The Transportation Security Administration said in March that TSA PreCheck surpassed 15 million active members, marking an all-time high since the program launched in December 2013.

And the number of people applying seems to be growing. The TSA said that on Feb. 21, 2023, a record 19,200 people applied for TSA PreCheck membership on a single day.

TSA PreCheck is one of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Trusted Traveler Programs, which includes others like Global Entry and Nexus. If approved for TSA PreCheck, travelers can pass through airport security without taking off their shoes or belts. They can also leave electronics and compliant liquids inside their bags.

And without all that fumbling around of clothes, shoes and laptops, TSA PreCheck tends to improve security wait times. Across airports that have separate PreCheck lanes, the TSA says, 92% of members wait less than five minutes for security screening.

Why more TSA PreCheck members could be good news for all

“If everyone had TSA PreCheck, overall wait times would be shorter because travelers wouldn’t be required to take off shoes or remove electronics,” Scott Keyes, founder of travel deals site Going, said in an email.

TSA PreCheck enables more people to funnel through security in the same period of time.

“If there are 20 people in the regular line and even 30 in the PreCheck lane, those 30 are probably still getting through faster,” says Daniel Green, co-founder of Faye Travel Insurance.

It’s not unlike the express checkout at the grocery store, reserved for people with, say, 10 items or fewer. Thirty shoppers with just five items almost always check out faster than 20 customers each with a cart full of groceries.

But if more people end up with TSA PreCheck, will that just shift those long queues to the TSA PreCheck line?

Harriet Baskas, who runs a blog called Stuck at the Airport, has that exact worry.

“Now that more people have PreCheck … the PreCheck lines at many airports are getting longer,” she says. “Sometimes it feels as if — and in some cases it really is the case — that PreCheck lanes are longer than regular lines.”

But this concern assumes that airports will continue to maintain the same number of PreCheck lines as they have had, even as enrollment figures grow.

“My guess is, if more people had PreCheck, they would convert more lanes to PreCheck lanes,” Green says.

His theory is founded on one of the strongest motivations of them all: money.

“Let’s not forget that there’s an incentive for having more people in PreCheck, as travelers pay for this perk,” he says, in reference to the fee needed to apply for membership.

How to apply for TSA PreCheck (and skip paying the application fee)

Apply for TSA PreCheck by filling out an online application on the TSA website. It takes about five minutes to complete and requires you to enter personal information such as name, gender, email address and phone number. After that, you’ll schedule an in-person interview at an enrollment center where you’ll go through a background check and fingerprinting.

The application fee is $78. If approved, you’ll get TSA PreCheck membership for five years, upon which you must pay $70 to renew your membership online.

But you might not even need to pay the fee out of pocket. Many travel credit cards cover TSA PreCheck application and renewal fees. While some credit cards with TSA PreCheck perks charge annual fees, there are a few that have none.

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If you’re on an all-out quest to make great cabernet, you might aim for Napa or Bordeaux.

Not Daniel Daou. After a decade-long global search for the right plot of land to start growing the grape, he found the ideal combo of soil and climate for his dream in Paso Robles, a land of oak-studded hills and winding back roads, a three-hour drive south of San Francisco. “Paso,” he says, “has a climate between Pauillac in Bordeaux and Oakville in Napa. It was my destiny.”

Once sleepy and overlooked, the region has new energy and a definite wow factor. It’s California’s shiny new wine hot spot, and not just for cabernet. It’s where to go for top Rhone style wines, and tourism is booming.

Brothers George and Daniel Daou helped push Paso into the current spotlight with their wines and compelling story. After fleeing the bombs of the 1973 civil war in Lebanon with their family (one rocket hit their house and almost killed them), they ended up in France, where they grew up. The pair moved to California for college and later started a health-care network systems company. They eventually took it public, sold it and made a fortune while still in their 30s.

But Daniel really wanted to be a farmer, not a computer engineer, and when he tasted a 1986 Chateau Leoville Las Cases at an LA restaurant, he became convinced he was meant to be a winemaker. He made wine in his garage, and when the brothers had the money to buy a vineyard, they started hunting for the perfect terroir for Bordeaux grape varieties, looking in Argentina, Bordeaux, the Napa Valley and Oregon. Through Google and other research, they discovered Paso Robles had clay and limestone soil like Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, as well as a maritime climate, just what he was looking for. He likes to say he’s found “European soil” with altitude.

The duo wasn’t the first to see Paso (as locals call it) as ideal cabernet land. In the 1970s, legendary Napa winemaker Andre Tschelistcheff advised Dr. Stanley Hoffman, who created the first modern commercial winery in Paso, to plant some in the hills of Adelaida District on a mountain 14 miles from the Pacific.

The Daou brothers bought much of Hoffman’s ranch at the end of 2007, and started planting grapes and pumping out big, rich, high-end Bordeaux-style blends that rival some of Napa’s best. They built an impressive tile-roofed Moorish castle-style winery with gardens, tasting patios with sweeping vistas and a restaurant at 2,200 feet. A current ambitious plan includes an underground wine cave, Michelin-level restaurant and luxury hotel suites for sibling brand and property Patrimony Estate.

Wine tip: Paso isn’t all cabernet

The center of winemaking on California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles (pronounced ROH-buhlz) now boasts more than 200 wineries parceled out across 11 subregions approved in 2014, all with different soils and rainfall, and elevations from 700 to 2400 feet.

Yes, the grape varieties are mostly red, with cabernet accounting for nearly 50%. The number of planted acres of cab is second only to Napa in California. The other 50% includes more than 60 grapes, even Italian Nebbiolo and Spanish tempranillo. Zinfandel has roots in the 19th century, and trailblazer Tablas Creek winery, founded by the American Haas family and the Perrin family of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, started popularizing Rhone grapes such as syrah in the 1990s.

But what makes the region special is greater day to night temperature swings (of 35F to 50F!) than any other appellation in California. This helps grapes ripen in a more balanced way and translates into bright, crisp wines. The warm daytime temperatures encourage sugar to develop in the grapes, while cold nights help them retain acidity and preserve aromas.

So far, the cool westside of the appellation (west of Highway 101), and especially Adelaida, Templeton Gap and Willow Creek districts have drawn the best producers. “The rocky limestone soils give minerality and freshness to the wines,” explains Daniel Daou, who loves to talk dirt. “The vines lick the water out of rocks.”

