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Mar 25, 2022Tolkien Reading Day

For Tolkien Reading Day, we"re visiting the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps, which is believed to have inspired the Elven sanctuary of Rivendell in J.R.R. Tolkien"s novels "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Like Tolkien"s mythical Elf settlement, Lauterbrunnen Valley has a bit of storybook appeal, with an unusually narrow valley floor hemmed in by steep Alpine cliffs and dotted with numerous waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen became popular among mountain climbers and hikers beginning in the late 19th century, and Tolkien hiked through the valley in 1911. The valley remains a popular tourist destination.Desktop Version

Feb 20, 2020Après-ski in the Dolomites

Today"s homepage image features Rifugio Lagazuoi, a ski lodge located at about 9,000 feet above sea level on Italy"s Mount Lagazuoi. With an elevation higher than most ski lodges in this area of the Dolomites, it gives visitors opportunities for breathtaking views like this one. The ruggedly beautiful mountain landscapes, pristine natural environments, and distinctive geologic formations all contributed to the Dolomites being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009. While the area is accessible all year long, it"s worth visiting during the ski season to check out the Great War Ski Tour, an open-air museum where you can see World War I trenches and tunnels created by Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops as they fought each other in this precipitous and stunning terrain.Desktop Version

Nov 20, 2018Flamingos of the Chilean desert

Chilean flamingos fly past the Paine Massif, an eastern outcropping of the Andes Mountains in Torres Del Paine National Park. Below the towering peaks is the western edge of the Patagonian Desert in Chile. Despite the ‘desert’ designation, the Chilean portion is a large drainage basin for numerous glacier-fed lakes and rivers. These shallow waters are an ideal habitat for Chilean flamingos—they dip their comb-like bills into the water to filter out tasty plankton and algae.Desktop Version

Jan 15, 2021It s truffle season here in the Dordogne Valley

Perched high above the Dordogne River in France, the Château de Beynac is one of the best-preserved castles of the Périgord Noir region. This 12th-century fortress has been meticulously restored, showcasing for tourists such delights as a dungeon, 13th-century toilets, and magnificent views of the "Valley of the Five Castles" below.Desktop Version

Mar 24, 2018Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador

A small patch of red quills in its tail feathers earned this smaller cousin of the toucan its common name. That ‘crimson rump’ provides striking contrast to the deep green, gold, and blue feathers on the rest of the toucanet’s body. Our specimen was photographed in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves (Peace of the Birds Sanctuary), a private nature reserve nestled in the foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes near the equator. Visitors there can spot many neotropical bird species, including antpittas, hummingbirds, and tanagers.Desktop Version

Jun 5, 2018Up, up, and away for Hot Air Balloon Day

Really, there’s only one way to celebrate Hot Air Balloon Day properly. But if you can’t catch a ride in a basket under a giant balloon today, know that the idea dates back at least to 3rd-century China, where paper lanterns were used as military signals. Fast forward to 18th-century France, where two paper-making brothers, the Montgolfiers, launched unmanned hot air balloons. Then, to great fanfare, they tried sending up a sheep, duck, and chicken, and finally, Étienne Montgolfier took a ride. Designs have improved since then, resulting in the standard hot air balloon seen here.Desktop Version

Dec 16, 2019Cape Town at dusk

It"s a beautiful evening here in Cape Town, South Africa. From this vantage point we have a striking view of Table Mountain, with its "tablecloth," or cloud cover that typically shrouds the local landmark. Cape Town is a popular tourist destination noted for its beaches, natural beauty, architecture, and multicultural diversity—and in that diversity, it"s a showcase for the South Africa that Archbishop Desmond Tutu calls the "rainbow nation."Desktop Version

Oct 31, 2018Shhh, the movie is about to start

Halloween is the perfect time to ponder the paranormal. For example, you might ask yourself, do ghosts exist? If so, how exactly do they spend their Halloween? Perhaps there’s a haunted theater out there in another dimension (cue the theme to ‘The Twilight Zone’). Maybe while we’re home watching scary movies about ghosts, these spirits are watching movies about us, the real undead. Spooky! We hope you consider our homepage to be a treat—not a trick—as it’s all in good fun. Happy Halloween!Desktop Version

