View from Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaii (@ SuperStock/Getty Images)

View from Haleakalā, Maui, Hawaii (@ SuperStock/Getty Images)

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• According to local folklore, this huge crater was formed when the demigod Maui captured and held the sun here…""Until it agreed to make the days longer by moving more slowly across the sky
• Many visitors here awaken early to catch the sunrise from the summit of this volcano. They say there\s nothing like greeting the day from…""The “house of the sun”
• If measured from its base at the sea floor, this volcano would be one of the world\s tallest mountains.""But two-thirds of its height is underwater
• If you\re looking for an adrenaline rush, you have many options to descend from this peak, among them paragliding and mountain biking. Once back below the clouds…""You can spend the rest of the day dodging a sunburn

Honey jars (@ Leser, Nicolas/Corbis)

Honey jars (@ Leser, Nicolas/Corbis)

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• Today and tomorrow, Jews around the world will be eating honey and apples during their meals.""They\re meant to bring sweetness into the new year
• These hexagonal honey jars mimic the cells of a beehive honeycomb.""Bees clearly know a thing or two about the efficient use of space and materials
• Want to harvest your own honey from a backyard colony?""Sign up for Beekeeping 101
• The bees that make honey like this have suffered a die-off in recent years.""Scientists aren\t entirely sure why

Covered bridge near Bradley, Maine (@ A. J. Whitney/Getty Images)

Covered bridge near Bradley, Maine (@ A. J. Whitney/Getty Images)

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• In their heyday during the 1800s, wooden bridges tended to last for less than 10 years.""But with a cover, like this one, they could last 80 years or more
• Old covered bridges like this one captured the imagination of millions in the 1990s…""After they were romanticized in a bestselling book and popular movie
• This area\s most famous resident has a custom wrought-iron gate in front of his house.""It features spider webs and bats
• The license plates in this state used to promote the area as “Vacationland.” Now the plates express what many have long believed was simple fact:""That this is “the way life should be”

Black-backed jackal pups (@ Jami Tarris/Corbis)

Black-backed jackal pups (@ Jami Tarris/Corbis)

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• If you were to time-travel back 2 million years…""You\d find the ancestors of these guys, looking much as they do today
• As these pups mature, they\ll learn to hunt animals many times their own size.""But ‘til then, they\ll spend a lot of time hanging out and looking cute
• That blood-chilling scream? Don\t let it alarm you.""It\s just part of their nighttime conversation
• It looks like all fun and games for these pups now, but ancient Egyptians believed their ancestors…""Protected the dead on their journey to the afterlife

Mythical creatures guarding the golden chedi at the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand (@ David Davis/Photolibrary)

Mythical creatures guarding the golden chedi at the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand (@ David Davis/Photolibrary)

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• These fierce-looking fellas, called Yaksha, are guarding a lavish Buddhist temple.""It\s considered the most sacred temple in Thailand
• Though the royal family no longer lives here, this compound of more than 100 ornate buildings is as grand as ever…""And remains the heart of its city
• If you plan to visit Bangkok\s breathtaking Emerald Temple, be sure to pack modest clothes and…""A great camera to capture every spire and mosaic
• These guardians have been supporting this temple for more than 200 years.""After all that time, the changes to their city below must seem almost supernatural

Midnight sun on the North Cape, Norway (@ SIME/estock)

Midnight sun on the North Cape, Norway (@ SIME/estock)

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• Make your way north to this point at the tip of this long, primarily coastal country…""And you may think you\ve come to the end of the Earth
• For two weeks in summer, visitors come here and stay up late…""To bask in the glow of the midnight sun
• The globe monument on this cliff symbolizes the spot that many call the northernmost point in Europe.""Alas, it\s really not
• This area is home sweet home to Scandinavia\s indigenous people.""For millennia, their culture has been largely focused on herding reindeer

A visitor near giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park, California (@ Frans Lanting /Danita Delimont)

A visitor near giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park, California (@ Frans Lanting /Danita Delimont)

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• These behemoths are the biggest trees in the world (by volume) and some of the oldest living things on the planet.""Come to this famed national park to meet such big boys as “Grizzly Giant,” “Faithful Couple,” and “The General Grant”
• This is one of the most beloved national parks in a country full of natural treasures.""Take a tour of some of our favorites
• Pick up a hoe, pull some weeds, or build a trail. Public lands…""Are getting a hand today
• If today\s celebration of National Public Lands Day had an official anthem…""It\d be hard to find one more appropriate than this one

Autumn in Grand Teton National Park (@ Carol Polich/Lonely Planet Images)

Autumn in Grand Teton National Park (@ Carol Polich/Lonely Planet Images)

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• Fall color at this national park generally peaks right about now. With summer crowds gone home and winter snows still to come…""This may be one of the best times to visit
• Many states begin their annual show of dazzling color this time of year.""You still have time to plan a walk in the woods
• Ever wonder why leaves change color in fall?""Watch this primer, then guess how the leaves will turn in your area
• The writer Albert Camus called this season “a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”""Welcome, autumn!