REALTED: Wine 101: 10 tasting room tips

Winemaking is diverse and experimental, too. That creative freedom appealed to several French winemakers, such as Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure winery, whose family owned several chateaux in Bordeaux and who wanted to escape France’s strict regulations.

And vineyard land is still affordable. Top real estate broker Jenny Heinzen emailed, “Paso Robles delivers high quality in both real estate and wine at a more approachable price point. Up and coming winemakers add excitement and heavyweights like Daou are bringing international respect.” The best vineyards on Paso’s in-demand westside go for $50,000 to $120,000 an acre—about a third of the cost of land in Napa. And land is available.

The big players move in

Last May, Duckhorn Portfolio, which became a publicly traded company in March 2021, acquired a ranch in Paso with 265 acres of top cabernet sauvignon. “To grow as a wine business, you can’t run out of wine,” explained Chief Executive Officer Alex Ryan when I interviewed him recently at Bloomberg. With these grapes they’re increasing production of Decoy, the moderately priced blend among their 10 brands, and they’ve also introduced an all-Paso cabernet, Postmark, widely available at $25.

Giant E & J Gallo got in on the action last November, with the purchase of award-winning Denner Vineyards, an estate with 130 acres of vines known for complex Rhone and Bordeaux-style wines. In 2021, powerhouse Constellation Brands snapped up Booker Vineyard from founder and top winemaker Eric Jensen, who continues to make the wines.

RELATED: Wine Country Adventures: 10 ways to eat, drink and play in Sonoma Valley in 2023

But an exciting indie wine scene is also flourishing, with artisanal startups such as 13th and Third, a new brand from New Yorkers Julie and Gregg Rothberg that’s not yet available nationally. You’ll find a collection of 27 tiny producers, including two in my list below, at Tin City, a bustling warehouse district in the city of Paso Robles.

Now for my caveat emptors. Not every winery produces stellar wine. And remember that for vintage 2020, the heat and smoke from the August wildfires had an effect. Aim for the delicious 2019s and the promising 2021s from an idyllic cool growing season.

Seven wines to try, from least to most expensive

2020 Field Recordings Fiction Red ($19): Committed to organic grapes and non-interventionist winemaking, Field Recordings Winery is one of California’s biggest pétillant-naturel producers. But I love their “taste-of-Paso” blend of 10 red grapes from 10 different vineyards. Its wild spicy cherry and licorice flavors go down easily with barbecue.

2021 Giornata Il Campo Rosso ($22): Winemaker Brian Terrizzi is mad for Italian varieties. This juicy, crunchy, fruity-spicy bargain blend of sangiovese, aglianico and barbera, with aromas of dried oregano and cherries, is ideal with pasta from the Terrizzis’ pasta company Etto Pastificio.

2019 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Blanc ($50): Tablas Creek’s reds and whites just keep getting better. Paso’s whites are underrated, and one of my favorites is this winery’s signature white. Powerful and rich, it boasts tropical fruit flavors and a gorgeous silky texture.

2018 L’Aventure Optimus Paso Robles Red ($65): French winemaker Stephan Asseo found the limestone soil, hillsides and cool ocean microclimate he’d been hunting in the westside’s Willow Creek District. This intense cabernet sauvignon, syrah and petite sirah blend is a good introduction to his classy, restrained, mineral style.

2019 Booker Vineyard Oublie Red ($75): This hearty red blend of grenache, mourvedre and syrah is especially food-friendly. Think lavender and pepper aromas and bright, lively fruit purity with a burst of freshness.

2019 Daou Soul of a Lion Cabernet Sauvignon ($170): This cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot blend is big, bold and powerful, with a bright, lifted character and plenty of spiciness.

2019 Patrimony Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($265): Ultra-sleek, complex and highly collectible, this red is Daou’s idea of a Paso first growth and comes with a price tag to match. Made from the best vineyard blocks on Daou Mountain, it’s the winery’s—and maybe the region’s—answer to Napa.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Travel came back strong, resulting in high prices and packed airports. But with the surge, chaos often ensued. Hotels cut back on housekeeping, largely driven by a hotel worker shortage. Car rental costs spiked due to high demand and low supply. The flight delay rate hit highs not seen since 2014. All that culminated into major, distressing events shared by many travelers, such as the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown.

But if 2022 felt crowded, 2023 could be more so. Checkpoint data from the Transportation Security Administration for two out of the first three months of the year show that average airport passenger counts have actually exceeded their 2019 levels — and they’re set to keep growing.

“In January, we experienced our first full month where travel volumes exceeded the same month in 2019,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a prepared statement. “We fully expect to see an upward trend in travel volumes throughout 2023.”

Why big crowds might not be as big a concern

While travel volumes are shaping up to be even bigger than their pre-pandemic numbers, things might not feel as brutal as they were last year.

Staff shortages are less dire

A huge contributor to travel chaos was staffing shortages, which is a problem that’s recently lessened, according to an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey of more than 500 hotel owners in January 2023. While 79% of respondents still report staffing shortages, that’s a steady decrease from the 87% who said they were short-staffed in AHLA’s September 2022 survey.

Costs are leveling off

Sure, inflation is impacting the travel industry, but some travel expenses are actually cheaper than last year.

Average prices for both hotel room rates and airfares hit record highs in May 2022. But February 2023 airfares are down 18% from May 2022 records, according to a NerdWallet analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index data. February hotel prices, while up 15% versus prices in February 2020 (the last month before U.S. lockdowns), have dropped more than 6% from their record highs in May 2022.

Supply is increasing

Especially as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted travel habits (e.g., preference for the privacy of a vacation rental versus the shared hallways of a hotel), the industry struggled to keep up with demand. That’s set to change.

According to vacation rental data platform AirDNA, vacation rental supply increased 25% in the third quarter of 2022 versus the same quarter in 2021. The increased supply means that occupancy rates are actually set to decline. That’s good news for travelers as they’ll have more lodging options.

Air travel supply is also increasing. Domestic seat capacity in January has already beat 2019 levels. In January 2023, U.S. airlines had 6% more seats available for booking compared to January 2019, according to data from travel booking app Hopper.

