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Sep 14, 2019I am the walrus

This herd of gentle giants is bobbing in the waters of the Svalbard archipelago, roughly midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. Walruses spend more than half their day in the water, masterfully foraging for clams and other marine organisms. The rest of the time, they hang out on ice floes, the males and females huddled separately, taking a break before diving in for more food. Walruses launch from the ice to eat, making the floating blocks an important part of their survival. With the effects of climate change increasing, Arctic ice is melting, posing an existential threat to the ancient pinnipeds.Desktop Version

Nov 10, 2021Cumberland Island National Seashore

Along the southernmost stretch of Georgia"s Atlantic coast are several barrier islands, and Cumberland is the largest. The US National Park Service (NPS) protects 9,800 acres of the island"s wilderness, a place where, as the NPS says, nature and history meet. Human occupation on Cumberland Island touches on numerous milestones in the story of America.Desktop Version

May 14, 2022Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands

This stretch of windmills is one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites—you probably recognize them from postcards and calendars. Both iconic and historic, the windmills in the village of Kinderdijk have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The Netherlands has about 1,200 windmills, though only 300 or so are still operational. Over the years they"ve played a major role in pumping sea water away from the nation"s reclaimed land. Keeping the water at bay is a perennial issue for the flat Low Countries, where much of the ground is below sea level.Desktop Version

Aug 27, 2022Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington

We"re standing on the Boundary Trail at Johnston Ridge in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This view of the volcano shows how the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, ripped apart the once-conical summit, forever changing the Washington landscape. Forty years ago today, 110,000 acres within Gifford Pinchot National Forest were set aside to memorialize the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruption in the United States.Desktop Version

Aug 21, 2020Lobster tales

It"s peak lobster season in Maine, and colorful wooden buoys like these are marking lobster traps (or "pots") along the state"s coastline. Each lobsterman or woman has a unique color and pattern to their buoys, and designs are frequently passed down through generations. When not being put to use, lobster buoys are often hung from the sides of barns and sheds—they"re an iconic sight in coastal Maine.Desktop Version

Dec 10, 2022Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

More than 2 miles above sea level, near the crest of the Andes, is an anomaly of the natural world, a salt flat bigger than many countries. The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world at about 4,000 square miles. The salt flat is the remains of an ancient lake that evaporated long ago leaving behind a thick mineral crust that is both a source of edible salt and a critical breeding ground for, of all things, flamingos. But for a battery-hungry world, the greatest riches might lie below the crust—a vast brine rich in lithium.Desktop Version

Dec 20, 2021Ministry of Fun Santa School

If Kriss Kringle himself stood among this lineup of rigorously trained substitute Santas, you"d never know it: These certified Saint Nicks have done their ho-ho-homework. They"re students of the Ministry of Fun Santa School—each year the Ministry of Fun trains dozens of "Father Christmases" (as Santa Claus is known here in London). Skilled in the art of helping Santa to be in many places at once, Santa School graduates will soon be in demand at department stores across jolly England.Desktop Version

Jul 9, 2023Moselle River loop near Kröv, Germany

The Moselle River, a tributary of the powerful Rhine, meanders through the landscapes of France, Luxembourg, and Germany. Along the way, it carves out valleys of breathtaking natural beauty, dotted with towns and historic landmarks. Lush, sun-drenched vineyards cling to the steep slopes overlooking the river, producing some of the finest wines in the world, including riesling, pinot blanc, and pinot gris, to name a few. The river"s gentle flow and sparkling waters invite visitors to embark on leisurely cruises or peaceful walks along its shores. The Moselle creates a haven for nature lovers, wine enthusiasts, and history buffs alike.Desktop Version

Feb 25, 2020Jazzed for Mardi Gras

To celebrate the Big Easy"s enduring legacy of music, we"re in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans for Fat Tuesday. As Carnival season culminates today with Mardi Gras celebrations throughout the city, this historically black neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter will come alive with the music of jazz bands like the one depicted here. The sculptural profile of a traditional marching brass band marks one entrance to Louis Armstrong Park, a community space honoring New Orleans" musical roots with a 12-foot statue of its jazz legend namesake, as well as other art pieces depicting iconic NOLA musicians.Desktop Version

