Author: Ms. R.

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, a man by the name of William Lindsay acquired a 1,000-acre homestead just outside of what is today Lorton, Virginia. Lindsay, who was a part of the Virginia Militia a contemporary of both George Mason and George Washington, built his home on one of the more elevated portions of the land in 1787. The typical colonial home was dubbed Laurel Hill, supposedly in honor of his family’s original estate in Northern Ireland. It is……

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This story was originally published by Grist and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. What do you do when your 200-acre glacier—a “Giant of the Alps”—begins to melt from climate change? For a ski resort in Italy, the answer is simple: Put a tarp on it. Sitting on an Alp called Presanella in the northern part of the country, the Presena Glacier is home to a lucrative ski tourism industry. The Pontedilegno Tonale resort operates ski……

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World War I and World War II resulted in a massive loss of life in Europe, which was left devastated after many bombings and other atrocities. Today, most of the damages are a distant memory, if not forgotten. However, some of the tools used during those wars remain as reminders of the worldwide chaos that took place. One of these instruments are naval mines. The Netherlands conducts trade primarily by sea. Most of the North Sea is safe, but……

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For any tourist traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Highway 501, this small church would be easy to miss. Next to this busy highway is the Travelers Chapel, a tiny place of rest and prayer. The idea for this compact chapel came about when chiropractor Dr. Gaylord Kelly was traveling and discovered a small chapel on the side of the road in Washington state in the early 1970s. Thinking it was something that Conway should have, he and……

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During past summer days, it wasn’t uncommon to find hundreds of people vacationing at the Sunrise Resort. Families once bustled around the cabins, pool, gift shop, cafeteria, and recreational areas until its close in 2008. Sunrise Resort was created by Hartford taxi driver, Ted Hilton in the 1930s. During its 92 years in operation, it was also known as the Frank Davis Resort. During its heydays, theme weeks were abundant—from Christmas in July, to Halloween in the summer. Music……

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Walking along the peaceful banks of the the River Severn, you’d never know what’s lurking in the woods. In the copse of trees is an eerie scene: ivy-covered, sunken graves, a few scattered ruins of a once-magnificent church.  The site is reached from a winding corpse road across lush green meadows. It was a place of worship serving its local parishioners from its consecration in 1789 until its demolition in 1956, leaving behind only its derelict set of parish……

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The archeological park of Paestum is one of the most important historical sites of Magna Graecia. The ancient Greek town, located near the coast of Campania south of Salerno, features some temples in amazing condition. The city of Paestum (known to the Greeks as Poseidonia) was founded by people belonging to the Greek colony of Sybaris in Calabria during the 7th century BC. When Sybaris was subjugated by Kroton in 510 BC, many people living there left the city……

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A few years ago, photographer Sophia Massarella asked the librarian at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum to pull Hesperides from the stacks, on a whim. The 17th-century treatise on citrus sounded intriguing, since beyond knowing she loved eating acidic lemons and oranges, she didn’t know much else about the fruits. When the hefty volume reached her table, she was blown away by Giovanni Battista Ferrari’s masterpiece. Massarella leafed through the Jesuit scholar-turned-botanist’s intricate illustrations of citrus varieties she’d never……

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Italy has hundreds of ancient churches, but only a few feature the kind of wonder that makes Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie stand out.  Inside the sanctuary of this church located in the Province of Mantua, visitors will find a large, taxidermied crocodile hanging from the ceiling, just beyond the main entrance. There are several other churches in the region that features crocodiles. It’s believed that many early Christians viewed animals such as crocodiles as symbols of evil…….

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