SJ Armstrong

2 months ago | islands.com | SJ Armstrong

At its 16th and 17th century zenith, Potosí, Bolivia was one of the richest cities on earth. Its population outstripped Europe's imperial capitals, ten times the size of Boston when the first British colonies in North America were beginning to flourish. These new residents arrived with greedy eyes turned to the Cerro Rico, the vast mountain that crowns the Potosí skyline.

2 months ago | islands.com | SJ Armstrong

Tumbling from the basalt cliffs concealed in Oregon's wild center, the White River falls plunge into a rushing valley river. Found within the eponymous state park, the cascades can be accessed on a scenic hiking trail, rising through a historic canyon in the sweeping Tygh Valley.

2 months ago | islands.com | SJ Armstrong

Encased by the lofty peaks of Ecuador's Southern Andes, a sprawl of rust-toned roofs and stark white walls stands out amid the verdant valleys. A quintessential hybrid of Andalusian architecture and Andean charm, the laidback city of Cuenca has history seeping from each of its cobblestone streets. Cuenca's Spanish-style streets were built in 1557 atop an Ecuadorian outpost of the Inca Empire.

2 months ago | islands.com | SJ Armstrong

Bleating from the rickety radios of cars cruising wide open highways, blaring from the back doors of smoky bars, and echoing down the alleys frequented by streetside performers, the sounds of the South are inextricable from the classic American road trip. The raring rhythms of rock and roll, staccato beats of Louisiana jazz, soulful cries of Mississippi blues, and laments of history's great country singers are ubiquitous across the country.

2 months ago | islands.com | SJ Armstrong

Gleaming in the light of the ferocious Arabian sun, the glass-walled skyscrapers that shine across the Abu Dhabi skyline separate lapping sea and golden dunes. The capital city of the United Arab Emirates comes with all the same trappings that earned neighboring Dubai its reputation as an unbelievably lavish destination: ambitious modern architecture, ultra-luxury resorts, millionaire-frequented megamalls, and ATMs that dispense solid gold bars. However, Abu Dhabi isn't all flash.