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In 1903, a barge called the Harold tipped somewhere off the coast of New York City, sending most of its 7,700 silver-and-lead bars to the bottom.

The Search for the Guggenheim Treasure

Loot valued at $20 million lies off the coast of Staten Island, and Ken Hayes is on the hunt for the sunken silver bullion

Locals know to hold their nose when enjoying the stinky cheese of Olomouc.

Stinky Cheese in Olomouc

A fine daytrip from Prague, the Czech Republic’s fourth-largest city offers more than just famous cheese

Some of the best beer in Europe—and some of its most enthusiastic beer drinkers—can be found in Prague.

Czech Beer

The Czechs invented Pilsner-style lager, but be sure to venture beyond this famous beer

"For residents of the area who have gone to live elsewhere, it's the canal—so deep-set in what appears to be solid rock ... that resurfaces in dreams," says Oates.

Joyce Carol Oates Goes Home Again

The celebrated writer returns to the town of her birth to revisit the places that haunt her memory and her extraordinary fiction

Horses brought by Spanish explorers in the 16th century bore a dark stripe along the spine, a feature that marks some mustangs today.

The Mustang Mystique

Descended from animals brought by Spanish conquistadors centuries ago, wild horses roam the West. But are they running out of room?

Pho being served at the Spice Garden Buffet at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Searching for Hanoi’s Ultimate Pho

With more Americans sampling Vietnam’s savory soup, a noted food critic and an esteemed maestro track down the city’s best

Esther Renee Adams, "Mamaw," was laid to rest in her own home. In the mountains of eastern Kentucky, such "country wakes" could last for days.

Capturing Appalachia’s “Mountain People”

Shelby Lee Adams’ 1990 photograph of life in the eastern Kentucky mountains captured a poignant tradition

Like an iceberg, the little red hut bobbing on Sweden’s Lake Malaren hardly hints at what’s beneath the surface; some 10 feet below is the “second” floor.

Lodging in the Trees, Underwater and in the Ground

From Tunisian caves to Swedish mines, unusual hotels can be found around the world to make your vacation a special one

G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian, at Lake Hoare.

Day 4: Touring By Helicopter

Secretary Clough visits the driest place on the planet, Ernest Shackleton’s hut, penguins, whales and more on his final day in Antarctica

Mimi Sheraton has been a food writer for over 50 years.

Mimi Sheraton on “Ultimate Pho”

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South San Francisco, California

An industrious community

In the mid-19th century, a newfound respect for history led to Kalmar Castle's renovation.

Kalmar Castle: Sweden’s Royal Hub

From medieval palace to prison, distillery and granary, this castle was finally restored to its original glory

Glamorous sailboats fill Copenhagen's canal.

Affording Copenhagen

Travelers on a budget can still enjoy the Danish capital

Renting a bike is a great way to explore Aero Island. Along the way you will see many U-shaped farms, typical of Denmark.

Aero Island Bike Ride (or Car Tour)

Rent a bicycle and see all this charming island has to offer

Carved in place from limestone, the Sphinx is among the world's largest statues.

Uncovering Secrets of the Sphinx

After decades of research, American archaeologist Mark Lehner has some answers about the mysteries of the Egyptian colossus

Robert Scurlock covered Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial after she was denied the stage at Washington's Constitution Hall.

The Scurlock Studio: Picture of Prosperity

For more than half a century the Scurlock Studio chronicled the rise of Washington’s black middle class

"Not gussied up or cute, Lafayette is a sturdy town, persistent in its character," says Patricia Henley.

Sticking Around Lafayette, Indiana

She didn’t plan on staying, but more than 20 years later novelist Patricia Henley embraces her adopted community

John Ford, who filmed westerns in the valley (the Mittens and Merrick Butte), called it the "most complete, beautiful and peaceful place on earth."

Behind the Scenes in Monument Valley

The vast Navajo tribal park on the border of Utah and New Mexico stars in Hollywood movies but remains largely hidden to visitors

Perez (at home in Guatemala in 2001) "really had a foot in both worlds," Donna DeCesare says.

Out of the Guatemalan Gang Culture, an Artist

Carlos Perez could have been an artist or a gangster. Photographer Donna DeCesare helped him choose

A focal point for visitors today, the gateway sign says "Work Will Set You Free," a monstrous lie told to the men, women and children imprisoned there.

Can Auschwitz Be Saved?

Liberated in 1945, the Nazi concentration camp is one of Eastern Europe’s most visited sites—and most fragile

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