Now that another year is in the rearview mirror, we figured it was a good time to stop and look back at some of our best travel writing of 2015—365 days of road trips, sightseeing, “nakations,” jet lag, hotels, tipping-etiquette puzzlement, ooh- and ahh-inducing nature, glittering cities, photo sharing, efficient packing, haphazard unpacking, and all the other stuff that goes into exploring our ever-fascinating globe. Here are 10 of our favorite stories, listed in the order they were posted in 2015.

Top 15 Places to Visit in the United States in 2015

Our most viewed page of the year was one of 2015’s first posts: a roundup of our picks for the best US travel destinations. The list highlights old standbys worth another look (Orlando, Chicago, Las Vegas), relatively undiscovered gems (southern Utah, coastal Oregon), and a surprise or two—Grand Rapids, Michigan nabbed the top spot.

Why You Should Tip Housekeeping Every Night and Other Hotel Tipping Etiquette

In February, we talked about tipping at hotels with Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and an etiquette maven in her own right. According to her, you should be passing out cash to pretty much everybody on staff—bellhops, housekeeping, the breakfast-buffet attendant, and so on. A few commenters on social media agreed with Post that tipping “is never to buy good service; it’s always to appreciate good service.” But most took issue with her advice. “The businesses should just pay their employees to do their jobs,” said Facebook follower Adam P., voicing a common sentiment, “instead of passing this burden onto customers.”

The Jet Lag Diet Is the Best Way to Avoid Travel Fatigue

We may not see eye to eye on how much you should tip the maid, but here’s one thing we can all agree on: jet lag is terrible. It can make your first days in an international locale pass by in a sleepy blur and leave you wide awake at 4 a.m. when you return home. We took on this scourge of time-zone-crossing travel by trying out a diet that alternates feasting and fasting to reset your circadian rhythms in the days leading up to your trip. It worked for our staffer—not to mention the CIA and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who have also been known to use this method.

An Oregon Trail Road Trip for Modern Travelers (or Settlers)

We’re big fans of road trips. This year, we put together itineraries for an epic drive through six midwestern states and another from northern to southern California. But for fans of the 19th century (or maybe it’s really the 1980s), our best road trip would have to be the one we assembled in honor of The Oregon Trail, the classic pioneer-themed computer game. The journey from Independence, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon, is quite a bit less arduous these days, but remember: if faced with a choice, always, always caulk the wagons and float.

Everything You Need to Know About Taking a Nude Vacation

, we’re all about helping you try out new things. You say you want to go to a resort or beach where you don’t have to wear a stitch? Let’s do this. Our guide to “nakations” seeks to answer every question you might have had about clothing-optional getaways but were afraid to ask, from Can I dine in the buff? to Can I sit on the furniture?

I Love Camping vs. I Hate Camping: Our Writers Face Off

As the weather warmed up, two of our writers faced off on the subject of camping, debating whether sleeping outdoors is a chance to commune with glorious nature or a chance to commune with biting insects. Though they both made some good points, we’re going to have to side with the hilarious and passionate argument of camping-hater Krista Burton, who wrote, “If your ancestors could see you, getting ready to take a ‘vacation’ from your ‘hard life’ by hiking for hours into the wilderness and willingly putting yourself in close proximity to dangerous beasts, they would shake you.”

Pet-Friendly Travel Tips from Manny the Frenchie

By far the biggest celebrity to visit our offices in 2015 was Manny the Frenchie, an impossibly adorable french bulldog and social-media superstar who served as model in the photos illustrating this collection of tips for traveling with pets. The pics alone are enough to merit the article’s place on this list.

See It or Skip It: The London Eye Ferris Wheel

In our ongoing See It or Skip It series, we weigh in on popular tourist attractions, determining whether they’re worth your time or overrated. This analysis of the London Eye Ferris Wheel got more shares on social media than any other installment in the series this year. For the record, we recommended skipping it—unless of course you’re shooting a British spy thriller, in which case it’s a must-visit.

Travel Hack: How to Erase Tourists from Your Photos

We posted 10 Travel Hack videos in 2015, showing you ways to make your life easier on the road. Many of them have to do with packing—how to neatly fold a suit jacket, how to keep wine bottles from shattering in your suitcase, and so on. But the coolest video illustrates how to use photo-editing software to remove tourists from your vacation pics. A stranger’s fanny pack need never mar your memory of the Eiffel Tower again.

The Great American Bucket List

Our most ambitious project of the year was The Great American Bucket List, a four-part series listing the one thing you should do in each of the 50 states. We took you leaf-peeping and beachcombing on the East Coast; found music, food, history, and bourbon in the South; explored lakes and state fairs in the Midwest; and marveled at wide-open spaces in the wild West. Checking all those places off your list should be enough to keep you busy through 2017.

Photos: Bill/Global Jet, CC BY 2.0; Steve Cornelius, CC BY-ND 2.0; Grant Walsh, Groupon; Amy Thomann, Groupon