveled to the mountainous regions of India to witness spiritual festivals. And some people just stared at the scenery around them. Everyone wondered. And they wanted to share it with Times readers.
Boundary Waters, Minnesota
Unspoilt nature near home
In the 1800s, my great-grandfather immigrated from Toverka, Sweden to Tower, Minnesota, less than 30 miles from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Nature Preserve. My father grew up paddling and fishing on this endless lake. When I was about 5 years old, he started taking our family on canoe trips to the Boundary Waters.
During my summers in college, I worked as a guide in the wilderness. We hiked the Giti-Onigaming (also known as the Grand Portage), a 13.5-mile-long trail used for centuries by Ojibwa people, French navigators, and other explorers to reach Lake Superior. I crossed it by canoe. Today, my sister and I are going on a canoe trip to the Boundary Waters whenever our schedules allow. During a trip in 2018, our food pack was torn to shreds by a black bear. I had always naively assumed that this wilderness would remain untouched forever, but it is always under threat from mining. That’s why it’s so important for the world to read about this book now.Stephanie Pearson
whitehorse yukon territory
A haven in the far north
Context matters. Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, is also a city. I visited Whitehorse this fall on a family road trip. After a cold camping night listening to owls and clutching bear spray, Whitehorse is a haven of charming breweries, coffeehouses, and galleries. We visited a wildlife park specializing in boreal forest animals and took photos of funky high-rise log cabins.
After enjoying a sumptuous dinner at Berry of the Bison, we followed our waitress’ advice. She said to get a “true taste of Whitehorse,” you should go to the lounge at the ’98 Hotel. This was my dream dive bar, with decent open mic talent and a free mug of Molson every time someone rang the bell above the bar to purchase a round. The host summed up the experience by saying, “If you don’t live today, there will be no tomorrow.”Elaine Grusak
Pasadena, California
Find respite in Los Angeles’ wild backyard
During the pandemic, I embraced bicoastal life, moving back and forth between New York City and Los Angeles regularly. And Pasadena became one of my West Coast bases. Like many residents of this area, my afternoon ritual was to go out and walk in the soul-soothing hills filled with nature.
When creating ideas for this year’s list, I considered traveling around the world. But one night, standing at the tip of Henninger Plain in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, looking out over the Los Angeles Basin with its mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, I realized just how perfect Pasadena is. Travelers are increasingly restructuring their itineraries to balance urban exploration with rest. This is the city’s wild backyard, where you can keep the cityscape in your rearview mirror, at least for the afternoon.Anneliese Sorensen
ladakh, india
Encouraging travelers to visit with an “open mind”
In 2011, I traveled to Ladakh, India, to witness the Thikse Gustor, a festival at the Thikse Monastery that commemorates the victory of good over evil. While observing the preparations at the festival venue, activity suddenly stopped. When the 20th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, then six years old, entered as the guest of honour, a subdued sense of reverence spread through the crowd. His small body radiated wisdom beyond his years, and the air seemed to tingle with divine energy.
The 20th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche is the leader of Spituk Monastery. Selected by the Dalai Lama and other scholars, he is believed to be the reincarnation of his predecessor, who was believed to be the reincarnation of one of the Buddha’s 16 disciples.
Meeting the young Rinpoche was a rare glimpse into the spiritual heritage embodied in a child, a living testament to the enduring tradition that characterizes Tibetan Buddhism. The sight of people bowing to the young Rinpoche was etched in my memory. If you travel with an open mind, you will find that Ladakh, which I added to my list this year, is a land full of wonders.Porus Chaudhary
