Gardnerville, Nevada, USA

Balloon rides are a well-established component of the Carson Valley's amenity base. Pretend you're an eagle and can see Gardnerville, Minden, and Genoa from the air, not to mention the surrounding alfalfa fields and the Sierra Nevada. [2001]

Montross, Virginia, USA

♫ Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
No mountains near,
For here you're on
Virginia's coastal plain. ♬
[2015]

Collegedale, Tennessee, USA

Every beverage has a unique geography, a mappable distribution that makes it possible to see whether a drink is equally popular across the country or variably popular region by region. Mountain Dew may fit into the latter category. Ever wonder what the geography of Mountain Dew looks like? [2013]

London, England, UK

Let the Year of the Rooster begin! According to the Chinese zodiac, if you were born in 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, or 2005, you're a rooster: trustworthy and responsible. Today, every Chinatown in the world will be celebrating a new beginning. [2015]

Hong Kong S.A.R., China

The stars of Victoria Harbor are the ferry boats: often dressed to impress. You don't have to squint to see this one coming. Just this month, Star Ferry received an award for building social capital (whatever that means!) and making Hong Kong a caring and inclusive community. [2011]

Jakarta, Java, Indonesia

Colonel Sanders isn't the only one with a secret recipe for fried chicken! Actually, the chef here probably has no recipe at all. He just knows the ingredients preferred by the neighborhood and throws them in by pinch and handful. [2016]

Panama City, Panama

Only 'Lavanderia' suggests Latin America. The store's name is in English, and the currency is the U.S. dollar. Add to that the extra-tropical snowmen and a Chinese version of the Gregorian calendar. Welcome to the El Dorado neighborhood's Chinese laundry. The original Chinese immigrants came to build the sea-to-sea rail lines that predated the canal. [2017]