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Smart News / Smart News Travel

Polar bears are back in Churchill, Manitoba.

Polar Bears Are Gathering in Canada—and You Can Watch Them Live

Bears return to Churchill, Manitoba, every autumn to await the formation of sea ice on the Hudson Bay

Ontario International Airport in southern California

You Can Now Meet Friends and Family at the Gate at This California Airport

Ontario International Airport’s new program allows non-ticketed individuals to venture beyond security

El Capitan towers more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor in Yosemite National Park.

This 8-Year-Old Boy Became the Youngest Person to Ascend El Capitan

With the help of guides and ropes, Sam Baker and his father reached the top in four days

Barge 129 loading coal

Cool Finds

Unusual 120-Year-Old Whaleback Shipwreck Discovered in Lake Superior

“Barge 129” was the last undiscovered whaleback wreck in the Great Lakes

A rendering of a giant flower pot vacation rental on a farm in Idaho, designed by Whitney H. from the United States

Spend the Night in a Giant Flower Pot or a Supersized Cereal Box

Airbnb is giving $100,000 each to 100 people to help them build the most off-beat lodgings they could imagine

Miramar Castle in Trieste, Italy

This Beautiful Italian Region Will Reimburse Your Train Ticket

Hoping to boost tourism, the Friuli Venezia Giulia region is offering to pay for travelers’ train fares and museum passes

President Joe Biden speaks at a ceremony to create a 53,804-acre national monument in the mountains of Colorado.

Biden Declares His First National Monument at Colorado’s Camp Hale

Once home to the Ute Tribes, the site later became a military training base for the skiing soldiers who fought in World War II

An A.I.-generated image of the Faroe Islands inspired by Vincent van Gogh

Art Meets Science

How Would van Gogh Have Painted the Faroe Islands?

A new exhibition uses artificial intelligence to create images in the style of history’s greatest artists

Moai statues on Easter Island

Fire Irreversibly Damages Easter Island Statues

The isolated island is home to hundreds of the mysterious monuments

In addition to sorting mail and manning the gift shop, the women will help keep an eye on the 1,500 penguins who live at Port Lockroy.

Meet the Four Women Who Will Run Antarctica’s ‘Penguin Post Office’

Selected from 6,000 applicants, the workers will spend five months counting penguins and sending mail from the seventh continent

Virgin Atlantic’s uniforms

Virgin Atlantic Is Dropping Its Gendered Uniform Policy

The change is part of a growing movement to make travel more inclusive

A butte in Gem County, Idaho, is now named Sehewoki’I Newenee’an Katete.

Hundreds of Federal Sites Officially Drop Racial Slur From Their Names

The Interior Department is renaming locations across the country to remove the derogatory word for Native American women

A close-up of Stonehenge in Salisbury, England

What Do Stonehenge and Japanese Stone Circles Have in Common?

A new exhibition explores the surprising parallels between British and Japanese traditions

Bison typically roam the tall grasses of the American prairie, but a herd in Grand Canyon National Park has found ways to thrive in forest and desert habitats.

Meet the ‘Forest Ninja Bison’ Living in Grand Canyon National Park

Wildlife managers recently relocated dozens of the iconic animals to help restore balance to the park’s ecosystem

The project uses public surveillance footage from popular tourists destinations. 

Art Meets Science

This Controversial Artist Matches Influencer Photos With Surveillance Footage

‘The Followers’ uses artificial intelligence and facial-recognition technology to comment on the surveillance state

The U.S. State Department ran two pilot programs to test the online renewal option.

Online Passport Renewal Is Almost Here

In early 2023, qualifying American travelers will be able to skip the lines

Heart Aerospace's ES-30, a regional electric airplane with seats for 30 passengers

Electric Planes Are Taking Flight

More airlines are ordering battery-powered aircraft to help reduce their environmental impact

Crowds on the first day of Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany

Crowds Pour in for Oktoberfest After Two Years of Pandemic Closures

For the first time since 2019, millions will travel to Munich for the famous beer festival

Bad Bunny, a global reggaeton sensation whose latest album just topped the Billboard 200 for the 11th week, released a short documentary on Puerto Rico’s infrastructure failures and gentrification.

Bad Bunny’s Latest Music Video Doubles as a Documentary on Gentrification in Puerto Rico

Amid Hurricane Fiona, the artist combines his music with an 18-minute film by reporter Bianca Graulau

The Eiffel Tower at night

To Save Energy, the Eiffel Tower Dims Its Lights Early

The iconic landmark will go dark at 11:45 p.m. to help the city’s conservation efforts

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