Author: GoneTrending

Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Latto’s career has drastically improved since her reality TV debut. Many fans of the “Put It On Da Floor” rapper aren’t even aware of her time on The Rap Game. However, the show’s co-producer and host, Jermaine Dupri, hasn’t.

During a recent interview with HipHopDX, the music mogul addressed the public’s thoughts on how he handled Latto’s career after she won the show’s game prize.

“People keep saying, ‘Jermaine, you dropped the ball on [Latto]. But what I think people don’t understand is, I put Latto’s record out,” said Dupri, referring to the deal promised to Latto for winning the season.

Viewers were under the impression that the winning contestant would be granted an exclusive recording contract with Dupri’s legacy label, So So Def. Dupri said that was indeed not the case. “The deal was, if you win on The Rap Game, you get a single from Jermaine Dupri on So So Def,” said Dupri. T”hat single [Who is You] came out.”

He added, “The problem was that Latto was 16 years old, and the outlets didn’t support it. And nobody was like speaking on it. Nobody talked about it. If you watched the TV show, you saw it…But people didn’t really start talking about Latto until she started making more vulgar records, dressing more sexual, and being more adult.”

Latto’s recollection of the event differs from Dupri’s account. In 2016, she told VladTV that she was offered a deal with Dupri’s label but ultimately turned down the contract because, “It wasn’t enough money.”

Latto has gone on to achieve great success while Dupri has continued to add to his legacy with an upcoming Verzuz battle slated for September. There doesn’t seem to be a loser in this scenario.

Since taking over the House, GOP representatives have wasted a lot of time. They’ve held committee hearings that failed to dig up any dirt but do create dumb spectacles. They’ve also been investigating President Joe Biden and his family, vowing to reveal all manner of seedy underhandedness. Well, guess what? That isn’t going so hot either.

Over the weekend, Rep. James Comer told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo at least one of their alleged whistleblowers went AWOL. The next day, however, things got worse. As per Raw Story, during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s podcast, the Georgia lawmaker said that they couldn’t locate nine of their stool pigeons. She tried to spin it as a positive: They still had one!

“Now, the truth that I can tell everyone this morning is we have not lost the submarine,” Greene said. “That whistleblower is very safe. But he does fear for his life, and rightfully so.”

Still, yes, there is quite a lot more bad news than good. “But other whistleblowers, yes, they are missing,” she admitted. “They’re either in court, they’re in jail, or we cannot talk with them at this time because they can’t be found.”

But perhaps the one (1) whistleblower who hasn’t gone off the grid will suffice. ” Greene spoke of how “important” their investigation into Biden and family’s so-called crimes, vowing that “this will bring down the president of the United States.”

Speaking of taking down a U.S. president, last week their favorite one was found guilty of defamation and sexual misconduct, not long after becoming the first former POTUS to ever be indicted on criminal charges. He’s also the Republican frontrunner for 2024.

(Via Raw Story)

When we try to take stock of where we live, sometimes we can be too close to things to appreciate what’s right in front of our eyes. It can also be hard to accurately assess some of the problems we’ve learned to live with over the years.

That’s why a Reddit post by a Dutch tourist who spent some time in the U.S. resonates with many Americans and Europeans alike. In the post, a Reddit user named MikJon shared the things they liked and didn’t like about their time in America.

They noted they didn’t post anything about politics, taxes or healthcare because those issues aren’t relevant to tourists.

Here are the 5 things that they liked:

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1. Nature

Raw, wild and untouched, and—most of all—VAST. The sheer vastness AND variety of nature and pure wilderness here are definitely unmatched in Europe. Specifically the little nature we have in The Netherlands is laughable compared to the USA.

2. People

People are generally approachable and friendly. Yes, I do like Americans, at least their overall demeanor. I would be greeted and asked where I’m from, even by someone at the 7-11. In general Dutch people are quite rude.

3. Free refills!

This is a small thing but really unheard of in the Netherlands. In my country, you pay the same price for just one tiny cup of coffee. In fact, all drinks you order are tiny in The Netherlands and you pay for each one.

