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Travel

When horses were banned in Venice in the 14th century, gondolas took over. They’ve been a Venice trademark ever since.

Seeing Venice Via Gondola

Used mainly by tourists, the gondolas carry a history of craftsmanship that is as interesting as the city itself

The show still goes on in ancient Ostia’s theater.

Ostia Antica: Rome’s Ancient Port

The ruins of this one-time commercial center takes visitors back to the time when the Roman Empire ruled the seas

You can easily spend hours observing the teen scene in Naples.

Naples: Italy in the Extreme

The unpredictable Italian city always has a secret or quirky attraction hidden among its many ancient streets

Established in 954 near the Italian Riviera, Seborga managed to maintain its independence because it was overlooked by the succession of rulers who took over this part of the world.

Micronations of the World

Explore these mock sovereign states fueled by local disputes, utopian idealism and the imaginations of a few eccentric individuals

Torun's many intact medieval buildings have earned it a World Heritage site designation.

The Sights and Smells of Torun

Memoirist Frances Mayes samples freshly baked gingerbread while exploring Copernicus’ hometown on a trip through Poland

Nearly 2.5 million people come each year to Varanasi which sits on the banks of the most sacred Indian river.

The Holy City of Varanasi

Tourists and pilgrims flock to Varanasi, a sacred Hindu city on the banks of the Ganges River

Telluride, Colorado is Aspen's younger, less glamorous, not so naughty sister.

Telluride Thinks Out of the Box

The fiction writer cherishes her mountain town’s anti-commercialism, as epitomized by the local swap stop, a regional landmark

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Reno, Nevada

An ideal (and scenic) location to raise a family

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Ormond By The Sea, Florida

Sleepy beach town filled with exotic wild life

Dover, Ohio

Dover, Ohio

Dover was and still is a quiet pond in a seething ocean

Though it’s one of the oldest subway systems in Europe, the Paris Métro has some sleek, 21st-century stations.

Navigating the Paris Metro

With nearly 300 stops in the underground system, the Metro takes Parisians and tourists alike from neighborhood to neighborhood

Traffic whips around Paris' grandest arch while tourists savor the view from the top.

Circling in on Paris’ Arc d’Triomphe

On the eastern end of the Champs-Elysees, the iconic memorial arch is a traffic nightmare but a tourist’s lesson in French history

Scott Wing points out the red and gray strata visible in the distant hills.

Day 2: Uncovering Earth’s History in the Bighorn Basin

Secretary Clough tours the different Smithsonian excavation sites and discovers some prehistoric fossils while there

Secretary of the Smithsonian, G. Wayne Clough, traveled to Worland, Wyo. to observe Scott Wing and his team mine the fossil lode they found.

Day 1: A Geological Trip Back in Time

Smithsonian Secretary Clough flies to Wyoming to learn about a period of intense global warming that occurred 55 million years ago

The Appalachian Trail crosses 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests.

Tales From the Appalachian Trail

The stories of ten hikers who have traveled the 2,000-mile-path through the eastern United States tell the history of the trail

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Shreveport, Louisiana

Opening day at the farmer’s market

Thornton Wilder discovered Douglas, Arizona, when his T-Bird broke down.

Thornton Wilder’s Desert Oasis

For the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Douglas, Arizona was a place to “refresh the wells” and drive into the sunset

The turquoise water and mangrove islands seen from the dock sold the author on her Sugarloaf Key home.

Sugarloaf Key, Florida: Keeping Good Company

Observing ibises and kayaking among sharks, author Barbara Ehrenreich savors life “up the Keys”

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Miami, Florida

A love affair

Aptly named superb starlings enjoy the bird feeder at Mpala Ranch.

Day 5: Bird Watching and Animal Tracking

Living among the African wildlife, Smithsonian researchers are busy studying the symbiotic relationships between flora and fauna

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