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This photo offers an uncommon view of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the coast of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico—it’s often shown in the bright Caribbean sunlight. In September 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by the landfall of Hurricane Maria, which wreaked havoc on the landscape, people, and livelihoods of this US territory. While Puerto Rico continues to repair, rebuild, and return to normal two years after the landfall of Maria, other parts of the Caribbean have been damaged by subsequent storms. Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas particularly hard. That island nation sits northwest of Puerto Rico, and much closer to Florida. (via Major Mike | The old guard at Old San Juan)

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With the tourist season winding down and the rainy season still forthcoming, September is an ideal time to visit Bali. If you’re lucky enough to go, plan a day trip to the Tegallalang farming terraces in Ubud, where visitors can capture gorgeous photos of the landscape and get an unforgettable glimpse into Balinese culture. The island of Bali has a rich tradition of agriculture, with an especially unique method of water management for rice farming. The irrigation system here, known as Subak, is recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance. Water flows through temples and into the rice paddies, carved into the hillsides like steps. It's a practice that dates back thousands of years, based on the Balinese philosophical principle of Tri Hita Karana, which refers to a relationship between humans, the Earth, and the gods. (via Major Mike | A lush, green escape in Bali)

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March 2019 saw the opening of a structure called 'Vessel' that overlooks the Hudson River in New York. 'Vessel' is a 16-story, honeycomb-looking staircase that’s meant to be climbed. Its 154 flights of stairs are interconnected, much like Indian stepwells, which lent inspiration to designer Thomas Heatherwick. Not to worry. For those who would rather skip the 2,500 steps, they can reach the top via elevator. We're looking at this ultra-modern landmark to acknowledge how much has changed in the 410 years that have passed since 17th-century English explorer Henry Hudson first 'discovered' Manhattan. In early September 1609, Hudson guided the Dutch ship Half Moon up into the 'north river' from New York Bay at Manhattan Island, looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean. He ended up at modern-day Albany, but the river that's such an essential part of Manhattan's identity now bears his name. (via Major Mike | Social climbing 2,500 since March)

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Though some of the details of the founding of San Marino vary depending on who is telling the story, what's certain is that in the 4th century CE, a stone mason built a Christian chapel on a hill near the Mediterranean coast and founded the settlement that would share a name with Saint Marinus. Over the centuries European nations grew, shrank, and changed—but San Marino remained, ultimately bordered on all sides by Italy. Today, this tiny nation, sometimes called the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, celebrates 1,718 years of existence and its continued status as the world's smallest republic—24 square miles of quaint European charm embedded in Italy's northeastern region. (via Major Mike | In the ‘Most Serene Republic’)

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Diego Rivera's 'Detroit Industry Murals' show off the Mexican painter's incredible attention to detail in his depiction of the American labor industry in the early 20th century. The portion on our homepage today is from the north wall panel, and shows a busy shift at an automotive factory. It's one of 27 frescoes that make up this collection of wall-sized paintings. Rivera spent three months studying at the Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge complex in preparation for this project, making hundreds of sketches before painting a single stroke. The work was started during the Great Depression in 1932, making the perspective all the more meaningful. When it was finished eight months later, the US economy was moving toward recovery. Rivera’s murals remain on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Rivera believed the work was his most successful piece and Edsel Ford, who helped commission the paintings, liked it too, saying, ‘I admire Rivera's spirit. I really believe he was trying to express his idea of the spirit of Detroit.’ (via Major Mike | ‘Detroit Industry Murals’ by Diego Rivera)

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Today, on the traditional end of the French summer season, we're featuring the wild beauty of the Gorges du Tarn, a canyon formed by the Tarn River in south central France. The Tarn Gorge is about 33 miles long and, at points, almost 2,000 feet deep. It's a popular spot for tourists, especially kayakers and rock climbers. History buffs also find much to explore, including the castles and villages built along—or even carved into—the canyon walls, like Castelbouc in today's image. (via Major Mike | Bidding summer adieu)

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Two climbers slacklining between boulders near Bishop, California. Look closely and you’ll see something very similar to tightrope walking: The slackliners anchor a thin strip of webbing between two points and then walk across (very carefully, of course). Bishop is near the Sierra Nevada and is a popular destination for climbers interested in both slacklining and bouldering. What's bouldering? That's rock climbing without ropes or harnesses. Instead, climbers simply shimmy up rocky crags and free-standing boulders—but no higher than 20 feet, for safety’s sake. And where there are rock climbers, you’ll likely find slackliners. (via Major Mike | Walk the slack line)

