Thrillist Unpacked 2024: The Trips That Made Our Year

Describing 2024 as anything less than frenetic might be an understatement, especially given the wide range of national and international news that made every day feel like an opportunity to unearth a new crisis, shocking revelation, or viral trend that made our collective hearts sing; perhaps that’s to be expected of an election year. And yet, despite the surprises, disappointments, and overall chaos, the Thrillist staff managed to get their boots on the ground everywhere from Ireland to Taiwan. After all of that globetrotting, these were the highlights of our year’s worth of travels, which involved joyfully meandering conversations with longtime residents and new travelers alike in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, splurging on a famed Disney Cruise in the Caribbean, and more.

At the beginning of 2024, I decided that I wanted to visit 30 countries before I was 30 years old. Making this decision as a 23-year-old with 13 countries’ stamps in my passport meant that I had to hit two to three countries annually for the next seven years to achieve my goal. Surprisingly, I exceeded my own expectations and ended up traveling to four new countries across three continents (Taiwan, Morocco, Portugal, and Ireland), as well as a handful of new cities here in the US.

Imagine this: 30 hand-shaped xiao long bao purchased for the equivalent of $9, spicy Malaysian laksa sipped from a cup at a night market, and crispy scallion pancakes rolled up with flavorful grilled beef tucked between each layer. Tainan has it all and then some. No wonder it’s considered the food capital of Taiwan, a country where delicious bites truly abound everywhere you look.

When my parents said they were embarking on a 10-day trip to Morocco with their cousins, I knew I would find a way to tag along, even if only for a few days. Little did I know that their trip would be as extravagant as it was—five-star hotels, horse-drawn carriages to dinner, cooking classes and tea ceremonies in the middle of the desert, and a massive party to end it all. The four days I spent with them in Marrakesh was worth the equivalent of two months’ rent, but it was well worth the price tag.

Last summer, when given the opportunity to join Ammunition Wine and Whiskey on a press trip to Bethel, New York—a town in the Catskills about a two-hour drive north of Manhattan—to see my favorite artist, Hozier, in concert, I immediately accepted the offer. On this trip, I learned that Bethel, not Woodstock, NY, was actually the site of the famous 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, and then explored the grounds where it all happened. The Pavillion at Bethel Woods, where Hozier performed, turned out to be one of the most beautiful music venues I’ve ever been to. Now knowing that the Pavillion hosts all types of artists and is an easy drive away, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on their 2025 lineup.

While I love being in and around nature, I’ve always been more of a city person. A week-long trip to Ireland with my roommate split between Belfast and Dublin might have changed that. Excursions to the Giants Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher turned out to be bigger highlights of the trip than drinking at pubs in Belfast or learning about whiskey at the Jameson distillery in Dublin (though those were great, too). We loved the natural scenery found north of Ireland so much that we plan to visit the southern and west coasts of the country this year.

While my 2024 was rife with difficult struggles and challenges I am eager to leave behind, it brought one of my life’s greatest glimmers to date: I left the country for the first time in five years to travel around Sicily. Even though most places don’t hold a candle to the picturesque island off of Italy, my excursion was still in good company on my travel slate last year, with domestic trips to quirky beach towns, surprisingly lively suburbs, and major metropolises across the country.

It seems no matter where you turn in Sicily, a slew of ancient ruins or iconic monuments awaits you. I travelled to five cities along the island’s coast and repeatedly found myself staring in awe at the eclectic collection of fountains (Fontana Pretoria in Palermo is a must), intricate mosaics, and cathedrals beautiful enough to make even the most secular person consider converting.

My stay at Ojo Santa Fe Spa Resort is proof that even the most restless, tightly-wound people can find salvation here. Think hot, spring-fed pools to soak in, free morning yoga, and a Silkie chicken farm onsite, all amidst the serene landscape of the Southwest.

Said with the utmost respect, when conjuring up the ideal shopping destination, a tiny town outside of NYC isn’t what usually comes to mind. And yet, my greatest finds of the year come from Stormville Airport’s Family Yard Sale, where local families lay out dusty treasures from their attics and set up shop. My most cherished pieces include a $1 pair of vintage Merrells, a hand-carved shelf (where my Calico Critters now sit), and a gorgeous Tiffany lamp.

2024 came with a lot of milestones. Perhaps most importantly, my husband and I took our first trip alone since we had kids. Now that we’re out of the baby years (the kids are five and three), I’m looking forward to traveling a lot more in 2025.

A recent trip to the island solidified Maui’s reputation as an outdoor paradise. Even though it was only a couple days into whale migration season, we went on a ride with Sail Trilogy Kaanapali Whale Watch where we saw a large group of male humpback whales splashing their tails, blowing bubbles, and even fully breaching twice (jumping out of the water). We paired it with a ziplining adventure with Skyline Hawaii, the first zipline in the country, which funds the company's conservation efforts—they’ve planted more than 20,000 native trees on the island.

