Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Travel

Meteor Crater in Arizona is 4,000 feet wide and almost 600 feet deep.

The Ten Most Spectacular Geologic Sites

Smithsonian picks the top natural wonders in the continental United States

Chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China.

The History of Chopsticks

Ancient philosopher Confucius’ disdain for a common utensil may have helped cement the chopsticks’ role as China’s preferred food-conveyance implements.

None

Food of the Moment: Squash Blossoms

None

Hunger for Freedom: Food in the Life of Nelson Mandela

A “gastro-political biography” traces what the Nobel Laureate ate throughout his life

None

The Best Fish and Chips in Ireland

None

Shreveport, Louisiana

Opening day at the farmer’s market

None

Piranha Recipes From an Extreme Angler

None

Welsh Cakes: Not a Scone, Not a Cookie

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”

None

Miami, Florida

A love affair

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough travels to Nairobi, Kenya to understand the research programs and opportunities at the Mpala Research Centre.

Day 1: Seeing Kenya from the Sky

Despite many travel delays, Smithsonian Secretary Clough arrives in Kenya ready to study the African wildlife at the Mpala Ranch

None

New Plymouth, New Zealand

Five minutes from the sea

None

Foodjects: Art on the Table

"It would be a lie to say I feel at home here," says Bragg (the Fairhope French Quarter known for its shops and galleries). "It is too quaint, too precious for that."

Fairhope, Alabama’s Southern Comfort

Memorist Rick Bragg finds forgiving soil along the brown sand stretch of Mobile Bay

The team gathers at the top of the proposed Giant Magellan Telescope site on top of Las Campanas looking back toward the twin Magellan telescopes and homebase.

Day 4: Peak Conditions for a New Telescope

Secretary Clough scopes out the site for the Giant Magellan Telescope and bids goodbye to Las Campanas

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough (yellow hat) standing on a scaffolding with a group of Smithsonian employees outside the DuPont telescope.

Day 2: Stargazing in the Andes Mountains

Up high among wild burros and llamas, a Smithsonian astronomer observes and studies the millions of stars in the sky

The Chilean Andes

Day 1: A Stop in Santiago

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough explores Santiago before heading to the Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes

Author of "Hola, Buenos Aires," Daniel Politi.

Daniel Politi on “Hola, Buenos Aires”

The Demeure de la Vignole Hotel has underground rooms in caves.

A Tour of France’s Cave Homes

In France’s Loire Valley, domesticated cave dwellings, known as troglodyte homes, offer a history as rich as the region’s chateaus

None

The Etymology of Food, Part II: Meaty Stories

Page 108 of 132