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About 90 miles north of San Francisco lies Fort Ross, a site chosen to be the Russian empire's only colony in what would later become the contiguous United States. Pictured is a Russian Orthodox chapel at Fort Ross.

When Russia Colonized California: Celebrating 200 Years of Fort Ross

A piece of history on the Pacific Coast was almost lost to budget cuts, until a Russian billionaire stepped in to save the endangered state park

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The Tallest, Strongest and Most Iconic Trees in the World

Where to see the greatest trees in the world

Delacroix’s La Liberté to be on display at the new Louvre-Lens museum in the Pas-de-Calais

The Louvre Museum Is Having a Baby!

This December the French town of Lens will be welcoming a new branch museum of the Louvre

Does it get any better than this? Trees, shade, green grass and a pair of horizontal bars beside the Dordogne River, in Souillac, add up to one of the finest outdoor workout stations in France.

Fitness Afar: Great Places to Hang Out at the Bar

Going abroad needn’t mean going flabby—globe-trotters can find pull-up bars and other outdoor gymnastics equipment in some of the most unexpected places

The Hotel Metropole, opened in 1901, reflects the French colonial era in Vietnam.

A Trio of French Colonial Sites in Hanoi

In Vietnam’s capital you can still find many examples of French colonial architecture, including St. Joseph’s Cathedral and the luxurious Hotel Metropole

There are few soccer players better suited to play goalie than the perfectly named Hope Solo. A self-described loner, she is the best player on the U.S. women's soccer team, and its most outspoken.

Hope Solo Drops Her Guard

As her controversial new memoir will show, the leader of the U.S. women’s soccer team has always defended her turf

The lifestyles of the modern-day prospectors are not so far removed from that of the forty-niners.

There’s a New Breed of Forty-Niners Rushing to the Pacific

Lured by the soaring price of the precious metal, prospectors are heading for the California hills like it’s 1849 all over again

Cork oaks recently harvested of their bark are a common sight in the southern Iberian Peninsula. These middle-aged trees are growing in the Spanish province of Extremadura.

Cork Trees: Soft-Skinned Monarchs of the Mediterranean

A cork tree stripped of its bark will be harvested again in nine years—if people are still using cork by then

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The Hunt for a Bottle of Asturias Cider and the Stories of More Drinks From Northern Spain

In this part of Europe, a glass of rioja is nice, but nothing beats apple cider, a way of life

The prized Fliers' and Explorers' Globe at the American Geographical Society

The Greatest Globe on Earth

Now kept at the American Geographical Society in New York, the globe is precious not for its age or beauty, but for the explorers who signed it

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Spain: Of Sun, Siestas — and Salmon?

About a dozen Spanish streams support native runs of Atlantic salmon, but anglers are deeply divided about how to fish for them

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Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice

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Six Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice Around the World

From Eagle Summit in Alaska’s White Mountains, watch as the sun dips, dips, dips—-but remains just above the horizon

The zocalo in Oaxaca, Mexico, blocks away from the Hotel Las Golondrinas

For a Happy Hotel Experience, Take the Middle Road

Neither too luxurious nor too austere, mid-range inns are often a great choice for travelers. Here are some of my favorites in Europe, Mexico and Morocco

Andorra makes no effort to charm those crossing the border from France. Shown here is the entry point into the commercial hub of Pas de la Casa.

Andorra: The Ugliest Country in Europe?

They had green mountains, trout streams and wildflowers; meadows and waterfalls, but Andorrans made their country the least charming in all of Europe

The exterior of the Hotel Astoria in St. Petersburg

A Toast to the Astoria Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia

A Russian icon in the Art Nouveau style on St. Isaac‘s Square near the Neva River, the Astoria evokes a Belle Époque world gone by

The brown bear is among the largest land animals in the northern hemisphere. Whether there is still room for it in the French Pyrenees is uncertain.

Can Brown Bears Survive in the Pyrenees?

The keepers of sheep and cows helped eliminate the Pyrenean brown bear, and shepherds are not thrilled to see France’s largest predator return

Huahine in the South Pacific

Prospero’s Island in the South Pacific

Was it Bermuda—or the dreamy French Polynesian island of Huahine—that inspired the setting for Shakespeare’s The Tempest?

Palace of the Winds in Jaipur, India

Jaipur via The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

A delightful new film takes viewers to India’s picturesque western state of Rajasthan

Follow the arrows, find the cheese. This sign led to a sheep farm in the village of Tilhouse.

On the Cheese Trail in the Pyrenees

Make a fuss in the road and someone will appear. Spit out some gibberish about “fromage a vendre,” and that should do it. You’ll get your cheese

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