Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Travel

None

What to Do With Your Delicious Summer Melons

From salsa to salad to soup, here are some great refreshing dishes to make with these sublime, succulent fruits

None

Where Bourbon Really Got Its Name and More Tips on America’s Native Spirit

Michael Veach is Louisville’s unofficial bourbon ambassador. We asked him to give us some history as well as some suggestions on what to drink

“Rainbow Ice” is a top selling flavor for Dippin’ Dots.

Is Dippin’ Dots Still the “Ice Cream of the Future”?

How founder and CEO Curt Jones is trying to keep the tiny ice cream beads from becoming a thing of the past

None

How Do Death Valley’s ‘Sailing Stones’ Move Themselves Across the Desert?

These mysterious rocks have puzzled scientists for decades—until one geologist found the answer on his kitchen table

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Is Spaghetti and Meatballs Italian?

The classic dish can be found in red-and-white tablecloth spots across the United States, but there’s a fascinating history behind where it got its start

Chilis being transported to the Nagaland's chili competition. Gloves need to be worn because the chili oils can harm the skin.

The Gut-Wrenching Science Behind the World’s Hottest Peppers

Chiliheads crave the heat that hurts so good, but nothing compares to the legendary superhot that spices life in remote India

A hidden treasure–a bottle of Normandy apple cider stashed eight months earlier–is withdrawn from a hole in a rock wall in France’s Dordogne Valley. It was replaced with a Chimay Belgian ale. Want to play the game? Read this post for instructions.

Find the Beer! Bottles of Brew Await in Hiding Places in France

Bottles of strong brew lurk in rock walls and cliffs around southern France. Can you find them?

None

We Have Texas to Thank for the Biggest Big Gulp

The story behind the super sized soda cup in 7-Eleven stores and how it changed soft drinks forever.

The largest baseball stadium in Germany, the Armin-Wolf-Arena seats 4,500 and brings in an average of 1,000 fans to post-season games.

Eins, Zwei, Drei Strikes You’re Out at the Ol’ Ballgame

What happens when the American pastime comes to Germany?

A massive inflatable rubber duck floats in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, adding a flash of bright yellow to the cityscape.

Hong Kong Fell in Love With This Larger-Than-Life Rubber Duck

The popular 46-foot-tall inflatable art installation returns to Victoria Harbor

The Hoover Dam generates about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year, enough to power the lives of 1.3 million people.

Powering the 21st Century

Where to Take a Tour of the World’s Power Plants

From Nevada’s Hoover Dam to a geothermal plant next to an Icelandic volcano, these six power stations open their doors to visitors

None

Earth & Sky Photo Contest Winners 2013

These award-winning photos, chosen from submissions by photographers in 45 countries, reveal the natural beauty of the night sky

None

When Heineken Bottles Were Square

In 1963, Alfred Heineken created a beer bottle that could also function as a brick to build houses in impoverished countries.

A tabletop laden with goodies showcases the nut culture of the French Périgord, where locals make cheese, bread, oil and liqueur using the area’s walnuts.

Five Ways to Enjoy a Walnut

In France’s Périgord region, never mind the truffles, foie gras and wine—at least for a day—because this country is ground zero of the noble walnut

None

The History of Baseball Stadium Nachos

From a Mexican maitre ‘d’s mishap in 1943 to the gooey, orange stuff you put on your chips at the baseball game today.

Okay Americans still maybe take the worst tourist pictures.

Americans Are Actually The Best Tourists

A recent survey reveals that many service workers don’t find American that bad at all

London’s Best Restaurants

An eating tour of London—from Soho to Shoreditch, Bermondsey to Brixton—reveals the best restaurants among the city’s diverse new culinary scene

A street food market in San Andrés Cholula, in Mexico's Puebla state

What to Really Eat on Cinco de Mayo

Put down the margaritas and tacos, and pick up a chalupa

None

What’s Better at the New Orleans Jazz Fest: The Food or the Music?

From oyster patties to po’boys, crawfish to étouffée, the caterers and restaurants offer strong competition to the legends on the big stage

Canyon walls tower above river rafters in the cathedralesque Grand Canyon. Traveling by raft may be the most enjoyable and easiest way to explore the Colorado River, one of the most threatened rivers.

Exploring the World’s Most Imperiled Rivers

Agriculture, pollution and hydroelectric development threaten many great rivers. See them while they still flow, via raft, kayak, canoe—or bicycle

Page 131 of 202