It's our summer issue, so we head out to cabin country to see what these eclectic and cozy getaways look like in the North. And we also bring you a guide to Northern homes—buildings can look a little different up here and we explain why.

New technology is allowing scientists to take stock of the different animals that use lakes and rivers, requiring only a water sample. This could have major impacts on our understanding of ecosystems and how they're changing, so we take a feature look at this technology, how it's being deployed and how Northerners are involved. We also talk to a few people that have some of the worst summer jobs around, and yet, seem to love them.