Hear me out. LA may not be known for its public transit, but the city is getting it together ahead of the 2028 Olympics, with the perfect recent example being how seamless it was to get to the World Series Games. While I was bracing for an experience more akin to squeezing onto the 5 Fulton after Outside Lands (IYKYK), hopping on the Metro and then the Dodger Stadium Express from Union Station was easy, comfortable, and made the whole experience that much more fun.

My biggest adventure this year, I hate to say it, was one in New York real estate; I’ve now made it through three moves in just under four years, and I am committed to staying put until further notice. Still, I managed to visit a handful of places that I’ve been eager to see, to each of which I would happily return. Here’s to clocking a few more of those trips in the months to come.

This past June, The White Lotus effect be damned (sort of), my fiancé and I skipped Taormina in favor of Sicily’s western coast. Among the highlights—pasta, cannoli, sardines!—were our two days of trekking through the island’s first and oldest nature reserve, Zingaro, located a little more than an hour outside of Palermo. Note that there are no amenities on the trail, but pack plenty of water and a lunch and you’ll be rewarded with the ultimate beach day: tiny pebbled coves at the edge of peacock-blue waters, each one nestled beneath a rocky coastline punctuated by wildflowers, palms, and olive trees.

Early spring is a great time to visit Death Valley, which is surprisingly alive and blooming in late March and early April. In 2024, the desert experienced the tail end of a flood that had caused Badwater Basin—the driest and lowest point in North America—to transition from a landscape of salt flats into a shallow lake. Seeing snow-capped mountains reflected along the desert floor was an unexpected highlight of a park that’s already known for its many extremes.

This year will mark my 15th living in New York City, and it amazes me that there are still so many items on my bucket list. This summer, I checked off one when I visited the Louis Armstrong House Museum, a remarkably preserved historic home located on a residential street in Corona, Queens. As exciting as it is to see a slice of history up close (Armstrong lived in the house for nearly three decades), it’s equally satisfying to hear stories of other New Yorkers who have felt such an attachment to this city and its communities therein. As a bonus, after a trip to the museum you’ll be within walking distance to two of my favorite summer destinations: the Queens Night Market and the Lemon Ice King of Corona.

As much as I rib the stereotypical TikToker obsessed with “self-help” while being just another toxic person renting a greige studio apartment, growth and transitions truly were the central threads of my 2024 travels. Through multiple bachelorette parties, weddings, visits to friends with newborn babies, trips to mourn the passing of family’s matriarchs, and countless day trips, I got a cherished reminder to tighten my guestlist, space out the itinerary, and leave room for spontaneity to take the reigns—a true feat for a Capricorn constantly scrolling social media to plan his next flight out. In 2025, I might just set the phone down for good.

After hours of vicarious living through influencers’ seemingly endless vacation TikToks, it’s easy to get stuck pining for perfection. But a recent trip to San Miguel de Allende, MX, shattered my social media-hampered definitions of a perfect view. Whether during rooftop dinners at golden hour or while strolling through vendors markets with gelato in hand, there’s no better place to enjoy the breadth of natural and urban scenery than San Miguel, where colonial-era buildings in dusty sienna hues seem to shine against the setting sun. Because of the city’s distinct elevation changes as you traverse its various shopping districts, visitors can enjoy views of towering mountains, gentle waters, and consistent festivals and celebrations that overtake any number of city streets in a vibrant wash of joy sure to make any other setting feel placid by comparison.

There are places we visit for the sheer adrenaline, and then places we visit to lavish ourselves in a slower, quieter kind of enjoyment. Mendocino is the latter. Sure, it’s by no means a new or “hot” location, but that’s exactly what made it such an enjoyable haven to hide out in during my friends’ destination wedding. Along the way, my assumptions of the tiny town were constantly thwarted for the better: The gas station I’d initially considered inspiration for Jordan Peele’s next horror flick instead offered warm service alongside bottles of natural wine, boxes of frozen mochi, and a sweeping view of the nearby cliffside and the waves that crashed against it. The local diner proved to be a locally beloved landmark worth the bustle it attracts on Saturday mornings. Even the thrifting in nearby towns proved worthwhile when I faced a last-minute emergency and needed to replace a wedding-worthy bowtie in less than a day. All in all, this location may have inspired the setting in Murder, She Wrote, but it’s more alive and worthwhile than ever.

