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Monon and Ottily Bayer, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Bayer of Costamesa, California, pose in a small, "bunk bed" trailer at their campground in the Shasta National Forest. California, August 1953.

Ten Inventive Attempts to Make Camping More Comfortable

Making a stay in the great outdoors more luxe isn’t new—even if glamping and #vanlife are

How the History of Merit Badges Is Also a Cultural History of the United States

Over the years, scouting has encouraged boys and girls to be prepared for the world around them

Anderson Valley Vineyards

This Secret Corner of California Is a Paradise for Lovers of Great Food and Top-Notch Wines

Jody Rosen meets the free spirits giving shape to this flourishing wine region with a soon-to-be-legendary culinary scene, California’s Mendocino County

The Desert Pavilion at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

This Friday, You Can Visit More Than 150 of the Best Gardens in the U.S. for Free

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day May 11

Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria

This corner of Germany is the ultimate cold-weather playground, a place where sledding down a mountain, or knocking back beers are equally worthy pursuits

The World’s Steepest Zip Line Offers Breathtaking Views Over St. Martin

"The Rush" lampooned in an 1870 issue of Harper's Magazine

The Minister Who Invented Camping in America

How William H.H. Murray accidental bestseller launched the country’s first outdoor craze

Despite Road-Closing Landslides, You Can Still Take a Big Sur Road Trip This Year — Here’s How

This gorgeous stretch of coastline is harder to get to these days, but it’s not impossible

Synchronous fireflies put on a show each spring in the Great Smoky Mountains. Photinus carolinus is the only firefly species in the U.S. that flashes in unison.

National Parks

If You Want to See Thousands of Fireflies Light Up at Once, Head to the Great Smoky Mountains

A firefly mating ritual turns into a synchronized light show

12 Cafés Every History Buff Needs to Visit

The best historic coffee shops around the world, from Paris to Buenos Aires

This Mesmerizing World of Miniatures Will Soon Take Over 50,000-Square-Feet of Time Square

The magical new attraction spans an entire city block

Graceland mansion was home to Elvis Presley, and is located on a 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee.

See Inside Graceland’s $137-million Expansion

A complex fit for a king

Furano, Japan

12 Mesmerizing Places to Watch Flowers Bloom

Because there’s no better way exalt the end of winter than with millions of tulips, poppies and roses

Fresh erizos del mar (sea urchins) served in the shell.

Seven Foods You Have to Try in Chile

Watch the moon from this moonscape in Craters of the Moon State Park, Idaho.

Fifteen Perfect Spots to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse as it Crosses the U.S. This Summer

One of the most exciting astronomical event in U.S. history is happening in August

Take a Tour of France’s “Bestiary of Machines”

Enter Les Machines de l’île’s Mechanical Animal Theme Park

Sparkling Ice Castles Take Form Across the Midwest

Want to See Installation Artist Doug Aitken’s Latest Work? Grab Your Scuba Gear

Gergeti Trinity Church.

Wandering Through Georgia, the Eden of the Caucasus

There is beauty and drama at every turn in the country’s rugged landscapes, at its feast-laden tables, in its complex history

New York City’s Holiday Vintage Subway Trains Are Back

Go back in time, underground

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