In October 1999, Traveler magazine published 50 Places of a Lifetime, an issue that showcased worldwide destinations all curious travelers should see before they pack their last suitcase. This month we unveil a red-white-and-blue version of the concept with an issue devoted to America’s 50 must-see places (well, 51 if you include Bill Bryson’s piece on our country’s vanishing small towns.)

How did we make our selection? For the past 18 months we’ve canvassed our colleagues here at the National Geographic Society, perhaps the most widely traveled staff of any organization. Whittling down the U.S.’s greatest places wasn’t easy. But we did it. And here they are—50 of the best places divided into five categories: Urban Spaces, Wild Places, Paradise Found, Country Unbound, and National Wonders. Some places will echo your own travel passions. Others, we hope, will surprise and inspire you. Naturally we expect you to argue with some of our picks. But our choice of travel destinations is, blessedly, subjective. So are our personal picks.

To that end, we’ve created our Web site’s trademark TravelWise guides so you can plan every leg of your trip to one of our highlighted destinations online. You’ll also find the staff’s personal places of a lifetime—plus, our biggest ever Web-exclusive photo gallery of inspiring 50 Places imagery that you won’t see in the magazine. Use Traveler magazine and our Web site to plan your trip. We’re counting on it. Then e-mail us about your experiences at hmorgan@ngs.org.


Keith Bellows
Editor in chief
National Geographic Traveler magazine