Santa Maria is a city on California’s Central Coast, located between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The area is known for its agricultural industry, coastal access, and long connection to ranching culture.

Bellevue is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, directly across the lake from Seattle and framed by the Cascade Mountains to the east. It combines a dense, modern downtown with residential neighborhoods, wooded parks, wetlands, and waterfront areas.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve spans six distinct sites across south Louisiana, linking wetlands, battlefields, cultural centers, and historic neighborhoods into one broad interpretation of the lower Mississippi River Delta. Its landscape ranges from the swamps and marshes of Barataria Preserve to the urban setting of the French Quarter Visitor Center in New Orleans.

Orléans is a city on the Loire River in central France, where a historic urban center meets broad riverbanks and the landscapes of the Loire Valley. Its position on the river helped make it an important center for trade and transport, while today the quays provide space for walking and cycling. The old center contains a mixture of medieval streets, Renaissance buildings, and later architecture, with the Sainte-Croix Cathedral forming a prominent landmark.

Oviedo, the capital of Asturias in northern Spain, offers a rare mix of medieval heritage and everyday life that feels rooted rather than staged. The city’s historic center is home to some of the oldest pre-Romanesque buildings in Europe, including the UNESCO-listed Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo. Cider, not wine, defines the local table. Oviedo is surrounded by apple orchards, and the traditional drink, sidra natural, is poured from a height by skilled escanciadores.