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If it's summer, there's a fair going on somewhere. Looking at this photo, you can practically smell the cotton candy, hear the sonic blend of rides, carnival games, and music, and taste the sugary fried food (and feel your arteries clogging). Smaller fairs like this one in Hardee County, Florida, lead up to larger state fairs in most areas. August is the most popular month for state fairs, though a handful are in July, and some southern states have them during cooler months. Fairs weren't always about rides and outrageously fattening foods, though. Beginning with the first state fair in Syracuse, New York, back in 1841, and long before anyone figured out how to fry a stick of butter, there were celebrations of agriculture and livestock, and those traditions continue. So, when you hit your local fair, don't forget to check out the giant vegetables and costumed llamas before you get in line for the tilt-a-whirl or a deep-fried Snickers wrapped in bacon. (via Major Mike | It’s fair season)

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The uncharacteristically warm waters of the Atlantic and a long stretch of sand bring thousands of visitors, but Asbury Park also draws waves of art, culture, and music that shine brightly in the summer months. Bruce Springsteen has played here regularly since the 1970s, performing everywhere from the Stone Pony, an iconic music venue, to a benefit show at Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley that was in dire need of sprucing up. Springsteen, who grew up near this stretch of the Jersey Shore, clearly finds Asbury Park special—the name of his 1973 album inspired our title for today’s homepage image. But the seaside resort’s rich musical history predates the Boss—a building boom in the 1920s brought sounds of jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues to the many clubs here. Musicians Arthur Pryor, Count Basie, and many others developed strong ties to Asbury Park and helped establish its reputation as a showcase for great American music. The tradition continues today with a ‘Jams on the Sand’ summer concert series, which ends this evening, and plenty of other events around town. Whether sunning at North Beach or taking in a show, be sure not to miss other attractions like the famed boardwalk. There’s also the Carousel House, a renovated Beaux-Arts landmark. (via Major Mike | Greetings from Asbury Park)

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Because it’s hidden just beyond the walls of the Palazzo Corsini al Prato, the Corsini Garden is never seen by many of the tourists who visit the grand palace. You’ll find the garden and palace in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and capital of Italy's Tuscany region. Designed by architect Bernardo Buontalenti in the early 1590s, the Palazzo Corsini al Prato and Corsini Garden will host the third annual New Generation Festival this week. The festival features a 'new generation' of musical talent from around the world performing in a different musical genre each night. For four nights, young and old will enjoy opera, jazz, and classical music in an Italian garden that has enchanted visitors for more than a dozen generations. (via Major Mike | Florentine garden brings generations together)

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Over two days in late August 1883, Krakatoa—an uninhabited island near Indonesia—experienced one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions of modern times. Ten times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St. Helens, it obliterated all but a third of the island and triggered massive tsunamis. The biggest blast could be heard 3,000 miles away—it’s still the loudest sound ever recorded. More than 36,000 people lost their lives, and the explosions impacted the entire world for years: Global temperatures dropped and skies darkened, causing huge crop failures. Sunsets turned a vivid red and the moon often appeared blue or green after the event due to the volcanic debris circling in the atmosphere. The volcano we’re featuring today emerged from the ruins of the giant that exploded on this day in August 1883. Anak Krakatoa, or ‘child of Krakatoa,’ began to rise in 1927. Though it has yet to be as destructive as its predecessor, the juvenile volcano is highly active, and a collapse of the lava dome in December 2018 caused a massive tsunami, a reminder of just how dangerous this part of the world remains. (via Major Mike | Remembering Krakatoa)

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We're looking at the West-Eastern Divan youth orchestra rehearsing for a performance in the BBC Proms. The Proms (short for promenade concerts) is an annual music festival held in London over eight weeks from July into September. The first Proms took place on August 10, 1895, in the Queen’s Hall in Langham Place, London. After the Queen's Hall was destroyed by a bomb during the Blitz, the Proms moved here to the Royal Albert Hall in 1941. This year marks the 125th festival and includes 150 concerts and educational events. While the focus is on classical music, the Proms in the Park event closes out the season in nearby Hyde Park with performances from Barry Manilow, Chrissie Hynde, and other pop artists. (via Major Mike | Classical music takes center stage)