How to plan for travel crowds

Book now

Beat everyone else to the best reservation availability by booking early. Some travelers hold out for a last-minute deal, but you might be able to get the best of both worlds: Many rental car and hotel companies allow you to make a reservation now, but you don’t pay for it until you arrive at the check-in counter (and sometimes not until you return the car or check out of the hotel).

If you make a reservation and then spot a lower deal, you can rebook at a lower price and cancel the original reservation (sometimes you can call customer service and they’ll honor the lower rate without going through the hassle of rebooking). Always read the fine print for any terms around cancellation, but this typically works at hotels and rental car companies where you pay in person at the counter or hotel desk.

Travel in the offseason

Avoid traveling during busy seasons like summer, long holiday weekends and the winter holidays.

However, if you want to avoid the sluggishness of the offseason, you can book during another time of year instead: shoulder season.

Use credit card points and miles

Inflation is hitting especially hard this year, but points inflation is real — and occurs almost every year as hotels and airlines regularly raise the number of points and miles needed to book travel.

But in 2023, some rewards are more valuable. That’s because while many cash prices have increased, some points redemption rates haven’t caught up yet. Inflation is rough, but the good news is it makes those credit card points and frequent flyer miles that much more valuable.

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A flood of coinciding historical dates has many cruise lines riding a two-year wave of round-numbered anniversaries. For an industry that fears catastrophic weather, this perfect storm is quite welcome. As cruise companies navigate around the revenue-hitting remnants of a pandemic, nearly a dozen with well-timed milestones have a natural tie-in for limited-time deals, merchandise and itineraries, and for their pleasure-seeking passengers and smiling crews, another reason to make merry.

In what sounds like something straight out of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” Carnival, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, MSC, Oceania, Paul Gauguin, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Viking and Windstar all have major milestones on the calendar. Even sweeter, their dates are beyond the dark cloud of COVID-19. Not as fortunate was one esteemed cruise line; Cunard missed a boatload of pomp and circumstance having its 180th anniversary come about in the fourth month of what became a 15-month industry shutdown. Poor Sir Samuel Cunard, who established the first regularly scheduled transatlantic mail and passenger service with the maiden voyage of Britannia that departed on July 4, 1840.

As for this year’s anniversaries ending in 0 or 5, the grandest has to be Holland America Line’s 150th. The third-oldest major cruise line (after P&O and Cunard) was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on April 18, 1873. Holland America, or HAL for short, commemorated its sesquicentennial with reverence by having the fleet’s current flagship, the 2-year-old, 2,650-passenger MS Rotterdam, arrive in its namesake city 150 years to the day of the company’s founding. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands participated in a commemorative bell presentation at the Hotel New York that, in a prior life, was HAL’s headquarters from 1901 to 1977. Back on the ship, the seventh in the fleet christened “Rotterdam,” cruise line President Gus Antorcha toasted to the special occasion and the next day’s voyage that would sail to Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, before docking in Amsterdam, the flagship’s home port for the rest of spring and the entire summer.

On this side of the pond, the 12-deck Rotterdam will sail out of Fort Lauderdale from October through March, returning to the South Florida port again in October 2024 for six more months of Caribbean cruising.

The West Coast market is certainly not without its own anniversary specials. Holland America (hollandamerica.com) is bringing some of its upper-premium-class ships to the Pacific for a new category of extended cruises called Legendary Voyages. Ranging from 25 to 56 days, these cruises will take passengers deeper into a particular region than on a traditional itinerary. Roundtrips from San Diego include the 51-day “Tales of the South Pacific” that goes to Fiji, French Polynesia and Hawaii in September 2024. Out of Seattle that same month, the 53-day “Majestic Japan” will cover Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, a full circle of Japan, a pass-by of Midway Island and then an overnighter in Hawaii before returning to the Emerald City.

Among the more unique and shorter roundtrips from San Diego, HAL’s only Southern California embarkation port, are 14- and 22-nighters that will be perfectly positioned near Mazatlán to view the April 2024 solar eclipse. Eclipsing that itinerary is one we should mention for kicks — unless you have the time and money to sail with Holland America for a recently announced 133-day “Pole-to-Pole” roundtrip in January 2025 that enables cruisers to visit five continents on a journey that travels south to north.

Back to HAL’s 150th anniversary, nods across the fleet include throwback happy hours which roll back time with select potent potables priced as low as 75 cents. In a way, these cheap drinks pay homage to Holland America inventing the “booze cruise” in 1920 at the start of Prohibition. Back then, once a ship crossed into international waters, the U.S. ban on alcohol didn’t apply. That loophole allowed the cruise line to offer inexpensive overnighters with unlimited drinks through 1933.

Today’s Holland America doesn’t do booze cruises — even four-night trips are rare from the Seattle-based cruise line — but plenty of imbibing still goes on at the fleet’s comfortable bars and lounges. Thanks to the line’s 150th, even more passengers are getting in the spirit with spirits. In addition to the limited-edition HAL Pils, a pilsner beer made in partnership with the Seattle-based Pike Brewing Company, Holland America is debuting an exclusive-label gin. Affectionately named De Lijn, Dutch for “The Line,” Holland America’s first produced liquor bears notes of orange, rose, elderberry, lemon verbena, lemon, raspberry and, of course, juniper. The new signature spirit is featured in three new cocktails onboard: The Dutch 150 is a twist on a French 75 with sparkling wine and lemon juice; the 150th Martini is shaken or stirred with Noilly Pratt vermouth; and the 150th Gin & Tonic is exclusively crafted tableside at the Pinnacle Grill, which rivals Celebrity’s Murano as the best steakhouse at sea.

Reception to these commemorative cocktails has been so favorable, we’re told they’ve already earned their way onto HAL’s permanent drink menu fleetwide. Good call as all three are quite quaffable.

Whether bellying up to a bar or grabbing the knife and fork, a Holland America cruise is loaded with Dutch treats. Some are as simple as the conveniences of a coffee carafe left on the dining table and a list of what’s being served at the end of each buffet station. No need to hunt down a server for a refill of joe or play search the smorgasbord on a HAL cruise. Even their afternoon tea is made more pleasurable by abandoning the agonizingly slow cart or item-by-item waiter service in favor of a tantalizing tower of finger sandwiches and fancy sweets presented upon being seated. The wait staff is still given refill duties on the tea, which, being more elegant than coffee during the quintessentially British 4 p.m. ritual, is appropriate.

