Smithsonian Lists
The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit
From the blues to the big top, 20 small towns that are big on culture
The Smithsonian Life List
From Iguazu Falls to the Outer Hebrides: 43 places to see this lifetime
Top EvoTourism Destinations
The best places to see the wonders of evolution
Editors' Picks
The 20 Best Small Towns in America of 2012
From the Berkshires to the Cascades, we've crunched the numbers and pulled a list some of the most interesting spots around the country
You've Never Heard A Music Box Like This
In a funky New Orleans experiment, musicians turn a ramshackle house into a cacophony of sounds
Your Unofficial Guide to Portland, Oregon’s Many Brewpubs and Breweries
In parts of Portland, Oregon, one must hardly walk three blocks before running into another bar that pours its very own beer. Locally brewed? The concept takes on a whole new scale of meaning in Portland
Inside the Great American Baseball Road Trip
Forget team loyalty. In 2013, it's all about the stadium, as ballpark chasers take to the road with the goal of seeing a game in every stadium on the continent
April 12, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
A recent survey reveals that many service workers don't find American that bad at all
May 06, 2013
| By Rose Eveleth
Agriculture, pollution and hydroelectric development threaten many great rivers. See them while they still flow, via raft, kayak, canoe—or bicycle
May 01, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
Tour this map and see which idyllic small towns are closest to you
If you've entertained ideas of boundless romping in the woods with your pet, you may be in for a serious letdown, as more and more parks have cracked down on man's best friend
April 24, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
The latest Gallup poll results are in—and Americans love Canada more than any other nation. Here are six ways to experience the greatest scenery of America's neighbor to the north
April 22, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
2013's cherry blossom bloom along the Tidal Basin was worth the wait
One of America's great long-distance hiking trails, the PCT meanders 2,650 miles through three states, from Campo, California, to E.C. Manning Provincial Park, in British Columbia
April 08, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
Even though most of 1950s Vegas is long gone, there are still many ways to relive the haunts of Ol’ Blue Eyes and the Rat Pack
April 01, 2013
| By Nina Fedrizzi
From the blues to the big top, we’ve picked the most intriguing small towns to enjoy arts and smarts
April 2013
| By Susan Spano
Historian Tony Horwitz travels to the Civil War battlefield and finds that even where time is frozen, it’s undergone welcome changes
April 2013
| By Tony Horwitz
Air travel is not just stressful for animals. It can be dangerous, no matter how smooth the landing, timely the departure or friendly the flight attendants
March 20, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
First in rustic tents and later in elaborate resorts, city dwellers took to the Adirondacks to explore the joys of the wilderness
April 2013
| By Tony Perrottet
Coffee is black and bitter—but global travelers find a surprisingly wide range of forms of the world's favorite hot beverage
March 15, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
Jazz is synonymous with the Big Easy, and there’s no bigger name in the history of the genre than Satchmo
January 31, 2013
| By Nina Fedrizzi
The iconic New York building, which celebrates its 100th birthday this weekend, has a storied past
February 01, 2013
| By Marina Koren
Now, thanks to Google, you don't need a plane ticket or hiking boots to experience some of the Grand Canyon's geologic magic
February 06, 2013
| By Rose Eveleth
A lack of snow is affecting the annual Iditarod sled dog race
February 06, 2013
| By Colin Schultz
Encounter the fossils and other remnants of the lives left behind by the continent’s original settlers
February 2013
| By Guy Gugliotta
Countless bones and a billion years of geological action make Dinosaur National Monument the go-to park for fossil finds
February 2013
| By Mary Roach
From the Anderson Valley Brewing Company, in Boonville, to the often irreverent Lagunitas brewpub, in Petaluma, here are several breweries worth pedaling for
September 06, 2012
| By Alastair Bland
The concrete and plastic dinosaurs beside America's highways can be strange and beautiful. Tell us which one you think is the best
September 07, 2012
| By Brian Switek
Cycling the West Coast is easy, whether you're riding from Canada to Mexico or Portland to San Francisco. To add some spice to this predictable and popular route, I've taken to the backroads
September 04, 2012
| By Alastair Bland
The coastal Highway 101 route, through rainforest and redwoods, is as beautiful as it is popular
August 29, 2012
| By Alastair Bland
In parts of Portland, Oregon, one must hardly walk three blocks before running into another bar that pours its very own beer. Locally brewed? The concept takes on a whole new scale of meaning in Portland
August 24, 2012
| By Alastair Bland
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