The Outer Banks are a long chain of narrow barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina, separated from the mainland by broad sounds and connected by bridges and ferries. Communities including Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo, Hatteras, and Ocracoke each have distinct settings and local traditions. The landscape is shaped by ocean waves, shifting sand, wind, and storms, creating wide beaches, dunes, marshes, maritime forests, and tidal inlets.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, offers a breathtaking display of natural beauty centered around the deepest lake in the United States. Formed by the collapse of a volcanic caldera, Crater Lake is renowned for its stunningly clear blue waters, which are the result of rain and snowfall filling the caldera. The lake's unique color and clarity are due to its depth and the purity of its water, making it a visual marvel that attracts visitors year-round.
Vieques Island is found in the northeastern Caribbean, roughly 8 miles east of the Puerto Rican mainland. Its beaches are commonly acknowledged as some of the Caribbean's best. The Bioluminescent Bay is especially alluring given the undeveloped nature of the island.
Goodenough Island is one of the D’Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, lying in the Solomon Sea north of the mainland. The island has a distinctive rounded form, with steep slopes rising toward Mount Vineuo in the center and narrow coastal plains around much of its shoreline.
Moraine Lake is a glacial lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, surrounded by the peaks of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Its turquoise water is fed by glacial meltwater, while dense coniferous forest covers the lower slopes around the shoreline. The lake sits in a high mountain basin reached by a winding road from the Lake Louise area. Its setting within the Canadian Rockies places it among alpine landscapes of steep peaks, glaciers, rock faces, and mountain valleys.
Photo Credit: Photo by Juan Camilo Guarin P on Unsplash
Photo Credit: Photo by JUAN MANUEL GONZALEZ RESTREPO on Unsplash
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Photo Credit: Photo by Alexis Tuil on Unsplash
Macaws
Photo Credit: Photo by Ricky Beron on Unsplash
A lovely city between the Central and Western mountain ranges, it is known as the capital of salsa music and claims to be home to the most beautiful women in the world.
Other Popular Destinations in Colombia
Cartagena
A true gem on the Caribbean coast, the port city of Cartagena (Cartagena de Indias) welcomes visitors with its charming old town, colonial buildings, and exceptional beaches. A popular cruise ship stop, many seafarers find themselves honorary Cartagenans, as they stroll shady, cobblestone lanes and gaze upon impressive churches.
Santa Marta
Santa Marta, located on Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast, is one of the country’s oldest cities, founded in 1525. It has long served as a gateway between the coast and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range.