CURRENT ISSUE
April 2013
Features
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The 20 Best Small Towns in America
From the blues to the big top, we’ve picked the most intriguing small towns to enjoy arts and smarts - beginning with the deeply moving (and surprisingly entertaining) site of the pivotal Civil War battle
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Gettysburg, PA
Historian Tony Horwitz travels to the Civil War battlefield and finds that even where time is frozen, it’s undergone welcome changes
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Kon-Tiki Sails Again
A new film recreates the epic voyage—and revives the controversy over its legendary leader
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Birthplace of the American Vacation
First in crude tents and later in elaborate resorts, city dwellers took to the Adirondacks to explore the joys of the wilderness
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Into the Okavang Delta
The joys—and dangers—of discovering Africa on the back of an elephant
“In the Sistine Chapel”
A new poem by Scott Brennan
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Up and Away
In the 1930s, the legendary DC-3 persuaded Americans to take to the skies
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Burning Man
With ethereal artworks traced in flames and gunpowder, Cai Guo-Qiang is making a big bang
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Flights of Fancy
How the golden era of air travel lured playwright David Mamet into the world of memorabilia
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The Secret of Dirt
At the Finnish-Russian border, scientists investigate a medical mystery
Departments
On the Front Lines
Photos reveal life on the world's borders
Playlist
Caffeinated Rhythm
Books
Michael Pollan on the joys of fermentation. Plus: World War II up close, amazing tales of ingestion and a sympathetic look at autism
Fast Forward
The Flying Submarine