Travel reporter & columnist at the @washingtonpost. On Instagram @natbco. On Substack @ nataliecompton.substack.com
Washington DC
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FAT BEAR WEEK IS OCT. 4 - 10!!!
WE TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY AT @washingtonpost TRAVEL THAT THEY SENT ME TO ALASKA TO SEE THE COMPETITORS IN PERSON.
TUNE INTO OUR COVERAGE AT WASHINGTONPOST.COM/TRAVEL
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RING THE FAT BEAR KLAXON!!! THE FAT BEAR BRACKET IS OUT!!! I REPEAT, THE @exploreorg FAT BEAR BRACKET IS OUT!!! SO IS MY REPORTING ON @washingtonpost!! WEE WOO WEE WOO:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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FAT! BEAR! WEEK! STARTS! WEDNESDAY! GET READY! FOR #FATBEARWEEK! WITH THIS EXPLAINER:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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We're walking off the job on Thursday. Here's why:
Workers @washingtonpost have been in contract negotiations with our bosses for 18 months.
But the company is refusing to pay us what we’re worth or bargain in good faith.
So on Dec. 7, we’re walking off the job for 24 hours.
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INTRODUCING THE 4-TIME, NEARLY-TOOTHLESS FAT BEAR WEEK CHAMPION, OTIS! washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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In my quest to understand Rick Steves, I also dressed like Rick Steves. Here we are together at his headquarters, just three Rick Steveses:
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Rick Steves is about 79324x more interesting than whatever you've assumed. Last month, I traveled to his hometown to learn more about the man behind the guidebooks. Read what I learned in my profile for the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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The @washingtonpost has !!60!! open jobs right now. Here they all are, waiting for you to apply: careers.washingtonpost.com/
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Looking for help getting my 96-year-old WWII veteran grandpa a Covid-19 vaccine in Madera Ranchos/Fresno, California.
Can someone help give me some tips?? Willard fought Nazis, still has NAZI SHRAPNEL IN HIS LEG, was a jazz drummer for 50 years. Let’s get him a vaccine!
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My profile comes on Rick Steves out this week and I can't stop telling people fun facts about him
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BREAKING: you can now renew your passport online again!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
The @TravelGov program went live at 1 pm today. Read who's eligible and how to use it in my latest for the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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Fat Bear Week 2022 is coming in hot. One of the most pure joys known to man, all made possible by the saints at @exploreorg and @KatmaiNPS.
Who are you rooting for this year??? explore.org/fat-bear-week
ALT Photo of fat bear and cubs courtesy of Katmai National Park and Preserve.
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Fat Bear Week contenders are out today. Voting starts Wednesday. Opening up a @exploreorg tab and keeping it open indefinitely.
Thanks to @FitzIke, @KatmaiNPS and all of the superfans who shared their insights for this @washingtonpost story:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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This story has everything:
- "Satanic Ritual Abuse"
- Skincare product reviews
- Chiropractic Facebook Ad Campaigns
- Pickup artist coaching
Another wild ride from @pbmelendez on @thedailybeast: thedailybeast.com/samuel-fis…
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I think we can all agree a middle seat is not merely $2 worse than other options on a standard commercial flight
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For the @washingtonpost, I traveled to @KatmaiNPS to report on the motherland of fat bears and their biggest fans:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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Thinking about the time I went to a gym in Kathmandu and saw this man walking his dog across the street in a totally normal way
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Nearly a third of people think they can land a plane in an emergency. Pilots disagree.
“Do people think they can perform transplant surgery? No. Then why do they think they can land a plane?” @AskThePilot tells the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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The Fresno VA came through, and my grandpa got his covid vaccine today 😭❤️ THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE TIPS!
Looking for help getting my 96-year-old WWII veteran grandpa a Covid-19 vaccine in Madera Ranchos/Fresno, California.
Can someone help give me some tips?? Willard fought Nazis, still has NAZI SHRAPNEL IN HIS LEG, was a jazz drummer for 50 years. Let’s get him a vaccine!
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These days, everyone wants to be a “traveler,” not a “tourist.” Both mean you’re away from home, exploring someplace foreign to you, but one term has cachet while the other gets a bad rap.
Well guess what, SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TO BE A TOURIST. I SAID IT!
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Saw two National Guardsmen in full uniform trying to work Bird scooters by the Mall and that’s probably the most DC it’s going to get out here.
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TRAVELERS!
Would love to hear your RED FLAGS and ICKS in a travel partner for a @washingtonpost story I'm working on. Picky eaters? No TSA PreCheck? What's a deal breaker?
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DO YOU LIKE TRAVEL? DO YOU LOVE TRAVEL? ARE YOU INTO THE JOURNALISM?