Vehicle traveling through a tea plantation in Kerala, southern India (@ Hugh Sitton/Corbis)

Vehicle traveling through a tea plantation in Kerala, southern India (@ Hugh Sitton/Corbis)

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• The traditional ritualized dance in this region features elaborate makeup, exaggerated gestures, and hypnotic music.""Performances customarily last all night long, but you can always drop in for a short show
• For millennia, this area thrived as one of the world\s spice capitals.""References to its peppery past go back as far as 3000 BC
• These plantations continue a local culture of tea cultivation dating back thousands of years.""Here along the \"spice coast,\" nothing beats a spicy cup of the original chai
• Large wooden houseboats called ketuvalloms ply the sinuous backwaters in this Indian state.""Once used to transport dry goods to the interior, now they mainly ferry tourists for romantic cruises

Imagine mosaic, part of the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, New York City (@ Ocean/Corbis)

Imagine mosaic, part of the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, New York City (@ Ocean/Corbis)

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• You\ll find this tribute to John Lennon across the street from where the musician was slain in 1980.""More than 120 countries have endorsed the area as a “Garden of Peace”
• The self-proclaimed “Mayor of Strawberry Fields” is a sometimes homeless artist who decorates this mosaic.""His preferred media: discarded flowers, food, and other assorted detritus
• This day begins with the ringing of the “Peace Bell” at the United Nations.""Each September 21, the U.N. calls on all combatants around the world to lay down their arms
• Though the subject of this tribute mosaic was killed two years before the International Day of Peace was first celebrated…""He\d likely have agreed with the sentiment

Aerial view of Ambergris Caye, Belize (@ Michael Melford/Getty Images)

Aerial view of Ambergris Caye, Belize (@ Michael Melford/Getty Images)

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• Several miles off this shore, you\ll find a large underwater sinkhole that explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau called…""One of the top ten diving sites in the world
• One hundred years ago, the local economy was based on exporting timber and the sap from the chicle tree, which was used back then to make chewing gum.""Now this country is in the import business, bringing in planeloads of scuba divers and other ecotourists
• Love a good parade? They\ll have some doozies in this country tomorrow.""The occasion: Thirty years of independence
• This island, Ambergris Caye, was named for a substance that washes ashore here and which was once used to make perfume. Beachcombing gets a bit more aromatic…""When you\re dodging sperm whale vomit

Aerial view of Ambergris Caye, Belize (© Michael Melford/Getty Images)

Aerial view of Ambergris Caye, Belize (© Michael Melford/Getty Images)

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• Several miles off this shore, you\ll find a large underwater sinkhole that explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau called…""One of the top ten diving sites in the world
• One hundred years ago, the local economy was based on exporting timber and the sap from the chicle tree, which was used back then to make chewing gum.""Now this country is in the import business, bringing in planeloads of scuba divers and other ecotourists
• Love a good parade? They\ll have some doozies in this country tomorrow.""The occasion: Thirty years of independence
• This island, Ambergris Caye, was named for a substance that washes ashore here and which was once used to make perfume. Beachcombing gets a bit more aromatic…""When you\re dodging sperm whale vomit

Two hyacinth macaws in a tree, the Pantanal wetland, Brazil (© Roy Toft/Getty Images)

Two hyacinth macaws in a tree, the Pantanal wetland, Brazil (© Roy Toft/Getty Images)

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• In the wild, macaws eat a varied diet, including fruit, seeds, flowers, leaves, and even clay.""Aye, it\s some hearty fare
• These big lads live in the largest wetland on Earth.""They have lots of room to spread out to their full 50-inch wingspan
• If you talk like a pirate (or anything else) to aviary mimics like these guys…""You\re likely to get an earful
• Avast ye scurvy dogs! Scratchin\ yer heads over why we\re talkin\ like we\ve had too much grog?""Say “ahoy” t\ our favorite holiday, me hearties!