Dec 23, 2021Festivus

For polar bears, the airing of grievances is a feat of strength in itself. These big fellas are frequent sights here in Churchill, Manitoba, where hundreds of bears converge in the winter to hunt, but we"re still calling this light-bathed snapshot a Festivus miracle!Desktop Version

Sep 29, 2021The largest American bison around

Emerging from a stand of trees in the Northwest Territories of Canada comes a wood bison, the larger of the two subspecies of the American bison. (The plains bison is the other type). The wood bison once numbered in the tens of thousands, roaming the chilly boreal forests and open meadows in northwestern Canada and parts of Alaska. But by the early 1900s, these majestic animals, as with their cousins to the south, were driven almost to extinction by hunting, disease, and habitat loss.Desktop Version

Jul 18, 2021Grand finish of Le Tour

After a three-week jaunt around France, cycling"s most prestigious race concludes today with a triumphant procession into Paris before a sprint finish on the iconic Champs-Élysées. The 21st and final stage of this year"s Tour de France—the 108th edition of the famous event—begins in Chatou, a town in the western suburbs of Paris along the River Seine. Tour tradition dictates the overall race leader isn"t challenged on the last day, so it starts out as a victory parade for the champion-elect, who will be wearing a yellow jersey, posing for pictures, and sipping a glass of champagne along the route. But when the riders reach the heart of Paris, the pace picks up as they dash along the Champs-Élysées, a tree-lined promenade often described as the "most beautiful avenue in the world."Desktop Version

Nov 28, 2021Celebrating Panama s independence

What do you get when you cross historic feats of engineering with unmatched natural beauty? Answer: This photo of a suspension bridge in a rainforest. Or more generally: Panama, where the photo was taken.Desktop Version

Sep 15, 2019A light on National Hispanic Heritage Month

Today marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a holiday to recognize the vital contributions made by Hispanic and Latino people living in the United States. Why does National Hispanic Heritage Month begin on September 15 and not at the start of the month? The date was chosen because September 15 marks the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras—places from which many Latin Americans in the US and their ancestors have immigrated. The monthlong celebration is marked with events throughout the country, from an annual festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to ceremonies within all branches of the US military.Desktop Version

May 24, 2023Old Fortress, Corfu, Greece

This imposing structure is the Old Fortress on the Greek island of Corfu, off the western coasts of Greece and Albania. Situated in a strategic location between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, Corfu became one of the most fortified places in Europe amid successive sieges by the Ottoman Empire. The island was ruled by the Republic of Venice for 400 years until the late 18th century, which built forts in Corfu"s Old Town to defend its maritime trading interests. They held off three Ottoman sieges in 1537, 1571, and 1716 but have been repaired, rebuilt, and added to over the centuries. The Old Fortress has witnessed the rise and fall of mighty empires for hundreds of years, from the tip of a rocky peninsula jutting into the sea. These days, however, it is home to the public library and Corfu"s archives.Desktop Version

Jan 3, 2023Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Hey, don"t judge. Migrating takes it out of you! Yes, these sandhill cranes are sleeping on their feet in the waters of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southern New Mexico. The birds start arriving around Halloween each year, and as many as 10,000 of them will stay to rest and feed in local fields until February. What"s on the menu? Well, sandhill cranes aren"t picky; they"ll eat whatever"s available, from plants and grains, to insects, snails, and even snakes. And they have plenty of avian company at this beautiful refuge each winter—whooping cranes, ducks, and snow geese from as far away as Alaska and Siberia also count Bosque del Apache as a favorite resting spot before heading north to their breeding grounds when the days get warmer. Thankfully, there"s plenty of room to spread their wings at the 57,000-acre refuge.Desktop Version

Feb 16, 2020When an ideal microclimate gives you lemons…

…put them on everything. That"s the philosophy behind the two-week Lemon Festival that began yesterday and runs through March 3 in the coastal city of Menton, France, where this citrus-covered dragon looms large. This sliver of the French Riviera just down the road from Monaco almost never sees freezing temperatures, even in winter. That makes it ideal for growing lemons, oranges, and other citrus crops—and the harvests are plentiful, as proved by the Lemon Festival"s many fruit-bedecked sculptures and parade floats.Desktop Version

