Americas

On the R.A. Brown Ranch, fifth-generation ranger Donnell Brown can't help thinking about the potential he had created through decades' worth of work.

Breeding the Perfect Bull

A Texas cattleman used genetic science to breed his masterpiece – a near-perfect Red Angus bull. Then nature took its course

"He'd go down there [to the docks] in the middle of the night sometimes," Bodine's daughter says.

Photographing Baltimore's Working Class

Baltimore's A. Aubrey Bodine cast a romantic light on the city's dockworkers in painterly photographs

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Telluride, Colorado

A historic 19th century mining town

"For residents of the area who have gone to live elsewhere, it's the canal—so deep-set in what appears to be solid rock ... that resurfaces in dreams," says Oates.

Joyce Carol Oates Goes Home Again

The celebrated writer returns to the town of her birth to revisit the places that haunt her memory and her extraordinary fiction

Horses brought by Spanish explorers in the 16th century bore a dark stripe along the spine, a feature that marks some mustangs today.

The Mustang Mystique

Descended from animals brought by Spanish conquistadors centuries ago, wild horses roam the West. But are they running out of room?

Esther Renee Adams, "Mamaw," was laid to rest in her own home. In the mountains of eastern Kentucky, such "country wakes" could last for days.

Capturing Appalachia's "Mountain People"

Shelby Lee Adams' 1990 photograph of life in the eastern Kentucky mountains captured a poignant tradition

Like an iceberg, the little red hut bobbing on Sweden’s Lake Malaren hardly hints at what’s beneath the surface; some 10 feet below is the “second” floor.

Lodging in the Trees, Underwater and in the Ground

From Tunisian caves to Swedish mines, unusual hotels can be found around the world to make your vacation a special one

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South San Francisco, California

An industrious community

Robert Scurlock covered Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial after she was denied the stage at Washington's Constitution Hall.

The Scurlock Studio: Picture of Prosperity

For more than half a century the Scurlock Studio chronicled the rise of Washington's black middle class

"Not gussied up or cute, Lafayette is a sturdy town, persistent in its character," says Patricia Henley.

Sticking Around Lafayette, Indiana

She didn't plan on staying, but more than 20 years later novelist Patricia Henley embraces her adopted community

John Ford, who filmed westerns in the valley (the Mittens and Merrick Butte), called it the "most complete, beautiful and peaceful place on earth."

Behind the Scenes in Monument Valley

The vast Navajo tribal park on the border of Utah and New Mexico stars in Hollywood movies but remains largely hidden to visitors

Perez (at home in Guatemala in 2001) "really had a foot in both worlds," Donna DeCesare says.

Out of the Guatemalan Gang Culture, an Artist

Carlos Perez could have been an artist or a gangster. Photographer Donna DeCesare helped him choose

Monument Valley is not a national park. There aren't signs and rangers all around explaining the landscape and wildlife.

Tips on Roads Less Traveled in Monument Valley

Driving through the southwest? Make sure to read our tips on the best ways to appreciate Monument Valley

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Mint Hill, N.C.

A suburb in the city of Charlotte

Lancaster, Kentucky

Lancaster, Kentucky

Here, everyone knows everyone

A tractor with the West Virginia flag attached to the back makes it way down Main Street in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

Buckhannon, West Virginia: The Perfect Birthplace

A community in the Allegheny foothills nurtured novelist Jayne Anne Phillips' talent for storytelling

John Gussenhoven bought a Harley-Davidson, learned to ride it proficiently, and then marked his route with a bold “X” across a map of the 48 states.

Finding America's Heart by Harley

Wealthy businessman John Gussenhoven pledged his fortunes to assist those who helped him on his journey across America

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Oak Hill, Florida

A must-see historic town

Marathon, N.Y.

Marathon, N.Y.

A small town atmosphere

In the Ecuador wilderness (guides Nelson, at the helm, and Paa), Charles Bergman sought the roots of the illegal animal trade (a blue-headed parrot chick).

Wildlife Trafficking

A reporter follows the lucrative, illicit and heartrending trade in stolen wild animals deep into Ecuador's rain forest

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