4. Traffic lights across the street

I can’t for the life of my understand why we still have to lean over the steering wheel and get a sore neck looking straight upward at the traffic lights in Europe.

5. The doggy bag

You MIGHT be able to get to take your leftover with you in certain places in The Netherlands, but it is really not the norm, and would surely raise an eyebrow if you ask. Here it is normal and I find it very good to not let the food go to waste. Besides, I did pay for it so it’s nice to be able to take it with me.

Here are the top 4 things they liked least:

1. Tipping!

Why the heck do I need to be partly responsible for a proper salary for these people? Also, it is just annoying to have to calculate the tip every time. It is also annoying that listed prices are almost exclusively without tax. In my country—and across most of Europe as far as I’m aware—you pay exactly what is listed as the price. No hidden surprises.

2. The food, especially breakfast

Almost everything contains sugar. Breakfast is never with fresh bread and fresh good meats and cheese. In fact, American cheese is awful, but maybe I’m spoiled living in a cheese country. For dinner the food isn’t quite as bad, but it’s still nowhere near the quality and variety that you find in Europe.

3. Plastic!

Too much plastic is a problem in Europe also, but the amount of plastic (and styrofoam or other disposable crap) used here is bizarre. I also find it really bizarre that in every hotel breakfast, it’s all disposable cutlery and plates also. You really NEVER see this in Europe, not even in the cheapest hotels.

4. Imperial measurements

Gallons, miles, feet and especially Fahrenheit is so bizarre. Also because the conversion factor to metric is odd. Almost all the world, as well as the scientific world, uses metric which makes so much more sense in every way. Why does the U.S. hold on to such an archaic system?

A Belgian Redditor named Jakisirtaki mostly agreed with the original poster.

PRO:

European (Belgian) here who just came back from a one-month road trip in the U.S. I’m so jealous of the magnificent nature you have in your country. I saw so many beautiful sights! Please treasure it. I disagree with the low-quality food, I had both really good meals and really poor ones. Best Thai food I ever had was in LA. Also, so many places sell drip coffee just the way I like it, not some watered-down espressos. Loved that! Another like were the many (mostly) clean and free restrooms.

Having to pay for using a dirty restroom in a rest area along the highway in Europe sucks. That being said, some restrooms in the U.S. really didn’t care about my privacy with one-inch gaps everywhere. Driving was so convenient, being a pedestrian not so much. I biked through SF but couldn’t say I felt very safe.

CON:

Dislikes were the tipping culture and prices listed pre-tax. I mean, I ordered food or drinks to go a couple of times where I often had to tip in advance only for something to go wrong with my order. Not getting my tip back am I?

Domina from New Zealand is a big fan of Americans’ “can-do” attitude.

Like:

Sports culture, have-a-go culture, general enjoyment of life, being encouraging of people that are willing to try something or hustle, low barrier to entry for someone starting a business, online shopping, gas stoves, diversity across the different parts of the country, super friendly, most people are big on values, pride in keeping towns tidy.

Dislike:

Tipping (I know you have it already but seriously, what gives), treatment of indigenous history, lack of consumer protection, level of poverty, strange policy-making that reinforces lack of trust in government, occasional respect for road rules, hard-to-access to good quality produce at a reasonable price, no ring-pulls on tinned food.

Just pet peeves. Overall I freaking love being in U.S.! This country rules and will continue to rule!

Edit: I forgot to add innovation. It feels like this country could invent anything.

Kelpo has a real problem with how people get around in Los Angeles.

I went to LA recently and found the car-centric culture suuuuper inconvenient for a tourist. Every time you want to see a thing, you need to research it beforehand and then drive there. Want to see another thing? More research, then drive. In just about any other city I’ve ever been I would just head to the city center and explore on foot and pop in to whatever place looked interesting.

Admittedly it was a short trip and maybe I did it wrong, but the closest thing to being able to just wander around was in downtown, and even there, you occasionally have to walk over a nice 8-lane highway, which is a long way to walk (and be wary of certain neighborhoods and whatever).

