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Travel

11 Small Towns in Northern California with the Best Downtowns

Northern California's 11 best small-town downtowns, from coastal Mendocino and Capitola to gold rush towns like Sutter Creek and Nevada City.

Oceans

The Ocean Trenches Inside US Territory

Miles below US waters sit three of the deepest scars on Earth, where pressure crushes submarines, plates grind, and improbable creatures still survive.

Lakes

How Much Water Lake Powell Loses Into The Canyon Walls

One side says Lake Powell loses 860,000 acre-feet a year into rock and air. A technical review says draining it would save 40,000. How much really goes into the walls

Places

7 Ideal British Columbia Destinations for a 3-Day Weekend in 2026

Cold-water surf, alpine gondolas, and grizzly country with no crowds. Seven British Columbia destinations worth three days of your 2026 calendar.

Places

11 Best Natural Wonders To Visit In The Southern United States This Year

Southern US natural wonders, from Mammoth Cave and Big Bend to the Okefenokee Swamp, New River Gorge and the Everglades: 11 places worth a trip this year.

Places

8 Most Scenic Drives in Arizona

Arizona drives that climb from saguaro desert to pine forest, following Oak Creek Canyon, Mount Lemmon, the Coronado Trail, and the Grand Canyon's South Rim.

Cities

The 9 Most Scenic Illinois Towns

Together, these 9 scenic Illinois towns provide a lovely setting for anyone seeking a rural retreat amidst Mother Nature's bounty.

Stories

Feed Florida Alligators From Their Side Of The Fence

Feed Florida Alligators From Their Side Of The Fence at Gatorland, where Adventure Hour puts you in the breeding marsh with a bucket of chicken and no fence.

Lakes

The Largest Lakes In The World By Depth

Depth gets a lake onto this list; surface area decides the order. Meet the ten giants that plunge past 500 meters, from the Caspian to Lake Toba.

Lakes

The Best Smallmouth Bass Lakes In America

From Dale Hollow's 11-pound world record to Lake Erie's Great Lakes best, these ten waters are where America's biggest smallmouth bass keep turning up.

Wildlife By Place

Why The Upper Midwest Has No Native Earthworms

Why The Upper Midwest Has No Native Earthworms explains how the ice age erased them and why nightcrawlers and jumping worms now strip the north woods floor.

Animals

Japanese Giant Salamander

Japanese Giant Salamander reaches 5 feet and 55 pounds, and it has no working lungs. Nearly all its oxygen passes through the wrinkled folds of its skin.

Space

Why Dragonfly Will Fly Instead Of Drive On Titan

Titan’s thick atmosphere and low gravity let Dragonfly fly across its surface to study varied terrain and clues to the moon’s prebiotic chemistry too.

Ancient World

How Roman Doctors Treated Battle Wounds

Ancient Roman battles necessitated medics, much like today, and these medics had their own surgical tools and skill sets.

Mountains

Why The Appalachians Are Older Than The Rockies

Collision built one range and a sinking ocean plate built the other, and that difference is why the Appalachians are far older than the younger Rockies.

Stories

Cowboy Camping At The Pinery

A thousand campsites, zero available all summer. So I drove to The Pinery on a September Thursday with a sleeping bag, no tent, and no reservation.

Travel

7 Underrated Massachusetts Towns Worth The Drive In 2026

Edgartown, Rockport, and Stockbridge lead 7 Massachusetts towns with Jaws filming sites, a house built of newspaper, and 574 original Norman Rockwell works.

Stories

Getting Lost In Romania’s Storied Capital

Five years of extended stays in Bucharest: packed trams, grey-box transit tickets, basement open mics, Calea Victoriei, and a marathon in Ceaușescu's palace.

Wildlife By Place

Where Black Bears And Grizzlies Overlap In The US

Where Black Bears And Grizzlies Overlap In The US. Both roam Alaska and parts of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington, and each needs its own response.

Ancient World

Who Were The Most Underrated Ancient Generals?

Epaminondas, Philip II, Quintus Fabius Maximus, and Gaius Marius changed ancient warfare more than their reputations suggest.

Mountains

The American Mountains With The Most Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes in American mountains, from the Guadalupes and Superstitions to Rocky Mountain foothills and the timber rattlers of the southern Appalachians.

Wildlife By Place

The Actual Northern Limit Of The American Alligator

North Carolina marks the alligator’s true northern edge, where surviving winter is one thing, but sustaining another generation is something else.

Space

What Falls To Earth From Space Every Year

Stuff is constantly falling from space. We call it space junk. Here's what exactly is falling to Earth from space each year.

Ancient World

Who Were The Most Underrated Roman Generals?

Fabius Maximus, Marcellus, Gaius Marius, and Flavius Aetius won Rome's hardest wars, yet history remembers their rivals instead.

Space

Why China's Far Side Lunar Samples Matter

The dark side of the moon has long been reputed to contain secrets. Now, China has lunar samples from that famed side. Here's why they matter.

Industries

The US Dams That Power Entire States

Six US hydroelectric plants each out-produced a full state's yearly electricity in 2025, with Grand Coulee on top and The Dalles new to the list.

Space

What Europa Clipper Will Find When It Arrives

With a mission en route to Europa, we may soon discover just what is hidden deep beneath the moon's icy surface layers.

Ancient World

Why the Bronze Age Suddenly Collapsed

Drought, famine, war, and the Sea Peoples brought down the Bronze Age world. A look at what caused the collapse and how quickly it unfolded.

Mountains

The Tallest Mountain In America From Base To Summit

Measured from its deep-sea base, one American peak beats Everest by thousands of feet. See how nine giants rank when height starts at the bottom.

Mountains

The Youngest Mountain Range In The United States

Grand Teton, despite its impressive appearance, is actually the youngest mountain range in the entirety of the United States.

Geography

What Is The Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute

A border drawn more than a century ago still divides Thailand and Cambodia, with disputed temples and territory keeping tensions alive today.

Geography

How Big Alaska Is Compared To The Lower 48

Alaska is one fifth the size of the Lower 48 and bigger than Texas, California and Montana combined. Why the maps you grew up with got it wrong twice.

Climate

The 10 US Cities With the Longest Summers

Some US cities barely see winter at all. Ranked by NOAA normals, here are the ten with the longest thermal summers, from Honolulu to Fort Lauderdale.

Industries

10 Countries with the Largest Uranium Reserves

Australia holds 1.67 million tonnes of recoverable uranium, but Kazakhstan mines the most. How the ten largest resource holders compare.

Religion

African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority

In 19 African countries, Islam serves as the religion of the majority.

Geography

Country Names With 10 Letters

18 countries have names that contain 10 letters, from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan. Discover what other countries make the list!

Society

Life Expectancy in Asia

Japan has the highest average life expectancy in Asia, as well as the world.

Geography

What Continent Is Hawaii In?

Although politically Hawaii is considered part of North America, geographically Hawaii is not part of any continent.

Sports

The Largest Stadiums In Asia

The biggest stadium on Earth isn't in America or Europe. It's in Asia, alongside 14 more giants. See the largest stadiums in Asia, ranked by capacity.

Nature

What Is A Cloud Forest?

How cloud forests drink from the clouds, and why Kilimanjaro, Monteverde, Yakushima and the Appalachians all depend on the mist.