It’s usually pretty easy to get readers interested in the work we do at National Geographic. Who wouldn’t want to read about the fashion designer finding a use for the thousands of pythons being eliminated in Florida as an invasive species? Or about the most expensive mistake in ancient Rome? Let alone new evidence that dinosaurs may have behaved like they did in The Land Before Time.  

Sometimes, though, there are stories that aren’t easy to capture in a single headline, but you just know people will love if they get a chance. That’s how I feel about this week’s ode to the Grand Canyon Lodge that just burned down. Even if you’d never been, it captures so poignantly what it means to lose something that has been a core part of your travel life.

—William O’Connor, Newsletter Editor 

Two thousand years ago, the Roman Army embarked on a far-flung hunt for silver. A new discovery reveals how close they came to finding an empire-altering fortune.

Today’s newsletter was edited and curated by William O'Connor  and produced by Amanda Petty. Let us know if you have suggestions and sign up here to get the Photo of the Week on Sundays.