Travel

An eyepiece on the 6.5 meter Magellan/Clay telescope allows Secretary Clough to see amazing sights in the night sky, including the planet Saturn, the star Eta Carinae and the Omega Centauri.

Day 3: The Excitement of Astronomy

A daytime tour of the Magellan facility and its surrounding hillside is topped off by a perfect evening of stargazing

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough (yellow hat) standing on a scaffolding with a group of Smithsonian employees outside the DuPont telescope.

Day 2: Stargazing in the Andes Mountains

Up high among wild burros and llamas, a Smithsonian astronomer observes and studies the millions of stars in the sky

The Chilean Andes

Day 1: A Stop in Santiago

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough explores Santiago before heading to the Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes

Author of "Hola, Buenos Aires," Daniel Politi.

Daniel Politi on “Hola, Buenos Aires"

The Demeure de la Vignole Hotel has underground rooms in caves.

A Tour of France’s Cave Homes

In France’s Loire Valley, domesticated cave dwellings, known as troglodyte homes, offer a history as rich as the region’s chateaus

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West Hartford, Conn.

A trip back in time

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St. Petersburg, Florida

Musings of a native

American myths: the Frontier and Ellis Island immigrants.

Cowboys and Immigrants

Two dueling archetypes dominated 20th-century American politics. Is it time for them to be reconciled?

The predominantly Mexican Pilsen neighborhood was once predominantly Czech. Across Chicago, says Juana Guzman of Pilsen's National Museum of Mexican Art, "food is an important cultural anchor."

Chicago Eats

From curried catfish to baba ghanouj, Chicago serves up what may be the finest ethnic cuisine going

Pensacola, its anchorage first admired by the Spanish 450 years ago. In 1686, Spanish navigator Juan Jordán described Pensacola's bay as "the best I have ever seen."

Harboring History in Pensacola

In Florida's panhandle, vibrant Pensacola stakes its claim as the oldest European settlement in the United States

Big Sur's dramatic vistas entrance residents and day-trippers alike. In 1912 or so, watercolorist Francis McComas described the landscape as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world."

Big Sur's California Dreamin'

Untrammeled wilderness and new age enclave, Big Sur retains its rugged beauty and quirky charm

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Highlights & Hotspots

Highlights & Hotspots

The Humdinger sandwich is a mother-in-law with melted cheese on top.

Searching for a Mother-in-Law Sandwich

Eager enthusiasts track Chicago’s indigenous—and sometimes endangered—food traditions

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Washington, D.C.

The city that has it all

Geary County Courthouse

Junction City, Kansas

A beautiful stop between St. Louis, Mo. and Denver, Co.

Four hundred years ago, Isfahan was larger than London and more cosmopolitan than Paris. The city's most famous bridge, Si-o Seh Pol (Bridge of 33 Arches) is nearly 1,000 feet long and 45 feet wide.

Isfahan: Iran's Hidden Jewel

Once the dazzling capital of ancient Persia,Isfahan fell victim to neglect, but a new generation hopes to restore its lost luster

Boise, says the author, is a study in paradoxes, a place "both rural and metropolitan, civilized and feral."

Boise, Idaho: Big Skies and Colorful Characters

Idaho's natural beauty is what makes novelist Anthony Doerr feel so much at home in Boise

In a far-off corner of the Peloponnese, clan wars left the hill town of Vathia in ruins.

The Peloponnese: The Ancient Olympics Meet the Wild West

Ghost towns and ancient history await travelers who take the four-hour drive from Athens to this ancient peninsula

The Acropolis Museum shows off treasures from the Parthenon.

A New Look for an Old City

The center of ancient Greek civilization is now home to a magnificent modern museum that highlights the city's storied past

A view of the Greek island Hydra.

Hydra's History

The small island has served an integral role in modern Greece history as a naval stronghold and hotspot for celebrities

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