A Minute Away: Big planet. Small moments. Original video.
Got a minute or two? That’s time enough for this original video series by Christopher Reynolds, who aims to take you far from wherever your are. You won’t find a lot of talking heads here; instead, expect waterfalls roaring, drummers pounding, birds chirping and such. Since the series began in 2013, he has covered Mexican caves; the reading room of the New York Public Library; Moscow in a snowstorm; Machu Picchu on a sunny day; the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk; and about 100 other spots on five continents.
Interstate 5: Freeway facts and fiction
This video features facts and fiction about Interstate 5, along with time-lapse photography of a drive between Coalinga and Los Angeles.
In Salt Lake City, sound, science and suds on video
This video shows how much livelier downtown Salt Lake City has gotten in recent years.
Getting into Alcatraz
Alcatraz has been a tourist attraction longer than it was a prison. But once you get there, the fascinating facts begin to unfold.
Pago Pago by bus
Pago Pago, capital of American Samoa, is full of custom-built, crazy-colored buses.
When hornpipes and yo-yos took over the Westin LAX
A big Irish-dance competition and a national yo-yo contest wound up at the Westin LAX on the same weekend recently.
My favorite place is shrouded in Yellowstone steam
This video shows the otherworldly scenery of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
From Yellowstone, a lesson in blowing off steam
Under pressure? These Wyoming geysers, springs and pools are too.
Reading minds (and T-shirts) at Old Faithful
What if you ignored an Old Faithful eruption and instead read all the tourists' T-shirts and hats? What would the results say about America in 2015?
When it's 111 in the desert: 10 tips
In the Coachella Valley, no one can hear you scream about the heat -- here are some almost entirely serious tips on surviving those ultra-hot days.
All aboard: the Swan Boats of Boston
Since the 19th century, these slow boats have been a fixture in Boston's Public Garden lagoon.
Gloom, doom and Crater Lake
Under sunny skies, Oregon's Crater Lake is a blue-hued wonder. In a storm, its spooky side emerges.
Faneuil Hall: We hold this tourist attraction to be self-evident
In the heart of Boston, Faneuil Hall carries history and stays busy.
A summer night in Boston's North End
Home to a longstanding Italian community and dozens of restaurants, Boston's North End draws thousands of travelers daily.
In Providence, church, state, mob, art, etc.
Roughly midway between Boston and Newport, Rhode Island's capital city has history, grit and a lively student population.
Crater Lake in living color
Crater Lake in southern Oregon was born after a volcano erupted 7,700 years ago and snowmelt and rain began to collect in the resultant caldera.
In Ashland, the stage is set
Ashland, about 20 miles north of the California-Oregon border, is headquarters of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Fed by the Li River, Yangshuo swells with tourists and options
Yangshuo, an ancient town just south of Guilin, China, has used its position on the Li River to build a burgeoning tourist trade.
Cruising China's Li River from Guilin
This video follows a cruise from the Chinese city of Guilin down the scenic Li River toward Yangshuo.
Metamorphosis on Market Street
San Francisco's Market Street, a busy but blighted artery for locals and travelers alike, has seen a burst of redevelopment in recent years.
From Desert View Watchtower, the canyon is even grander
Desert View Watchtower is one of the best viewpoints in Grand Canyon National Park.
Listening to the Grand Canyon
This short video of the Grand Canyon includes licking deer, clicking cameras and singing people.
Tweezers, putters in San Francisco's Mission District
There's no predicting what kind of fun you might find in San Francisco's Mission District.
San Francisco's big, green secret
San Francisco's Presidio includes 1,491 acres, beginning at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Grand Canyon, by mule
Every day, up to 10 riders on mules head down into the Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail.
Swamp creatures
This video, shot near Port Canaveral, Fla., explores an animal park, including alligators and a panther.
Florida by airboat, gators on the side
This video zips along Florida wetlands, with a brief alligator-handling stop at the end.
After dark in New York's Central Park, winter's chill and icy thrills
Even on the chilliest nights -- in this case, a mid-February evening that went well below freezing -- Central Park gets used. If it's not the ducks on the pond, it's brave joggers on a path. And, of course, there are the skaters.
Los Cabos, Mexico makes a comeback
After a hurricane in 2014, Baja California's Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are coming back.
Dunes and pool, Death Valley
Death Valley's Mesquite Flat sand dunes and the Inn at Furnace Creek.
Beijing acrobats
Jugglers, cyclists and drummers are part of the Chaoyang Acrobatic show in Beijing.