We have a #travel #journalismjob at the @washingtonpost open and this is me #tweeting about it:
washpost.wd5.myworkdayjobs.c…
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Why do we have insane names for groups of animals but not for servings of pasta?? A tangle of carbonara. A murder of gnocchi. A conspiracy of lemurs but no romp of bolognese??
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It’s a giant photo of a peacock at a mezcal distillery in Oaxaca. People should get to see it. Thank you!
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$84,940, started 3 years ago at 70k. I had been a freelance writer before getting about $100–$350 per story. Earned $33,062 in 2016, $40,266 in 2017, $42,759 in 2018, $55,106 in 2019.
Thanks @vikkie for giving me the courage to tweet this.
It’s time for men in media & other industries to step up & start being more open publicly about their own salaries & their own privilege. And it’s time for more white women speak up about what they’re currently being paid, as well. 12/
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2:57 pm - get to DCA.
3:02 pm - through TSA in record time (thanks, Pre-Check!)
3:07 pm - email from @AmericanAir flight's delayed 3 hours. Will be missing connecting flight.
The chaos begins.
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My latest Substack goes behind the scenes of what it was like to meet and interview the godfather of European travel, @RickSteves:
nataliecompton.substack.com/…
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Apply to be the @washingtonpost deputy editor for our travel destination, By The Way ✈️🚂🗼 Deadline is July 6 -- don't miss it!! @WritersofColor @jjobs_tweets washpost.wd5.myworkdayjobs.c…
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"It didn’t have to be this way ... I could have packed myself a lunch, like millions of adults do for their children every single day, but inevitably won’t do for themselves."
A very relatable story from @galuten for the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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"In its current form, travel is being robbed of its ability to teach us to think and act differently than we would at home." Deez Links comes for travel: deezlinks.com/p/stop-trying-…
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Do you LOVE to work on flights, or always do it? Do you buy plane wifi so you never miss a beat?
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My dispatch from Selma for the @washingtonpost: A look at the many, many random acts of kindness across town after Thursday’s deadly Tornado ❤️🩹
washingtonpost.com/nation/20…
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My shenanigans in cartoon form by @gemmacorrell, today on the
@washingtonpost: washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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Anthony Bourdain’s forthcoming book is filled with highly quotable mantras to live by. Here are some favorites to channel when you hit the road again:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Have you traveled with your mom? Tell me about your (good, disastrous, endearing) trip shenanigans: natalie.compton@washpost.com
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The Fat Bear Week discourse in the Facebook group is keeping me going today. So sincere. So many fat bear insights.
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"Old San Juan is a 16th-century city, not a playground."
Tourism is returning to Puerto Rico, however a wave of misbehaving tourist behavior is causing anger and frustration among locals like @IsraelAyala144.
Read more today on the @washingtonpost: washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Travelers: for the @washingtonpost, tell me your rules for the OVERHEAD BIN. For example, the below is an example of BAD BIN ETIQUETTE.
What essential overhead etiquette do you wish other fliers knew?
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Ok why is no one answering yes IN THE NAME OF LOVE or also that they can then rest their head on their shoulder to sleep??
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Long live the travel journal!!!!! More on why in my latest for the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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“It’s more likely that President Biden will dunk a basketball on live TV than airlines will reimpose middle-seat blocking.”
@smkeyes of @scottsflights, @hharteveldt, and @bryandelmonte weigh in on the latest CDC news means for travelers.
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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HERE IT IS, FOLKS!!! YOUR 2022 FAT BEAR WEEK BRACKET:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
And at the end of the day, it's a big thank you to the salmon for making it all possible <3
cc: @exploreorg / @KatmaiNPS / @AppleNews
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The man playing Clair de Lune on the public piano next to a 40-foot Christmas tree at the Salt Lake City airport is a reminder that not everything about travel is horrible these days
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For the @washingtonpost, I spent 10 hours at “Trucker’s Disneyland" in Walcott, Iowa, doing all the things:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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For the @washingtonpost, I asked health experts like to assess the risk of popular trip ideas ahead of the spring break season.
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Summer travel looks...good?? Read why travel industry insiders say we can start to feel hopeful again:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Simple, but complicated question:
How many pairs of underwear do you pack for a trip?
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Yesterday, I ate 15 items from Amtrak’s new reimagined menu.
Read how that went on the @washingtonpost: washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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13,049 tabs open hunting down a covid vaccine for my mom - feels like karma for the 10,000 doctors appointments she made for me growing up
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Looking to interview people who've worked in/around the ski industry with $$$very wealthy clientele$$$
Have you worked at Cloud 9? Zermatt? Yellowstone Club? Hoping to hear the most extreme requests you get from high net worth travelers. Email me at natalie.compton@washpost.com
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What are your rules for talking on airplanes?
