Amboy is a small desert community in San Bernardino County, California, located along the historic U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert. The settlement sits near Amboy Crater, a broad volcanic cinder cone rising from a largely open lava field. Its isolated location and surviving roadside structures provide a clear sense of the distances once traveled by motorists crossing the desert.

Kas, a small coastal town on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, is known for its charming mix of history, Mediterranean scenery, and laid-back atmosphere.

Sullivan Bay, located on the eastern shore of Santiago Island in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago, offers a landscape that feels almost otherworldly at first glance. Instead of lush greenery, visitors are greeted by wide stretches of hardened lava. These black, rippled fields tell a story written in fire, where molten rock once flowed freely before cooling into intricate patterns that can still be traced today.

Khndzoresk is a village in Armenia's Syunik Province, near the town of Goris, known for a deep gorge containing an extensive historic cave settlement. Old Khndzoresk developed along the steep sides of the gorge, where natural cavities were enlarged and adapted into homes, storage spaces, stables, and other parts of a community.

Branson, Missouri may be tucked into the Ozark Mountains, but there's nothing quiet about its entertainment scene. Since the 1960s, the town has built its reputation on live music, with more than 100 shows running at peak season. From country and gospel to comedy and magic, Branson’s theaters offer family-friendly entertainment nearly every night of the week. The Presleys' Country Jubilee, the first show on what is now 76 Country Boulevard, still packs the house after more than 50 years.