Rory McCann's map reveals the locations of the world's straightest roads. (Map Credit: Rory McCann) We may finally know where the world’s straightest roads run for miles on end, thanks to one man’s extensive research on the matter. Rory McCann used mapping software OpenStreetMap (OSM) to that revealed straight roads primarily run through the Canadian prairies and American Midwest. McCann’s theory on why this is the case is simple: American roads are straighter than European roads since they were built...

Flying pigeons pass over Nepalese street vendors near the earthquake-damaged UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durbar Square in Kathmandu on May 20, 2015. On Monday, June 15, 2015, Nepal reopened many of the heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley to the public, in a bid to attract tourists. (PIshara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Less than two months after , toppling buildings and killing more than 8,000 people, the Himalayan nation is reopening several damaged historic sites in the Kathmandu Valley in a bid...

Winner of the Alumni Choice Award at the SCAD Sand Arts Festival 2015 held in North Beach on Tybee Island, Georgia. The annual festival features competitions for sand castle, sand sculpture, sand relief and wind sculpture. (SCAD Sand Arts Festival) North Beach in Georgia's picturesque Tybee Island was transformed into an art canvas for hundred of spectacular sand sculptures and castles created by students of the Savannah College of Art and Design for the in May. Presented by the School...

A movement for sustainability in Spain has sparked some independently minded people to inhabit once-abandoned villages, turning them into eco-villages, where community members live a self-sufficient life in harmony with nature. Matavenero is a village in the mountainous El Bierzo region of Spain where inhabitants strive to live sustainably far from the comforts of modern amenities and densely populated cities. Matavenero became abandoned in the late 1960s. In 1989, an international mix of people who wanted to live simply off...

Despite being covered by water, only —of Earth's freshwater is contained in rivers and lakes. Many of these lakes showcase nature at its most spectacular.They combine vibrant blue waters, sheer cliffs, scenic islands, mountainous views and unique (sometimes, strange) features that make these natural formations some of the most stunning attractions in the world. With 16 linked lakes, dozens of waterfalls, brilliantly green forests and dark caves, the is one of the world's most breathtaking destinations. Named a UNESCO World...

Geauga Lake Amusement Park, Aurora, Ohio Stormy skies above the abandoned Geauga Lake Amusement Park in Aurora, Ohio. (Seph Lawless) Photographer Seph Lawless knows the allure of documenting abandoned places—he has captured eerie images of everything from an in North Carolina and a crumbling . And while the haunting stillness and decay of these places already make for eerie images, the sight of nature picking up where humans left off (such as in Lawless' photos of an ) highlight the...

A muddied girl, donning a cape made of dried banana leaves, collects candles before attending a mass to celebrate the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist in the village of Bibiclat, Aliaga township, Nueva Ecija province in northern Philippines, June 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) In the village of Bibiclat in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, residents honor their patron saint, John the Baptist by smearing themselves in mud, wearing mud-soaked capes made of dried banana leaves during a hot summer...

'Beautiful tornado tracks in open farm land narrowly missing a home near Simla, Colorado.' - James Smart (James Smart / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) One of the travel photography world's most prestigious competitions, the recently kicked off and the early entries already feature some of the most spectacular scenes captured. From a stunning shot of a waterfall in Iceland to a nighttime view of a rock formation at Arches National Park and a jaw-dropping tornado in Colorado, the entries...

Smithsonian.com just announced the finalists for their 12th Annual Photo Contest. Judges sifted through over 26,500 entries from photographers in 93 countries the world over. Smithsonian.com photo editors selected ten finalists for the following categories: Natural World, Travel, People, Americana, Altered Images and Mobile. Now the responsibility falls on the public to vote for a Reader's Choice winner. Individuals are urged to to cast their votes. (MORE: ) One particularly striking photo depicts a Costa Rican snake devouring a frog...

Winners of the 2014 National Geographic Photo Conest have been announced. More than 9,000 entries were submitted from 150 countries. The grand prize, which went to Ben Yen for his photo depicting a commuter consumed by her smartphone, was $10,000 and a trip to the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2015. (MORE:) Other winning images showcase the beauty, diversity and unpredictability of the world—from waves crashing into a...

From the shadows of Mount Rushmore to the crack in the Liberty Bell, there are certain icons of the American landscape that have become embedded in our culture. There are other landmarks around the country, though -- recognized as roadside attractions -- that haven’t quite gained national recognition. These lesser-known attractions can be found in every state. In fact, each state has its ownfascinating roadside attractions, some of which hold the title, “World’s Largest.” Florida, for one, is home to...

With their grand architecture, castles are some of the world's most scenic, postcard-worthy sights. But these already-majestic structures are elevated to "fairy tale" status when perched on mountaintops or cliff edges. Although these castles set on precarious sites offer spectacular views, their locations were crucial for castle builders for another reason. "Castles were planted in the best place to control road and river routes," Marc Morris, a historian and presenter of the UK television series Castle, told weather.com. "Sometimes this...

If you think your travel bucket list is long, prepare for it to get even longer. During the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, that ended on July 8 and was held in Bonn, Germany, UNESCO named, and approved extensions to three other sites. The newly added global treasures, which includes one in the United States—the San Antonio Missions in Texas—were deemed as having "outstanding universal value." Since 1975, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named...