Small waterfall in Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park, Australia (© Alessandra Sarti/Photolibrary)

Small waterfall in Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park, Australia (© Alessandra Sarti/Photolibrary)

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• These gentle falls have carved out a space that some consider…""Nature\s greatest spa
• While wandering through this part of the Outback, you may encounter kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, and bats.""Oh yes, and a 6-foot carnivorous reptile
• This remote area is two days\ drive from the nearest big city.""Once there, visitors may feel they\ve entered another world
• Love waterfalls? Here are twelve that are…""Sure to make a splash

Oktoberfest tent, Spatenbräu, Munich, Germany (© Bodo Schieren/Photolibrary)

Oktoberfest tent, Spatenbräu, Munich, Germany (© Bodo Schieren/Photolibrary)

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• Today marks the opening day of Oktoberfest, the world\s largest fair. For the next couple of weeks, you\ll find about 5 million thirsty revelers…""Here, in the city where it all began 201 years ago
• Expect Oktoberfest merrymakers to drink about 7 million liters of their beloved brew, nearly enough to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools.""What else would fill a swimming pool?
• Sure, Oktoberfest focuses on beer, but you\ve got to have something…""To soak up the suds
• The festive event beginning today in this tent and others nearby is about a lot more than just beer.""No, really

Cup fungi in Kinabalu National Park on the island of Borneo (© Frans Lanting/Corbis)

Cup fungi in Kinabalu National Park on the island of Borneo (© Frans Lanting/Corbis)

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• These “cup” mushrooms keep company with 4,500 species of flora and fauna…""In one of the oldest rain forests on Earth
• Believe it or not, these and many other varieties of cupped fungi are edible. But unless you\re really good at identifying your ‘shrooms…""You\re better off looking, not eating
• These little guys live in an area distinctive for its beauty as well as its governance.""Three countries rule this island, the world\s third-largest
• The newest fungus discovered in this area has a name that might just get kids to eat their mushrooms.""Meet Spongiforma squarepantsii

Laguna Quilotoa in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador (© Heeb Photos / eStock Photo)

Laguna Quilotoa in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador (© Heeb Photos / eStock Photo)

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• What do you get when the caldera from a collapsed volcano fills with water?""One of the world\s highest bathtubs
• The brilliant hues of this mineral lake are rivaled only by those worn and sold at the nearby market.""There\s plenty of “local color” in this mountain village
• What do you do when one of the local animals shuffles off this mortal coil?""Call in the undertakers, of course
• Most visitors to this region start their journey by visiting the grand Andean capital nearby.""It‘s so impressive, it was the first city declared a UNESCO World Heritage site

The Singapore Flyer, a 42-story-high observation wheel in Singapore (© David McLain/Aurora Photos)

The Singapore Flyer, a 42-story-high observation wheel in Singapore (© David McLain/Aurora Photos)

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• This slow ride offers spectacular views of the city below. You can even have dinner in a private capsule.""All aboard!
• When Anthony Bourdain calls a destination “as close to foodie heaven as you can get”…""It\s time to tuck into a plate full of something memorable
• When it carried its first passengers in 2008, this was the world\s tallest Ferris wheel. Since then, it\s lost that lofty title.""Meet the new reigning champ
• This city\s thousands of high-rises…""Make for a sparkling nighttime skyline

Aerial view of Lake Mead and land erosion near the border of Arizona and Nevada (© Lee Foster/Lonely Planet Images)

Aerial view of Lake Mead and land erosion near the border of Arizona and Nevada (© Lee Foster/Lonely Planet Images)

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• This recreational area is an outdoor playground for a city that\s a playground itself…""But one of a decidedly indoor persuasion
• Drought has affected this area for the past ten years and threatens the whole region\s sustainability.""Signs of this lake\s former water levels abound
• This reservoir, the largest in the United States, has transformed the surrounding landscape since it was created…""By a public-works project during the Great Depression
• A few miles upstream, the river that feeds this reservoir has been working for millions of years to carve…""One of the world\s natural wonders

A herd of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in southern Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile (© Steve Ogle/Corbis)

A herd of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in southern Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile (© Steve Ogle/Corbis)

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• You may come upon these curious camelids while hiking high up in the Andes. But don\t get too close.""They tend to spit when feeling threatened
• Thick coats keep these fellows warm, even at altitudes as high as 13,000 feet. You\ll find this particular herd...""In a mountainous area that UNESCO has designated a World Biosphere Reserve
• To help them live in high altitudes with little oxygen, these mountain dwellers have extra red blood cells, four times that of humans.""Learn more fun facts about this wild cousin of the domesticated llama
• It\s said that when the 16th-century explorer Ferdinand Magellan came through here, the original inhabitants were so tall they reminded him of a monster from a medieval Spanish tale.""Magellan called these people \"Patagonians\" after this fictional creature, but the name the locals gave themselves means \"Fierce People\"

Rock Islands, a chain of small islets in the island nation of Palau in Micronesia (© Bob Krist/Corbis)