From tea bags to a mixed bag, that’s what the entertainment and activities are on a HAL cruise. On the plus side, clever scheduling allows three music acts — rock, blues and by-request piano — to play the cruise line’s popular Music Walk in the evening without drowning each other out. The multimedia “Origin Story” in the two-deck World Stage auditorium is an edutaining history lesson on Holland America’s first 150 years. Also in the big theater are performances by the Step One Dance Company, a talented troupe of six hoofers, but three shows a week without a song-and-dance production show thrown in can get tedious.

The overall onboard daily program also can use a makeover and a six-pack of Red Bull. For a premium-category cruise line the range of activities is small, the options are sleepy, and too many on the schedule require a fee. Upcharge or no upcharge, the mix is lacking compared to competitive cruise lines including those that also draw an older demographic. Port days are traditionally thin on things to do on the ship, but on sea days, especially, waking hours shouldn’t be centered on eating.

That said, Holland America has some of the best-tasting and best-plated cuisine afloat, and that includes what’s served on more pricy ultra-luxury lines. Pedestrian as this may seem, HAL certainly has the best gourmet hamburger on sea or land: the Pinnacle Burger, kissed with bacon jam and garlic-chipotle aioli, is only served at lunch in the specialty steakhouse, and so worth the $15 upcharge. The fare-inclusive grub also impresses. For the 150th anniversary season, dinner menus in the main dining room feature classic dishes from Holland America’s historic sailings. The retro “chopped sirloin steak with Robert sauce” tastes better than it sounds.

As noted, HAL isn’t the only cruise line with a milestone anniversary in 2022-24. A year ago, Viking’s (vikingcruises.com) 25th anniversary was commemorated with a first-ever convoy of its three classes of ultra-luxury ships; river, ocean and expedition vessels met in Amsterdam for a news-making ceremony. Also in 2022, Regent Seven Seas (rssc.com) celebrated 30 years of ultra-luxury cruising with a curated collection of unique pearl anniversary voyages on five continents that continue through this year. Even more momentous, Carnival (carnival.com) turned 50 in 2022, and celebrated in true “Fun Ship” style on every mainstream-category cruise of its golden anniversary year.

On to the present: Disney (disneycruise.com) is celebrating 25 years in the premium cruising business with “Silver Anniversary at Sea” experiences this summer that include special entertainment and merchandise on select summer sailings. Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) has big plans of its own for the 25th birthday of the mainstream line’s Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program. Members can expect enhanced benefits starting this year. Paul Gauguin Cruises (pgcruises.com), which sails exclusively in the South Pacific, is offering air credit on 25 select premium-category voyages this year and next as part of its 25th anniversary. Oceania (oceaniacruises.com) is celebrating No. 20 with this month’s launch of its newest luxury flagship, Vista, along with shipboard credit of up to $800 per stateroom. Premium-category Celebrity (celebritycruises.com) and mainstream-class MSC  (msccruises.com) each turns 35 this year, but, surprisingly, neither company seems to be making a big splash. Looking beyond, Windstar (windstarcruises.com) turns the big 4-0 in 2024. The luxury cruise line is keeping mum so far on any “over the hill” — make that “over the wave” — party plans.

The holiday symbolizes the beginning of the summer vacation season for many Americans. But it’s hardly a vacation for airport employees, who typically get pummeled with the largest crowds of the year to date.

Some days around the long weekend are significantly busier than others, and if you can afford to be flexible when flying Memorial Day weekend, you’ll save money and avoid chaos.

The best and worst days to fly Memorial Day weekend

NerdWallet analyzed the past two years of Transportation Security Administration checkpoint data for the six days before and six days after Memorial Day, which shows how many passengers were screened at TSA checkpoints.

In 2021 and 2022, the Friday before Memorial Day was the most-crowded day to travel before the holiday, which is observed on the last Monday of May. As far as post-holiday, the Sunday after has attracted the largest crowds over the past two years.

Based on an average of the past two years, here are the most- to least-crowded days for the 13 days surrounding Memorial Day (including the holiday), ranked:

1. Sunday after Memorial Day (most crowded).
2. Friday before.
3. Thursday before.
4. Friday after.
5. Memorial Day (Monday).
6. Thursday after.
7. Tuesday after.
8. Wednesday before.
9. Sunday before.
10. Saturday after.
11. Saturday before.
12. Wednesday after.
13. Tuesday before (least crowded).

When broken out by pre- and post-Memorial Day travel, here are the three least-crowded days to travel ranked from least to most crowded. These are likely the best days to fly around Memorial Day weekend.

Pre-holiday:

1. Tuesday before.
2. Saturday before.
3. Sunday before.

Post-holiday:

1. Wednesday after.
2. Saturday after.
3. Tuesday after.

Why flying the Friday of Memorial Day weekend isn’t ideal

While the Friday before Memorial Day is always a big travel day, it was even bigger before the pandemic. For example, in 2019, the Friday before Memorial Day was the third-busiest day at U.S. airports for the entire year, losing only to the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the Sunday of Fourth of July weekend.

The Friday before Memorial Day has yet to reclaim a spot on the “busiest days to fly” podium since the pandemic (after all, the pandemic upended several travel norms), but it’s still noticeably more crowded than other airport visits from January to May. In 2021, the Friday pre-Memorial Day was the busiest day of the first five months of the year. In 2022, it was the second-busiest day in the same period.

Those figures indicate that the long weekend attracts a lot of folks who haven’t flexed their travel muscles in a while. Check-in and security lines will likely be longer — and potentially feel longer — if rusty travelers have forgotten, say, that you can’t pack a regular-sized jar of peanut butter in a carry-on.

Though flying the Sunday after Memorial Day draws bigger crowds, we can find some solace in the assumption that many of these travelers will be returning home. Perhaps they’ve already learned (or relearned) airport procedures and etiquette on the trip out.

The smarter, cheaper Memorial Day weekend itinerary

If you work a standard Monday-Friday workweek and have the holiday off, then leaving Friday after work and returning the Sunday after Memorial Day might make sense. This minimizes the number of vacation days you take, and you’d get eight full days of vacation.