That and since a car had to be involved at every step, you couldn’t really stop for a few beers or whatever. I guess locals either plan their days better or drive drunk.

An American who goes by HTC864 took on the original poster’s points one by one and, for the most part, agreed.

Nature

Natural resources have always been the big selling point.

People

People are generally approachable and friendly. I think this changes depending on which area of the country you’re in, but I also don’t know anything about the Dutch in comparison.

Free refills

Just [happy face emoji]

Traffic lights across the street

Weird to me that it would be any other way.

The doggy bag

I wouldn’t have thought this was an issue anywhere. Is the resistance to taking home food a European thing or just in the Netherlands?

Tipping

Hard agree. I think most of us know this system isn’t helpful and should be done away with.

The food, especially breakfast

There are a lot of variances, but we do overuse sugar (and salt) on top of having larger-than-needed portions.

Plastic

Again, hard agree. We need to do more to reduce our overuse of plastics, although we’ll probably never be rid of them.

Imperial measurements

Doesn’t bother my day-to-day, but it would make more sense for there to be one international standard.

A New Yorker with the username inbettywhitewetrust realized they need to appreciate the beauty in their own backyard.

As a New Yorker, it’s funny to see the vastness of nature as the first one. Your post motivates me to go on domestic vacations instead of galavanting around Europe in the summers; I really haven’t seen any of the U.S. aside from the East Coast’s major cities.

Accomplished-Sky-434, an American who recently visited the Netherlands, turned the conversation around and shared what they thought about the original poster’s city.

Pros:

Amsterdam is a beautiful city. It was pretty clean and felt safe too!

Fresh and tasty food everywhere! Maybe this is just my perception from my recent experience but every meal we ate seemed like it was made from fresh ingredients. Made everything seem that much more tasty. Especially the cheese!

The walkability. A 30-minute walk in Amsterdam city center was nothing. If anything it was a delight walking past tiny cafes and beautiful buildings. In the U.S. a 30-minute walk is a no-go almost anywhere. A 30-minute walk in Texas means you’re walking along major roads and under/over freeway overpasses.

Tipping was totally not expected! Anytime I did tip the servers in NL were genuinely grateful. Unlike the U.S. where if you don’t tip it’s viewed very negatively.

Lots of really cool things to do. From museums to river cruises and coffee shops. Need I say more?

Cons:

Taxi drivers try to take advantage of you. Maybe this is the same in the U.S. but I don’t ever use taxis here. In Amsterdam, I tried approaching taxi drivers and they almost always made up some kind of excuse like “minimum payment is €40 regardless of distance” or “I can only take you this far, you have to walk the rest.’” I learned to just use Uber while I was there.

Hard to find gluten-free food! I have celiac disease so I have to eat gluten-free. Not much of a problem in the U.S. for a number of reasons but in the Netherlands, restaurants rarely advertised gluten-free options, had gluten-free menus, or had any items on their menu that were gluten-free.

Chances are you’ve seen plenty of bathrooms before, especially if you’re on a device that connects you to the entire world. It’s generally the same setup no matter whose house you go to; there’s a toilet, a bathtub or shower and a sink. Bathrooms aren’t really anything to phone your best friend about.

Unless, of course, you’re this mom in a viral video posted to TikTok.

Freddy Ray, who runs the TikTok account @thebeastnasty, shared a video of his mom’s reaction to his bathroom remodel, and her reaction is the best. Sure, everyone loves a new look to a room they use frequently, but this bathroom is causing serious powder room envy by viewers. When the video starts, Ray’s mom is standing in awe as the lid to the toilet softly closes on its own. That’s plenty fancy by itself, but the cool factor doesn’t stop there.

Ray explains to his mom that the toilet lid opens when someone stands in front of the bowl before pointing out the remote for the toilet and shows her how to operate it. The entire time, his mom shouts in amazement with each new discovery. It’s probably the most “mom” reaction ever.

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But just when you think he’s done, there’s more. The bathroom is like a clown car full of surprises. The fixtures look more like decorations than knobs to get the water flowing, and the beautiful picture hanging above the tub is actually a television. The entire bathroom is even equipped with self-sanitizing UV lights because he clearly thought of everything. People in the comments were jokingly (and not so jokingly) envious.

