Author: Ms. R.

Tie-dyeing, one of the quintessential summer camp arts and crafts activities, leaves the camper with a souvenir t-shirt or bandana that’s both unique to them and a wearable memory. We asked Atlas Obscura Course Instructor Aaron Sanders Head, a textiles artist who focuses on natural dyes, to share an easy guide to creating your own version of this summer camp tradition. One of the most vibrant sources for dyeing fabric is probably right on your kitchen counter: onion skins…….

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Trash cans are generally not the first thing one notices about a restaurant, but after trekking to more than 50 countries on six continents to visit McDonald’s franchises, something stood out to Gary He. All of the garbage receptacles say “Thank you,” but not necessarily in English. The font and branding are identical, but in Finland they say Kiitos and in Thailand it’s Kap Kun Ka. “I think it’s a fun thing to capture that I don’t think you……

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Have you ever had a close up and personal visit with dinosaur poop? (Surprise: some of it will look very  familiar!) If you’re driving through Williams, Arizona along Highway 40, possibly on your way to the Grand Canyon, here’s your chance.  The Poozeum (get it?) is weird and scientific, doesn’t smell bad, and will thrill any dinosaur-loving kid and adult. It has dozens of displays of big and little poop, and a four-foot-long plop from the Titanosaur, the world’s……

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According to historical accounts, Babingley is believed to be the very place where St. Felix, who became Apostle to East Anglia, landed in the year 615. The Wuffingas, who were the East Anglian royal family, had invited Felix to evangelize to their kingdom. Aiming, naturally, for the East Anglian capital of Rendlesham, Felix is said to have instead arrived in Babingley after being shipwrecked during a violent storm on the River Babingley.   Interestingly, a legend surrounding St Felix’s arrival……

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In Ciechocinek, Poland, there is a monumental structure that exerts a strange power. It continues to draw visitors to its healing power in the two centuries since its construction in 1824. This salt graduation tower pulls saltwater from the ground underneath to feed it to the spa resort in the center of town. As it pulls water out of the ground, it also distills the saltwater to other products, which are sold as health remedies. These remedies include table……

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While most visitors head to Wat Chayamangkalaram to pay respects to the reclining Buddha, located near George Town’s historic downtown, fewer visitors head opposite to the temple hiding in plain sight. The Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist temple is one of the few Burmese temples outside of Myanmar, and is the biggest of its kind in Malaysia. It is a peaceful oasis for those seeking to worship, or to learn more about the Burmese Buddhist tradition.  Dhammikarama consists of a sprawling……

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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, or Elagabalus, is one of the most infamous Roman emperors in history. Reigning from 218 to 222, he has been variously described as a teenage tyrant, a mad libertine, and even a genderqueer icon. Born in Syria, his posthumous nickname Elagabalus (alternatively Heliogabalus) refers to the Arab-Roman sun god Elagabal, of whom he served as a head priest. Though Elagabal was a popular deity in Roman Syria, the rest of the Empire did not care for……

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Szolnok houses all of the Hungarian Air Force’s helicopters, as well as the country’s only museum of military aviation. The RepTár’s open-air collection of decommissioned aircraft boasts an impressive 51 restored aircraft as well as various aircraft engines and other miscellaneous parts. Additionally, the facility has an indoor section with weaponry, uniforms, and historical photographs. On top of these collections, the park features interactive activities for fans of aviation that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike….

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Driving along the long and winding N330 road between Teruel and Requina (often listed as one of the best motorcycle routes in the country) one comes across scenic areas close to the River Turia that would not look out of place in  Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks or, perhaps Sedona, Arizona. Rains and wind have eroded the reddish stone of the area into amazing natural sculptures. The area known as Rambla de Barrachina is one of the best……

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The National Route 66 Museum is a fascinating stop along historic Route 66. Inside the museum, you’ll find stories of the people who lived, worked, and traveled the “Mother Road.” Visitors can walk through scenes with pieces from all the states the highway crossed through, highlighted by realistic murals and vignettes depicting the eras of the road and the places that made Route 66 so famous. You can see historic cars and relics from gas stations, roadside motels, and……

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A two-hour train ride from Kagoshima, the Nishi-Ōyama train station is surrounded by agricultural fields and a large volcano, Kaimondake, to the west. The station itself is little more than a slab of concrete with a roof and an obelisk proclaiming it as the southernmost Japan Railways station, but that doesn’t stop train enthusiasts from all over the world coming to see it. The diesel-powered trains that run through the station only come a handful of times per day and……

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Situated near the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania is the town of Visaginas, built by Soviet planners to house the plant’s workers. This power plant is the same variety as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, making Visaginas the analog to the Ukrainian city of Pripyat. Today, the plant is currently in the process of being decommissioned and permanently shut down. In Soviet times, the Orthodox community of Visaginas was quite small and met without a priest. In 1991,……

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