But if you follow the classic Friday-Monday weekend travel itinerary, then you’ll pay — in terms of literal price and airport crowds. Deviate from that schedule to find lighter crowds and perhaps better Memorial Day flight deals, too. Try these travel days instead:

Travel on Saturday: Rather than rushing out from work Friday afternoon, take that evening to pack, spend Friday night in your own bed and take an early flight out Saturday.

Morning flights are often more reliable than evening flights: Those departing after 9 a.m. are twice as likely to be delayed than departures scheduled between 5 and 8 a.m., according to the Flight Disruption Outlook for Spring 2023 survey by travel booking site Hopper.

Fly home the Wednesday after: A lot of people opt for traveling on Memorial Day itself, and many people fly the day after. But relatively few people extend their trip one more day and fly Wednesday.

If you do, you’ll avoid the worst of the airport crowds. You increase your chances of saving money on airfare. Plus, you’ll be home in time for a delightful two-day workweek — which might be just enough time to wrap up lingering tasks without getting fresh projects dumped on your desk.

Fly home the Saturday after: You can still have a weeklong vacation and avoid Sunday’s crowds by flying home the Saturday after Memorial Day.

Then you’ll have a full day at home to knock out laundry and meal prep before the next workweek starts. After all, sometimes the most relaxing way to end a trip is taking a vacation from that vacation.

Cirrus Social Club, opening in Denver, combines Richard’s experiences teaching people to smoke weed on YouTube under the moniker The Gay Stoner and working in high-end restaurants. And the way he describes it, the 420-friendly lounge is posed to be unlike anything else in Denver with lavish decor, custom furniture and florals, and a pink Steinway & Sons player piano to help set the ambiance.

Think of the aesthetic as the “Ritz Carlton of the cannabis industry,” he said. The club will offer a tea service during the day and shared plates at night, both of which come with “seshware” like bongs and volcano vaporizers served tableside.

“I love cannabis, I love everything about the plant,” he said. “But my one true love and my one true specialty has always been getting people high and making sure they have a great time.”

Cirrus Social Club will be among the first marijuana hospitality lounges to open in Denver and while patrons will not be able to purchase cannabis products there (you bring your own), they can receive a discount on their check by shopping at one of Cirrus’ partner dispensaries. (His partners are TBA, Richard said.)

While Cirrus Social Club isn’t expected to open until September, a recent pop-up he held in Los Angeles offers some insight into what’s to come. Cirrus Social Club’s 4/20 High Tea welcomed cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy finger foods while puffing on bongs and vapor bags. The place was glamorously adorned with pink, white and yellow flowers, long colorful candlesticks, stemware and artisanal-looking china.

Locals can expect the vibe to be similar at Cirrus Social Club permanent home in Denver. The 1930s building will feature a communal lounge with personal living room spaces around the edges that fit up to six people, Richard said. One of the walls will feature a big bar, but instead of displaying liquor, it will display handblown glass smoking pieces, including several Cirrus has custom-made for its brand.

The lounge’s centerpiece will be a 10-foot floral arrangement overflowing with flowers like a fountain, Richard said. He’s working with floral designer Conner Nesbit, who recently won the HBO competition series “Full Bloom,” to bring his vision to life.

Additionally, Cirrus Social Club will have a private room that holds up to 12 guests and another 3,000-square-foot ballroom, deemed the Rose Room, where Richard anticipates booking private events and hosting vendor pop-ups.

“I am pretty uncompromising in bringing something beautiful to the world. It’s not just trying to develop a beautiful business for the cannabis industry, I’m trying to take over social nightlife,” Richard said. “I’m literally trying to convince the world there’s an alternative to alcohol and socialization, and it’s a better one.”

Cirrus Social Club will offer high tea service from 11 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. daily, during which time guests can sample three teas and then choose one to pair with snacks like scones and miniature sandwiches, including a peanut butter-and-jelly-and-Cheetos sandwich – one of Richard’s original recipes he invented when he was a kid. After 4:20 p.m., the lounge will offer snack and seshware pairings in three tiers. (Seshware is a term Richard coined to describe the tools used for a smoking session, akin to dinnerware or flatware.)

The first tier is expected to include one shared plate and access to one volcano or bong, including PuffCo products for patrons who bring concentrate. The middle tier includes two shared plates, plus chocolate fondue for dessert, and access to two pieces of seshware. And the top tier features the same food offerings plus access to Cirrus’ premium glassware collection with pieces exceeding $1,000 each.

Instead of paying a cover, patrons pay a flat fee for the experience they want and close out at the end of their session. Cirrus Social Club will not permit smoking joints or blunts, but will allow flower for smoking in pipes and bongs.

If a lot of this plan sounds like a dance club, Richard assures there will be no dress code. And while Cirrus Social Club will be a safe space for LGBTQ+ locals, it’s not billed as a gay club.

“I want everyone and their mother – literally their mother – to come be able to experience and I want them to come as they are,” Richard said. “As a gay business owner, as a person with a team led mostly by women and queer people, we understand what being judged is like and we want every single person who walks through the door to feel very much embraced however you come.”

Richard and his partners are currently in the midst of a $3.5 million build out to bring Cirrus Social Club’s historic building up to the cannabis hospitality code in hopes of opening in late September. Until then, Cirrus will be hosting pop-ups in other states where marijuana is legal to build hype. Eventually, Richard wants to expand the brand beyond Denver, too.

Cirrus Social Club joins JAD’s Mile High Smoke, Tetra Lounge and The Coffee Joint in allowing locals and tourists access to a public place where they can smoke weed. (Tetra Lounge is currently closed to upgrade its ventilation system to permit smoking inside) Bed-and-breakfast The Patterson Inn is also in the midst of building an onsite cannabis lounge.

Other hospitality companies are also popping up in Denver, such as The Cannabis Experience tour bus, which takes patrons toking tours around the city.

The city of Denver is issuing new marijuana business licenses exclusively to social equity applicants, meaning folks who have been directly impacted by a marijuana arrest or conviction; individuals who have lived in an economic opportunity zone for at least 15 years between 1980 and 2010; or those whose household income falls 50% below the state median.

Richard previously co-founded and co-owned WeedTube, one of the largest social networking platforms for the marijuana community, which registered significant losses during the pandemic before folding permanently earlier this year. Richard qualified under the social equity income stipulation.

Air travel generates 11% of total U.S. transportation emissions, according to a 2021 White House fact sheet. That’s a huge number, but it points to another big carbon toll: 89% of emissions happen on the ground.

