Author: Ms. R.

Located in the Belle Grove Historic District, this beautifully restored, Italianate-style mansion—one of the oldest homes in Fort Smith—serves as a house museum and event venue. Part of the house’s structure was built in 1852 by a wealthy landowner named Sutton. When the Civil War began, the Sutton family fled to Texas, and their southern antebellum-style home was used as a Confederate convalescent hospital. Judge William Henry Harrison Clayton subsequently purchased the home and extensively renovated it. In addition……

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That Pathum, “Stupa of the Great Lotus,” is a large, Singhalese-style stupa commissioned by Queen Phan Tew Xieng in 1514. Standing at 35 meters tall, it is the only stupa of its kind in all of Laos. The stupa, also known as That Makmo—meaning “Watermelon Stupa”—earned its nickname because the dome topping resembles a giant watermelon. It was constructed to cover Ning Xua pond. In 1917, the stupa collapsed after being struck by lightning. In the rubble, a crypt……

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This bridge—known both as Barkers Creek Swinging Bridge and Tuckasegee Swinging Bridge—is one of the few remaining examples of a crude swinging bridge built to provide pedestrian access to remote areas in the Appalachian mountains. Many in the region were built using parts from older bridges, and that seems to be the case here. The bridge is owned and maintained by the state. It was built to provide access to the road for residents living across the river but……

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Hundreds of years ago, long before terms like “forest to table” or “farm to fork” were trendy, Florida’s Indigenous tribes—Tocobaga, Mocoso, Pohoy, and later, Seminole—lived off the land, crafting the ultimate local cuisine. Today, a Tampa restaurant is bringing those historic flavors back to life—serving up tradition with a modern, mouthwatering twist. Legend says that Princess Ulele, a brave daughter of a Tocobaga chief who lived in the 1500s, bravely saved a Spanish soldier from certain death. The restaurant……

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In 1978, Jose ‘Pitok’ Blanco, a renowned Angono born muralist, and his six children held an art exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila. Two years later, the family opened the Blanco Family Museum. Eventually, their seventh child became an artist, and Pitok’s wife, Loreto ‘Loring,’ belatedly picked up her brush and joined the family. The museum showcases the evolution of the Blanco family as artists, and displays all their work, as well as various awards……

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During British colonialism, Mumbai (then Bombay) was a walled, fortified city with three gates: Bazaar Gate, Church Gate, and Apollo Gate. In time, the city grew beyond its walls. To accommodate this expansion, the walls were demolished sometime in the mid to late 19th century. At the spot where the Church Gate once stood, a heritage fountain was constructed. Dedicated to Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, the fountain was constructed by the Esplanade Fee Fund Committee at……

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This story was originally published in Yale Environment 360 and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Tiny plants in plastic pots, each carefully labeled, cram a South African greenhouse. Each is the evidence of at least one crime. These are strange plants without typical stems or leaves. Some look like greenish thumb-tips, others like grapes or rounded stones. Some sprout small, bright flowers. Few are more than an inch tall. I’ve agreed not to disclose this……

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Ikebukuro is a bustling neighborhood in northern Tokyo, known as a major shopping hub and nightlife district. Somewhat sketchy at times, the area has been hit by a number of tragic incidents throughout its history, including the knifer rampage of 1999 and the runaway car crash of 2019. Ikebukuro’s violent reputation is not just a recent smear, but much predating any of these incidents. Back in the Kyōhō era (1716–1736), the district was the haunt of a mad, cut-throat……

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