On South Plaza Island, sea lions breed all along the low lying northern coast. These sheer cliffs are home for swallow-tail gulls and the beautiful red billed tropic birds. The landscape is dominated by optunia cactus trees. A look under each tree reveals a land iguana patiently waiting for a succulent cactus pad to fall.

Leiden or Leyden, city in the western Netherlands, in Zuid-Holland (South Holland) Province, on the Old Rhine River, near The Hague. Leiden is also the site of the State University of Leiden, one of the oldest and most distinguished universities in Europe. It was the birthplace of several important Dutch painters, including Rembrandt, Jan van Goyen, and Jan Steen. During the 17th century the English settlers who became known as the Pilgrims took refuge in Leiden before leaving for North America.

Plovdiv, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, carries over 8,000 years of history layered into its streets. The Roman Theater, still in use today, was discovered by accident in the 1970s and now hosts operas and concerts overlooking the Rhodope Mountains. Nearby, visitors can walk the remains of a Roman stadium buried beneath the main pedestrian street, where modern shops and cafés stand above ancient foundations.

New Haven, city in New Haven County, southern Connecticut, a port on Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Quinnipiac River. It is known as an educational center and is the seat of Yale University (1701), Albertus Magnus College (1925), and Southern Connecticut State College (1893); the University of New Haven (1920) is in nearby West Haven.

Rota is the southernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands, situated between Guam and the larger islands farther north in the archipelago. Its landscape combines limestone hills, coastal cliffs, sandy beaches, forests, and small farming areas.