Thankfully, being a more sustainable traveler doesn’t require enormous sacrifice — or expense. Reducing the impact of getting around on the ground at your destination is easy and can improve the quality of your trip.

1. Visit transit-friendly destinations

For many destinations, the airport signs that point to “ground transportation” have only a couple of options: rideshares and rental cars. Neither of these is very carbon-friendly, according to a 2022 report from the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates that cars release just under half a pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile traveled.

On the other hand, rail transit releases less than half as much carbon per passenger mile, making it far less emission intensive.

Choosing to visit destinations with robust public train networks, such as New York City or Tokyo, can significantly improve the eco-friendly options for getting around.

Conversely, visiting destinations that all but require a rental car, such as the island of Maui in Hawaii, can balloon your carbon footprint on top of the emissions from a long flight.

This doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Scooting around Japan by high-speed rail is a tourist attraction in its own right, as is marveling at the miraculously on-time performance of German rail. Even taking the D train to Brooklyn has its charms.

2. Rent an electric vehicle

Only a few years ago, renting an electric car was something only the rich or very eco-conscious would have considered. Now, the logic has changed as these vehicles go mainstream and charging stations pop up everywhere from grocery stores to hotel parking lots.

Rental car company Hertz made a splash by placing an order for 100,000 Tesla vehicles in 2021. Teslas made up 10% of Hertz’s fleet by the end of 2022, according to regulatory filings.

When we checked on Hertz, you could rent a Tesla Model 3 for $78 per day plus taxes out of Los Angeles — a reasonable rate, especially given the high costs of rental cars these days. Avis, Sixt and Enterprise also have electric vehicles in their fleet in select locations.

Alternative car rental platforms such as Turo offer Teslas and other EVs, making them a good choice in locations where traditional car rental companies have only gasoline-powered options.

Bonus: Renting an EV is a great way to test the pros and cons before purchasing one yourself.

3. Stay put

This option for reducing ground transportation emissions is so simple that it’s easy to overlook. Rather than trying to see every national park in California (there are nine, after all), consider sticking to one and taking it slow.

Not only is this a great way to avoid guzzling gas, it’s also rewarding in its own right. “Slow travel” promotes connecting with local culture and people rather than checking every item off the bucket list. It also means spending less of that precious vacation time in the car.

Beyond the metaphysical and environmental benefits of taking it slow, this approach can also reduce the cost of a trip. Rather than spending money on gas, take a local class or tour, or save it for the next trip.

4. Travel in groups

A single-occupancy car emits almost half a pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile. That number scales with the number of passengers, meaning the more passengers, the fewer (relative) emissions.

This is good news for environmentally conscious families, who tend to fill cars and vans more than couples and solo travelers. And it’s a good reason to carpool for driving-intensive trips, such as those for weddings.

Again, this is an option to reduce emissions that doesn’t cost anything. In fact, it saves money.

The bottom line

Travel is literally world-expanding, but it comes with built-in environmental costs.

And while it can seem like there’s no alternative to renting a car or hiring an Uber (and sometimes there isn’t), there are ways to reduce the footprint of ground transportation without sacrificing the quality of your trip.

Consider destinations that offer public transportation where renting a car isn’t necessary. If that isn’t an option, you can always rent an EV or fill your rental car with more passengers to reduce the impact. And you can even consider slowing down and embracing “slow travel” as a personal and environmental win-win.

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End of the World is on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii, where my wife, son and our nanny, Sofia, took an eight-day vacation this month. Climbing was merely icing on the cake of what was supposed to be a freediving trip for me, but things didn’t quite turn out as planned.

At the side of the cave we eye potential routes and mime sequences we envision. “You can’t fall in the middle of the cave because the tide will smash you into the rocks,” a local teenager tells us. “I’ve seen people medivacked out of here.”

Great, I think. Just what we need: another trip to the hospital.

On the first one, fie days ago, I went in for what I thought was a sinus infection and ended up COVID positive. So much for freediving. Or much of anything really.

By the last day of our trip I was out of isolation, so we decided to check out the climbing.

“Deep water soloing” is the English term for climbing above the sea without a rope, but I prefer the European name for this crazy climbing style. “Psicobloc,” as they call it, literally means “psycho bouldering.” And it’s no wonder why: It’s easy to fall off uncontrolled and hit the water all wonky, and the currents are unpredictable.

Back in 2009, in Mallorca, Spain, my friend James was on a horizontal roof 30 feet above the waves. He groped for a hold, then tried to move off it when … crack! “Aaaaaaaaaaaahhh!” He screamed as he plummeted, arms and legs flailing. His left hand dropped the broken hold and his back smacked the water with a sickening slap. Then all went quiet.

“James!” I shouted. “You OK?”

“Help…” he muttered feebly between gulps of seawater. I stripped my shirt and prepared to jump in, but by then he grabbed our safety line and signaled “OK.” With effort, he slowly hand-over-handed the rope and flopped onto a ledge like a drowned rat. His back was bright purple for days.

“You have to be careful which pockets you put your fingers in,” a Hawaiian kid says, snapping me out of my reverie, “because some will slice your fingers open.”

I downclimb to what looks like the easiest route and start climbing. Indeed, the sculpted rock is the sharpest I’ve ever climbed. The moves feel casual, but I’m nervous. I test every hold before pulling hard, even the ones that look solid. I top out shaky but satisfied.

Sofia and Heather, on the other hand, both float up it, unafraid.

Next, I attempt the belly of the cave but I can’t seem to find a way. I climb up and down to no avail. All I see is wet rock above, and the only possible routes look way harder than they’re graded. Excuses overwhelm my brain, and I retreat. I don’t even earn style points by falling off trying.

Sofia, however, wins big points by going for it and whipping from the middle of the cave (against which we were warned). She takes a thigh-slapping plunge but escapes the tide to safety. Heather, like me, tries to find a way but backs off. Unlike me, she tries again. This time she commits and is upside-down in the roof, grasping for holds she can’t see. The water churns beneath her, white and foamy like the jaws of a hungry beast, yet her focus remains on each move. She pulls the lip — all four limbs spread-eagled — and then her left foot cuts loose. Her audience (me, Sofia and some locals) watches from the side and collectively gasps. She halts the swing, gets her foot back on and rocks over the final bulge.