Sometimes, the best destinations are the most obvious. That’s a huge reason why San Juan has reached the point of SNL-level parody for its constant draw of bachelor and bachelorette parties. The difference, however, lies in how Puerto Rican residents react to the influx of rowdy outsiders: Instead of spreading its nightlife across the island, many of the area’s best nightlife options are focused in La Placita, a former farmers market turned maze of clubs, bars, and restaurants that open around 9 pm and close around 5 am. This concentration means there are ample opportunities for any type of group to find nighttime entertainment in close walking distance to popular hotels, well-rated Airbnbs, and noteworthy landmarks in case someone inevitably gets separated from a group. As a repeat man of honor/bachelorette party planner in 2024, my greatest advice is to consider taking the path more traveled, especially when it leads to dancing to Afrobeats in the streets.

Travel became a lot more challenging for me in 2024, but for happy reasons—my wife and I welcomed our second child in the spring. That ruled out most major trips for the year, and instead encouraged me to refocus on the incredible diversity of my beloved home state California and the American West. Without boarding a plane all year, I went to beach towns and redwood forests, saw the Sonoran desert and the striated sandstone canyons of southern Utah, dipped into wine country, and spent time in some of my favorite cities. We’ve got more ambitious plans for 2025, but this year was a great reminder of the beauty within a reasonable driving range—and a primer on what ‘reasonable driving range’ means with two screaming children in the back seat.

I’m fudging this one—it wasn’t surprising to me, but it will be surprising to the haters. When I told people I was going to Tucson on vacation last winter, the universal follow-up was, “Why?” I have no family there, no real connection to the region, and it’s not exactly a tourist hotspot, but the rationale is simple: Big cacti, big mesas, and big flour tortillas. Tucson, it turns out, is lovely, a charming Southwest city with a strong, unique culture and a clear connection to the stunning desert landscape. Not to mention that the area boasts a fun and rustic wine region just outside the city, and seriously so many fantastic flour tortillas.

One of my best friends in the world got married this fall, and as gorgeous and fun as his Lake Tahoe-adjacent camp wedding was, it’s the bachelor party on a houseboat at Lake Powell that stands out as a distinct adventure (for me). But not for the reasons you might think—this was perhaps the least debaucherous bachelor party of all time. Really, even the most conservative religious crowds get rowdier than this group did. But maybe that’s because by sunset we were so exhausted from spending all day outside in the heat, hiking up epic slot canyons, swimming and paddling in the warm water, and scrambling around in the radical solitude of the lake-that-shouldn’t-be. At the end of most days, we could barely muster enough energy to crack a beer and lie out on the deck of the boat to look up at the stars.

Relaxing is a relative concept when you’re traveling in a big group with four kids under the age of five, but even rambunctious toddlers can’t pierce the tranquility of Catalina Island if you know how to do it right. Avalon is just a short ferry ride away from LA, yet it feels so distant, a sort of run-down seaside town that can’t seem to enter the modern age despite its best efforts—and that’s a deceptively good thing. Avalon is full of deadbeat charm; loud-ass gasoline-powered golf carts putter across uneven streets, every bar is a dive, a dozen overpriced restaurants serve identical food to a captive audience. We floated above it all, not engaging with the nonsense. Instead, we sat on the sand with the kids, watching them play in the barely-there waves, grilled pre-marinated chicken thighs from the grocery store on the deck of the rental house, drank cans of beer we carried over from Long Beach, and strolled through town in wetsuits to snorkel with the garibaldi and giant kelp at Casino Point Dive Park.

This was a year that proved it’s not the size of the trip that matters, but how you relish it. Some of my most memorable jaunts were just a few days at a time, and less than a few hours’ drive from my home in LA, to places like Santa Barbara, Joshua Tree, Lake Arrowhead, and Sacramento. Of course, there’s also something to be said for going big, and my first foray into the world of Disney Cruising certainly qualified. Regardless, 2024 whet my appetite for even more unexpected travel—with kids and without—for 2025.

It’s not often that a short 90-minute drive can take you a world away, but my first-ever trip to Lake Arrowhead from LA delivered exactly that. Rise above the smog to revel in pine trees, alpine lakes, and full rustic cabin-core, and make it back home before dinner.

Let me start by explaining that I am in no way a Grateful Dead fan. I knew a handful of songs before my partner and I joined my sister and her husband for a show by Dead & Company at the Sphere in Las Vegas this summer. But a few hours later, I wandered out of the orb-shaped building dazed, buzzed, tear-stained, and a lifelong superfan. Part of that was the music, sure, but I also credit this amazing new venue that delivers full sensory overload and has changed the game in terms of live (or honestly, even film) entertainment. We ended the night at the new and luxurious Fontainbleu hotel which doubled as a second bonus surprise.

This category could also be Best Guilty Pleasure, as this was the year I took my family on our first Disney Cruise on the storied Disney Dream. I tell people it was all for the kids, but the truth is we went during my birthday to live out my own childhood fantasy of sailing with Mickey and friends. (While I am far from a full Disney adult, I dabble in Disney Enthusiast). Everything they say about DCL is correct—we loved how the lack of a casino and the absence of open-bar packages kept things classy, and we found the food, service, entertainment, and cleanliness far exceeded our expectations—even for the adults.

