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In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
The lure of Route 66 isn’t extinct here in Holbrook, Arizona, where you can still spy giant concrete dinosaurs, kitschy truck stops, and teepee-shaped motel rooms that were constructed during the road’s heyday. Route 66 was established in the 1920s and within the next few decades, as millions of Americans acquired their first automobiles, it became a destination unto itself, even inspiring a hit song, ‘(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,’ by Bobby Troup. In 1985 the highway was decommissioned--it had been replaced by the new Interstate Highway System. But for the adventurous road-tripper, there’s still plenty of the old highway to explore.Desktop Version
Roman theater of Cartagena, Spain
Roman theater of Cartagena, Spain
A surprising discovery was made here in the city of Cartagena in 1988 during the construction of a new shopping center. The remains of this ancient Roman theater were found buried underground, where they’d been hidden for centuries, partially covered by the city’s old cathedral. The theater has since been painstakingly restored. Archaeologists say it was constructed sometime between 5 and 1 BCE and at one time could hold up to 6,000 spectators.Desktop Version
The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
The village of Castelluccio above the Piano Grande, Umbria, Italy
Welcome to wildflower season on the magnificent Piano Grande (Great Plain) in Central Italy. For some geographic perspective, we’re in the calf region of Italy’s boot, nestled in the Apennine Mountains. Perched on the hillside is the little village of Castelluccio, where you can purchase the crop that made this region famous: lentils. The tiny, thin-skinned lentils cultivated here are considered delicacies.Desktop Version
Porcupine
Porcupine
Psycho quiller? Nope, this is no homicidal rodent. Act friendly and keep a tail"s length of distance, and you should be safe from a spiny fate. (That thing about porcupines launching their quills at you like darts? Yeah, total myth.)Desktop Version
Celebrating World Wildlife Day
Celebrating World Wildlife Day
We like to think this lone cougar is off to meet its friends in a celebration of World Wildlife Day, recognized each year on March 3. The 2018 theme of the UN-sponsored event is protecting big cats, including lions, tigers, cheetahs, and cougars just like this one. Cougars have a wide range in the Americas, spanning from Canada to Argentina. Photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht captured this image in the Andes of northwest Argentina using a camera trap, a remotely activated camera equipped with a sensor that can photograph animals without a human present.Desktop Version
Rock of ages
Rock of ages
We"re here at Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, in Sri Lanka, for the South Asian nation"s Independence Day, celebrated annually on February 4. Sigiriya towers 600 feet off the ground, jutting dramatically out of the heart of this island country and serving as a formidable monument to the past. The king of Sri Lanka himself, King Kashyapa, who ruled from 473 to 495 CE, once made this the site of his new capital. He ordered that his palace be constructed atop the rock and about halfway up, he had a large gateway carved into the side of the outcropping in the shape of a lion (hence the name). His fortress was abandoned when he died, and the site later served as a monastery. These days it"s a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site.Desktop Version
White dunes, blue lagoons
White dunes, blue lagoons
From the air, the mesmerizing tapestry of sandy dunes and lagoons you see here gives Lençóis Maranhenses National Park an otherworldly, desert-like appearance. Located in the sparsely populated northeast corner of Brazil, this park gets far too much annual rainfall—nearly 50 inches—to be considered a desert. In fact, heavy rain is part of what makes this place unique: Nearly 70% of its annual rainfall comes between January and May, filling the park"s nearly 40,000 lagoons to the brim with fresh rainwater. Why doesn"t the water sink into the sand? A layer of impermeable bedrock beneath the dunes prevents that from happening.Desktop Version
Westerheversand Lighthouse
Westerheversand Lighthouse
Even in the places most altered by humans, nature seems to slip through, like the Milky Way shown here peeking between light beams from Germany"s Westerheversand Lighthouse. This beacon lies along the Wadden Sea, which forms the world"s largest tidal flat along the Dutch, German, and Danish coasts.Desktop Version
It’s showtime for a precious crop
It’s showtime for a precious crop