Mar 5, 2018Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington

In 2004 Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas infused an old-school institution with a high-tech vibe when he designed the Seattle Central Library. An instant architectural landmark for downtown Seattle, the library has been embraced by what’s been frequently ranked as one of the ‘most literate’ cities in the United States. Beyond its striking appearance, the facility has many unique features, including a four-story Books Spiral, which allows users to browse the nonfiction collection in one continuous walk, uninterrupted by stairs, elevators, or different rooms.Desktop Version

Dec 22, 2020A holiday beacon of light

This classic New England scene is Cape Neddick Light, one of the most iconic of Maine"s 65 lighthouses, all lit up for the holiday season. Built on more than 2 acres of granite island, the Nub has been protecting sailors since 1879. It"s a tradition for locals to visit when it"s dressed up for the holidays. And if you miss the winter display, you can come back in July, when the lighthouse is relit for summer visitors.Desktop Version

Oct 24, 2021Bavljenac Island

Of the 1,246 islands on Croatia"s fragmented coast, the unique isle of Bavljenac might be the most identifiable. It"s nicknamed "Fingerprint Island" for its miles of dry-stone walls that look like the whorled ridges of a human fingerprint. The tiny, uninhabited landmass in the Adriatic Sea was once an agricultural center. In the 19th century—the heyday of Croatian wine production— farmers from the nearest populated island built the winding walls on Bavljenac to protect olive trees and grapevines from the winds blowing in from the Adriatic.Desktop Version

Feb 3, 2021The mountaintop of toppled gods

The ruins on Mount Nemrut depict a gaggle of gods from both Greek and Persian traditions, plus a few deities that King Antiochus I made up himself. The range of spiritual faiths represented in the statues found near the 7,000-foot summit reflects southeastern Turkey"s long history as a crossroads of cultures. Today, the derelict statues are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Desktop Version

Feb 10, 2021A throng of ice and spires

If these frozen formations were named by more literal minds, we might know them as simply "reverse icicles." But the Andes, including this mountain pass rising above Chile"s Atacama Desert, were mapped by poetically inclined Spanish explorers. They likened formations like these to a congregation of penitent parishioners kneeling at mass: hence the common name "penitentes" for such packed-snow pinnacles.Desktop Version

Jun 30, 2018The aftermath of a meteorite

Today’s a special day for astronomy enthusiasts: It’s both Asteroid Day and Meteor Watch Day. To celebrate, we’re at the rim of a 560-foot-deep crater with a 3,900-foot diameter, creatively called "Meteor Crater." (Scientists call it Barringer Crater, for the name of the man who first theorized it was a meteorite-impact crater.) Some 50,000 years ago, parts of an asteroid fell to Earth here, in a location just east of Flagstaff, Arizona. And today, we can see just how devastating the collision must have been to leave a basin so large.Desktop Version

Aug 15, 2018Best. Holiday. Ever.

On this most wonderful day—National Relaxation Day—we journey to a rocky, kelp-covered shore in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, where a snoozing Eurasian otter gives an inspiring demonstration of how to properly observe this holiday. Relaxation Day seems to have originated from National Slacker Day, which Britons are celebrating today. There, celebrants are encouraged to ignore the phone and other devices, and simply take it easy. The idea caught on here in the US and, really, who are we to say ‘no’ to a chance to kick back, maybe catch a nap, and just take it easy for one day. Join us, won’t you?Desktop Version

May 1, 2018The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy

Here in the canal city of Venice, sun and water reflect off artist Heinz Mack’s sculpture called The Sky Over Nine Columns. The piece was on display here in on the island of San Giorgio Magiorre in 2014, during the Venice Architecture Biennale, and later traveled to Istanbul and Valencia. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the pillars as if wandering through a temple connecting the Earth to the sky. A closer look reveals the massive pillars are covered in 850,000 mosaic tiles coated in 24-carat gold leaf.Desktop Version

Jun 9, 2021Ring of fire

No, this isn"t some kind of early promo for "Halo Infinite." Today"s homepage image shows an annular solar eclipse captured in New Mexico in 2012. ("Annular" is just a fancy word for doughnut-shaped.) It"s not unlike the eclipse some northerly parts of the world will enjoy tomorrow.Desktop Version