Jun 1, 2023World Reef Awareness Day

The Great Barrier Reef runs for 1,430 miles along Australia"s northeastern coast, providing a home for thousands of species, including more than 1,500 types of fish. Here, you"ll find whales, dolphins, turtles, sharks, dugongs, and algae, all living together in a delicate ecosystem that relies on the coral reef. Sadly, climate change and pollution threaten this iconic site, the largest reef in the world. On June 1, we observe World Reef Awareness Day to remind people of the importance of safeguarding coral reefs, which provide food and shelter for about 25% of all marine life, to maintain the balance of nature.Desktop Version

Aug 5, 2018Friendship Day in the City of Brotherly Love

What better place to celebrate Friendship Day than in the heart of Philadelphia–specifically, Love Park (aka John F. Kennedy Plaza), home of Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture. If you’re thinking to yourself that you’ve seen this sculpture before–but in New York or maybe Chicago?--you’re not wrong. It’s a popular piece that’s been reproduced dozens of times, even in different languages. In fact, you’ll find an AMOR sculpture not far from here, just outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.Desktop Version

Dec 7, 2019Remembering the Arizona

Looking up through the seven skylights of the USS Arizona Memorial, you"ll see the Stars and Stripes wave solemnly against a bright Hawaiian sky. On today"s infamous date, the flag flies at half-mast to honor the 2,403 people killed in Japan"s December 7, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that thrust the US into World War II. Of these, 1,177 service members perished in a direct hit that blew apart the munitions-laden Arizona. Over 900 of these casualties remain buried at sea within the ship"s superstructure. They"re joined by survivors who upon their later deaths chose to have their ashes interred alongside their fallen crewmates.Desktop Version

Sep 11, 2018Inside the Oculus

Reconstruction after the Sept 11 attacks included not just rebuilding on the site of the Twin Towers, but replacing the transit hub station there as well. The new vision for the transit hub includes the Oculus, a building designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. A defining feature of the Oculus is a skylight at the peak of its roof, which is opened on clear days, flooding the space below with light and giving patrons a view of the new One World Trade Center building. And every Sept 11, the skylight is left open to the elements for 102 minutes—the duration of the attack on the World Trade Center. The elegant transit station is often busy with travelers making a quick stop to shop or eat, since most of the space is dedicated to retail, as it had been before the attacks on 9/11.Desktop Version

Dec 27, 2022Blue Lagoon spa, Grindavík, Iceland

Let"s be frank here, the origin of today"s beautiful picture is a pool of wastewater from a nearby geothermal plant. While that may not sound enticing, Iceland"s Blue Lagoon is one of the country"s most-visited attractions. The trick is to not get stuck on the "waste" part of wastewater. The water here is clean, always hovers around 100° F, and is enriched with tons of silica—which is what makes it blue—and sulfur, thanks to the plant"s processes. Those minerals, along with a little algae, are believed to combine into a highly beneficial tonic for skin and overall well-being.Desktop Version

Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland

Today we’re visiting Carhenge, a popular roadside attraction in western Nebraska. Carhenge is the passion project of Jim Reinders, who came up with the idea to memorialize his father. Like Stonehenge, Carhenge is a glimpse of culture now past—the heyday of the American automobile. While living in England, Reinders studied Stonehenge"s structure, which allowed him to replicate the formation using 39 vehicles, including cars, trucks, and even one Jeep. Reinders and about 35 family members built the attraction in June 1987. And with another nod to Stonehenge, they dedicated it on the summer solstice that same month. Since then, more than 60,000 people have visited the attraction and it’s appeared in music videos, TV shows, commercials, and even on an album cover.Desktop Version

Feb 14, 2022Maldives

Heart-shaped islands are more common than you might guess and can be found at many latitudes and longitudes. This one in the archipelago nation of the Maldives is hard to top for its beauty. A flight over this tropical gem might make for the most memorable Valentine"s Day ever.Desktop Version

Oct 31, 2022Wychwood Forest, Oxfordshire, England

What better way to spend Halloween than with a ghostly apparition in a scary haunted forest? Today we"ve (ill-advisedly?) wandered into Wychwood, an English forest with more than its share of spooky backstory. Many people walking in these woods have reported unexplained phenomena, such as feeling a hand on their shoulder and turning to find…no one. Or hearing children wailing as they"re driven through the forest in a ghostly horse-drawn carriage.Desktop Version

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