Mount Shasta is a small city in Northern California at the foot of the volcanic peak that shares its name. The community sits in the upper Sacramento River watershed, surrounded by conifer forests, mountain meadows, and the broader Cascade Range. Mount Shasta rises prominently to the east and reaches more than 14,000 feet, making it one of the most recognizable mountains in the state.

Ella is a small hill-country town in Sri Lanka’s Badulla District, surrounded by tea plantations, cloud-covered mountains, forests, and deep valleys. Its elevated setting gives the area a cooler climate than the lowlands, while the Ella Gap opens dramatic views toward the southern plains. The town itself is compact and serves as a base for exploring the surrounding countryside by foot, road, and the railway that winds through Sri Lanka’s central highlands.

Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, a place where scale and isolation shape both history and daily life. Long before European contact, the island supported complex Marquesan societies known for stone architecture, tattoo traditions, and ceremonial sites, many of which remain scattered across its valleys.

More than 5.5 million people visit Durham each year to enjoy a wealth of things to see and do including historical landmarks and sites, art centers and museums, nationally-recognized festivals and sports events.

Tamnougalt is a fortified village in Morocco’s Drâa Valley, near the town of Agdz, where a large palm oasis stretches along the Drâa River. The settlement is centered on a historic ksar built from rammed earth, with towers, defensive walls, and narrow covered passages. Its position within the Mezguita oasis made it an important local center for trade and administration.