Apr 13, 2021Ruins of a royal temple

In present-day Thailand sit the ruins of the ancient kingdom that preceded it, Ayutthaya. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, shown here, was the holiest shrine in the capital of that kingdom, a royal temple containing a 52-foot-tall golden statue of the Buddha, among other treasures. The first king of Ayutthaya, Ramathibodi I, ordered construction of a royal palace here in 1350. Nearly a century later, the palace was moved to a different location in the city and the former palace grounds were converted to a holy site.Desktop Version

Jun 30, 2020We re gonna need a bigger birdhouse

You"re more likely to see jabiru storks down on the shores of ponds or on riverbanks, where they hunt for small fish, amphibians, and lizards. They"re the tallest flying bird in South and Central America, with the largest males standing 5 feet. Despite their size, jabiru storks are graceful fliers. Here in the Pantanal, a sprawling tropical wetland in western Brazil, jabiru storks will build a massive nest in late August or September—just as spring is beginning in the Southern Hemisphere. The stork mates in this image may be scouting out a good place for their nest. And once it"s built, the pair will raise anywhere from two to five jabiru stork chicks.Desktop Version

Aug 22, 2020A monster view in Scotland

People love a good mystery. Maybe that"s why we"ve been fascinated by mythical creatures like the Loch Ness monster for nearly 1,500 years. We"re looking at Urquhart Castle, a ruin founded in the 13th century, with Loch Ness behind it. As the legend goes, on August 22, 565, an Irish priest named Columba confronted "Nessie" and commanded the "water beast" away. Since then, several other people have claimed to spot, or even photograph, the Loch Ness monster. And then there are the alleged sightings of Bigfoot, the chupacabra, the yeti, and other creatures around the world. These are all examples of a subculture engaged in cryptozoology—the study of hidden animals. Are any of these beasts real? Probably not, but why spoil the fun?Desktop Version

Mar 24, 2020Springtime in the Mediterranean

European bee-eaters really do eat bees, and other insects as well. They catch bugs midair and if the bugs have poisonous stingers, they’ll carry them to a perch and pound them to rub out the venom, making them safe to eat. You can find these jewel-toned birds throughout Europe, especially in nature reserves and parks. These two are enjoying the abundant sunshine in the Extremadura region of Spain, one of the best areas for birdwatching on the continent.Desktop Version

Apr 25, 2021One giant leap for penguins

These Adélie penguins are jumping for joy because it"s World Penguin Day. Or maybe they"re just looking for a snack as they dive off this iceberg. Native to the land and surrounding waters of Antarctica, Adélie penguins migrate to their coastal breeding grounds in late October or November. They can dive as deep as 575 feet, and swim as far as 185 miles round trip to find krill, fish, and squid.Desktop Version

Nov 25, 2018‘Ciao’ from Varenna

Scenic Lake Como in Italy’s Lombardy region is where the rich and famous come to play. The lavish historic villas are home to an increasingly well-heeled cosmopolitan set, including celebrities like George Clooney, who owns a summer house in the lakeside village of Laglio. As it happens, most tourists visit Lake Como in the summer, but we think winter looks magical as well, particularly here on the Riva Grande, the shoreline promenade of Varenna. Como’s picturesque landscape has served as a filming location for many popular movies over the years, including ‘Ocean"s Twelve,’ which Clooney starred in, as well as ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.’ Even Jedi knights aren’t immune to the region’s charms. In ‘Star Wars: Episode II,’ Lake Como was the site where Anakin Skywalker falls in love with Padmé Amidala.Desktop Version

Jun 7, 2018Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage

Humpback whales are found in virtually all the world’s oceans, though they don’t swim in the extra-cold waters of the Arctic. This pod is breaching the surface of Lynn Canal in the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, where the whales return in summer for the feeding season after sensibly wintering in warmer tropical waters.Desktop Version

Dec 11, 2020Mountains fit for a queen

Like sentinels standing guard, these towering stalks are flowers of the queen of the Andes, the world"s largest bromeliad—some specimens can grow up to 50 feet tall. This extraordinary plant has adapted to grow only in the adverse conditions found on the high slopes of the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes. To see several of them in bloom at once is truly special, for the queen of the Andes sends up her flowering stalk just once, after a century or so of painstaking growth. A single plant will bloom for about three months, producing anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 flowers, then die.Desktop Version

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