The Racetrack, Death Valley
This dry lake bed is toward the north end of Death Valley National Park.
Here's the early downhill action in Canada's Rockies
Watch for the flavor of this season’s early days in Banff and on the slopes of the Sunshine Village and Lake Louise resorts.
In Gruene, Texas, history lives in an old dance hall
About halfway between San Antonio and Austin, Texas, a born-again ghost town called Gruene harbors perhaps the oldest dance hall in Texas.
The Alamo -- the most famous building in Texas
The Alamo might be smaller than a lot of people expect, but it's right in the heart of San Antonio, a couple of blocks from the River Walk.
A Tex-Mex minute in Austin
Austin gets a lot of attention for its live-music scene. But it's also home to the LBJ Presidential Library and plenty of Tex-Mex restaurants.
Fish, flowers, fun in Seattle's Pike Place Market
Here’s a video from Seattle’s Pike Place Market. On its busiest days, up to 13 buskers play alongside more than 200 vendors, shops and restaurants.
Bainbridge Island: Where Seattle goes for R&R
Bainbridge Island is an escape from city grit. For visitors, it's an easy day trip with 30 miles of trails, seven wineries and plenty of boats and boat folk.
The view from a ferry on Puget Sound
This ferry was operating between Seattle and Bainbridge Island.
On the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway climbs the slopes of Mt. San Jacinto, reaching an altitude of about 8,500 feet.
Bears and salmon on Brooks River, Katmai, Alaska
While the salmon struggled against the current to climb up 4-foot Brooks Falls, the bears stood at the foot of the falls, swiping with claws and snapping with jaws when fish came near.
Bathing bears, falling man, Naknek Lake, Alaska
To reach one of the best spots to see these marvels, you need to catch a float plane to Naknek Lake, the star of this little video.
Above Alaska
Without small planes, Alaska would be even lonelier than it is already – and travelers wouldn’t get to see so many gorgeous mountains, lakes and rivers.
Abiquiu to Chama, N.M.
Windy day at Abiquiu Lake, 0:14. Clouds adrift, 0:19. Kayakers hugging the shore, 0:40. Red rocks and highway, 1:01. Chama train station, 1:07. Rolling stock of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, 1:09.
Animas River, Durango, Colo.
San Juan Mountains, surrounding Durango, 0:11. Guitarist downtown, 0:13. Train station, 0:18. The Rochester's cool sign, 0:25. View from Rim Drive, 0:34. Red kayak, 0:40. Red raft, 0:45. Shirtless oarwork, 0:48. Hilltop dog walk, 1:03.
Under Swinging Bridge, Wawona, Yosemite
"Hey. It's not that cold," he lied, 0:18. Photo op, 0:24. Two on a boulder, 0:28. Toes on granite, 0:40. Submersion, 0:49. Lone bather, 1:05.
Race Day in Ypres, Belgium
View from the clock tower, 0:11. Tulips, 0:17. Community orchestra, 0:19. St. Martin's Cathedral, 0:27. The green canal near Boezinge, 0:35. Lively hum at the main square, 0:45. Drummers, 0:55. Lead vehicle, 1:00. Heavy traffic, 1:08.
Flanders Fields, Belgium, 100 years after World War I
"Known unto God" (what the British put on graves of unidentifiable soldiers), 0:16. "Brooding Soldier" sculpture, 0:35. Teens in WW1 uniforms, Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres, 0:40. "Last Post" buglers and paper poppy wreaths, Menin Gate, 0:51.
Sacred Sarajevo
Sacred Heart Cathedral, 0:11. A golden glow in the Church of Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, 0:22. Candles up close, 0:34. Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque, 0:35. Mosque dome brilliance, 0:43. Three cats, mosque courtyard, 0:52. Jewish Museum, 0:55.
Sarajevo at peace
Cemetery, 0:08. Shrapnel scars, 0:11. Teahouse backpackers, 0:31. Bullet/pen souvenirs, 0:45. Break dance, 0:47. Chicken feed, 0:59. Museum closed, 1:10. Mall open, 1:12.
Colorado Cliff Dwellings, Mesa Verde National Park
Filing past the window, 0:32. About their bathrooms, 0:46. Dark, tight passage, 0:56. On the ladder, she dares to look down, 1:16.
Shopping by skylight, Brussels
Galeries Royales St.-Hubert, building 1847: 0:18. Lunch for two, 0:26. Roma mother begging, 0:34. Jewelry-shooter, 0:46. Bar and menu, 0:52.