After a week of vacation COVID, Heather’s success at the End of the World feels like a victory for us all.

Contact Chris Weidner at cweidner8@gmail.com. Follow him on Instagram @christopherweidner and Twitter @cweidner8.

Every year — perhaps dating back eons — about 500,000 sandhill cranes roost along the Platte River, swooping down in spellbinding squadrons and resembling both prehistoric pterodactyls and the flying monkeys from “The Wizard of Oz.” Deeply stacked in shallow water and on sandbars, the cranes’ deafening cacophony will absolutely blow your mind — at times their nonstop racket sounded like raucous crowds cheering gladiators at Rome’s Coliseum.

World-renowned anthropologist Jane Goodall, who has crane-watched here for 20 seasons, compares the feathered phenomena to the famed wildebeest migration in Africa. I too felt I was on another continent instead of in the Cornhusker State (and birthplace of Kool-Aid).

First, a little of the big birds’ background, before I divulge stringent “crane etiquette” and how to secretly spy on them with guides (and binoculars) in viewing blinds and the great outdoors. How amazing is this: Fossils place a close relative of sandhill cranes in Nebraska some 10 million years ago when since-extinct rhinos, camels and elephants roamed what was then the region’s savannas. It’s believed the sandhill cranes have migrated through this area for thousands, even millions, of years.

And on they continue, these long-necked, spindly-legged, four-foot-tall, steel-gray miracles with wingspans of six feet, yellowish-orange eyes, cherry-red patches on their foreheads, life partners, and dance moves galore. From late February to the start of April the cranes, largely arriving from Texas and Mexico, stop to fatten up in Platte River Valley cornfields for their arduous journeys to nest in Siberia, Canada and Alaska.

“It just drops your jaw on the ground,”  camouflage-clad 50-year-old corn-bean-and-sod farmer Chad Gideon enthused about the spring fling. We were about to walk on a dirt trail of his agricultural sprawl to an open-air viewing spot about 50 yards from where the birds would roost. Cranes easily spook, so we’d be out of sight and silent except for my chattering teeth in the biting 28-degree cold.

Several years ago, Chad, a colorful friendly character, started bringing tourists to this crane-ogling position on his property (nebraskacraneviewing.com). Chad is an avid duck hunter but, go figure, he swoons over sandhill cranes. (Note: It’s illegal to even disturb cranes in Nebraska.) I’d come to the Platte River Valley in mid-March — usually the peak time for crane numbers — and this sunset would be my first-ever crane show. The action always centers on sunset, when cranes return to rest on the river after the day’s foraging, and at sunrise when they take off again to peck at leftover harvests in the fields.

We patiently waited. And then, the ancient avians began streaming in, the opening act of a spectacular 90-minute grand entrance by thousands. They descended in waves — in lines of just three birds, in V-shaped formations of 40 or more, in U patterns, in squiggles, this way and that, over our heads, from sides in opposite directions, their wings underneath glinting from the sun’s reflection until they comically landed with two dangling feet in the masses. What looked like storm clouds miles away were actually swirls of more cranes coming one after another. Their thunderous, simultaneous Jurassic Park-like sounds were nothing you could imagine — piercing trills, bizarre trumpeting, booming rattles, drawn-out “karooooo, karroooo.”

At one point, magnificent cranes glided past a nearby large nest and the head of a bald eagle peeked out. Another time, a lone white swan gracefully touched down among congregating cranes and seemed perfectly welcome. Incoming cranes soon streaked across blazing fuchsia and neon orange skies. As nighttime fell, the prairie’s leafless cottonwood trees transformed into a dark fairytale forest; the cranes were barely visible but surreally clamored on. It was magical, it was primal and heck yes, it was emotionally stirring.

The next evening, I crane-gawked in the Crane Trust’s heated VIP observation blind that was nicely supplied with red and white wine. A nonprofit conservation group, the 45-year-old trust focuses on restoring and protecting the cranes’ habitat and offers a host of public programs. (One afternoon at the Visitor Center, the daughter of Muppet creator Jim Henson gave a free crane puppet performance.)

You can book a guided two-hour unheated blind tour for dusk or dawn along the Platte River on the trust’s Wild Rose Ranch. However, I joined the two-night, three-day VIP Experience which includes multiple viewings, a stay in an onsite cottage, shared catered meals, hobnobbing with wildlife biologists, documentary shorts accompanied by dessert, and a bison “safari” on the ranch’s 5,000 continuous acres. It was crane dream camp with two dozen like-minded new pals and cool, knowledgeable counselors.

This is where I realized the plumaged stars mimic Fred Astaire. Their amusing dance repertoire includes the “single-wing spin” (think of a spinning figure skater), “tuck-bob” (bobbing body with coiled neck), “bow,” “curtsey,” “minuet,” “jump-rake” (leaping crane kicks out toward dance partner) and more. Also sandhill cranes are monogamous, traveling in families with the kids and sometimes grandparents.

Crane Trust president Brice Krohn told me he’s seen migration-watching tourists in tears. “When I talk to people all over the world to explain what we have, it’s hard to put into words. Wherever you’re from in life and whatever your views are, at the end of the day, it really does down deep spark something within you. I feel it vibrates your soul.”

Like I mentioned, sandhill cranes are keen-eyed anxious birds, but then they’re legally hunted in 17 states, and a camera lens may look like a gun. If they sense anything amiss, all the cranes could soar off in a panic which is dangerous for them. So, as instructed, we switched our phones to airplane mode and lowered the brightness to prevent light from reflecting on our faces, and taped down flashes on cameras. Depending on how close the birds roosted we could be 50 to 100 yards away.  An hour before the crane activity, in single file we mutely followed guides on a short dirt path to two enclosed VIP blinds that had small hinged openings in plexiglass windows.

And then the eco-extravaganza unfolded on America’s Serengeti.

To back up, for my human self, flocking to Nebraska’s bird Shangri-La proved simple. I flew into the small airport in Grand Island, which is about 25 minutes from the Crane Trust (cranetrust.org) and 45 minutes from the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center’s crane-viewing Rowe Sanctuary (rowe.audubon.org), which is closer to Kearney’s regional airport. Either way, plan to rent a car. When you take a birding break, in Grand Island make sure to visit the impressive Stuhr Museum, where you can play with a 19th- century ping pong set and scrutinize the natal home of Grand Island native and Oscar-winning actor Henry Fonda.