The highlight of an extended family trip to the Big Island for my dad’s birthday was our time spent exploring the lush Kohala coast. Every cafe, roadside stand, artist studio, and ice cream parlor came with smiles as wide as the green, watercut valleys that define the region. A multi-generational group of 14 with a handful of dietary restrictions among them is not the most low-impact, but the locals around Kohala were exceptionally warm, welcoming, and left me longing to go back.

Most of my 2024 was spent within North America, but I still went to plenty of places that felt far-flung and provided a much-needed respite from the day-to-day. I travel mostly for food, but I also managed to squeeze in some great family vacation time, work trips, and even a rare reunion with my high school friends.

Every trip I take is a food trip—that’s the job—but I was blown away by the variety of delicious (and kid-friendly) restaurants in Montreal. On my last visit, I focused almost exclusively on eating poutine, and as much as I would have liked to do that again, I also had to find something a little more balanced for my toddlers. We absolutely loved the all-day diner vibes at Larrys (mackerel spaghetti, anyone?), halloumi-topped salad at Le Butterblume, and the fantastic Vin Mon Lapin wine bar after the kids had gone to bed.

There’s something about Austin’s always-bustling energy that makes it incredibly friendly. While most of my trip was guided by former Eater Austin editor Nadia Chaudhury, I also had a few solo meals and beverages, and everywhere I went, people were so excited to chat about the food, drinks, and what was happening in the city that felt energizing and new. Austin’s a great destination for a solo trip where you never truly feel alone.

For my birthday, we did an overnight visit to the beautifully designed The Henson in the Catskills. You don’t have to pack five meals into 24 hours like we did, but if you do, I highly recommend Casa Susanna’s regional Mexican food in Leeds, drinks with a view at West Kill Brewing, all the pastas and mains at Matilda (located at our hotel in Hensonville), pastries at Mel the Bakery and breakfast at Cafe Mutton in Hudson, and a tasting of the blackcurrant liqueur at C. Cassis in Rhinebeck.

My 2024 was bookended by trips to the Caribbean. I spent December 31, 2023, in Grenada and December 31, 2024, in Jamaica (part of a long-term habit to always get out of New York for New Year’s). In between, I stuck to relatively chill trips within US shores: stops at my spiritual homes in LA and Philly, a long summer weekend in Maine, a jaunt to Seattle. Looking ahead, I’m taking inspiration from Eater’s Where to Eat in 2025 for the rest of this year. I’ve particularly got my eye on Panama City; Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France; and Goa, India.

Even before my first visit to Jamaica over the December holidays, I was, of course, familiar with the island’s reputation for a friendly, laid-back way of life. But I didn’t expect that informality to translate into total strangers regularly negging me. From admonishments about not finishing a meal to ribbing me for not using Jamaican Patois, locals used light emotional battery (my own family’s love language) to break down any stuffy formality and berate me into island relaxation.

As the latest East Coast idiot to visit Seattle during its peak summer season, I found myself repeatedly thinking, “Maybe I should move here,” while remaining completely ignorant of the city’s infamous rain. I probably don’t have the inner strength to survive 11 months of downpours like residents do, but I’ll definitely be returning in a future summer.

I’ve been visiting an uncle in Portland for years, and over that time I’ve joined the chorus of diners singing the praises of the city’s food scene. During a long weekend this summer, I squeezed in a miso scallion scone with chili crisp butter at Onggi, mee goreng at the Honey Paw, and sweets from Night Moves, along with a stop at the shipping container-based version of Rabelais, a dealer in vintage cookbooks and food paraphernalia that I’m happy to see survived the closure of its permanent location.

My 2024 travels were full of sunshine, adventure, and as much swimming as physically possible. I traveled to celebrate and connect with friends and family. Looking ahead, I want to travel a little more spontaneously and plan out my life less. More impromptu trips!

I may be biased since I’ve been going since I was a little kid, but I think Grand Cayman is one of the best Caribbean islands, particularly because of 7-Mile Beach. For the uninitiated, the landmark is exactly that: seven miles of beautiful sandy beach where you can watch the sunset from the shore or treat yourself to a cruise at golden hour.

I was gifted a trip to Nice, France, for my birthday to watch several Olympic football matches (actual football! Or, soccer for Americans), and I was able to catch a women’s match between Canada and Colombia.

If you get the chance to visit the lakes region in Austria, head to Attersee. The town is quaint and full of locals, the food is delicious, and the hiking is breathtaking. But most impactful of all was the experience of swimming in the crystal-clear lake; it’s a memory I’ll never forget.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.