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Sep 9, 2018Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’

Today our travels take us to Toronto, the vibrant urban powerhouse of Ontario, Canada. Our photo shows the 2007 addition to the Royal Ontario Museum, a building known as The Crystal. The museum may not be terribly busy today, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in full swing right now. If we’ve inspired you to cash in some frequent-flyer miles, bring some sensible walking shoes for the museum, and maybe something red-carpet worthy for TIFF.Desktop Version

Nov 27, 2019Have you turned off your electronic device?

If you"re already in the air looking down at this bird"s-eye view of Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix (or some other airport), well then, congrats. You"ve made it through the terminal on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Wait a second, isn"t the day before Thanksgiving the absolute busiest day to travel? Well, according to travel industry experts, traffic is actually heaviest on Fridays during the lazy, hazy days of summer. That"s when crowds of people clog the highways and skyways to get out of their respective towns and go on vacation. You, on the other hand, can relax. Unless your plans are to host a table full of hungry guests on Thanksgiving. In which case, may we suggest yoga and meditation tonight? (And turn off this electronic device before the flight attendant comes by again.)Desktop Version

Jun 11, 2021An island in the Highlands

Here in the Scottish Highlands, there"s something about the rugged environs of Glen Etive that has tickled the imaginations of both ancient and modern storytellers. A glen is a long, narrow valley and this one is especially beautiful. It has strange footnotes in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The name itself translates to "little fierce one" and was given in honor of Etive, the Gaelic goddess long associated with Loch Etive.Desktop Version

Jul 20, 2019Bringing the moon to Earth

It was 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to feel an alien gravity tugging at them. By landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, a mere 66 years after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, the two astronauts met the challenge set by John F. Kennedy seven years earlier to land men on the moon before the end of the decade.Desktop Version

Jul 26, 2020A path to access

Here"s an example of cutting-edge form meeting practical function. This snakelike bridge, the brainchild of famed architect Frank Gehry, provides a meandering and safe path over a busy thoroughfare that separates Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago. With a gentle 5% slope, the 935-foot bridge is accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble navigating stairs, and that"s the main reason why we"re featuring it on our homepage today. Thirty years ago to the day, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. This sweeping civil rights bill prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities at work, in school, and in public spaces. The resulting law meant that much of the country"s physical infrastructure, like this elegantly curving bridge, was required to accommodate people with disabilities.Desktop Version

May 7, 2018Happy 300th, NOLA!

Today, Jackson Square and other places in New Orleans will be full of revelers. No, it’s not a Mardi Gras do-over, it’s the city’s 300th birthday celebration. Sometime in the spring of 1718, ‘La Nouvelle-Orléans’ was founded by French investors. Since then, residents of the Big Easy have chosen May 7 as the day to celebrate the birth of New Orleans. Really, this city doesn’t need an excuse to throw a party, but this one’s going to be big.Desktop Version

Jun 10, 2019Ponta da Piedade rock formations in Portugal

Today we’re featuring the Ponta da Piedade rock formations in the Algarve region as a nod to Portugal Day, a celebration of the Portuguese nation and its people. Observed throughout the Portuguese diaspora, the main festivities are military ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, pageants, and parades on June 10, the anniversary of the death of Portuguese poet Luís de Camões. Camões was an incredibly colorful character whose poem ‘Os Lusíadas’ chronicled the discovery of the sea route to India by Portuguese explorers and the development of the Portuguese Empire. It is regarded as the national epic poem, much like Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ was to the ancient Romans, and his influence is so great that Portuguese is often referred to as “the language of Camões.”Desktop Version

May 3, 2021It s Teacher Appreciation Week

Twelve-year-old Seattle student Caroline Holt knows that teachers play a pivotal role in her life, and that"s why she created this sign for Teacher Appreciation Week and posted it outside her school. Teachers everywhere could use a sign of our appreciation, this week and every week—but perhaps especially now. Despite more than a year of staggering challenges presented by the pandemic, teachers still manage to inspire a lifelong love of learning in their students and provide a foundation for young people"s future well-being and happiness.Desktop Version

