Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

From all over the world come teams to take part in Quebec's Winter Carnival, a mid-winter celebration that began as a "mardi gras" in an overwhelmingly Catholic province.  You can see Quebec's flag on the Parliament building in the background.  How many other flags do you recognize?  And whose face is that atop the pile?  [2005]

Johns Island, South Carolina, USA

The Stono River is not a river at all. It is one of the many channels that separate the sea islands of South Carolina from each other and the mainland. Sunny Sundays serve the needs of nearby populations as the extensive land-and-water lattice becomes the region's best recreational resource. [2012]

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA

This dune stabilizer is known as sea oats, but its Latin name is much more fun to say:  uniola paniculata. Its job is shared with a variety of other deep-rooted, salt-tolerant, foliage-filled plants whose task it is to hold the dune in place, baffle the wind, and protect America's elite from devastating loss during hurricane season. [2012]

Folly Beach, South Carolina, USA

Folly Beach gained fame in 1989 when the beach (and entire oceanfront) was devastated by Hurricane Hugo. To Charlestonians, it had always been "the edge of America," but Hugo made it the poster child for coastal hazards. Then, the beach was rebuilt. Now, as fall thins out the crowds and space opens up for afternoon reverie, the barrier island is at its best. [2012]

Sharpsburg, Maryland, USA

The Battle of Antietam, one of the bloodiest of the Civil War, took place exactly 150 years ago this month. Much of the action raged along 'the sunken road,' now a time capsule where every successive generation of soldiers has come to learn the strategic arts. [1998]

Delhi, India

You can't get fresher, hotter, better naan than on the streets of Karol Bagh in Delhi. Here you can watch it being made: from flour to finished product. See the oven? Naan is best when topped with a swoosh of butter and eaten with dal makhani, a lentil and bean potage. [2011]

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is famous for its floating market, but there are also many floating vendors well beyond the market places.  Most are in Thonburi on the western shore of the Chao Praya.  It's an area where canals serve the purposes of city streets.  [2011]