Boulder, a beautiful 2,500 foot high oasis of green lawns and clean trees-shaded streets where the sun shines over 320 days a year, overlooks the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Recognized as truly a family oriented and community minded city, one only has to visit for a short time to confirm this reputation.
Tongariro National Park, on New Zealand’s North Island, holds deep cultural meaning as well as striking geological presence. It was the country’s first national park, gifted to the nation by Ngāti Tūwharetoa chiefs in the 19th century, establishing a model that tied conservation to Māori guardianship. The volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe, and Ruapehu are considered ancestors, giving the landscape a living cultural identity rather than a purely scenic one.
The Cook Islands, a group of 15 islands scattered across the South Pacific, offer a rare blend of Polynesian tradition and laid-back island charm. Rarotonga, the largest and most visited island, is ringed by a turquoise lagoon and backed by lush mountains. Visitors can circle the entire island in under an hour, stopping along the way for fresh coconut, beachside cafés, or a quick swim in the clear lagoon.
San Pedro de Atacama, a small town in northern Chile, sits at over 2,400 meters above sea level in one of the most geologically diverse areas on Earth. Surrounded by volcanoes, salt flats, geysers, and ancient lava flows, it has long served as a gateway to the Atacama Desert. This desert is the driest non-polar place in the world, where some weather stations have never recorded rainfall.
Belém do Pará sits at the edge of the Amazon, where river and bay meet in a landscape with activity and color. The Ver-o-Peso Market spreads along Guajará Bay, welcoming early morning boats laden with fresh fish, herbs, fruits, and Amazonian goods. Recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy, the local cuisine marries Indigenous, Portuguese, and African traditions to create dishes found nowhere else.
Bad Aibling is located in the charming landscape of the Mangfall valley, an hours drive southeast of Munich. Its open, partly elevated position gives wonderful views of the nearby chain of the Tolzer Alps, across the Inn valley, with the Kaisergebirge in the Tyrol, all the way to the Salzburger Alps. All the popular destinations for excursions in Upper Bavaria and Austria, the wide variety of artistic treasures, the Herrenchiemsee palace and the countless jewels of the Bavarian Baroque in the surrounding region can be reached in a very short time.