5 new National Recreation Trails to explore this summer
An urban trail that connects a constellation of historical, cultural and natural attractions in Norfolk. Three storied river routes that flow through the heart of the Midwest. A hiking and biking pathway named after fortune seekers during the California Gold Rush.
Say hello to the 2025 class of National Recreation Trails.
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Forbes
2 hours ago
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Northern Lights Forecast Update: 15 States Could See Aurora Borealis Tonight
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CNN
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CNN Podcasts to Launch Season Two of 'Chance Encounters' on June 27
June 25th, 2025 Chronicling Incredi ble True Stories of Travel Connection NEW YORK, NY – (June 25, 2025) – CNN Podcasts announced today the return of Chance Encounters , hosted by CNN Travel Writer Francesca Street and based on Street's popular digital column of the same name. The second season of the series will premiere Friday, June 27 and will continue to highlight the extraordinary true stories Street has captured of friendships and relationships formed on the road. By utilizing the original interview session recordings, the first season of Chance Encounters brought Street's reporting to life and invited audiences to experience the raw emotion and wonder in her subjects' voices for themselves. The upcoming set of episodes is built around the theme of 'Summer Love,' and will continue to envelope listeners in more of these feel-good tales of travel fate: from a librarian and a yacht captain unexpectedly crossing paths in Mazatlán, Mexico in the summer of 1968, to a decades-long missed connection that began as a teenage crush on a 1993 European holiday. 'Our show is the perfect listen for the summer vacation season,' said Street. 'Whether on the beach or in the skies, I hope these episodes will be a fitting soundtrack for all of your adventures this year.' Chance Encounters will debut new episodes on Fridays and will be available to listen wherever you get your podcasts. The first episode of the new season follows Catherine Tondelli, a Californian woman who met her Italian husband, Fausto, in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, right after she threw three coins into the fountain's waters and made a wish. CNN Podcasts is the exclusive producer of audio content and podcasts for CNN Worldwide including All There Is with Anderson Cooper, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta , The Assignment with Audie Cornish, Terms of Service with Clare Duffy, The Account from CNN, CNN 5 Things , CNN 5 Good Things , and CNN One Thing. Listen to all CNN Podcasts content at . ### About CNN Worldwide CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals through television, streamingand online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, people across the world can watch CNN International, which is widely distributed in over 200 countries and territories. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors than any other news source. Max, Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming platform, features CNN Max, a 24/7 streaming news offering available to subscribers alongside expanded access to News content and CNN Originals. CNN's award-winning portfolio includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films for broadcast, streaming and distribution across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español channels, via CNN Max and the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ and via pay TV subscription on CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world's most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery. About Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of branded content across television, film, streaming and gaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit . CNN Podcasts Press Contacts Alex Manasseri Mark Duffy Francesca Street Press Contact Anna Beth Jager
CNET
2 hours ago
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The magical months of summer are here. Long days, balmy nights and day trips are upon us. Living in the New York area, it's important for me to have a list of nature experiences for when the city gets stinky. When August hits, all I want to do is be by a body of water like a beach or lake. It's around this time of year that many of us in New York plan our summer escapes. Given we live just outside of Manhattan, we have easier access to some of the best city breaks mother nature has to offer. Instead of just searching social media and getting FOMO, do some deeper research on hiking trails and nature experiences nearby with the help of artificial intelligence. It can be a handy tool for travel to find cheaper flights, brainstorm where to go, plan a trip or save for a vacation. I found it difficult to figure out how to access Extensions to activate Google Maps in Gemini, and while there are specific AI tools like HiiKER, I'm not about to pay $6.49 per month just to use it. So, over to ChatGPT it is. How to find secret summer hikes using AI I logged into ChatGPT so that it could pull from what it already knows about me from our previous conversations. It knows I live just outside NYC, what my health goals are and what kind of experiences I like. For example, leaning into spiritual practices is a goal of mine this year, so if it can find hiking trails close to attractions like the famous Hindu temple in New Jersey, that would be epic. Can you believe this is in New Jersey? Google/Screenshot by CNET To prep your prompt, give ChatGPT some context -- things like your location, fitness level, how far you're willing to travel and what you'd like to do before or after the hike. Tell ChatGPT that you're looking for trails that aren't filled with tourists or influencers. For example, you could ask something like: "What are some secret or lesser-known hiking trails in New Jersey or New York that are good day trip destinations? I'd like to hike for an hour, ideally near a body of water or a cute town." Off the bat, it's given a few good options for less popular trails across both New York and New Jersey. ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET I replied to ChatGPT asking which is the most beautiful or underrated trail, and it gave me its thoughts on why they were beautiful, like Constitution Marsh, or underrated, like the Apshawa Preserve. I forgot to tell ChatGPT that I'll be visiting in the summertime and asked if these are still good spots. I also asked if there's a trail near a lake instead, because we want to swim. These were two of the suggestions: ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET I then asked ChatGPT to provide a photo of each hike and lake on the list, and it did. Always be sure to cross-check information from the chatbot, because AI is prone to hallucinate answers. ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET It only showed me the swimming spots, though. I had to ask it to show the respective hiking trails, too. ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET It generated pictures of the areas in the fall. Honestly, you'd be better off just Google searching, Google Maps satellite searching or crowd-sourcing images of the hiking trails you're interested in. ChatGPT is good for initial ideas, but always back it up with your own research. For example, my wife grew up near Greenwood Lake, which is a huge lake spanning across NJ and NY, but ChatGPT didn't suggest it. I asked why. It didn't give me a great reason, but agreed it's not to be missed. ChatGPT/Screenshot by CNET I copied one of the hiking trails it suggested and this was it. Now we're talking (and walking). Google/Screenshot by CNET You could take it one step further and ask ChatGPT for hiking advice for that specific region. Like how to protect yourself from ticks, poison ivy, mosquitoes, heat and humidity. It'll give you recommendations on what kind of clothes and insect repellent to wear. If you're looking for an overnight adventure, you could even ask for advice to turn a day trip into a weekend camping trip. See where your search takes you this summer. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