“I just got called poor by my bathroom,” one commenter wrote.

“In the bathroom looking at my commode like a mere outhouse, with its peasant manual flush,” another wrote, complete with crying laughing emojis.

“With a bathroom like this, I will not be early to any events,” someone wrote.

If you’ve never experienced bathroom envy, then you haven’t watched the video below. It currently has 2.3 million views and over 280,000 likes. Pretty sure his mom is going to be easy to locate when she comes to visit.

@thebeastnasty

Replying to @itislilya 😅 here’s how she reacted to the rest of the bathroom! My ultimate hype mom 😍 #diy #bathroom #project #rennovation #remodel #hgtv #amazon #amazonfinds #toilet

No other mammal is as varied in size, shape, color and features as domestic dogs. If you put a Chihuahua and a Puli in front of an alien, they would never guess they were the same kind of animal. Seriously, how can a Dachshund, a Poodle and a Samoyed all be the same species?

Some dog breed origins are somewhat discernible by the location clues in their names, such as Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Alaskan Malamutes and Great Danes. Other names have recognizable regional language roots, like the Shih Tzu and Shiba Inu. We associate Poodles with the French and Huskies with the Arctic, but there are over 450 dog breeds the world over. Where did they all come from?

It could take hours to explore the vast history of dog breeds, but a video from BioArk offers a fascinating and entertaining overview in less than 20 minutes.

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The story of domesticated dogs began more than 23,000 years ago when nomadic peoples started giving wolves table scraps. Since then, dogs have evolved alongside humans as our loyal companions, hunting helpers and protectors, but most modern dog breeds bear little resemblance to their wolf ancestors.

Some evolutionary change and adaptation are to be expected over thousands of years, of course, but that doesn’t explain the enormous variety in dog breeds in a relatively short period of time. While dog breeds originated on basically every continent, a good percentage of the dogs we know today came from what’s known as the Victorian Explosion, when intentional dog breeding intensified and expanded in the British Isles in the 19th century. Even so, as the video explains, each dog breed’s unique history almost acts like a microcosm of the history of the culture it came from.

Check out BioArk’s “Where Every Dog Breed Came From” for the full overview:

Drew Barrymore made a recent blog post in honor of Mother’s Day reflecting on her own complicated mother-daughter relationship, which eventually led to the actress and talk show host filing for emancipation at the age of 14.

Barrymore has long been candid about having a turbulent childhood, and in her blog post, she details being sent by her mother to a mental health facility in her adolescence, where she spent two years in the center’s youth program attending individual and group therapy.

While going to rehab was certainly a humbling experience for the teen star, looking back she can confirm it was also a “revelatory” one, particularly in the way she viewed the importance of adults setting up protective structures for kids.

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“I understand now: kids love feeling safe, and having boundaries is one of those crucial bumper rails. I lived a boundaryless life and job. And this place, as hellacious as it was, it was exactly what I needed from the too much excess my life had become on the outside,” she wrote.

During that time, she also learned the importance of advocating for one’s own emotional needs, even if that means putting distance between themselves and those they dearly love. Certainly a relatable lesson for many.

“It taught me the foundations of telling your truth…Your feelings. Your faults. Your hopes and wishes. Your hurts. What and where you wanted to get to in life,” she wrote. “And—very important—who was going to help you on your path and who would you have to let go. For me…it was my mother.”

When Barrymore did emancipate from her mother, there was a newfound sense of freedom (“the umbilical cord was severed,” she wrote). But still, she had to learn to reparent herself and somehow establish a structure she had never been taught. No easy task.

“I cannot give myself rave reviews. I drank too much. Partied and burned the candle at every end. I danced on desks and posed half-naked in the name of art. Nothing I judge. It’s my history. I was just trying to figure out how to grow up and who I wanted to become,” she shared.

Though over the years she has found a way to bring stability into her life, Barrymore admitted that being a mother “constantly triggers everything from my own childhood now,” especially since today, with social media providing “everything at your fingertips,” kids live in a similar world to what she grew up in. “It is the world I promised my daughters wouldn’t experience…and yet all our kids are in it now,” she shared.