Are you pro chit chatting with strangers? Should chit chat be banned? When is talking fair game?
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Chunk got Grazered. Read more on the @washingtonpost: washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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The CDC just gave the green light for fully immunized Americans to travel.
In my latest for the @washingtonpost, read how to plan with insight from doctors, travel advisors, industry analysts and more.
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Is Google’s new flight search function valuable for travelers (and the planet)? I asked @KHayhoe and @milankloewer to weigh in for the @washingtonpost: washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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DC Craigslist: "Come see this MODERN, CHIC, BREATHTAKING one bedroom apartment!!!!! $2500!"
The apartment:
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Our Washington Post designer Katty Huertas could have made generic brown bears, but she went through painstaking work to create illustrations true to the @KatmaiNPS bears's looks and nature. A LEGEND! A behind the scenes:
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A reminder from today's briefing with Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs & the CDC:
"This is not a time to be doing discretionary travel."
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I called up 6 health experts this morning to get their thoughts on omicron/holiday travel. Here are their insights: washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Riddle me this - I’ll take a worse seat on a worse airline because it’s $50 cheaper, then end up spending that same amount on a terrible meal and cocktail at an airport chain restaurant. Why.
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Lastly, don't miss @Mo__Ranaway's video of our adventure with @RickSteves, either:
washingtonpost.com/video/tra…
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“Medium-large” and very old Otis is back on the chopping block today in the Fat Bear Week bracket.
Last week, @exploreorg’s @FitzIke told me that “it’s really fun to see people’s love for Otis being expressed through the competition and through their campaign efforts.” I agree.
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For the @washingtonpost, I spoke to seven Oaxaca locals about their frustrations with tourists defying coronavirus protocols:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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PB is a liquid (at the airport, at least), @catholicpat discovered.
It's confusing, because we think of liquid as a bottle of water or a container of shampoo, and gels as toothpaste or LA Looks. But TSA takes every item on its conveyor belt literally.
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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"And for those who don’t go to clubs in their own city, let alone in a foreign country, what’s travel if not a time to try things you wouldn’t do in your hometown?"
A fun read from @danqdao for the @washingtonpost:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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If you are VERY into Fat Bear Week, I'd love to hear about it! Shoot me a note: Natalie.Compton(at)washpost.com.
[Photo of last year's big, giant winner 747 courtesy of @NatlParkService.]
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In my latest for the @washingtonpost, thoughts on our ability to unplug in flight from @oliverburkeman, @garyleff, technology and addiction experts, @JonMalesic and more:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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@jonronson recommends Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) for writers! Super helpful and sort of earth shattering for me.
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Americans who've traveled internationally recently: were you asked to show your negative covid test results before you flew home from abroad? And what airline did you fly?
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Last night for the @washingtonpost, @Mo__Ranaway and I camped in the woods near Burkitsville, home of the Blair Witch Project.
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Happening now! @hannahbsampson and I are taking your travel questions in a live Q&A over on the @washingtonpost.
Tune in here: washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to breath down the neck of the person standing in the TSA line ahead of you.
More on this, and other essential rules for existing in an airport, in our latest Completely Correct Guide: washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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New from @hannahbsampson and me for the @washingtonpost on the U.S. welcoming back international travelers:
washingtonpost.com/travel/20…
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The joy of flying DCA on a Sunday: 6 minutes from getting to the airport and through @TSA PreCheck 🥰
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TV taught us to be afraid of quicksand when Microsoft Outlook was the real inescapable pit to fear
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Rather than focus on what we can’t do this summer, we put together a list of things we can to get your brainstorming started:
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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"The carbon footprint of U.S. food waste is greater than that of the airline industry. Globally, wasted food accounts for about 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental consequences of producing food that no one eats are massive."
washingtonpost.com/climate-s…
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Truly incredible announcement just now on my Delta flight: “Hello folks, as a reminder there’s no vaping allowed on the aircraft. Vaping counts as smoking. So, no vaping.”
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Getting more maskne by wearing makeup under my mask but have to wear makeup to cover up my maskne but getting more maskne by wearing makeup under m—
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That included 3 nights of camping at the park. Here's my little tent (not pictured: a bear deterrent electric fence):
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My latest for the @washingtonpost: a look at traveling through Vietnam by train from Saigon to Hanoi, by way of Hue
washingtonpost.com/travel/ti…
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Signed up for @WSJ to follow @DawnGilbertson on her new journey! Read her first dispatch of the Carry On covering the complications of summer travel:
wsj.com/articles/summer-trav…
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Not in the story: he travels with mechanical pencils to take notes to update his guidebooks because he likes the tactile experience better than using pens
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