Destinations

Ever since the first national park was established in the United States, they've been a getaway for relaxation and adventure for humans, and a safe haven for wildlife. Take a journey through America's national parks.

It's nice to take off for a week of kayaking, hiking and rafting. But it'd be a whole lot cooler if all that adventure were right in your backyard. Where can you live that lifestyle?

By Sarah Winkler

Graceland? Well, for starters, there's a giant lightning bolt painted on one wall -- to represent The King's motto: "takin' care of business in a flash." Seriously. It's that quirky.

By Charles W. Bryant

The Love Boat isn't so lovely when you get seasick, someone swipes your jeweled watch and all you've got to wear to the formal dinner is cut-offs and a pair of flip-flops. Plan ahead, my friend.

By Charles W. Bryant

It kept the Huns out for centuries, but today it draws 10 million visitors annually. The Great Wall winds across deserts, mountains and grasslands in even the most remote reaches of China. So why has it fallen into disrepair?

By Alia Hoyt

Whether you're looking for relaxation or exhilaration, a coastal getaway can meet your needs. From Bali to Cali, act like a globetrotter and take a look at some of the world's most beautiful beaches.

The forbidding slopes of Mount Everest have captivated mountain climbers for decades ... though you can never really conquer Everest, merely survive it.

In 2008l, aerial photographs showed an undiscovered tribe in the Amazon rainforest. But this tribe isn't exactly "undiscovered." Are the photos propaganda?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

People say that the Congo river is murky brown, but for centuries now, historians have written about the Congo's bloody waters. Fantastic tales of death and near misses have corroborated the Congo's reputation as the heart of darkness.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Like the imposing white marble of many Greek monuments, the impact of ancient Greek culture is still alive and well today. See and learn more about the ancient Greeks in this image gallery.

If you had to pick one of the seven wonders of the world to visit, you might want to make it this one. The biodiversity swimming within its coral walls is awesome and accessible.

By Jennifer Horton

The next time you're pondering a big trip around the world, you might want to think about visiting a World Heritage site. Hundreds of them exist, and they're in some pretty cool spots.

By Jennifer Horton

Who needs land when you have ships that can feed, house and entertain thousands of people in style? But what keeps one of these oceangoing behemoths from sinking like a brick?

By Josh Briggs

Niagara Falls is impressive, but the highest waterfalls in the world are more than 10 times taller. So where are they -- and why are they so rarely seen?

By John Fuller & Matt Cunningham

Lighthouses kept sailors safe from crashing their ships on rocky coasts -- until modern technology left them obsolete. Now many of them serve as museums or lodges.

It flows south to north and it helped build Ancient Egypt. How does the mighty Nile affect the people and animals that live nearby?

By Alia Hoyt

An extreme roller coaster can hurl you from zero to 128 miles (206 kilometers) per hour in under 4 seconds. Are you brave enough to try one?

By Jennifer Horton

Roller coasters are getting bigger and bigger -- and scarier and scarier. What would happen if your safety harness broke on one of these giant rides?

By Katherine Neer

For most of us, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances seem like nice upgrades. But the world's most expensive houses have heated driveways, private gyms and movie theaters. Jealous yet?

By Josh Clark & Dave Roos

Agritourism helps small farmers keep business alive by supplementing traditional farm work with tourism. But would you pay to do chores on a farm?

By Robert Lamb

Lost greens fees, plane crashes and cancelled concerts all fall under the umbrella of travel insurance, but is it a scam? Or is it something you should consider while you browse flights and check hotel prices?

By Charles W. Bryant

When Thomas Jefferson inherited 5,000 acres of land in Charlottesville, Va., he set out to build a house with more conveniences and European influences. How long did it take him to build it, and what did he include in the plans?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

There are the seven wonders of the medieval world and the modern world, as well as the seven wonders of the natural world and underwater world. But what about the original seven wonders of the world.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

When you think of taking a vacation, do you dream of relaxing on a beach? Or does your mind turn to something a little wilder -- kayaking through the Amazon, cave diving in Mexico, paragliding in the south of France? If you have a taste for the unusual, adventure travel might appeal to you.

By Charles W. Bryant

Much of Easter Island's haunting past remains a mystery, though clues have surfaced about the people, their culture and their fateful decline. What's the real story?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors