Travel

National Parks

Marathoner Sets Out to Run All of America’s National Parks

Autumn Ray’s goal: 59 national parks before she turns 40 in four years

March 31, 2016

Where to See the Best Cherry Blossoms Around the World

The blossoms in Japan and Washington, D.C are breathtaking, but you can see beautiful flowers in places like Stockholm, too

March 30, 2016

Europe

Save a Horse, Ride a Cow Through the Swiss Alps

A farm in Switzerland offers a slow moo-tion ride through the alpine countryside

March 30, 2016

How Cherry Trees Blossomed Into a Tourist Attraction

The fragile and transient blossom may herald the first stirrings of spring, but their significance has evolved since the 9th century

March 28, 2016

See Dozens of Dazzling New Light Installations in Baltimore This Week

Light City Baltimore is a massive, site-specific festival, launched in hopes of becoming an annual spectacle

March 28, 2016

For These Native American Artists, the Material Is the Message

A new exhibition traces the evolution of Plains tribes’ narrative art from the 18th century up through today’s contemporary works

March 25, 2016

These Massive Rock Formations Look Just Like Cracked Eggs

Bisti Badlands’ bizarre eggs bring a bit of Easter to the New Mexico desert

March 25, 2016

Cool Finds

The London Underground Has Its Own Mosquito Subspecies

Take a bite out of this strange evolutionary example

March 25, 2016

Switzerland

Switzerland’s Historic Bunkers Get a New Lease on Life

As the shadow of war fades, the country’s former fallout shelters now house everything from museums to cheese factories

March 23, 2016

The Lost City of Cambodia

Deep in the jungles of southeast Asia, archaeologists have rediscovered the remains of an invisible kingdom that may have been the template for Angkor Wat

April 2016

When Dinosaurs Roamed the (Not Yet) Petrified Forest

Recent surprise discoveries at the national park have prompted a complete rethinking about the creatures of the Jurassic Era

April 2016

Breaking Ground

How the Green Book Helped African-American Tourists Navigate a Segregated Nation

Listing hotels, restaurants and other businesses open to African-Americans, the guide was invaluable for Jim-Crow era travelers

April 2016

The “Sistine Chapel of Evolution” Is in New Haven, Connecticut

Charles Darwin never visited the Yale museum, but you can, and see for yourself the specimens that he praised as the best evidence for his theory

April 2016

How Much Has the Town Where the Scopes Trial Took Place Evolved Since the 1920s?

Each July, Dayton, Tennessee, celebrates its role in the famous court case with a re-enactment and festival

April 2016

In Northern Norway, Reindeer Racing and a “Joik” Singing Showdown Welcome in Spring

The Sami Easter Festival blends old and new traditions in Lappland’s northern reaches

March 23, 2016

If You Drive The Right Speed, This Musical Highway Will Play You a Song

This stretch of Route 66 sings—literally

March 23, 2016

Where Museums Go to Shop for Rare Works of Art

In the south of Holland, a Dutch city plays host to the art world’s biggest collectors

March 22, 2016

Every Three Years, Artists Compete to Be On View at the National Portrait Gallery. Here Are the Winners

The 2016 show conveys an intensity, as if the artists and their subjects are demanding a conversation on the complex issues of our times

March 21, 2016

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

Hatha Yoga Inspired Abstract Art a Century Before Rothko

Paintings recently discovered in Jodhpur’s royal palace depict Nath yogis’ understanding of the cosmos

March 18, 2016

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

How the Indian City of Rishikesh Influenced the Beatles’ White Album

A meditation retreat in 1968 offered the British rock group heightened awareness and peace of mind

March 16, 2016