And still, she declared that being a mom is the “greatest thing” she will ever do in her life.

“Everything in my experience here on this pale blue dot has been for them,” she wrote. “And now it is also my chance to not make it about me but learn how to deal with all that comes with choosing to be a parent.”

See on Instagram

As for her current relationship with her mom, Barrymore finished her blog post by sharing that it had recently been her mother’s birthday. After sending a quick and simple birthday message, her mother wrote back, “Thank you so much! I’m incredibly proud of you and send you love,” which felt like the “greatest gift.”

And to her girls, Barrymore had this sweet Mother’s Day message: I just hope I can be someone who makes you feel safe,” she wrote. “And that you can laugh with. And that you can tell me anything. I’m here for it. I’m in the circle with you… for life.”

Barrymore has a reputation for being raw and honest, but fans seemed more profoundly struck by the vulnerability of this essay.

“I love your openness and honesty about what you have been through and experienced. Your example helps those you struggle in their own ways to see past the step they are on in this thing called life and know you can continue in whatever way/path you choose,” one person commented on Barrymore’s Instagram.

Another wrote, “Thank you! For your openness, for sharing and for fighting to be different and be yourself, for helping me set my heart at peace and know I am being true to myself. Happy Mother’s Day you beautiful human!”

Mother’s Day can indeed be a complicated time for many. The holiday can trigger feelings of loss, betrayal, resentment, yearning, fear—maybe all of the above and all at once—if someone’s relationship with their own mom was/is turbulent. There has been more awareness and sensitivity around this in recent years. Many companies have even given the option for customers to opt out of any Mother’s Day-related messaging.

No matter what wounds our mothers might have left us with, open conversations can be healing, be it online, in therapy groups or in our close friend circles. Who knows, it might just provide that bit of nurturing the soul has been searching for all along.

If you’d like to read Barrymore’s full blog post, click here.

There’s long been a toxic, racist wing of Star Wars fandom. They came for John Boyega. They came for Kelly Marie Tran. It took until they came for Obi-Wan Kenobi actress Moses Ingram for the franchise’s top dogs to finally stand up and fight back. But something funny happened when Andor introduced one of Star Wars‘ first live-action queer character: Nothing happened — or at least as experienced by the character’s very offline portrayer.

In a new interview with The Independent (in a bit caught by The AV Club), English actress and Game of Thrones vet Faye Marsay discussed playing Vel Sertha, a Rebel Alliance member who’s in a relationship with fellow fighter Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu). Surely the presence of queer characters in Star Wars — which racist fans seem to not notice is one of the most diverse franchises in history, with an untold number of species hobnobbing together — would result in heaps of online abuse? Right?

“I’ve not had any,” Marsay told The Independent. “Nothing. It’s gorgeous. And reassuring. And the way it should be.”

There is one big caveat here: Marsay is barely on social media. She was mostly driven off because of the “quite intense backlash” she received from Game of Thrones fans, who were none-too-happy that, as The Waif in seasons five and six, she was tormenting Maisie Williams’ Arya Stark, even at one point beating her with a stick.

“I’m just a bit rubbish technology-wise,” she said. “I’m like, the worst millennial on earth. The struggle is real! Like, I can’t really properly put a post up. It takes me a while.”

In other words, Marsay’s not exactly present to witness any potential harassment. Or maybe it never happened because people learned to be cool! But that seems unlikely.

Marsay also talked about playing Star Wars’ first queer live-action character (the video games introduced their first all the way back in 2003).

“While we were filming, I wasn’t thinking too much about it,” she admitted. “But then when you think about what it means to the community, and what it says to the massive bunch of people that need to see themselves mirrored in the shows they watch. The further we got, the more myself and Varada were aware that we were the first openly written queer characters, and how important that was.”

Marsay added, “Like I always say: people in the LGBTQI+ community, it’s been going on since the beginning of time; it’ll go on till the end of time. Andor was just normalising the normal. That’s it.”

