Americas

Thornton Wilder discovered Douglas, Arizona, when his T-Bird broke down.

Thornton Wilder's Desert Oasis

For the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Douglas, Arizona was a place to "refresh the wells" and drive into the sunset

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"

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Miami, Florida

A love affair

"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

Buenos Aires' colorful Boca neighborhood.

Buenos Aires: a City's Power and Promise

The stylish and affordable capital of Argentina has become a big hit with growing numbers of foreigners

Once shunned by many, Vietnamese Amerasians now celebrate their heritage (a San Jose gala in 2008). At a similar gathering, many in the audience wept when an Amerasian family that had just arrived in the United States was introduced.

Children of the Vietnam War

Born overseas to Vietnamese mothers and U.S. servicemen, Amerasians brought hard-won resilience to their lives in America

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

An eyepiece on the 6.5 meter Magellan/Clay telescope allows Secretary Clough to see amazing sights in the night sky, including the planet Saturn, the star Eta Carinae and the Omega Centauri.

Day 3: The Excitement of Astronomy

A daytime tour of the Magellan facility and its surrounding hillside is topped off by a perfect evening of stargazing

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"

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West Hartford, Conn.

A trip back in time

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St. Petersburg, Florida

Musings of a native

American myths: the Frontier and Ellis Island immigrants.

Cowboys and Immigrants

Two dueling archetypes dominated 20th-century American politics. Is it time for them to be reconciled?

The predominantly Mexican Pilsen neighborhood was once predominantly Czech. Across Chicago, says Juana Guzman of Pilsen's National Museum of Mexican Art, "food is an important cultural anchor."

Chicago Eats

From curried catfish to baba ghanouj, Chicago serves up what may be the finest ethnic cuisine going

Pensacola, its anchorage first admired by the Spanish 450 years ago. In 1686, Spanish navigator Juan Jordán described Pensacola's bay as "the best I have ever seen."

Harboring History in Pensacola

In Florida's panhandle, vibrant Pensacola stakes its claim as the oldest European settlement in the United States

Big Sur's dramatic vistas entrance residents and day-trippers alike. In 1912 or so, watercolorist Francis McComas described the landscape as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world."

Big Sur's California Dreamin'

Untrammeled wilderness and new age enclave, Big Sur retains its rugged beauty and quirky charm

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Highlights & Hotspots

Highlights & Hotspots

The Humdinger sandwich is a mother-in-law with melted cheese on top.

Searching for a Mother-in-Law Sandwich

Eager enthusiasts track Chicago’s indigenous—and sometimes endangered—food traditions

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Washington, D.C.

The city that has it all

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