Joel Balsam

Read the latest articles by Joel Balsam at Thrillist

Nation

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Travel

Explore adventure guides and design a custom itinerary for the destination of your choice in and around the city.

Best Travel Guides, Cool Hotels and Interesting Events - Thrillist

We have good news, Americans: You’ll be allowed to visit Canada very soon.

Canada Is Finally Reopening to Americans. Here’s Where You Should Go First

The Great Escape

We’re creating a modern guidebook for connecting to nature, inviting people from all walks of life and of all experience levels to join us on the trails

Thrillist Presents 'The Great Escape' Guides to the Outdoors

Image by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist

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Summer is finally here, and with coronavirus restrictions lowered across the country, it’s time to stick your head out of a fast-moving car and char the heck out of some marshmallows over an open fire.

How to Elevate Your Road Trip Game With Car Camping

Illustration: Maitane Romagosa/Thrillist; Photo: Murat Can Kirmizigul/Shutterstock

They say there are two kinds of Canadians: those who live in Toronto and those who hate Toronto.

Fall in Love With This Vibrant, Underrated Canadian Metropolis

Photo courtesy of Alexa Fernando

Go ahead and ask someone from Toronto about the city’s most famous dish.

The Best Restaurants in Toronto, According to Local Chefs

Weed

Everything You Need to Know About Legal Weed, Smoking, Edibles, CBD and More

Emily Carpenter/Thrillist

On October 17, 2018, Canadians from coast to coast fired up comically large joints to celebrate becoming only the second nation to legalize recreational cannabis.

Toronto Is Making a Play to Become North America's Cannabis Capital

Unsplash/DESIGNECOLOGIST

Congrats America: A bunch of states are jumping on the legal cannabis train.

How to Have a Very Good Smoke Sesh in Toronto

Late Checkout

Thrillist presents 'Late Checkout,' bringing you the most unique Airbnbs, bucket list hotels, and extraordinary places to stay around the world.

Late Checkout: Airbnbs, Hotels & Where to Stay Around the World

Photo courtesy of Quetzalcoatl's Nest Airbnb

In the woods outside downtown Mexico City, an ethereal serpent winds through the trees and up into the green hills.

You Can Rent This Kaleidoscopic Snake House on Airbnb

John Fowler/Unsplash

On April 12, New Mexico became the 17th state to legalize weed—meaning that an already weird place is about to get a hell of a lot weirder.

 This Beautifully Trippy Southwest State Just Legalized Cannabis

The Roaming '20s

The Roaming '20s is all about embracing the nomad in each of us. With tips for working remotely, relocating, and exploring the great outdoors, we're reinventing the way we live, work, and travel.

Thrillist Presents 'The Roaming 20s': Embracing the Nomad in All of Us

Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock

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Among the once-dorky things we reassessed last year, RVs were second only to sweatpants.

Traveling by RV? Here's What to Know Before You Hit the Road

Sean Pavone / shutterstock

John Denver was on to something when he declared West Virginia "almost heaven" in “Country Roads," despite never having been there when he sang it.

America’s Newest National Park Is Packed With Scenic Wonder and Eerie Ghost Towns

Kobby Dagan / shutterstock

Burning Man may have been canceled this year, but its spirit has leaked out of the Nevada desert, extending its reach well beyond the 70,000 attendees who flock the dry lakebed every year.

Giant Sculptures Are Spreading Burning Man Vibes Across North America

The Washington Post / Contributor / getty images

Machu Picchu and Petra are all world wonders for a reason–humans don't typically spend decades transforming geography into art (except in South Dakota... it’s kind of their thing).