(Via The Independent and The AV Club)

When the NFL reached a deal with Amazon to move Thursday Night Football to the streaming service exclusively, it represented the league’s first time moving a game off of the traditional TV airwaves. That will apparently only be the beginning of the NFL’s embrace of streaming services, as next year there will be a playoff game you won’t be able to find on your TV guide — despite it being produced by a traditional TV network.

As NBC has done with some of its other sports properties, they have reached an agreement with the NFL to make next year’s Saturday night Wild Card Round game a Peacock streaming exclusive.

That means fans of two teams will have to have NBC’s streaming service to watch their teams play in a playoff game — as well as the millions of others that tune in for each NFL playoff game regardless of the team. What’s wild is that NBCUniversal is reportedly paying the league $110 million to broadcast the game on Peacock, per ProFootballTalk (which is NBC’s NFL site, so seems safe to say it’s a solid source). That’s a rather outrageous amount of money for one game, but falls in line with Amazon’s rate for Thursday night games. The league is clearly willing to lose a bit of viewership on some of the games for a massive payout, but it will be fascinating to see what the drop-off ends up being in viewership figures from the rest of the Wild Card games.

Part of what has made the NFL a juggernaut is their ownership of broadcast airwaves where they reach the most people — it took ESPN years to get in on the playoff package just to get a game on cable. Moving a game to being a streaming service exclusive is a big deal, but I also don’t know if it’s a harbinger of things to come. NBC paying that much on top of the billions they pay for the Sunday Night package just to take a game off of the normal airwaves in an effort to drive subscriptions is bold. I’m sure other networks will look to see what the actual boost Peacock gets from this is in terms of subs (and how long those subs last), but it will need to be an awful lot to cover the extra cost — particularly because ad revenue for the game figures to be lower as well.

This is a grand media experiment, and the frustrating thing is that the fans are the ones impacted by it. The league makes a ton of money and NBC gets to brag about having the first playoff game on streaming (even if they lose money on it), but there will be plenty of fans who now have to make the decision between watching a playoff game or not adding to their list streaming service bills (particularly if they’ve already burned through a trial sub previously).

Hollywood loves a reboot. After all, it’s easier and less risky than coming up with new ideas. But there’s one franchise that probably won’t be going the route of Harry Potter or Cliffhanger any time soon: Back to the Future. Robert Zemeckis, who directed all three films, and Bob Gale, his co-writer, own the rights to the series and they don’t want anyone besmirching their previous trilogy. But if it ever does get rehashed, would that bug one of its stars? Not really.

In an interview with Variety, Michael J. Fox — who’s been promoting a new documentary about his life, career, and medical issues — was asked what he’d think if there was a new Back to the Future, which would have to be done without him since he’s retired.

“I’m not fanatical,” Fox replied. “Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already.”

Fox wasn’t exactly apathetic about a Back to the Future reboot. He said he doesn’t think “it needs to be” rehashed at all.
“I think Bob and Bob have been really smart about that,” he said. “I don’t think it needs rebooting because are you going to clarify something? You’re going to find a better way to tell the story? I doubt it.”

The third Back to the Future was released all the way back in 1990, which means Fox hasn’t played Marty McFly in well over three decades (apart from the occasional mini-reunion with co-star Christopher Lloyd). Was he ever approached about returning to the role for a fourth film?

“I’m sure somebody thought about it,” Fox said. “But I was in the early stages of Parkinson’s at that point, so I don’t know that I would have wanted to take that on. Right after Part Three had done well, there might have been conversations about it, but I never got involved in them.”

So Fox isn’t into more Back to the Future (and besides, he’s retired). But his co-star feels otherwise.

“I would love to do a sequel, but I think Bob Zemeckis and [producer Steven] Spielberg felt that they told the story in the three episodes,” Christopher Lloyd said. “But if somebody has a brilliant idea that would justify a fourth film it might happen.”

While there may never be another Back to the Future movie, there has been other Back to the Future stuff. There was a short-lived animated series shortly after the films concluded. And right now there’s a musical adaptation on Broadway. So if a new Back to the Future is what you want, you’re gonna have to make do with the gang occasionally reuniting and being all cute together.

