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Renowned as an art colony, San Miguel also mounts festivals showcasing indigenous cultures.

Under the Spell of San Miguel de Allende

Ever since American Stirling Dickinson arrived there in 1937, the Mexican town has been a magnet for artists and U.S. expatriates

A cliff-face cavity is all that remains of one of two sixth-century Buddha sculptures, sublime expressions of Bamiyan's ancient kingdom.

Searching for Buddha in Afghanistan

An archaeologist insists a third giant statue lies near the cliffs where the Bamiyan Buddhas, destroyed in 2001, once stood

The bridge, which is awaiting decking and with temporary pylons in September 2009, was built to bypass the part of U.S. Route 93 that crosses the Hoover Dam.

A Breathtaking New Bridge

The construction of the bridge that bypasses the Hoover Dam was an Erector Set dream come true for this photographer

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Port Clyde, Maine

Faith and lobsters

To botanists, the Caucasus Mountain region is known as a center of diversity for figs as well as mulberries, grapes, walnuts, apricots, pomegranates and almonds.

The Great Georgian Fruit Hunt

Sent to the Caucasus by the U.S. government, Malli Aradhya forages through orchards and markets in search of the perfect specimen

A monarchist displays images of the Romanovs. Many Russians regard the Romanovs, canonized by the Orthodox Church in 2000, as martyrs.

Resurrecting the Czar

In Russia, the recent discovery of the remains of the two missing Romanov children has pitted science against the church

Portland has a "goofy, energetic optimism," says novelist Katherine Dunn, sitting on the city's Hawthorne Bridge.

Twice Charmed by Portland, Oregon

The Pacific Northwest city captivated the author first when she was an adventure-seeking adolescent and again as an adult

On the day of the battle, 6,000 to 7,000 Indians were camped on the flats beside the Little Bighorn River.

How the Battle of Little Bighorn Was Won

Accounts of the 1876 battle have focused on Custer’s ill-fated cavalry. But a new book offers a take from the Indian’s point of view

Every September for 86 years, Santa Fe residents have gathered to witness the burning of Zozobra.

Zozobra: The Boogeyman of Santa Fe

Each year, New Mexicans gather around a giant burning effigy, casting off their bad memories into the consuming bonfire

Memphis in the mid-1850s

Memphis, Tenn.

‘Take Me Back to Beale’

Reservoirs along the river may never rise to previous levels. Utah's Lake Powell has a "bathtub ring" that rises at least 70 feet above the water.

The Colorado River Runs Dry

Dams, irrigation and now climate change have drastically reduced the once-mighty river. Is it a sign of things to come?

"You have to be grateful in Vegas. It's the great lesson of the city, the thing I'm taking as a souvenir," says J.R. Moehringer.

Las Vegas: An American Paradox

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist J.R. Moehringer rolls the dice on life in Sin City

Bill Owens' photograph of Richie Ferguson in 1971 became one of the most evocative images in Suburbia, a collection Owens published in 1972.

Shooting the American Dream in Suburbia

Bill Owens was seeking a fresh take on suburban life when he spotted a plastic-rifle-toting boy named Richie Ferguson

On the anniversary of the assassination of an anti-mafia magistrate, Palermo's citizens joined politicians in a fiaccolata, or candlelight vigil, in his honor.

In Sicily, Defying the Mafia

Fed up with extortion and violent crime, ordinary citizens are rising up against organized crime

Travelers walked the Kiso Road as early as A.D. 703. Old stones still identify it as part of the Nakasendo, the inland highway connecting Kyoto and Tokyo.

A Walk Through Old Japan

An autumn trek along the Kiso Road wends through mist-covered mountains and rustic villages graced by timeless hospitality

A section of the rugged backcountry terrain of the Los Padres National Forest is visited by fewer than 20 people per year.

Carving Out the Condor Trail

Cartographer Bryan Conant leads the quest to link Big Sur to southern California in the West Coast’s answer to the Appalachian Trail

After doing some digging, author Joshua Hammer discovered an anti-mafia movement going on in Sicily and thought it would make a good Smithsonian story.

Joshua Hammer on “In Sicily, Defying the Mafia”

The wrinkled Blackstone Glacier absorbs every color of the spectrum except blue, so the crevasses are a brilliant, Gatorade-like aquamarine.

Kayaking Alaska in the Exxon Valdez’ Shadow

The massive oil spill devastated the Prince William Sound shore 21 years ago; now the wildlife and vistas are making a comeback

Cassadaga, Florida is considered the oldest active religious community in the Southeast.

Cassadaga: America’s Oldest Spiritualist Community

The mystics of the Florida village offer a connection to the spirits living among us and a portal into America’s religious past

People of every income level and skin color mix comfortably on Rio's gorgeous beaches like here at Ipanema-Leblon.

Reinventing Rio

The dazzling but tarnished Brazilian city gets a makeover as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games

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