Robert Annis

The gigantic bear ambles closer and closer. Weighing between 800 and 1,000 pounds, its the largest predator I’ve ever come across—and I’ve certainly never been this close. Now, just yards away from me and the eight other bear-watchers in my tour group, just off the eastern coast of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, it looks up across the flat, tiny patch of meadow between us and meets my gaze. I’ve wanted to see a bear in the wild for years, but in these first few seconds, I’m second-guessing that desire.

“That sign warned trucks about going up this road—tight switchbacks and no shoulder,” I said. “Should we find another route?”

“I think we’ll be alright,” Sally said.

As we pedaled our bikes over the rolling hills of Kentucky, I could practically taste the bourbon.
There’d be a glass waiting for us at the end of the ride, of course — two fingers of whiskey, with a single ice cube. But being surrounded by the raw ingredients had the flavor tickling my tongue. Fields of corn beginning to brown in the August sun. Clear water trickling down limestone cliffs into a massive underground aquifer. The scent emanating from the distilleries themselves, that sweet cor...

It’s another warm early December day in the Cuban countryside, perfect for a bike ride. I launch myself up a hill, legs spinning fast in a big gear. As the grade increases, I rise from the saddle and stomp on the pedals. The top of the hill is only 20 bike lengths away, and I feel a moment of triumph that none of the other riders have passed me.

That is until I notice a Cuban rider named Jorge on my left pedaling j...

I’m a good photographer, but obviously no Ansel Adams. Adams had a unique style – a way of photographing landscapes playing with light and shadow, creating iconic images both stark and beautiful – and on a recent trip to Yosemite National Park, I learned how to capture some of that magic myself.

Although Adams traveled the world, the place he’s most closely identified with is Yosemite – California’s most awe-inspiring location, made even more so by his photographs. T...

Just a few days before we all were ordered to stay home, my dad died. Congenital heart failure was listed as the cause of death, not COVID-19, but the coronavirus would still impact us in a multitude of ways in the following weeks.

Before he passed, as the country started seeing more coronavirus cases in mid-March, I had urged Dad to stay inside until all the craziness could blow over. He thought I...

It’s nearly 7 a.m. when I roll up to the starting line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next Sunday, the venue will fill up with some 300,000 cheering fans for the Indy 500, the most popular auto racing event in the world. But today the stands are empty, and the only spectators are a few pit-crew members and track staff preparing for an action-packed day of practice. Even so, my neck hairs stand at attention. I may be in the saddle of a Giant TCR Advanced road bike, not an IndyCar cockpit,...

Surrounded by seemingly endless red rock and spiky spinifex grass, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the desolate beauty of the Australian Outback. Fortune-seeking adventurers have long braved the treacherous interior region, but today’s visitors seek a different kind of rush. Instead of gold, they’re coming to the Northern Territory for epic single-track mountain-bike trails and long-distance hiking routes in a rugged, mostly untrodden land.

For more than a half-century, the so-called Red Cen...

After two men were arrested for creating illegal mountain-bike trails through Fort Harrison State Park, they found an unlikely ally: Speaker of the House Brian Bosma. But environmentalist groups say new greenways there will devastate one of the few natural areas left in the city.

Nashville’s new favorite tailor, Jerry Lee Atwood, picks up the Nudie suit thread
It’s five days until the MTV Video Music Awards, and Jerry Lee Atwood’s small Union Western tailor studio buzzes with activity.
Atwood created Lil Nas X’s Western suit for his groundbreaking “Old Town Road” video, and three weeks before the awards show, the country rapper commissioned a new ensemble for the event. So Atwood has assembled a group of friends and loved ones to help out with the hurried haberdashery...

Tucked away near the New Mexico–Texas border lie three unique attractions: White Sands National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Visitors can climb to the top of Texas’ highest peak, journey 1000ft below the earth’s surface, or scramble up the world’s largest – perhaps only – gypsum dune fields.
With less than four hours' drive time (Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains are only about 30 minutes apart) to hit all three spots, the region is perfect for tim...

Texas has always had a unique love affair with music. Fiddles and steel guitars are as ingrained in the fabric of the Lone Star State as blue bonnets, cowboy boots, and 20-ounce steaks.

In the first half of the 20th century, most Texans’ social lives revolved around their local dance hall. More than 1,000 venues could be found across the state at that time; only a fraction of those remain today. But in recent years, the tradition has begun making an unexpected comeback.

It has all the trappings of Patagonia: Towering volcanos, glacial lakes, soaring mountains and scenic trails. But unlike its neighbor Bariloche, San Martin de Los Andes isn’t making headlines—yet.
We’d only been hiking for about 90 minutes when we reached a rocky clearing. Although steep in parts, the hike up the small mountain wasn’t terribly technical. The remnants of that winter’s snowfall obscured the trail in many places, forcing us to improvise our way through thick evergreen forest and...

You can pay to stay at this kitschy Indianapolis landmark, but do you really want to?
It’s considered the ugliest house in America by many design and architecture experts, and for $400 a night, you and a dozen or so of your closest friends can experience the unusual rooms, unfortunate decorating choices, and unnerving stains for yourself.

Known somewhat affectionately by the locals as the “Dolphin House” thanks to the massive porpoise sculptures outside, or “that damn Kessler place,” the mult...

Winter may not be peak season at Yosemite National Park, but during the second half of February, thousands of people flock to the valley hoping to catch one of the most elusive sights in nature. When the conditions are perfect, the light from the setting sun can hit Horsetail Fall and make the water cascading 1,575 feet down El Capitan look like lava. This optical illusion has come to be known as the Firefall, a reference to a long-banned spectacle in which an innkeeper would toss burning deb...