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Today we’re viewing North America’s largest arts and music festival—dust free—from a satellite lens. Welcome to Black Rock City, the pop-up home of Burning Man, a raucous event that takes place in late summer each year on the sun-scorched alkali flats of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. It’s an unusual set-up, a counterculture mecca where gifts reign supreme and money has no value. Festival goers are called Burners in honor of the massive wooden effigy of a man they build each year, only to be set ablaze on the penultimate eve of the event. The 70,000 attendees may come as individuals or entire communities. Many plan months in advance to construct grandiose installations, fantastical floats, art cars, and other creative expressions that defy the logistical constraints of the harsh desert landscape. To do this they must pack in everything they’ll need for nine days, with the full knowledge that it must all be packed back out again. Any litter left behind is considered MOOP (Matter Out of Place), so glitter and other things difficult to retrieve from the desert floor are forbidden. Once inside, goods and services can’t be bought; however, volunteering and gifting are expected. Part of the mission behind Burning Man is to build a creative and connected community (via Major Mike | A desert arts pop-up just popped up)

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If you want to see a brown bear in the wild—and from a safe distance—this is a good time to head to Katmai National Park and Preserve in southern Alaska. The 4.1-million-acre park is home to about 2,200 brown bears, the largest population of protected brown bears on the continent. In summer and early fall, these normally solitary creatures congregate and wade into rivers and streams to feast on salmon returning home to spawn. One of the best spots for bear watching is Brooks Camp, which offers three platforms built just for this purpose. But it takes some effort to get there—the park is only accessible by plane or boat. So, are these brown bears or grizzlies? That's complicated. In North America, there are several subspecies of brown bears that vary in size and coloring, though they're all members of the same species (Ursus arctos), which can also be found in parts of Europe and Asia. It’s the most widely distributed bear species in the world. 'Grizzly' tends to refer to brown bears that live in the interior of Alaska, Canada, and parts of the lower 48 states. When people refer to ‘brown bears,’ they’re generally talking about bears like these two, which are bigger than most ‘grizzlies’ and roam the coastal areas of Alaska. They go by several names: Alaskan brown bears, coastal brown bears, peninsula brown bears, and peninsula grizzlies. Kodiak bears, which live on nearby Kodiak Island, are considered the largest of all the brown bear subspecies. (via Major Mike | Get the bear facts)

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The Palouse region of the inland Pacific Northwest is an unusually hilly prairie that straddles the state line between Washington and Idaho. Farming seems an unlikely endeavor here, but the soil and weather patterns make it ideal for growing certain crops. This time of year, the soft white wheat harvest is on, as the grain turns from green to gold, and for the farmers, from harvest to profit. Earlier in the summer, farmers reap the other key crop of the Palouse, lentils. Before Europeans and early US settlers arrived, the Palouse was occupied by the Nez Perce people, who bred and raised horses with spotted coats—a breed that would eventually come to be known as 'appaloosas'—a gradual permutation of the name 'Palouse.' (via Major Mike | Harvest time in the Palouse)

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With the 2009 opening of the Dubai Fountain, featured in today's image, the city of Dubai claimed another record for the books—'world's tallest performing fountain.’ It's located appropriately enough at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest building. Designed by the same company that created the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, everything about the Dubai Fountain is impressive. Over 900 feet long and located in the 30-acre Burj Lake, the fountain has more than 6,600 lights and 75 color projectors. These are used to create over 1,000 different 'water expressions' and provide a rainbow of colors, all perfectly choreographed to a carefully crafted musical playlist. (via Major Mike | Dancing waters of Dubai)

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There’s no rest for the wildebeest, especially as it crosses the crocodile-infested Mara River between Kenya and Tanzania, shown here. Each year, as many as 1.5 million blue wildebeest move through this region following seasonal rains. The annual migration is one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles, a journey that will take the wildebeest some 800 miles, as they seek out lush, green grass and fresh water. August often finds the herd here in the northern Serengeti Plains, a favorite destination for safari-goers who will also see some 200,000 zebras—as well as smaller numbers of gazelles and elands—that accompany the herd. The great number of animals makes this phenomenon one of the largest land migrations on Earth, often called the ‘world cup of wildlife.’ (via Major Mike | Look before you leap)