This Weekend: Meet Your New Favorite Burger, Straight From the 50th State

On Being — Faith, Plus.

Everyone has their own way of periodically grappling with the question of what it means to be a person in the world, whether that’s regular church sessions, philosophical discussion groups … or Krista Tippett’s weekly podcast. A classic of the genre — it’s been on the air in one form or another since 2001 — On Being has had all kinds of people discuss their views on how to live. In the space of a few weeks this summer, episodes ranged from Yo-Yo Ma to Alain de Botton to Cory Booker, so … yeah, it’s a range. Will it help you come to terms with life? Guess you’ll have to find out.

Caño Cristales, Colombia — The Living Rainbow.

Swimming in a rainbow river sounds like a Lisa Frank fantasy, but it’s also a Colombian reality thanks to a delicate little plant called Macarenia clavigera. It lives on the river bottom, and for a brief period in the autumn it gets just enough (but not too much!) water and sunlight to turn the river into a rainbow of red, yellow and blue. Caño Cristales has only been open to tourists since 2009 — before that it was closed owing to guerrilla activity in the region — and you have to get there on horseback. No rainbow-striped unicorns, just horses. You’ll also have to be really careful not to damage the local ecosystem, so swimming’s only permitted in certain areas, and you can’t wear sunscreen because it can harm the plants. But wear sunscreen the rest of the time — even the world’s best Instagram pic isn’t worth risking skin cancer.

Loco Moco — Bring on the Spam.

Screw trendy poké bowls, this is true Hawaiian food. Few Hawaiians really eat poké or pineapples, despite their fashionable mainland moment, but they definitely eat loco moco, which is hearty, savory, meaty and delicious. In true Hawaiian fashion, it usually comes with a heaping pile of white rice, topped with a burger patty, topped with an egg and finished off with brown gravy. Typically served as part of a "plate lunch" — a standard Hawaiian meal reportedly inspired by workers of different ethnic backgrounds swapping their packed lunches while working on Hawaiian plantations — loco moco is often paired with macaroni salad (or mac salad as they say) and yet another scoop of white rice (in case you don’t already have enough). Some versions also have Spam, which is beloved in Hawaii. The state consumes a reported 7 million cans of Spam per year, more than any other U.S. state, after it was popularized by GIs during World War II.

If you can make it to the islands to grab a plate from an authentic counter like Manae Goods & Grindz on Molokai, do that — but otherwise, there are plenty of mainland eateries that have cottoned on, like Shopsin’s on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.