1 . Here are some fantastic parks in San Antonio.

The park was first established in 1899 and has been popular with both locals and visitors ever since. Towering trees and peaceful riverbanks will greet guests along the park’s paths, and the facilities include playgrounds, museums, a miniature train, a Japanese tea garden, and one of the oldest golf courses in the city.

In the park, you’ll find about 10 miles of paved(铺过的)and unpaved trails(路线), with a little something for everyone. From rocky climbs to deep canyons, and enchanting forests to open views, there’s no shortage of natural beauty. The area is nationally famous for birdwatching.

The park is the state’s only one on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers quite a large area, so it’s best to make it a full-day or at least a half-day trip so you can be sure to cover everything. While the Alamo is a separate attraction, you will get to enjoy the architectural wonders of Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. They’re all connected by a hike and bike trail, with plenty of stops along the way to picnic, climb trees, and refill water. Admission is free!

Just a 20-to 30-minute drive from the city center, the park puts the best landscapes in the Texas Hill Country on full display, holding 6 miles of hiking trails, both paved and unpaved. Explore dried creek beds, look out over plunging canyons, and enjoy full views of San Antonio down below. You can also find playgrounds for the little ones, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities.

4 . If you’re a lover of the great outdoors and fancy yourself as a bit of a discoverer, then you’ll want to know about the best national parks in the world. National parks are full of wonders. Exploring one is your chance to get back to nature.

Etosha means “great white area”, which refers to the park’s huge salt area. When it rains, the water pools attract hundreds of thousands of pretty flamingos (火烈鸟) to the park. And yet there is more to Etosha National Park than flamingos. Expect to see lions, elephants, leopards and two kinds of zebra as you venture around the park.

You will find Yellowstone National Park atop a volcano hot spot in Wyoming, but the thing that will explode will be your mind as you immerse yourself in the dramatic canyon, lush forests, and alpine rivers. Yellowstone is one of the best national parks in the world to study the geological activity of the Earth.

Prepare to lay your eyes on volcanic landscapes situated in a UNESCO World Heritage Site at Göreme National Park in Turkey. Hike the high hills, explore nearby villages and witness stunning multi-colored cliffs formed from basalt. Göreme National Park is one of the best national parks in the world for hot air ballooning.

The largest national park in the United Kingdom, the Cairngorms provide exceptional wildlife and birdlife —including some of the rarest birds of prey in Europe. Hill climbers will be kept busy with the 55 munros (a mountain peak higher than 3000 feet) in the park.

6 . Unusual Castles Around the World

Whether a fantastic achievement of architecture or just a try to appeal to the public intentionally, the four curious castles below are far from ordinary.

When viewed from some sides, Kelburn Castle looks like a typical Scottish castle. But on the building’s south side, the stone tower and walls are covered in cartoon-style graffiti (涂鸦). The castle’s graffiti is the work of four artists. The graffiti took 1,500 cans of paint to create.

Predjama Castle was built directly into the mouth of a cave located halfway up a little over 123-meter cliff (悬崖) face. Although the site dates back to at least the 13th century, the current building was reconstructed during the 16th century. The impressive castle holds the Guinness World Records for the largest cave castle in the world.

It’s common for castles to be built near the edge of a cliff, but few look so unsafe as the Swallow’s Nest in Crimea, which extends out over the Black Sea. The foundation of this small castle, which measures 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width, extends beyond the edge of the 40-meter cliff. The current stone building was once a wooden structure.

On the top of two volcanic mouths is Trosky Castle, which dates back to the end of the 14th century. Along with the towers on each peak, the castle is also built on the ridge (山脊) that connects the peaks. After a defensive stronghold during war time, the castle was abandoned. The government took control of the site in 1925 and the remains of its walls are now carefully maintained.

7 . From amusement parks to delicious chocolate factories, and everything in between, there are numerous activities and attractions to offer excitement and adventure to kids and big kids! Just take a look at these fun places in Germany.

Europa Park

Localed in Rust, in south-western Germany, Europa-Park is the second most popular theme park resort(度假胜地)in Europe, following Disneyland Paris. With more than 100 attractions and shows, playing here is undoubtedly one of the best things to do with kids in Germany. Whether kids want to sail with the “African Queen” and have fun by discovering foreign animals, or experience the “4D Magic Cinema”, the opportunities are endless.

Fairy Tale Road

A family trip along Fairy Tale Road will be a magical adventure. This is one of Germany’s most attractive drives which takes you through 370 miles of beautiful countryside. It inspired many fairy tales we love today. Along the way, you will discover sleepy villages and numerous attractions. And if you plan your visit well, you might even catch an open-air performance of The Pied Piper in Hameln or Cinderella in Polle.

Neuschwanstein Castle

If your kids love Disney movies, they will never forget a trip to the palace that inspired Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. Located in the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the top attractions in Germany. The castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1869 entirely for pleasure. Your children’s imaginations will run wild as they discover the magical rooms. You can always hop on a charming horse-drawn carriage to reach the top.

Cologne Chocolate Museum

Let your kids go into the world of chocolate at the delicious Chocolate Museum in Cologne. They don’t need a golden ticket to make their sweet dreams come true in this 4,000-square-meter chocolate wonderland. There are nine exhibition areas that allow visitors to learn about the culture and history of chocolate. Moreover, there are plenty of delicious cakes and chocolate specialties to enjoy at the museum cafe. And before you go, ring up to check for your reservations (预订).

8 . Yellowstone National Park, located in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, was established as the first national park in the United States. The park is a popular destination for visitors who enjoy ecological (生态的) tourism as it offers forests, mountains, and many ecosystems to explore. Some of Yellowstone’s most well­known landmarks are its geothermal (地热的) hot springs and geysers (间歇泉), the most famous of which is named Old Faithful.

Last fall, Lisa and her friends decided to take a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. They arranged to stay at one of the park’s many convenient campsites. For their camping trip，they brought their backpacks, sleeping bags, and a cooler of food and drinks. They set up their tents immediately upon arriving at their campsite.

During their trip, Lisa and her friends hiked the many trails (小道) of the park, exploring its natural surroundings. In the forest, they saw a lot of local wildlife. Lisa was blown away by a family of grizzly bears, some gray wolves, and even bald eagles flying overhead. Unexpectedly, she seemed to quite enjoy being in such a great place. They were well protected. Outside of the woods, they admired the beauty of some of Yellowstone’s natural waterfalls.

Since Yellowstone contains many hot springs and the world’s largest area of active geysers, Lisa and her friends visited many different geyser sites.They even spent an afternoon swimming in Yellowstone’s Boiling River. Of all of the sites, Lisa and her friends agreed that Old Faithful was the most impressive. Lisa and her friends waited patiently for the geyser to erupt. After about 40 minutes, a stream of boiling water over 100 feet tall sprayed (喷洒) from the ground and up into the air. Luckily, no one got wet!