Central America is where American school buses go to retire. In the balmy tropical climes of places like Guatemala and Honduras, they're given a new, colorful lease on life.
That the Lemaire Channel is nicknamed "Kodak Gap" is a pretty good indication that it's reliably scenic. When the conditions are right, it's spectacular.
The Vietnam Military History Museum in central Hanoi celebrates the Vietnamese victories of the 20th century, first over the French and then the United States. And, of course, it presents a version sanctioned by the Vietnamese Communist Government.
Newark, New Jersey, isn't exactly known as a jewel of the American northeast. But from certain vantage points, it can actually be quite pretty. Glittery, even.
The rugged, mountainous terrain of northern Laos is beautiful. While well off the beaten track and not really on the road to anywhere else, Luang Namtha and Oudomxai provinces are well worth seeing.
We've made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. 19,341 feet. We're on top of Africa, far above the clouds. And though we're right next to the equator, it's very, very cold and there are thick ice glaciers.
Quebec City is a kind of Paris-in-miniature, set on a beautiful spot on the Saint Lawrence River and full of old-world charm. At Christmas it really shines.
If God and the government had their way, Antigua wouldn't exist. But it's a good thing it does. With charming Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and a vibrant cultural life, it's a wonderful place to visit.
Guatemala City isn't a popular tourist destination, in large part because of the scourge of violent crime, but there are some things worth seeing in this otherwise crowded and poverty-stricken city.
Inside the Citadel walls was once lavish and opulent, with ornate gardens and intricate pagodas. But the Vietnam War was not kind to the Imperial City. Large parts of it are now nothing more than rubble.
Vientiane's waterfront seems purpose-built for beautiful sunsets. With a wide promenade and park, it's well used. And right across the river is Thailand.
You don't have to be a fan of Downton Abbey to appreciate the beauty of Highclere Castle sitting on a stately hill in the English countryside of Hampshire about two hours west of London.
Ever fancied a pre-breakfast swim with turtles and manta rays? If you've ever had a hankering to get up close and personal with Australia's extraordinary Great Barrier Reef, there aren't many better ways than a trip to Lady Elliot Island Resort.
U Bein Bridge has become one of Myanmar's iconic landmarks. Spanning 3/4 of a mile, the foot bridge is reputed to be the longest teak bridge in the world.
It might not be for the vertigo-challenged, but getting to the top of the Acropolis at Ek Balam is definitely worth the effort. It is, quite literally, a view fit for a king.
Covered from head to toe with thick white dust, crouching low on their launches, the young men and boys use angle grinders to carve statues of the Buddha out of solid blocks of white marble.
Constructed entirely of teak, the Bagaya Monastery (Bagaya Kyaung) in the old royal capital of Amarapura has fared much better from the region's earthquakes than its stone neighbors.
I took this photo last spring during the very brief blooming of the tulip magnolias (or saucer magnolias) in Washington DC. They're one of the spring's first dramatic blooming varieties in the DC area, usually beating the more famous cherry blossoms by a couple of weeks.
One of the most famous attractions at Kronborg Castle, Holger the Dane sits sleeping in the tunnels below the castle. Legend has it he will awaken when his country needs him.
Known as Hamlet's Castle because Shakespeare's play was set there, Kronborg Castle is a 16th-century castle on a strategic peninsula on the Sound, just north of Copenhagen.
Formerly known as the Spitsbergen Airship Musuem, Longyearbyen's North Pole Expedition focuses on several attempts around the beginning of the 20th century to reach the North Pole by air.
Originally designed to house the national theater, the Palacio de Bellas Artes has become a cultural hub in arguably the most beautiful building in Mexico City.
Dating to around the end of the 11th century, Nagayon Temple lies just south of Myinkaba Village. Its dark interior hides some impressive frescoes and interesting design features.
With several oversized statues of The Buddha crammed into spaces barely big enough to hold them, Manuha Temple is one of the easiest temples in Bagan to visit. It's also one of the oddest.
Apeyadana Temple is dedicated to an 11th-century chief queen consort of King Kyansittha of the Pagan Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) and maternal grandmother of King Sithu I of Pagan.
This small but ornate pagoda lies deep in Taungbi Village, just to the northeast of Old Bagan and not far from the much better known Htilominlo Temple.
