The World's Most Beautiful Places
A view of the Cincinnati Observatory on Mt. Lookout above the Ohio River. The observatory was dedicated by John Quincy Adams in 1843, in his last public speech. He died a few years later, and the hill on which the observatory originally stood was renamed Mount Adams in his honor. Today the observatory resides on Mt. Lookout. The observatory is operated by the University of Cincinnati, and is the oldest professional observatory in the United States.
Known as the Pendleton Barn, this historic farm building lies at the heart of the Fruita Valley in Capitol Reef National Park. The barn is named after its builder, Calvin Pendleton, a polygamist, who founded what is today known as the Gifford Homestead. The Giffords were the third family to own the property, and during their 41 years on the farm, raised dairy cows, hogs, and sheep, as well as chickens and ducks. The Giffords moved to the Fruita Valley in 1928, and were the last to leave it, when they sold the homestead to the National Park Service in 1969.
A polar bear ice sculpture in winter at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, at sunset. The polar bear, also known as Nanook to the native Inuit, is the symbol of the university, and considered the master of bears, that decides whether hunters deserve to find and successfully hunt other bears.