During the day, nature buffs used their vehicles as blinds to peep on cranes scavenging in cornfields and trying to put on 20 percent of their body weight for their lengthy trip north. By the way, I found those unending, flat brownish-gold prairies not boring but temporarily enchanting, a Zen change from asphalt jungle cities. And how charming that passing motorists, even strangers, always give each other the “farmer’s wave” to say “hello” with one upright index finger. (The first time I thought a guy flipped me the bird.)

On my last Heartland morning, bundled up in pre-dawn darkness, I stationed myself inside a chilly Rowe Sanctuary observation blind with a volunteer wearing electric heated mittens and a “Keep Calm and Crane On” T-shirt under her puffy coat. Another tourist sported a “Certified Craniac” pin from the gift shop. At first, we only heard the cranes until their faint silhouettes appeared. Glued to my binoculars for the fourth straight day, I soon zoomed in on thousands of sandhill cranes along the river as far as I could see.

More than once, contingents of cranes abruptly lifted off in black swarms, a domino effect of chaotic flapping wings. They returned, though, perhaps initially scared by a predator such as a coyote.

Interestingly, two strolling deer cut a path directly through the throngs of cranes and the birds didn’t freak out. When a beaver swam in the river across from the cranes, dozens of them sauntered over and marched squawking alongside the furry intruder.

Best of all, during this 90-minute sunrise-plus pageantry,  gregarious cranes again crazily danced, jumped in the air, preened, strutted, gyrated and tossed twigs at mates for fun. Finally, groups of this wondrous species pointed their elongated necks toward one direction and, in dramatic sequences, as they have for millennia, took flight.

After a massive renovation beginning in 2021, the locally beloved springs in Florence, 45 minutes outside of Colorado Springs, had just reopened with overnight accommodations and a new, enticing offer: Tuesday night soaks with the pools only open to overnight visitors.

Depending on the timing, that could mean just two of us in the pools or, at most, 20 people scattered around the vast property (there are 10 available rooms for booking).

So with a month to go until our wedding, I asked my fiance to pack a bag one Tuesday after work and drive south with me. The plan was to soak in the hot springs after nightfall and then sleep under the stars before driving back the next day.

Oh, the romance!

Only on this particular evening, my fiance, Sam, had already made plans to play in his weekly virtual game meetup with friends across the country. Thankfully, part of Desert Reef’s appeal to a new clientele is its strong Wi-Fi for the work-from-home (or game-from-anywhere) dippers.

“You can just do that at the hot spring,” I assured him vaguely while packing for my own overdone version of a romantic nature excursion — with essentials like a robe, slippers and a bottle of nice wine. Like any almost-married couple, Sam and I maintain our individuality, and we know how to compromise.

By dusk, we had made it two hours southwest to Fremont County, where the groundwater at Desert Reef springs from an artesian well that was tapped half a century ago, accidentally, by oil drillers. The hot water was later diverted for steel manufacturing, and finally it was retired to its current position cycling through natural hot tubs that are enjoyed by locals and visitors.

Back in the ‘80s, when the hot springs’ first private developer, LJ Conrad, started remaking his land into a local attraction, it was a community effort.

“In the early days, they just put some gravel in the bottom of a ditch and hung out there,” explained the springs’ current owner, Chris McLaughlin.

Two years ago, at the behest of a group of fellow Reef regulars, McLaughlin took over the 77-acre parcel from the late Conrad to ensure its future. The springs sit less than 10 miles from Colorado’s Supermax prison and around 5 miles from downtown Florence, the state’s antiquing capital.

“It’s kind of southern Colorado, kind of another dimension,” McLaughlin says of the hot springs and the county that he calls home. He plans to maintain the Conrads’ original vision for Desert Reef — part sanctuary, part community gathering space — while letting it advance to its next level.

Four more pools, plus private concrete soaking tubs; five fully outfitted tiny houses and as many refurbished Airstreams; a minimalist desert design and organic landscaping; and the addition of new local artists’ work, from murals to concerts, all bring Desert Reef well into the 2020s while keeping it as offbeat as ever.

“I think people have had spiritual and/or super-terrestrial experiences here,” McLaughlin said. “Personally I like it (here) from an artistic perspective; you can power down and become the best version of yourself. So people come and just start to turn their brains down, and that’s when the creative stuff happens.”

Back at the Reef, in my fiance’s and my spontaneous weeknight romance, Sam looked as if he was about to teleport, with his headset on and laptop screen glowing. He sat in our converted Airstream, the walls curving around him, covered entirely in reflective metal.

Figuring he had another hour or so of gaming, I motioned that I’d be down at the springs, grabbing my suit, slippers and wine. And as I walked from the Airstream down a dark path, the only sound the power lines overhead buzzing, I registered that I was alone just for a moment.

Never one to leave my anxiety behind, I stepped very carefully into the dark tub, sinking down to my shoulders and taking my bathing suit off only once I had calculated the likelihood of needing to run from untimely death (from something, of course, unknown and wild).

And just as I was indeed starting to power down, a figure appeared from the corner of my eye, naked and gliding across the water.

He was radiating energy just off of game night (they stopped playing so he could join me), and I was supremely relaxed, having my own version of a great early spring evening. Just two hours away from home, I had disconnected my mind and connected with Sam on our own perfectly strange level.

We would have so many nights like this, of quiet appreciation, going our own ways and then finding each other. And I was glad to have made it to the desert for a few special hours of gaming and dipping before crossing over to that next dimension together.

If you go

Desert Reef is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday and on Tuesday to overnight guests only. This season, rates start at $175 and go up to $350 per night (for a tiny house with a private hot tub). Overnight rates include the equivalent of three soaking sessions (from 4-7 p.m., 7-10 p.m. and 10 a.m.-1 p.m.).

The five main pools are otherwise closed to day visitors on Tuesdays but reopen from 10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Hot springs are clothing optional, and the owners maintain a policy that prevents single men and groups of men from entering the springs during public, clothing-optional hours.

Day soaking without overnight accommodation costs $25 on weekdays and $35 on weekends for a three-hour session. For more information on availability and upcoming events, including movie nights and live music performances, visit desertreefhotspring.com.

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