Grand Place, Brussels
Horse and blinders, 0:01. Mounds of fancy sweets, 0:16. Map check, 0:25. The cobblestone angle, 0:30. Faces on the wall, 0:42. Teamwork, 0:52. Sculptures up top.
The Sarajevo bridge where World War I began
Cityscape with cemetery, 0:08. Yellow streetcar, 0:13. Latin Bridge, where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, on June 28, 1914. Dog becomes old man, 0:54. Old man becomes young man, 0:57.
All quiet in Humboldt County
Downtown Arcata, 0:15. Slow afternoon in the Samoa Cookhouse, 0:20. Trickle between redwoods, 0:30. Gould Grove Nature Loop Trail, 0:35. Fallen giant, 0:39. Roosevelt elk, 0:45. Straight up, 0:58.
Driving through the redwood, Leggett, Ca.
Chandelier Tree, Underwood Park, Leggett, 0:04. Traffic, 0:13. We enter the tree, 0:18. Steaming bark (after rain), 0:35. Where we are, 0:48. Dew on the roof, 1:06.
The Klamath and the sea, Northern California
Mouth of the river, 0:12. Building from 1914, 0:26. Redwood bits, 0:36. Looking for whales, 0:48. Pacific panorama, 1:09.
Valley low, mountain high, Kauai
Taro patch, 0:01. Hanalei Valley, 0:10. Kalalau trailhead, 0:21. Red birds, 0:35. Na Pali coast, 0:48. Half-mile marker, 0:57. Uke, 1:01.
Resort living, Princeville, Kauai
Feral roosters greets the morning, 0:05. Pool at Hanalei Bay Resort, 0:18. Tennis thwacks, same place, 0:27. Green umbrellas, St. Regis Hotel, 0:38. Reflecting pool, St. Regis terrace, 0:44. Beady-eyed lizard, 1:00. The beach at St. Regis, 1:07.
Day and night, Hanalei Pier, Kauai
General gorgeousness, 0:15. Big splash, 0:23. Fast water down below, 0:25. Killer view from the former Club Med property, 0:35. Red blouse, green mountains, 0:43. The old man, the GMC pick-up, the bonfire and the sea, 0:54.
Scrabble at Ruby Montana's, Palm Springs
Trembling watermelon, 0:15. My tiles, 0:22. The red office door, 0:34. Disturbing clown lamp, 0:39. Consulting the dictionary, 0:48. The score, 1:06. Za and Aw, 1:06.
New day, Jerome, Ariz.
Up the old elevator: 0:01. Dawn light, 0:08. Old phone, 0:19. Flag skull, 0:21. Flat Iron Cafe, 0:36. "The best piece in town," 0:42. Raw skull, 0:53. Red rocks, 1:04.
On Sand River, outside Phoenix
Wet panorama, 0:19. Put-in, 0:26. Needles, 0:43. Mountains, 0:54. Nose of the kayak, 1:01.
Cerveza y mariachi, Hussong's, Ensenada
Cool boots, 0:16. Big blender pour, 0:20. Rowdy vocals, 0:27. Nice blue slacks, 0:36. Gratuitous violins, 0:58.
Trail of the Pony Express. St. Joseph, Mo.
St. Joseph, Mo., 0:11. Cool motel sign, 0:18. Missouri River, 0:20. Salt Lake City, 0:27. This is the Place Heritage Park, 0:41. Old Sacramento, 0:49. End of the trail: the Wells Fargo office, 1:03. Pony Express rider statue, 1:07.
Beyond the magic kingdom, Orange County
Train at Disneyland station, 0:16. Snoopy at Knott's, 0:26. The big orange aloft, 0:32. Chihuahua, 0:39. Subversive parking directions, 0:48. Live Oak Canyon Trail, O'Neill Regional Park, 0:54. Richard Serra sculpture in Costa Mesa, 1:02.
Parade and rodeo, Cody, Wyoming
Irma Hotel, 0:12. Rodeo queens, 0:19. Trick rider, 0:50. Bucking bronc, 0:57. Fireworks, 1:05.
Downtown L.A.
Downtown L.A. Central Library globe chandelier, 0:01. Grand Central Market, 0:12. Angels Flight, 0:16. Disney Hall, 0:18. A lot of Fellini, 0:33. Bradbury Building, 0:37. Murals on parade, 0:46. Do you weight what you should?, 1:01.
