Luminous Allure One of the most ostentatiously adorned creatures on Earth, the male peacock uses its brilliant plumage to entice females.Photograph by Beverly Joubert

Palmyra There is evidence that the ancient city of Palmyra, also known as Tadmor, was in existence as far back as the 19th century B.C. Its importance grew around 300 B.C. as trading caravans began using it as a way station between Mesopotamia and Persia. Palmyra>s strategic location and prosperity attracted the interest of the Romans, who took control of the city in the first century A.D. Photograph by James L. Stanfield

Cave Pearls Mineral deposits in caves can create amazing shapes, such as these milky-looking cave pearls. These unique spherical formations are created in cave pools when layers of calcite are slowly deposited around a grain of sand or dirt. Photograph by Michael Nichols

Ready To Smoke Salmon await the smokehouse at Dog Point Fish Camp near Sitka, Alaska. Here Tlingit youngsters forgo modern temptations—video games, junk food—to learn traditional ways from elders. The Tlingit, the original inhabitants of Southeast Alaska, have been closely connected with fishing and the sea throughout their history. Since the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, which transferred more than half a million acres (200,000 hectares) of the Tongass to native ownership, the Tlingit have become increasingly involved in forestry as well. Photograph by Melissa Farlow