(Via Variety)

Younger generations increasingly value experiences and travel… pretty much everything. This means that the digital generation is spending more time on the road and in the outdoors than ever before. But the days of carting around a cumbersome Rand McNally Road Atlas and just showing up to a hotel or campsite without warning while on a long trip are gone.

That’s the bad news.

Here’s the good news: with summer approaching — undoubtedly the peak season for road trips and outdoor travel — I can confidently say that there is indeed an app for anything you might need to help plan a trip in 2023. And these aren’t your average GPS apps, either. The best outdoor travel apps now have offline capabilities, crowd-sourced recommendations, and can offer users the information they didn’t even know they wanted about nearly anywhere in the country if not the world. And, of course, CHAT GPT is also super helpful as a planning guide.

If you’re going out on a long road trip this summer, or staying close to home for some weekend or outdoor day trips, you’ll want to download one or more of the following apps, depending on how you travel:

BEST APP FOR NATIONAL PARK TRAVEL – Google Maps

Yes, really. I know you have Google Maps, but you may not know about its new features. The OG maps app has recently undergone a major update making it even more invaluable to National Park travelers. Google Maps partnered with the National Park Service to gain input from directors and park rangers to be sure maps were useful and accurate while visiting National Parks. Maps now show the entrances to each park on the base map, have photo pins for the most popular areas in a park, and show the entire trail on the map – not just the starting point.

Coolest Feature:

Google Maps now has support for user-generated content, including photos are reviews of trails.

Offline Capabilities:

One of the most exciting updates is that Google Maps has an easier action for downloading offline maps – making it safer and easier to use in parks with little to no internet access.

Cost: Free to download and use

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR FINDING HIKING TRAILS – AllTrails

While there are always new additions to the hiking trails app game, the one that always comes out on top is no surprise: AllTrails. With over 400,000 trails on the app, and reportedly over 45 million registered users, it is by far the most comprehensive and useful app for hikers of any level.

Coolest Feature:

There are a lot of features that come in clutch for a day or week on the trail, but the most useful for me is the trail reports. If I am heading out to a new (or old) trail I love to see what users have reported within the last few days to get an idea of how I can best be prepared.

Offline Capabilities:

AllTrails + offers downloadable maps for offline use using your phone’s navigation without a signal – a huge plus.

Cost: Many features are free to use with a registered account. AllTrails+ is $35.99/year and includes offline map downloads, 3D maps, and wrong turn alerts.

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR FINDING CAMP SPOTS – The Dyrt

Whether camping, van-lifing, or looking for a glampground, it can be difficult to suss out which campgrounds or dispersed land will have the amenities you want until you get there. That’s where The Dyrt comes in. A mix between AirBnb and Yelp – the app has everything you need to go off the grid or pretend to.

Coolest Feature:

I love the ability to see reviews and photos from other campers/glampers along with information on cell service and amenities that may be important to me. Users can also request to book many of the sites within the app and find free camping.

Offline Capabilities:

The Dyrt offers a downloadable campground database and downloadable maps for offline use with a Pro membership.

Cost: The Dyrt’s free membership allows you to explore campgrounds and create lists. The Dyrt Pro is $35.99/year and includes offline maps, cell service maps, dispersed camping maps, route planner maps, access to 5,000+ free camp spots, and more.

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR FINDING QUIRKY ATTRACTIONS – Roadside America

One of my favorite parts of summer road travel is finding quirky hidden gems. World’s Largest Sticker Ball? I’m in. Giant Wooden Nickel? Sold. Killer Bee Capital of the World? Obviously, I’m there.

These off-beat attractions are a great way to bring a little levity to a long road trip – and an opportunity to stretch your legs while you’re at it. The best way I’ve found to find them has always been Roadside America, first the website and now I use their app. You can find the offbeat nearby, on your travel route, or by theme (some of my favorites are “Big”, “Graves” and “Irrational Geographics”).