Steam, spray and beasts, Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful, 0:12. Dog in backpack, 0:33. Morning Glory Pool, 0:39. Singing the state song, 0:42. Old Faithful Inn, 0:46. Deer, 0:58. Bison in traffic, 1:04. Rainbow, 1:09.
Summer under the Grand Tetons
Teton dawn, 0:02. Horse breakfast, 0:24. Red boots, 0:35. On Jenny Lake, 0:41. Roaring water, 0:59. String quartet, 1:02.
Snow falling on skiers, Mammoth Mountain
Zippy snowboarder, 0:20. Boarders in a row, 0:37. Antler chandeliers, 0:47. Draught beer, 0:54. Beast with tusks, 0:58. Snowdog, 1:01. Slalom, 1:08.
Night falling, Glacier Point and Half Dome, Yosemite
Just engaged, 0:13. Picnic from the pan, 0:17. The big picture, 0:19. Sunset colors, 0:25. The big camera, 0:30. Distant waterfall, 0:38. Glacier Point at high speed, 0:46. Half Dome's close-up, 1:02. Ahwahnee below, 1:07.
Spring in Yosemite
Sun strikes waterfall, 0:16. Bridge, groom and preacher, 0:24. A pine cone falls, 0:30. Wading the Merced River, 0:54. Still water at Mirror Lake, 1:01. Farewell on two wheels, 1:17.
Song and dance, Lesedi, South Africa
Best neckties ever, 0:16. Tourists, not blending in, 0:23. Winning smile, 0:29. The dance begins 0:32. High kicks, 0:53. All join in, 1:07. High five and ten, 1:15.
Santa Barbara's wine country
Grape leaf, 0:15. Nake grapes, 0:22. Cold Spring Tavern, 0:35. Hippies use side door, 0:41. Owl scaring nobody, 1:02. Smiling salad, 1:10.
Soweto, high and low
Wheel on a stick, 0:01. Echoes of the stooges, 0:12. The old power tower, 0:25. Jumping instructions, 0:30. So how long is the rope? 0:50. Countdown, 1:08. Flight: 1:10.
History and grit in L.A. Union Station
The clock tower, 0:12. Lonely old ticket concourse, 0:16. Concrete, disguised as ceiling woodwork, 0:23. Deep sleeper, 0:30. Balloonist, 0:36. Aquarium, 0:48. The Surfliner rolls out, 1:03.
At the end of Africa with baboons, penguins and wind
My guide runneth over, 0:12. Sea lion in harbor, 0:24. Where you come to learn to surf, 0:29. Penguin, 0:35. Penguins, 0:37. Wind-blasted whitecaps, 0:47. Baboon, 0:51. Vertiginous trail, 1:00. Cape of Good Hope, 1:09.
Whispers and burbles, Mission San Diego de Alcala
The sanctuary, 0:14. Serra in sculpture, 0:20. Mission school class photo, 0:28. Wishing well, 0:34. Life imitates Diego Rivera, 0:44. The fountain burbles, 1:04.
Snow and Sochi, Russia
Skiers with a soccer ball, 0:01. The River Mzymta, 0:16. Olympic athlete bedroom, 0:32. Fisht Stadium going up, 0:40. Sidelong look, 0:42. Snow cat, 0:52. Cross-country race, 0:57. Collapse at finish, 1:11.
Gnawing at the San Diego Zoo
Slurping, nibbling, gnawing at the San Diego Zoo. First koala munch, 0:27. Panda crunch, 0:33. Tortoise nibble, 0:52. Flamingo gulps, 1:02.
Tolling bells, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Adobe and wooden beams, 0:16. Burbling fountain, 0:20. Lowbrow art, 0:29, highbrow sculpture, 0:33. Singcowboy, 0:46. Rolling train, 0:56. Tolling cathedral, 1:01.
Approaching Twain, Hannibal, Mo.
The great rotating root beer, 0:01. Twain sound, 0:08. The Mississippi, 0:25. Llama intrudes, 0:56. The infamous white-washed fence (which was, of course, fictional): 1:04.
Pool and fountain, Balboa Park, San Diego
Lilies afloat, 0:17. Jugglers, 0:31. Fiddler, 0:42. Kids invade fountain, 1:01.
Summer monsoon, Monument Valley
Restless legs, 0:14. Horse horse rears up and time slows, 0:28. Cloudburst, 0:42. Lightning at lower left, 0:52. Night falls, 1:07.
Good, bad and ugly roads of Arizona
Monument Valley dirt, 0:34. Page mud, 0:49. Crossing a lake; 1:00. Q: "Still have brakes?" A: "We'll know in a minute," 1:16.