Rock Islands, a chain of small islets in the island nation of Palau in Micronesia (© Bob Krist/Corbis)

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• This island nation has served as the setting for two seasons of the TV show “Survivor.”""Aside from its many charms, it\s one of the most isolated locations the producers could find
• These are but a few of the hundreds of islands comprising an archipelago that some have called…""“Paradise of the Pacific”
• The sharks that swim in these waters don\t need to worry about winding up in shark fin soup.""This is home to the world\s first shark sanctuary
• The waters around these islands teem with more marine species than any other place this size in the world.""If you like underwater adventure, you\ll love it here

Cleaning behavior of blue-striped grunt and four-eyed butterfly fish, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (© Stephen Frink/Corbis)

Cleaning behavior of blue-striped grunt and four-eyed butterfly fish, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (© Stephen Frink/Corbis)

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• No, that four-eyed butterfly fish isn\t lunch. He\s a dentist of the sea, and like other “cleaner fish”…""He\ll work on your teeth, too
• “Old four eyes” isn\t an insult to this little guy.""Nature\s just helping him fool would-be predators
• These blue-striped fish grind their teeth, making a funny noise.""It\s how they acquired their less-than-glamorous name
• Want to swim with these fish? They live in an aquatic sanctuary where humans…""Can also take refuge from everyday life

Flag rigger on flagpole, Boston, Massachusetts (© John Burke/Photolibrary)

Flag rigger on flagpole, Boston, Massachusetts (© John Burke/Photolibrary)

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• To all those who punch the clock, tap the keyboard, till the fields, or otherwise toil for the almighty dollar…""We salute you. And many a parade has been thrown in your honor
• Feeling low because this feels like the last day of summer?""Relax! You still have 18 days left
• For many Americans, this is summer\s last big grilling event.""Fire it up!
• Even if you don\t hoist flags for a living, you may be flying the stars and stripes today. But when you decide to store it away again, how\s your flag-folding etiquette?""Get some tips from the pros

Historical regatta in Venice, Italy (© SIME/eStock Photo)

Historical regatta in Venice, Italy (© SIME/eStock Photo)

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• In a city where gondoliers typically glide at a leisurely pace…""They welcome the opportunity to open it up once a year
• After working up an appetite, these guys may wish to indulge…""In some local delicacies
• What kind of city would ban cars?""A city where it\s all canals, all the time
• For centuries, gondoliers and other rowers have raced here on the first Sunday of September.""In a city awash in history, it\s a chance to honor the past, with style

The pearl monument in the Corniche neighborhood of Doha, Qatar, illuminated at night with the new high-rises of West Bay in the background (© Jon Hicks/Corbis)

The pearl monument in the Corniche neighborhood of Doha, Qatar, illuminated at night with the new high-rises of West Bay in the background (© Jon Hicks/Corbis)

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• Standing about 40 feet high, this fountain is a grand reminder that this glitzy Middle Eastern capital…""Was once a center for pearl diving
• This glittering monument welcomes visitors to a country that fashions itself \"The Pearl of the Gulf.\"""From the air, you might even say it looks like a pearl \"in\" the Gulf
• Once a British protectorate, this country gained its independence 40 years ago today. It\s now one of the wealthiest nations in the region.""And in 2022, it will be the first Arab nation to host the World Cup
• This flourishing metropolis has seen its population double…""In just ten years

Dead trees in Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia -- Frank Krahmer/Corbis

Dead trees in Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia -- Frank Krahmer/Corbis

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• These trees grew here hundreds of years ago, after a very rare flood made the area briefly fertile.""When the area dried up, their skeletons remained
• These trees have been dead for centuries, but it\s so dry here that they don\t decay.""See how this kind of tree looks when it\s alive
• These skeletons of trees share their home with some of the highest sand dunes in the world.""They\re even visible from high in the sky
• When we age, we humans go gray. When these sand dunes age, they go orange. It\s because iron in the sand oxidizes over time.""The older the dune, the brighter the color

Aerial view of rice fields in Yunnan Province, China -- Jialiang Gao/Getty Images

Aerial view of rice fields in Yunnan Province, China -- Jialiang Gao/Getty Images

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• The steep hills of this region forced locals to become freeform farmers.""Who says farming can\t be an art form?
• Much of the rice grown in these fields is used to make a common regional dish.""Its poetic name is anything but common
• The people who built these thousand-year-old terraces keep track of the past through an oral history.""Tribe members can name 50 generations of ancestors
• Because it\s sheltered by the high slopes of the Tibetan Plateau…""This region was given a name that literally means “south of the clouds”