August 2021

The mystery photo in our June issue showed the interior of a mosque in Conakry, Guinea, that was completed in 1982. The Grande Mosquée de Conakry, or the Conakry Grand Mosque, was built during the administration of Guinea's first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, with funding from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.

The mosque has room for 10,000 men on the lower level and 2,500 women on the upper level. There is also space for an additional 12,500 worshipers in the mosque's large esplanade.

Share a cultural insight about a particular destination that you were surprised to learn while researching your trip or about which, during your trip, you ended up saying, “I wish I'd known.”

Sedona, Arizona — with its red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests — is a favorite destination for many folks.

When my wife, Anne, and I visited Sedona, Feb. 20-26, 2021, we stayed at the Arroyo Pinion Hotel (3119 W. Hwy. 89A; 928/204-1146, arroyopinion.com). Only 20 miles away via Highway 89A are two gems in Clarkdale worth visiting: the Copper Art Museum and the Verde Canyon Railroad.

There are two types of rainforests in the world: tropical and temperate. Everyone has heard of the tropical variety, such as the Amazon Rainforest, but there are lots of temperate rainforests.

Quietly tucked away on the pristine Olympic Peninsula of Washington state is the Hoh Rain Forest, touted by the US Forest Service as “one of the most spectacular examples of temperate rain forest in the world” (www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/hoh-rain-forest-area-brochure.htm).