Coolest Feature:

I love the ability to save your attractions, as well as check off the ones you’ve visited within the app. Each attraction listing gives a wealth of info: what, where, directions, hours, cost, call, rating, and website.

Offline Capabilities:

Users can access their saved attractions while offline, although the rest of the app works best with network connectivity.

Cost: There is a one-time charge of $2.99 to download the app and unlock one region of the US. Other regions can be unlocked at a further cost of $6.99 for all.

Download here: Apple.

BEST APP FOR THE TECH-SAVVY MOUNTAINEER – PeakVisor

Whether you’re hiking up a mountain peak or simply admiring one from a distance (or even in a photo), PeakVisor has your back. The Italian-designed app uses 3D augmented reality and your phone’s camera to identify mountain peaks – giving their name, altitude, and a detailed interactive guide to the location for navigation.

Coolest Feature:

I love that PeakVisor will identify peaks in photos you upload from your phone – it doesn’t have to be in the moment. A fun way to learn and explore new and old vistas.

Offline Capabilities:

The PeakVisor Premium subscription offers unlimited offline capabilities, as long as your map is downloaded before losing service.

Cost: PeakVisor is free to download and use, with a Premium subscription that includes offline capability, custom trails, and photography tools is $29.99/year or $89.99 for a lifetime subscription.

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR THE SOLO TRAVELER – Cairn

This should really be named the best app for hiking and outdoor safety, period – but it is especially essential for solo hikers. As a seasoned solo adventurer, my number one piece of advice is always to let someone know your hiking and travel plans – and Cairn makes it too easy not to. Users are able to add contacts of friends and family to a “Safety Circle” and then alert members of the circle to their hiking plans, starting point, estimated arrival time, overdue alerts (even when you don’t have cell service), and a link to a map showing your progress if you choose.

Coolest Feature:

The thing that really drew me to Cairn is the crowd-sourced cell-service data via different carriers on the trail. While I love a good disconnect moment in nature, as a solo traveler and hiker it isn’t the best idea to head off alone without any means of communication in case things go south. With Cairn you can check the route in advance and see if you can expect any service, and if not be prepared with other methods (I love my Garmin InReach for these times).

Offline Capabilities:

You have the option to download offline maps worldwide on Cairn Premium plans.

Cost: Cairn offers free and premium plans. The free version provides trails, track recording, and cell coverage data, while the premium offers overdue alerts for your safety circle, trip progress map, downloadable maps, cell coverage by specific carriers, and on downloaded maps. After a 7-day free trial, the premium is $4.99/month or $26.99 for a year.

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR RESPONSIBLE RECREATION – Native Land

When traveling it is important to remember that regardless of where you are – you are on native land. While Native Americans and other indigenous people have experienced systematic erasure throughout history, it is more important than ever to take steps to learn and pay respect to the people who inhabited the lands before you. Native Land has long been the website I use to research before a trip, and their app is immensely useful while traveling.

Coolest Feature:

Native Land makes it easy to explore the map or search for an address to find which Indigenous Nation you are recreating or traveling on. They are clear that the boundaries aren’t necessarily set and it is a work in progress, but it is a great start for your own learning. You can toggle between treaties, territories, and languages while exploring the map.

Offline Capabilities:

Native Land maps will work offline after the initial download while online.

Cost: Free

Download here: Apple and Android.

BEST APP FOR RESERVATIONS AT NATIONAL PARKS – Recreation.gov

With the onslaught of visitors to many public lands across the United States, reservation systems and timed entry tickets are being rolled out more and more – and the great majority can only be procured via recreation.gov. You’ll need the app to secure campsites at many parks, timed entry tickets, and reservations to many of the most popular parks during the summer months.

Coolest Feature:

Recreation.gov is also how travelers can enter lotteries for some of the most in-demand outdoor experiences such as The Wave in Coyote Buttes and Angels Landing in Zion National Park.

Offline Capabilities:

The Scan and Pay feature for campsite reservations is available offline, with your transaction being processed when you come back online.

Cost: There is no cost for the app itself, but many reservations have a procession fee, while campground reservation fees vary.

Download here: Apple and Android.