Author: Ms. R.

In the atrium of the Core Science Facility building on the Memorial University of Newfoundland campus, visitors look up to see the skeleton of a blue whale suspended over them. The whale washed ashore in Bonne Bay on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, in 2014. The massive skeleton consists of 356 rearticulated bones. (For reference, the human skeleton consists of about 206 bones.) The whale is 75 feet long, with the skull alone reaching 18……

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Just a few hundred yards past Aruba‘s Baby Beach—famous for its soft sands and shallow clear waters—is nearly mile long expanse of low, rolling dunes coated in crosses. The crucifixes and other items stuck in the sand are meant to memorialize pets that have passed on and were buried at the Aruba Pet Cemetery. In the 1920s, many workers were brought to the island to man the new Lago oil refinery. These men started the trend of using the dunes as……

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Designed in the shape of an 8—Martin Richard’s favorite number—Martin’s Park on the Smith Family Waterfront in Boston honors its namesake’s welcoming, playful spirit. Martin was only 8 years old when he was killed in the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. Right next to Boston Children’s Museum, the tree walk and herb garden at Martin’s Park support the environment while a replica ship ignites youngsters’ imaginations. The park also features a bridge, water area, individual and group swings, slides, rope……

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The rocky Farallóns islets off the picturesque fishing village of San Ciprián, Spain, are home to a bronze mermaid. The sculpture was made by artist Ángel Cao in 2006. The mermaid represents a long debated local legend. Some say that she warns of the worst storms, while others think that she is evil and jealous of the wives of fishermen, leading her to try to steal men away to her underwater palace. The Maruxaina, as this Galician mermaid of folklore is……

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Set on the edge of the lake near the La Tene archeological site in Switzerland, the Latenium Museum has a large number of artifacts spanning the Bronze Age and Iron Age. The La Tene culture covered much of central Europe  from approximately 500 B.C. to 1 B.C.  Active archeology continues in the lake area near the museum.  It’s a great introduction to a Celtic culture that was in contact with the Greco-Roman world.  Early stuff goes back even farther……

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Greenbrier Cove is a trailhead for numerous popular trails within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and also home to some of the park’s most accessible opportunities for water play. The road to the Greenbrier Cove, its ranger station and picnic area turns off of U.S. 321 midway between Gatlinburg and the Cosby campground. The partially paved road runs alongside the Little Pigeon River, that stretch of which is essentially a natural water park layered with small rapids and……

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