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Travel

Through the Manta Trust's adoption program, donors can choose to adopt any one of a number of frequently sighted manta rays in the Maldives.

Virtual Travel

Ten Animals and Plants Around the World That You Can (Virtually) Adopt

While COVID-19 stymies travel, help conserve those things—from cacti to manta rays—that will beckon you later

Pat's King of Steaks cheesesteaks (left to right): pizza cheesesteak, steak with provolone and onions, steak with cheez whiz and onions and the steak with mushrooms, onions and cheez whiz topped with hot peppers.

Virtual Travel

Far From Home? These Regional Comfort Foods Can Be Shipped to Your Door

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a surge in nationwide shipments of specialities from legendary restaurants

On April 22, 1970, a local community rose up after many unwanted intrusions into their neighborhood, including the building of the I-5 freeway. Today, Chicano Park with its monumental murals is a National Historic Landmark.

Fifty Years Ago, Fed Up With the City’s Neglect, a San Diego Community Rose Up to Create Chicano Park

Making Tierra Mía, says the director of the Smithsonian Latino Center, proved transformative in giving voice to the people

Honduran scarlet macaws.

How the Stunning Scarlet Macaw Came Back From the Brink

The bird, decimated by poachers and smugglers, is making a big comeback in the Central American rainforest

A five-week course, "Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City," focuses on the building of the ancient city of Rome and how it laid the groundwork for the construction of cities throughout the world.

Virtual Travel

Six Online Courses About Europe to Take Before You Can Safely Travel There Again

Sheltering in place doesn’t mean you can’t study up for your next European adventure

This week's selections include The Women With Silver Wings, Tombstone and The Restaurant.

Books of the Month

A 2,000-Year History of Restaurants and Other New Books to Read

The fifth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

Worshippers, some of them wearing protective masks, take part in the Friday prayers at Mecca's Grand Mosque on March 6, 2020, a day after Saudi authorities emptied Islam's holiest site for sterilization.

Covid-19

This Pandemic Isn’t the First Time the Hajj Has Been Disrupted for Muslims

Plague, war and politics have altered the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca throughout history

A street art piece by artist Pony Wave depicts two people kissing while wearing face masks on Venice Beach in Venice, California.

Virtual Travel

How Street Artists Around the World Are Reacting to Life With COVID-19

Graffiti artists and muralists are sending messages of hope and despair with coronavirus public art

This week's selections include The Betrayal of the Duchess, Anonymous Is a Woman and Nerve.

Books of the Month

The Science of Fear, the Royal Scandal That Made France Modern and Other New Books to Read

The fourth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

In 2018, more than 40 million Americans traveled overseas.

Covid-19

What American Travel Looked Like Before COVID-19

Despite historic setbacks similar to today’s, Americans have become more dedicated travelers

Soi Phet, a 12-year-old gelding, arrived last year at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, after earning $1 million on the racetrack.

At a Kentucky Farm, Champion Thoroughbreds Live Out Their Retirements

Steeds who made headlines for winning races now get to enjoy their final years at a slower pace

Batu Caves, Malaysia

Virtual Travel

A Photographic Tour of the World’s Most Colorful Places

The new book ‘The Rainbow Atlas’ invites readers on a vivid journey across the globe

Green patches of Nana Estate Winery in the arid desert.

Why Wines From Israel’s Negev Desert May Represent the Future of Viticulture

Overcoming scorching heat and little rain, experimental vineyards teach winemakers to cope with climate change

A footpath weaves through ferns and trees on Denecourt Trail No. 6. The designer made sure the paths meandered around interesting features.

The Invention of Hiking

Follow the Frenchman who remade the woods surrounding a royal estate into the world’s first nature preserve

A billboard near Benton, Illinois. The rock 'n' roller from Liverpool was unknown in the States when he visited the town in 1963.

The Charming Story of George Harrison’s Vacation in Small-Town America

The Beatles guitarist visited his sister in southern Illinois just months before he’d become world famous

Harvesting one of the vineyards at B Cellars in Napa Valley.

Virtual Travel

These California Wineries Are Hosting Virtual Wine Tastings

Sheltering in place doesn’t mean you have to give up the best of wine country’s offerings

Arches made of yellow orchids as seen at the New York Botanical Garden.

Virtual Travel

Watch These Six Flower Bloom Events From Your Couch

Tulips, cherry blossoms and orchids supply a ray of hope during self-isolation

The ever-growing list of 1,000 Places Where Women Made History currently includes everything from homes where pioneering women once lived, buildings where specific events that involved them occurred, and where women-led accomplishments happened.

Women Who Shaped History

Crowdsourcing Project Aims to Document the Many U.S. Places Where Women Have Made History

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is looking for 1,000 places tied to women’s history, and to share the stories of the figures behind them

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Virtual Travel

Smithsonian Channel Has Released 68 Free ‘Aerial America’ Episodes for Your Quarantine Viewing

Do some armchair traveling and see the breathtaking vistas of all 50 states while learning about their histories

Virtual Travel

Let These Photos Take You on a Peaceful Paddle in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters

Venturing into the wilderness for often weeks at a time, nature photographer Dawn LaPointe is used to social distancing

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