David KrisoTraveling-it’s the single greatest investment anyone can make with their lives. There is so much to see, do, feel, and experience with all the time life allows. There’s traveling by train, plane, cruise ship, and via the open road. The window of opportunity is wide open. The year 2025 was truly a good one. Much has been done and accomplished. With the new year 2026 just days way, now it is the time to put together the list of things to accomplish either individually, as a couple, or even as a family. However those travel plans are to be executed, it’s best to let them come to pass in bigger ways than imagined. 2026 will not be a new year to make lofty travel plans happen. It will be a new year for travelers to push the envelope. By pushing the envelope and enjoying the gift of travel in ways never experienced before, 2026 will be a new year to be treasured. Every year should always be experienced better than the one before. How should 2026 be experienced and treasured? The traveler’s mind is like a parachute. It will only work when opened.
When it comes to cruise vacations, cruising doesn’t have to be as plain as it comes. Some just like to enjoy the ship of their choice, the cruise line of their choice, and the itineraries of their choice. That’s all good. However, has anyone ever tried going on charter cruises? Charter cruises add a whole other realm to the experience. Charter cruises provide the perfect opportunity to experience the high seas from a whole other angle and on a totally unique note. There are a multitude of ways to take advantage of the opportunity. Has anyone tried clothing-optional cruising, or nude cruising? The Bare-Necessities Tour & Travel Company based in Texas has been providing these one-of-a-kind cruising experiences for thirty-five years. This coming February 2026, Bare-Necessities will be chartering the beautiful Norwegian Pearl out of Miami, FL, on an 11-day Caribbean voyage stopping at Norwegian’s private island Great Stirrup Cay twice. Bare-Necessities cruises are designed for ages 18 and older. So, if there are any young or middle-aged adults out there looking to enjoy life more freely and enjoy traveling the way Mother Nature intended, a Bare-Necessities clothing-optional cruise is the way to go. Bare-Necessities opens the door. Details can be discovered at cruisebare.com. It’s the right way to relax meet new like-minded friends. Further details can be discovered at . For a complete listing of upcoming charter cruises, visit cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html.
Has anyone traveled by train overnight? It may have been a long time since the last time doing so. Let the new year 2026 be a year to take advantage of the experience. Amtrak makes the opportunity happen. For beginners, there’s the all-day long-distance journey aboard Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian (NYC-Pittsburgh), the Carolinian (NYC-Charlotte), the Palmetto (NYC-Savannah), and the Vermonter (Washington, DC-St. Albans). Then, there’s overnight travel by train. Amtrak’s Silver Meteor (NYC-Miami), Lake Shore Limited (NYC/Boston-Chicago), and Crescent (NYC-New Orleans) are must-do’s. If traveling by car and train are weighing on the mind, Amtrak’s Auto Train (Lorton, VA-Sanford, FL) is the opportunity worth seizing. Plus, Amtrak offers a golden incentive. Passengers who purchase an Amtrak sleeping car accommodation will get their onboard dining included. Why would anyone want to pass up on such an opportunity? 2026 should also be the year to take advantage of traveling cross-country by train. Amtrak provides amazing routes such as the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle), California Zephyr (Chicago-Emeryville, CA), Southwest Chief (Chicago-Los Angeles), and Sunset Limited (Los Angeles-New Orleans). Whichever overnight experiences are of interest, Amtrak.com is the place to learn more.
Is 2026 the year for anyone to experience beach life in a way never experienced before? Has anyone visited the New Jersey Shore? At the northern tip of the New Jersey Shore, facing the New York City Skyline and Verrazano Bridge is Gunnison Beach. Sandy Hook’s Gunnison Beach is the golden opportunity to enjoy the beach and the New Jersey Shore in particular. Gunnison Beach is the largest clothing-optional beach in the northeastern United States and the only clothing-optional beach in New Jersey. It’s family-oriented! The water is terrific. The sand can’t feel better on the body. The social atmosphere at Gunnison Beach is the utmost pleasant. Best of all-there’s no need to babysit the car, worrying whether anyone’s gonna get a parking ticket from a cop on a bike. Sandy Hook beach goers pay at the gate and are issued a printed receipt. Beach goers display the receipt on their dashboards. Once parked at whichever beach parking lot, they’re covered for the whole day. For Gunnison Beach goers, they can’t be happier, and feel more free-er than before. Clothing-optional beach! No parking worries!
In Miami, let Haulover Beach be the place to enjoy life as Mother Nature intended. Haulover Beach is the largest clothing-optional beach on the Atlantic Coast. Whether staying in Miami or nearby Hollywood, Haulover Beach is an easy drive, Uber, or Lyft ride. Parking at Haulover Beach is $5.00 on weekdays and $7.00 on weekends. Swimsuits may not be needed at Haulover Beach, but plenty of humor and good spirits to share are encouraged. Let Summer 2026 be a time of fun, peace, and tranquility. It’s not just a time for no parking tickets, but the right time for the mind and body, too. For further information, visit nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandy-hook.htm and haulovernudebeach.com.
The countdown is on. 2025 is just days from being a memory. The new year 2026 is just days away from becoming a reality. There are memories of which millions of travelers treasure from 2025. Those memories range from first time visits to Walt Disney World, first vacation homes on the New Jersey Shore, first time visits to the ski slopes in Vermont, first vacation homes in Florida, and first ever long-distance train journeys. Such memories may even include first time visits to San Francisco, San Diego, the Gulf of Mexico, or even the Hawaiian Islands. The list is never-ending. The new year of 2026 can’t be a more promising year for travelers. What lies ahead in the New Year? Where can travelers do to make the new year 2026 even more treasurable than 2025? Could it be a charter cruise to deepen one’s passion for sailing the high seas? Could it be a long-distance Amtrak journey anywhere in the United States to better appreciate the scenery of this great country? Best-could it be the opportunity to visit clothing-optional beaches more? It could be the golden opportunity to appreciate the sun, surf, and sand and surrounding company a manner never thought before. The new year 2026 cannot be just another turn of the calendar. It’s way more than just a turning of the page. It’s a time of enjoying life on a deeper note, investing time on a greater note, and appreciating the gift of travel from a whole new angle. As long as travelers broaden their horizons and push the envelope, 2026 will be more than just ‘a new year’. It will be a new year well-appreciated, highly relished. and deeply cherished, with the promise of perfect postcards in the mail.
