The Golden Circle is Iceland’s premier tourist route, offering a breathtaking journey through some of the country’s most iconic natural wonders. The route typically starts in Reykjavik and circles through Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall. At Þingvellir, visitors can stand where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and explore the site of the world’s oldest parliament, established in 930 AD.

Big Bend Ranch State Park is a vast protected landscape in southwestern Texas, stretching along the Rio Grande beside Big Bend National Park and the Mexican border. The park covers rugged desert, volcanic formations, steep canyons, and broad Chihuahuan Desert plains, with the river forming its southern boundary. Its remote setting and limited development give the area a distinctly wild character.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument lies in northeastern Arizona on Navajo Nation land, surrounding a network of deep sandstone canyons near Chinle. The monument is distinctive because it is both a protected landscape and a living community, with Diné families continuing to farm, raise livestock, and maintain homes within the canyon.

Lagoa do Fogo is a volcanic crater lake on São Miguel Island in Portugal’s Azores archipelago. Set within a protected landscape in the island’s central highlands, the lake occupies a large caldera surrounded by steep slopes covered with native vegetation. Its remote setting and undeveloped shoreline distinguish it from the more settled areas of São Miguel.

Coos Bay is the Coast's largest urban community and a major wood products shipping center, thanks to the deepest harbor between San Francisco and Puget Sound. In addition to museums, shops and theaters, Coos Bay is well known for its myrtlewood and diverse activities in beautiful surroundings. Visit the Coos Art Museum; fish for chinook and coho salmon in the Coos River or the ocean; take a drive out to Golden and Silver Falls State Park.

Mauritius, a jewel in the Indian Ocean, is known for its turquoise lagoons and coral reefs. The island is a haven for relaxation and adventure.