Author: Ms. R.

It’s not difficult to tell whether the official tourist organizations in El Paso consider Lincoln Park a plus or a minus. It doesn’t appear in any of their brochures or promos and only rarely does any city official venture there—usually on one of the four celebrations held there each year. But in the shade beneath the freeway far overhead, the pylons supporting I-10 and US-54 are covered in Chicano art. Some celebrate cultural connections to ancient Aztecs, others promote……

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Matsusaka is a city that excels at hiding its treasures. Its city center is a haphazard collection of abandoned buildings from the 1980s, yet two steps away are the manicured hedges of the largest existing samurai residence complex from the Edo period. These residences were home to samurai warriors of the Kishu Domain who guarded Matsusaka Castle at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). Unusually for such a site, the descendants of the samurai continue to live here to……

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Perched majestically atop the rugged cliffs at the northern edge of the Mizen Peninsula, Dunlough Castle, also known as Three Castle Head, commands a striking view over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean in southwestern Ireland. Founded in 1207 by Donagh O’Mahony, it is one of Ireland’s oldest fortresses, showcasing the enduring legacy of Norman architecture and dry stone masonry. The history of the castle is rich. When the first Norman settlers arrived in Ireland in 1169, the……

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The Trexler Nature Preserve is a 1,108-acre park that is owned and maintained by Leigh County. Purchased in 1901 by General Harry Trexler, it was originally Trexler’s desire to stock the preserve with big game animals such as bison, elk, and deer. General Trexler wanted to have a bison breeding program, which has continued to this day. The herd is at 15 strong, the number is kept low, due to the acreage. Each year there are one or two……

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On either side of Victoria Park’s Cadogan Gate entrance, you can see, and sit within, a part of Old London Bridge. Bridges have crossed the Thames in the same area of London for millennia, at least since the Romans constructed a wooden crossing in the first century. The longest-standing “London Bridge” lasted from 1209 to 1831, and over the centuries hundreds of houses and shops were built upon the bridge, to such an extent that some buildings lent into……

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Located on the side of the road of a very quiet neighborhood right next to the Nunckatessett River is the Solitude Stone. There’s a bench nearby where visitors can sit down to read the engraved poem and one might assume the name is referring to the area to enjoy some peace and quiet. However, there is more to this stone than meets the eye and peeling back the layers of history reveals a mysterious and tragic backstory. Although much of……

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Once upon a time, the area of Ganeshkhind near Savitribai Phule Pune University was considered the northwestern border of the city. The word khind means a gorge or a hill pass. There is a 17th-century temple of Lord Ganesh here. It is called Parvati Nandan Ganpati Temple. Parvati Nandan means Son of Parvati. Lord Ganesh is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Ganpati is another name for Lord Ganesh. The temple is also known as Khinditla Ganpati (which……

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