In the slot canyons of Arizona
Alone in Rattlesnake Canyon, 0:13. A crowd in upper Antelope Canyon, 0:27. Shutterbugs in the dark, 0:50. A real tarantula, 1:00.
Seafaring flair, Titanic ghosts, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Lighthouse, 0:10. Crepe-making at the Farmers Market, 0:20. Old man Cunard, 0:33. Titanic modelers 0:44. Titanic cemetery, 0:53. Fiddle and bass, 0:58.
One boat, calm water, Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Family at the abyss, 0:13. Lone boat, 0:32. The bend revealed, 0:53. Directions, 1:04.
Lions and bystanders, Trafalgar Square, London
Silver man, 0:12. Big Ben, 0:26. Lion's embrace, 0:44. Disappearing shirt, 1:08.
Parks, pods and pianos of Portland's West Side
Mosquito on lily pad at 0:18, sizzling beef at 0:29, hula hoops at 0:35, saw player at 0:46, trail near Pittock Mansion at 0:58.
Hangin’ around, Hawthorne Boulevard, Southeast Portland
Didgeridoo on bike, 0:12. Girls with guns, 0:23. Lucky Lab, 0:28. Sketchy back alley sale, 0:42. Powell’s, 0:44. Orange ber and red hair, 0:53.
Russian lovers, Tretyakov faces, Moscow
Locks of love, 0:13. The face parade begins, 0:35. Big picture, 1:11.
Art, life and Bentonville, Arkansas
Art, life and Bentonville, Arkansas. Where Wal-Mart was born, 0:20. Pig parts: 0:28. Cool architecture, 0:41. Razorback, 0:47. Rosie the Riveter, 0:54.
Dawn and descent, Haleakala, Maui
Cotton candy sky at 0:14, mist creeping the rim, 0:29; whooshing bikes at 0:43.
Dancing and dinner, Lahaina, Maui
Hula dancers in coconuts and grass skirts at 0:03. Slide guitar lick at 0:25, gourd-slapping at 0:44.
Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Hills
Street drummer at 0:16, El Capitan Theater at 0:46, Sunset Ranch at 0:55. Horses at sunset, 1:00.
San Francisco at a sprint
Lombard Street at fast forward, 0:14. Embarcadero pedicab ride at 0:36, then Tadich Grill and a cable car on Powell.
Zoltar and mojo, Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara
The all-knowing Zoltar speaks at 0:18, shark and birds at 0:50, working mojo at 1:02.
Night falls on the Golden Gate Bridge
Lenghening shadows at 0:48, leaping tourists at 0:55, river of headlights at 0:58, twinkling city at 1:00.
Ruins and cities, Yucatan, Mexico
Iguana at 0:17, horse at 0:31, yellow convent at 0:55. Cities: Merida, Izamal, Valladolid.
Boat, fog and rocks, Carmel to Monterey
Itchy seal at 0:26, poppies at 0:39, Lone Cypress at 0:49, wrinkled rock at 0:57, orange orb at 1:09.
James Dean's last highway, Cholame, Calif.
Cholame, Calif., in glorious black and white. Job opportunity at 0:51.
Machu Picchu
Another day begins on the coolest mountaintop in Peru. Mystic humming at 0:23, llama lip-smacking at 0:2, big picture at 0:44, sheer cliff trail at 0:54.
lat surf. Day’s end. Sunset Cliffs, San Diego
Boards on the Ladera Street steps at 0:24, rock-hopping at 0:32, lonely sailboat zoom-out at 0:58.
Tumult and hush at the New York Public Library
Break-dancing at 0:32, reading room shot at 0:45.
Fishing poles, flotation devices at Lake George, N.Y.
Platform plunge at 0:11, Sagamore resort at 0:33. Slow-motion tubing at 0:54.
Granite, sand and Joshua Tree
Spooky cyclist at 0:13, gesticulating rock-climber at 0:33, falling boulderer at 0:53.
Dead calm at June Lake, Calif.
Near Mammoth Mountain. Flapping ducks at 0:18, 88-cent lunch at 0:32.
Pelting snow in downtown Moscow
Bolshoi Theater at 0:14, Red Square at 0:17. Shaky pirouette at 0:23, kiss on the ice at 0:56.
10 North American sights to see in 2016
In this two-minute video, Times travel writer Christopher Reynolds offers 10 favorite sights to see in North America in 2016 -- all drawn from his travels in 2015.