Pool, Hearst Castle
The changing of the guard at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the royal residence in Seoul, South Korea.
An artisan preparing herself for the Chinese New Year celebrations in San Francisco.
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest in North America and represents the biggest community of Chinese outside of Asia.
Gung Hay Fat Choy and happy Year of the Dragon!
San Francisco’s Mediterranean climate is mild (the temperature nearly always hovers between 55 – 75 degrees F year-round), but when the fog invades, be prepared for the massive chill down. Most prominent in the summer months, the natural air-conditioning is both loved and hated by locals. Yes, we crave hot, sunny days and warm nights when the rest of the country enjoys them in excess; however, we’ll haughtily brag when we’re frolicking on the city beaches in March or November. Whether the tidal wave of fog is pouring over Twin Peaks or seeping through the soaring suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, one thing can’t be denied – it’s an uncommonly beautiful sight. [Full post]
South Africa is known for many things, ranging from the bravery of former president Nelson Mandela to having some of the most exquisite beaches Africa. Yet it’s not necessarily known for fields of blooming lavender. But as the picture above shows, lavender production is alive and well in the country, and it makes for a gorgeous photograph. [Full Post]
Hamilton Pool Preserve - Near Austin, Texas
The land where this naturally forming grotto is hidden was originally owned by Morgan C. Hamilton. Sold to a cattle ranching family during the 1880s, the legend goes that the son of the new owners discovered the stunning natural phenomenon by chance while exploring his family’s new land. Although the grotto posed a danger to the family’s cattle, they recognized its tourism value and they opened it for recreational use soon after – naming it Hamilton Pool after the land’s first owner. [Read more]
Photo Credits: Soul_Smiling/Knowsphotos/Soul_Smiling/Stuck in Customs/Flickr
These amazing red gates in Kyoto, Japan guard the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, which is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Kyoto. It might be the deity housed inside that draws crowds to this sacred place, considering he is thought to be the god of prosperity in business. But religious or not, the gates will take your breath away.
Kyoto is one of the largest cities in Japan with an estimated population of 1.5 million, and is located in a valley of the Tamba highlands. It houses over 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, and is therefore perfect for the traveler seeking spiritual solace. [Full Post]
Timm Schnieder took a pair of googly eyes and turned an otherwise unremarkable blue trash bin in Wiesbaden, Germany into the one and only Cookie...
Dakar Senegal, en route to Banjul, The Gambia
‘City Rains’, Dmitry Kustanovich
earth-song: Red-ruffed Lemurs (photo by xHalloweenx)