2020年9月

日落时分中央海岸入口海滩上的救生员小屋，澳大利亚新南威尔士州 Lifeguard shack at sunset on The Entrance beach, Central Coast, NSW, Australia (© Yury Prokopenko/Getty Images)

Sand, surf, and sun

Serenity is the name of the game here at the Entrance beach in New South Wales’ Central Coast region, and with sunsets like these its easy to see why. A beloved destination for family holidays and weekend getaways alike, the beach and backing town gains its name by being the entrance to Tuggerah Lake off to the north – acting as a narrow channel between it and the Pacific Ocean on the opposite side.

Just over an hour’s drive from Sydney, the small town packs plenty of history, and is the home to both Norah Head Lighthouse - an operating beacon for shipping that was built in 1903 - as well as a classic carousel built in Germany during the late 1800s, which continues to delight children to this day.

But because the Entrance area has six different beaches to enjoy, most still visit for the perfect combination of sand and surf. As the weather continues to warm on our shores, it’s making us want to start packing our bags as well!

以桑格雷－德克里斯托山为背景的沙丘，科罗拉多州大沙丘国家公园 Sand dunes with Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado (© Tim Fitzharris/Minden Pictures)

Super Sandy Sweet 16

We're in the Rockies of southern Colorado to celebrate Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve's 16th year as a full-fledged national park—though it was a national monument from 1932, and both the dunes themselves and the surrounding valley's history are far more ancient.

The dunes lie at the edge of the fertile, expansive San Luis Valley just east of the Rio Grande's headwaters and west of the Sangre de Cristo range shown here behind the dunes. Humans have lived around here for at least 11,000 years. But that's just a few grains in the hourglass for this sand field that formed when huge glacial lakes dried up, leaving sediments that were blown by wind against the mountains to slowly form the tallest sand dunes in North America.

罗卡马杜尔，法国 Rocamadour, France (© Rrrainbow/Getty Images)

A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese

Gazing down the lush Alzou river valley at the vertically-oriented village of Rocamadour, you won't be surprised some regard the medieval French town as a holy site: Its beauty alone is mystical. The gorges of southwestern France are home to numerous striking historic hamlets built along and atop their steep edges. But Rocamadour is special as a stop for thousands of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James, a UNESCO-recognized traditional route through France and Spain that still draws journeyers both pious and secular. The town's cliff-top sanctuary and the black-painted Madonna statue within have been purported to have healing powers. If you're drawn to more earthly sources of good health, though, Rocamadour also lends its name to a delicious, locally crafted goat cheese.

As we end on that cheesy note, why not test your dairy IQ with today's quiz?

日落时的多伦多天际线 Toronto skyline at sunset (© diegograndi/Getty Images)

A celebration of films in the city

Lights, camera, action! Today, we’re in Canada’s largest city getting ready for celebrity-spotting as the iconic Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is officially underway. As a prestigious gathering of independent artists, emerging talents and award-winning filmmakers from around the world, TIFF easily draws in more than 400,000 festival-goers each year. This year, given the coronavirus pandemic, the 45th edition of the festival will include a mix of virtual screenings, drive-ins, digital red carpet events, and in-person screenings with social distancing in place. Be sure to keep your popcorn ready!

ThaiWaterfall_FF_1920x1080_G_679699496_HD_ZH-CN551815782.jpg

Khuean Srinagarindra国家公园的Huay Mae Khamin瀑布，泰国 Huay Mae Khamin waterfall in Khuean Srinagarindra National Park, Thailand (© ImpaKPro/Getty Images)

Hidden beauty in Thailand

One of Thailand's best-kept secrets, Huay Mae Khamin waterfall can be found in the forests of Khuean Srinagarindra National Park. One of the country's lesser-known waterfalls, it's especially picturesque this time of year when the changing leaves provide a backdrop for the bright green water. Getting its water from the mountains to the east of the national park, the waterfall stretches just over a mile long, the water travels over seven different levels before joining the Khwae Yai River below. The falls generally have water all year round, but in 2017, during the dry season, the river feeding the falls dried out completely for the first time, and the park was closed to visitors until the rainy season. Though the journey to this peaceful retreat might be long, it's found a place on our ever-growing list of future travel destinations.

瓦莱塔，马耳他 Valletta, Malta (© Deejpilot/GettyImages)

Victory Day in Valletta

Today we're visiting Valletta, the capital of Malta, where the Maltese people are celebrating Victory Day. The national holiday commemorates the end of three historical sieges made on the Maltese archipelago—the Great Siege of Malta, which took place in 1565; the Siege of Valletta by the French Blockade, which ended in 1800; and the Siege of Malta during the Second World War by Italian and German forces. After nearly two and a half years of devastating air attacks, the WWII Siege of Malta finally ended in 1942. King George VI of the United Kingdom, which then ruled the island, awarded Malta the George Cross 'for the heroism and devotion of its people' during the great siege. The George Cross was incorporated into the flag of Malta in 1943 and remains there today.

The Maltese people typically celebrate Victory Day with cultural activities like literary readings, music, theatrical performances, and a regatta in the Grand Harbour, seen here. The armed forces parade on Republic Street in Valletta, ending at St. John's Co-Cathedral, where they salute the prime minister and the Maltese anthem is performed. The cathedral holds a mass for the highest-ranking officers and the president places a symbolic garland at the foot of the monument of the Siege of Malta to commemorate the victims of World War II.

莫尼博克湾的芦苇岛，纽约长岛 Reedy Island in Moneyboque Bay, Long Island, New York (© Claudia Uripos/eStock Photo)

Summer winds down in the Hamptons

As summer unofficially wraps up, we're looking at Reedy Island, an islet that sits in Moneyboque Bay, across from Westhampton Beach on Long Island, New York. The Hamptons is a collection of villages and hamlets with plenty of sandy beachfront that have long been a popular upscale summer destination for New Yorkers looking to escape the city. This year, that migration started early, as city dwellers headed east in the spring in search of space to social distance. In summer, the beaches, of course, are the main attraction, but the area is also known for dining and nightlife (complete with celebrity spotting), wineries, and family-owned farms and farm stands. And the end of summer isn't all bad news, at least for the local economy. As temperatures cool and crowds (usually) thin out, the farms shift gears to apple cider and pumpkins, and by November, the harvesting of Peconic Bay scallops begins.

Beaver achievers

Don't get distracted by the awesome top half of today's photo. The postcard appeal of Idaho's Sawtooth Range is undeniable, but our focus today is on the humble structure at the bottom.

Beaver dams like this can be found coast to coast in the United States and Canada, and now is the time of year when these industrious rodents put in extra time to reinforce their dams. Listening closely for trickles of running water, they patch compromised sections with logs and mud, securing their habitat for the chilly winter. And their efforts have important downstream effects: Beaver dams help prevent floods by slowing water flows, and also filter out sediment to create cleaner streams and rivers.

一头公牛站在皮库山前的田野中，亚速尔群岛皮科岛 A bull stands in a field under the gaze of Mount Pico, Pico Island, Azores (© Atmo-Sphere/Getty Images)

A bull, some flowers, and a stratovolcano

It's grape-harvesting time on Pico, a centuries-old tradition that kicks off in early September. Pico is one of nine islands comprising an autonomous region of Portugal called the Azores archipelago. The islands themselves are peaks of vast volcanic mountains that rise high above the Atlantic Ocean. Looming in the background of today's photo is Mount Pico, a stratovolcano partly responsible for the island's flourishing wine industry. The mineral-rich volcanic earth and warm temperate climate call for unique methods for growing grapes. Fields of vines run along the ground, resting on top of black basalt rocks the locals call 'biscoitos' (biscuits). These rock biscuits serve a purpose: During the day, the rocks absorb and give back heat, which in turn helps ripen the grapes. The bull, while picturesque, is merely a bystander enjoying the flowers and the view, and perhaps musing about mysteries of viticulture on a far-flung volcanic island.

Tall, taller, tallest

Piercing the clouds above Shanghai as we celebrate National Skyscraper Day, each of these three supertall spires could be seen as a freeze-frame of China's swift economic growth in the past couple of decades. Jin Mao Tower (right, 1,380 feet) was China's tallest building from 1999 until the Shanghai World Financial Center (left, 1,614 feet) opened in 2007 and took the title. Shanghai Tower (center, 2,139 feet) topped out in 2013, besting the SWFC and becoming the second-tallest skyscraper in the world (behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa).

星空迷