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Concierge.com destinations guides include information on getting there, getting around, lodging, places to eat, see and do, ... etc. Although Concierge.com may not have as many hotel recommendations as some guide books, they provide hotel photos along with the recommendations. The destinations guides also have links to articles about the destination published by Concierge.com or Conde Nast Traveler.

Frommer's has put a substantial amount of content online, making Frommers.com a good resource for travel planning. The site is easy to navigate since all the destinations are organized by similar topics such as "Getting There," "Restaurants," and "Suggested Itineraries."

National Geographic's People and Places feature provides a short overview of the destination and include a Features section with related articles, photos, and videos, depending on the destination.

Travel + Leisure Magazine's guide to the greatest hotels worldwide as selected by its team of reporters and editors.

Weatherbase provides historical weather information such as "average number of day above 90," "average number of days with thunderstorms," and other similar types of data.

Department of Transportation websites often provide information on road construction and other traffic related information.

Official state websites often have a Visiting section that provides travel information such as festivals, state parks, popular destinations, and travel conditions.

Tourism websites often list lodging, attractions, restaurants, and events information. The sites may also contain scenic byways and maps.

Frommer's Forums for US are divided into states, and all the messages relating to a state are presented in a list that makes it easy to browse through the topics.

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published January 2006
With its raw, wild beauty and epic landscapes, the vast Chihuahuan-whose borders reach into New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico-is the hemisphere's most biologically varied desert. But as Joe Kane discovers, it is also a microcosm of America itself: diverse, expansive, mutable, and welcoming to all who visit ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published June 2007
Indigenous peoples' rituals and local botanicals become tools of the spa trade

Crisp desert air, breathtaking vistas of desert and mountains, and an open-minded New Age vibe combine to yield unique benefits for spa-goers. Inspired by Native American rituals and indigenous ingredients, Southwestern spas and health retreats focus less on quick fixes and more on overall emotional and physical wellness. Unlike the majority of conventional spas in the Lower 48, this region's regimens include spiritual elements-many services begin with smudging, for example, a cleansing ritual in which a healer ignites a bundle of herbs (desert sage or sweetgrass) and wafts the smoke over clients. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published February 2004
Can a noise-addled big-city slicker get in touch with his inner bedouin? Adam Platt sets out for the empty expanses of America's Southwest

It was on the fourth or possibly the fifth day of my Southwest desert wanderings, sometime after attending Marta Beckett's surreal opera performance on the fringe of Death Valley but before experiencing a pleasurable, though surpassingly weird, crystal sound bath at the UFO-inspired Integratron near Joshua Tree National Park, that Mike Dougherty's voice came to me, out of the sky, as it were, like voices in the desert sometimes do. ... click for full article

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published December 2005
Drought has left Lake Powell at a new lowand once-drowned wonders high and dry. Jim Robbins discovers what lay beneath

The first time I topped a ridge in northern Arizona, while hitchhiking from New York to California in 1973, and saw Lake Powell sprawled out before me, its sapphire waters looked for all the world like a mirage. After having spent hours in the sere, sunbaked red desert, I suddenly saw speedboats towing water-skiers and huge, boxy houseboats with names like Totally Incoherent carving wakes in the cool, slack water. Making the scene all the more unreal were the walls, buttes, arches, and spires of brick-red stone that surround the lake, the whole lit by the gem-quality desert light. ... click for full article

From Travel + Leisure Family
Published April 2001
How do you begin to take in a mile-deep, 18-mile-wide hole in the ground? A family of three embark on a perfect tour of the world's most overwhelming natural wonder...click for full article

Gayot's Restaurant Guides provide detailed restaurant reviews and rate restaurants on a scale of 1 to 20. For many cities, Gayot also provides Best of lists, such as Best Seafood, Best Romantic Restaurants, Best Heart-Healthy, ... etc.

Weather forecast

From Conde Nast Traveler
Published March 2005
The ever-expanding Phoenix area may sprawl with new construction, but two upcoming hotels have some serious history. Later this year, the Hotel Valley Hoonce host to Bing Crosby, Janet Leigh, and Natalie Woodwill reopen with a Trader Vic's and a hip Palm Springs/early Vegas look (480-945-6321; www.hotelvalleyho.com; doubles, $125-$225). ... click for full article

Weather forecast