This next website is worth a visit just for the superb photos. Geographic Expeditions has some of the most beautiful shots that I have ever seen and dozens of them.  While there choose Destinations at the top of the page.  Select a country or site one at a time and enjoy the award winning photography. 

I chose Ecuador, and here is what I found:

“The Galapagos are Ecuador’s major calling card, but this lovely little country has much more to offer than the Enchanted Isles. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is set only a few miles from the equator, at just a notch under 10,000 feet, a combination that gives it one of the most salubrious climates on earth. Its highlands, north and south of Quito, are beguilingly beautiful: almost fluorescently green forests and farmlands punctuated by massive volcanoes whose glaciated slopes shine in the high, clear air. Cotopaxi (19,388 feet) is often billed as the world’s highest active volcano, and while that designation is slightly dubious, it is unquestionably one of the most perfect volcanic cones on the planet.” 

See what Flikr has to offer for travel photos, and About.com as well.  If you have never accessed About.com do check it out as it is full of useful information.  This site says “Viewing travel pictures transports you visually to new places and piques your interest in exploring other parts of the world.”  That quote is really true.  As a life-long traveler,  I am aware of the many places I’ve chosen to visit as a result of pictures I have seen.  The value of looking at pictoral information to develop interest cannot be underestimated.

Use the SEARCH box in the upper right-hand corner, enter the name of any city or province or country and…Voilá!  You are immediately transported there via stunning photos.

Travelltowork can match others with their photography.  And Worldisround claims to be ”the best travel photos site on the planet.” This site is a community of travelers and photographers (both amateur and professional) who love to share experiences and pictures from around the globe.  Here is a true treasure of photos with more than 860,000 photos in more than 29,000 travel articles.  They invite you to share your photos on this site.  They note “This is what the Internet was invented for.”  It is nice to be able to see all the photos that other travelers have shot from all over the world.  jeb