Nestled in California"s verdant Central Valley, this almond orchard is in full bloom. If we zoomed in closer, we might see billions of honey bees hard at work moving pollen from one blossom to another, doing their vital work to pollinate the trees so they can produce their valuable crop. Almond orchards are a thriving $6 billion business here in the valley. California produces around 80% of the world"s almonds and booming demand means production has more than doubled in the past few years, despite threats from drought and wildfires.Desktop Version
By the light of the fireflies
By the light of the fireflies
Every year between late May and mid-June, synchronous fireflies gather into a sparkling, rhythmic light show in the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As part of their two-week mating display, the female lightning bugs synchronize their flashes with nearby males so that every few seconds waves of light ripple through the woods. Of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Photinus carolinus is the only species with synchronous light displays, but they can also be found in Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania and Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Other species of synchronous fireflies are particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia.Desktop Version
Have fun storming the castle
Have fun storming the castle
Our headline quote comes from "The Princess Bride" film, of course, but our homepage castle is found in Lithuania, the largest of the three Baltic states (the others are Latvia and Estonia). Construction on this fortress was begun in the 14th century by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and completed years later by his son. It served as a strategic and bustling center of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a European state that lasted until 1795. Like much architecture from so long ago, the castle was damaged and fell into disrepair, only to be reconstructed and reopened as a museum. These days it"s known as one of the most charming medieval castles in Europe.Desktop Version
A midsummer twilight s dream
A midsummer twilight s dream
The Russian language classifies light and dark shades of blue as separate colors—which comes in especially handy if you venture north to Saint Petersburg in midsummer. The seaport metropolis sits less than 500 miles outside the Arctic Circle, so at the height of summer, the twilit "blue hour" coveted by photographers lasts virtually all night long as the sun hovers just below the horizon. It"s a phenomenon also dubbed the "White Nights" and it usually lasts for around 80 days, starting in May and lasting until July.Desktop Version
A wonderland in winter
A wonderland in winter
There’s no shortage of activities in New York’s Central Park, even when winter covers the park in snow. Here in the uh, central part of Central Park is the Bethesda Terrace, and in the center of that, the Bethesda Fountain. A fresh coat of snow highlights details on the fountain’s Angel of the Waters sculpture—the only statue that was part of the park’s original design. Beyond the terrace is the Ramble and Lake—a great stretch of park to have a snowball fight in if you ask us. Do you have a favorite park for winter activities?Desktop Version
How lovely are your branches
How lovely are your branches
While we are certainly fans of pretty lights and ornaments during the holidays, nothing could be lovelier than these evergreens in their natural setting, with just a dusting of snow. This wintry scene is from Two Jack Lake in the eastern part of Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada. Banff, Canada’s oldest national park, is surrounded by other provincial and national parks, and together they make up a vast area of spectacular wilderness. Wintertime in this neck of the woods means plenty of skiing, snowshoeing, and if you’re lucky, glimpsing the northern lights.Desktop Version
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
Isla del Pescado is one of many ‘islands’ on the high Andean salt flat called Salar de Uyuni. This unusual landscape in Bolivia draws in many curious visitors who explore the plain’s 4,086 square miles. Isla del Pescado translates from Spanish to English as the Island of Fish, a reference to the isle’s appearance on the horizon when viewed from a distance. If the thick crust of salt on the Salar seems familiar, it may be because you’ve seen it recently on the big screen: Salar de Uyuni appeared as the planet Crait in the climax of the recent ‘Star Wars’ installment, ‘The Last Jedi.’Desktop Version
Santorini through the clouds
Santorini through the clouds
With its romantic sunsets, dazzling ocean views, and whitewashed buildings clinging to rocky clifftops, the Greek island of Santorini (aka Thera or Thira) is the very picture of an idyll in the Aegean. But this tranquil scene belies the island"s explosive geologic history, for this is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The Minoan eruption, about 3,600 years ago, caused the center of the Thera volcano to collapse into the ocean, leaving Santorini a jagged, crescent-shaped moon atop the sea.Desktop Version
Does it swim in slow motion too?