Jul 19, 2023Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China

Crescent Lake is a captivating natural wonder hidden in the vast Gobi Desert near the Chinese city of Dunhuang in Gansu province. This oasis, named for its unusual shape, has been a vital water source here for centuries. The lake is thought to have formed in a valley carved by wind and been fed by an underground spring. It sits amid Dunhuang"s "singing" sand dunes, which make a noise when the wind blows. The sand dunes also help stop the lake from being swallowed by sand and conservation efforts have ensured that it doesn"t dry out. Visitors enjoy boating on the lake, camel rides through the surrounding dunes, and seeing ancient Buddhist art and murals in the nearby Mogao Caves.Desktop Version

Nov 22, 2021Irohazaka road

If you"ve ever wanted to learn written Japanese, a joy ride on this undulating road offers an unexpected tutorial. The hairpin turns in our photo are just a few of the 48 curves you"ll negotiate on your way up one part of Irohazaka road and down another—together they make a scenic loop in the highlands outside the city of Nikkō. That"s one switchback for each of the 48 hiragana symbols in an ancient Japanese writing system, with each marked by a sign showing one symbol. Not a bad visual aid for the still-learning visitor!Desktop Version

May 2, 2023Jöriseen lakes in the Silvretta Alps, Switzerland

Today we"re exploring a place of otherworldly beauty: the Jöriseen, a group of alpine lakes near Davos, Switzerland. On sunny days, the lakes glow an ethereal blue, contrasting with the dark, jagged Silvretta Alps that encircle them. The sunlight is reflected in the water by "rock flour"—silt-sized rock particles generated from the grinding of bedrock by glaciers.Desktop Version

Aug 6, 2019Storks ready for takeoff

It’s migration season for white storks, shown here tending to a nest at Los Barruecos Natural Monument in central Spain. This destination is known for large, granite boulders intermixed with sculptures created by local artists—and it’s a favorite stork nesting spot. When the storks arrive here in springtime for their nesting season, the area can be filled with the sound of the storks’ loud bill-clattering, a tap-tap-tapping that can be heard from great distances. In August and September, white storks depart their nests for a 25-day trip south to their African wintering grounds, where they gather in large flocks. The species returns to Europe again nine months later—hence its unique role in folklore, giving parents a low-stress way to answer the question ‘where do babies come from?’Desktop Version

Apr 2, 2022Whangārei Falls in New Zealand

This lush, Eden-esque location on New Zealand"s North Island has been a popular spot to bring a blanket and picnic basket for generations of Kiwis. Whangārei Falls is part of the Hātea River. At the falls, the river drops 85 feet over a basalt lava flow. The surrounding park provides a loop trail ideal for a hike along the edge of the river.Desktop Version

Feb 23, 2022Point Reyes National Seashore

This evocative photo of a cypress-lined road was taken in Point Reyes National Seashore, a marine and coastal reserve under the care of the National Park Service. A portion of the park preserves the marine habitat in the harbors along the coast of the Point Reyes Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inland, the area"s grasslands, marshlands, and wooded uplands present a notably diverse collection of landscapes—including the cypress tunnel.Desktop Version

Dec 31, 2023Happy New Years Eve!

It"s the final countdown! Tonight is New Year"s Eve, time to see out the old year and welcome the new. But how you celebrate depends which country you"re in. If you"re not in the US watching the Times Square Ball Drop, you might smash crockery in Denmark, eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight in Spain, or hang onions outside your door in Greece. In Thailand, you might watch the fireworks illuminating Phra Nakhon Khiri, or "holy city hill," a historical park spread over three peaks overlooking the city of Phetchaburi. Wherever you celebrate, have a great one. See you next year!Desktop Version

Aug 9, 2021A tribute to the ancestors

To celebrate International Day of the World"s Indigenous Peoples, we"re on New Zealand"s North Island, looking at the Ngatoroirangi rock carving by Māori artist Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell in Mine Bay. This artwork is part of a larger collection of carvings on the edge of Lake Taupo and has become a big tourist attraction despite being accessible only by boat. Four years in the making, the work is a tribute to Māori ancestors and guardians, and the integral roles they play in the Indigenous Māori culture.Desktop Version

Jun 19, 2021Surf s up—Down Under

It"s International Surfing Day! Here in the US we may be welcoming summer tomorrow, but these Aussie surfers are saying g"day to the rad waves of winter (which started for them on June 1). Though peak surf season is autumn (that is, our spring) here in the Gold Coast area of Queensland, these tropical beaches offer world-class breaks all year long.Desktop Version

