The Yaeyama Islands are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and cover 591.46 square kilometres and consists of 10 inhabited islands and several islets. They are home to numerous species of subtropical plants and mangrove forests. The islands produce sugarcane and pineapples. Coral reefs around the islands are ideal habitats for dolphins, sea turtles, and larger fish such as manta rays and whale sharks. Ishigaki is the most populated and most developed island of the Yaeyama archipelago and serves as the region’s main transportation hub.

credit: Pierre Bear

This multi-tiered, cascading waterfall is hidden in the dense Williamette National Forest along the McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway. It is one of the most frequently photographed waterfalls in Oregon. Lower Proxy Falls was created 6,000 years ago when a giant glacier carved a deep trough through the area, leaving steep canyon walls after the ice receded. The waterfall is a 100′ drop over stairsteps of broken columnar basalt giving the delicate misty look of the falls.

credit: Thomas Shahan 3

Best hiking trips in alaska offers hiking area located along a very scenic gorge on Winner Creek. The Winner Creek Trail in the lush Rainforest of Girdwood is a wonderful hike and a memorable experience for everyone. The Winner Creek Trail is a bit of a suburban wildland hike, but there are plenty of rewards: a beautiful trail, temperate rain forest, and the narrow gorges of Winner and Glacier Creeks.

credit: Alaskan Dude