Does it swim in slow motion too?
This pygmy three-toed sloth isn’t swimming for safety or fun. It’s most likely swimming to see if that sloth it spotted across the surf is available for a long-term relationship. Swimming—a rare sight—is the fastest way to get to a potential mate. These slow-moving vegetarians spend most of their days in the forest canopy of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, a small island off the coast of Panama. It’s the only place the rare creatures are found.Desktop Version
Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
Space is a big, lonely place, so it"s nice to know we have neighbors. The pictured Andromeda galaxy is our Milky Way"s closest neighbor—right next door at 2.5 million light-years away. Our cordial relationship with Andromeda goes back about 10 billion years to when both galaxies were still forming. But trouble is brewing: Andromeda is on a collision course with the Milky Way, due for impact in 4 billion years. This neighborhood"s about to get rough…Desktop Version
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park turns 103
Let"s light some candles today—103 of them—for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii. On this day in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill to establish the park in what was then the US Territory of Hawaii. (Hawaii wouldn"t become a state until 1959.) The park contains a rich array of biodiversity, important historic sites of Native Hawaiians, and the glowing stars of the show—two of the world"s most active volcanos, Mauna Loa and Kīlauea.Desktop Version
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
This is just a glimpse of the elaborate light display at Nabana-no-Sato, a flower park located in the garden of Nagashima Spa Land in Kuwana, Japan. Millions of LED light bulbs are used here to illuminate the grounds and create shimmering pathways, tunnels, and patterns. Winter illuminations like this have grown in popularity at Japan’s parks, and they often stay up long after the holidays, providing a bright distraction from winter’s long nights.Desktop Version
Overlooking the Douro
Overlooking the Douro
Welcome to Porto, the second city of Portugal. Known on some English-language maps as Oporto (the Portuguese call it "o Porto" in conversation, meaning simply "the Port"), this attractive, ancient city is most famous today not for the port itself but for what"s shipped out of it.Desktop Version
Goats don t grow on trees
Goats don t grow on trees
You"re not seeing things—these goats in Essaouira, Morocco, have climbed high up into an argan tree. And it"s not a one-time event. The goats enjoy the small yellow fruit these trees produce, and when the low-hanging fruit is gone they"re willing and able to make the climb. Goats aren"t the only ones benefitting from these trees. The nuts from argan trees are used to produce argan oil, which is edible and also used for some rather pricey cosmetics, making it a valuable export.Desktop Version
Iceland awaits the Yule Lads
Iceland awaits the Yule Lads
If you’re spending the holidays here in Reykjavik, be sure to keep an eye out for Sausage-Swiper, Window-Peeper, and Door-Slammer. They’re three of the Yule Lads, a group of 13 mischievous pranksters who—according to local folklore—visit homes one by one to leave rewards or punishments for children on each of the 13 days leading up to Christmas. Tonight, the Gully Gawk is scheduled for a visitation, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk. Modern versions of the lads sometimes portray them in a benevolent light, even dressed like Santa Claus, but other stories are dark. The lads are said to be the sons of Gryla, a mountain troll with an appetite for mischievous children. Let’s hope we’re on the nice list this year.Desktop Version
Penguins can t fly!
Penguins can t fly!
Unlike most other birds, penguins can"t fly, though this one sure looks like it"s trying—or jumping for joy since today is Penguin Awareness Day. Actually, these gentoo penguins on Danco Island, just off the Antarctic Peninsula, were photographed leaping out of the water as they returned to their nests for breeding season, which starts in November.Desktop Version
Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana
To celebrate Mardi Gras today, we venture into Preservation Hall, the legendary performance space in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The former art gallery at 726 St. Peter Street isn’t the oldest music venue in New Orleans, but it’s one of the most important. Since it opened in 1961, Preservation Hall has become a premier showcase for traditional New Orleans jazz and a performing space for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which plays here most nights when it"s not on the road.Desktop Version