Feb 6, 2023Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

For Waitangi Day, we"re visiting the spectacular landscape of Fiordland National Park on New Zealand"s South Island. Waitangi Day is New Zealand"s national day, established to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840. The document was signed by representatives of the British Crown and some 500 Māori chiefs to establish British law on the islands. The treaty also created the framework for political relations between New Zealand"s government and the Indigenous Māori people. It"s considered New Zealand"s founding document and a cornerstone in the country"s history.Desktop Version

Mar 17, 2023St. Patricks Day in County Waterford, Ireland

For St. Patrick"s Day, we"re enjoying this stunning rainbow over Ireland"s southeast coast. Shamrocks, parades, and all things green will be the order of the day as we celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. While many countries recognize the holiday today, the first celebration was held in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago, remembering the 5th-century missionary and bishop credited with bringing Christianity to the country.Desktop Version

Jan 4, 2023Earth at Perihelion

We"ve reached perihelion! Two weeks after winter solstice the Earth"s orbit is closer to the sun than at any other time of year—a result of the Earth"s elliptical orbit. You may think, "If we"re so close to the sun, why can"t I feel the heat?" Well, that"s because we"re only receiving about 7% more solar energy than normal, which doesn"t really have much impact on the weather.Desktop Version

Aug 4, 2018‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts

It"s festival season in Edinburgh, and Scotland’s capital is bursting with creativity. Through Aug 27, the city is hosting a staggering number of music, theater, opera, dance, and other types of performances as part of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe–the world’s largest arts festival. The Edinburgh International Festival features world-class performers invited from around the world, while the Festival Fringe is open to everyone and artists are welcome to perform just about anything they dream up.Desktop Version

May 25, 2020Here we mark the price of freedom

Today the United States marks Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those members of the US armed forces who have died while serving their country. While it was celebrated independently by various towns across the country in the aftermath of the Civil War, Union General John A. Logan was the first to call for a national day of remembrance on May 30, 1868. Originally called Decoration Day, it was a day set aside for the public to offer prayers and honors for those lost to battle and to decorate their graves with flags and flowers. On the first national Decoration Day, over 5,000 widows, orphans, and other mourners attended a ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery, and placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers interred there. Originally only a commemoration of those soldiers killed in the Civil War, by the end of WWI it had come to be a holiday honoring all American war casualties from the Revolutionary War onward.Desktop Version

Jul 8, 2018Travel Sunday: Flamenco in Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Flamenco is just one highlight of Spanish culture showcased in the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance, which wraps up today. The festival takes place at venues throughout the city, including at the Alhambra, a fortified palace and high-profile tourist destination that’s steeped in history–just like flamenco. Here in the region of Andalusia, flamenco is more than just a dance. It’s a cultural expression that dates back centuries, to the Roma migration to Spain. Traditionally, the art focused on the cante–or singing–and was performed outside. The introduction of flamenco cafes in the 19th century saw the art form evolve to showcase baile (dance) and toque (guitar music).Desktop Version

Nov 30, 2021Giving Tuesday

Social structure in elephant herds is surprisingly complex. The adults in the herd exhibit what scientists call "reciprocal altruism." That means that elephants will act in ways that give them no direct benefit—say, protecting or feeding a calf that isn"t theirs. They do that because the other elephants in their herd will do the same for them. Maybe the elephant is a good role model for Giving Tuesday?Desktop Version

Jun 24, 2019A summertime light show

It’s the season for spotting fireflies in some parts of the US, especially in the humid or damp areas that the winged beetles love. For fireflies themselves, it’s a season of love. They create these soft flashes of light as they search for a suitable mate. The glow is produced by a chemical reaction in a firefly’s abdomen. In addition to attracting a partner, the light is believed to deter potential predators by signaling that the insect’s chemical makeup may produce a foul taste or even be toxic. The fireflies in our homepage image were photographed with a long exposure in the Philippines, where fireflies are a popular tourist attraction. Some firefly species here and in other parts of Southeast Asia are known for their synchronized flashing, creating dramatic light shows in the dark.Desktop Version

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