The Kuragari Pass is a historic road that cuts through the mountains of Ikoma, crossing the border between Nara and Osaka. It’s quite quaint, with a number of temples, stone Buddhas, and teahouses dotting the cobbled passage, but you must expect a tough hike to complete the trek. It is, after all, the steepest slope in Japan. In everyday Japanese, kuragari is a word meaning “shade” or “darkness.” In the case of this pass, it seems to have been……
England has its fair share of streets with peculiar names, such as Needless Alley in Birmingham. Sandwich is a historic town in Kent, England, known for its medieval architecture and charming streets. One that’s as charming as any other is No Name Street. Maybe the street is too short to even deserve a name, yet this is by far one of the most popular streets in the lovely town of Sandwich, which is just a short drive from the……
“Everything’s up to date in Kansas City,” goes the Rodgers and Hammerstein song written about life on the prairie in the 1930s. While electricity and cable cars had come to the cities, in rural areas such as Horton, Kansas, people were still reliant on burning wood, coal, or kerosene for energy and heat. The Rural Electrification Act was signed into law on May 20, 1936, formalizing one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. The act led to……
Sure, you could luxuriate in a spa to soak up the healing powers of 4,000-year-old thermal spring water… but wouldn’t you rather scramble around like a prospector in red clay dirt with a pickaxe? For 25 bucks, you can spend an afternoon mining for quartz crystals at Avant Mining. For $1,000, the crew will escort you to a private dig location where the earth is so lousy with crystals that you hardly need tools, and the retail value of……
The old town of Doboj is located in northern Bosnia, in an area with wide geographical foothills. The significant geostrategic position around the mouths of the rivers Usora and Spreča was a decisive factor in the formation of the fortress from which today’s Doboj developed. Throughout this region’s conflict-riddled history, the fortress has been ransacked no fewer than 18 times. It also suffered substantial damage during the Bosnian War. …
In an alcove next to the steps to the elevated concourse of Palm Springs Airport is a bust of singer, songwriter, Congressman, and Mayor Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono. After a successful music career with ex-wife Cher, Bono faded from the public eye, with only sporadic appearances in television and movies. He decided to enter politics, after experiencing firsthand frustration with the local bureaucracy. In 1988, Bono ran as a Republican for Mayor of Palm Springs, California, winning easily with……
Clay Faulkner, who founded Mountain City Woolen Mills in 1873, built his fortune on “Gorilla Pants,” a garment so durable he claimed even a great ape couldn’t tear them. In 1896, after the popularity of his trousers rose, Faulkner declared that he would build “the grandest mansion in Tennessee” for Mary, his wife, as a gift. For the time period, Falcon Rest was considered especially lavish, complete with central steam heating, a telephone, state-of-the-art electrical fixtures, and indoor plumbing. After Clay’s……
The right hotel energy solution is a major concern for any hotel business. Rising energy costs can dramatically affect your bottom line. In addition, today’s eco-minded travelers are increasingly concerned with the impact of their stay on the environment. In this article, you’ll learn how your hotel business can reduce costs, attract more guests, and The post Hotel Energy Solution: Save Money and The Planet appeared first on Revfine.com….
At around 10 a.m. on the morning of April 27, 2012, silence in the vast and empty Laguna Salada desert was shattered as a Boeing 727 slammed into the ground. The impact tore the cockpit apart and debris flew across the sandy landscape. Then, just as quick as it started, the eerie silence of the desert descended on the wreckage. A few miles away, observing the crash, a team of scientists erupted with applause. They had successfully pulled off……
The animal world is full of harbingers of doom—at least, according to superstitions. From the Tower of London’s ravens (whose departure would signal the fall of an entire nation) to the average black cat crossing your unlucky path, plenty of critters warn of woe. In Ominous Animals, we explore the lore—and the science—behind these finned, furry, and feathered messengers of impending calamity. A tiny spotted feline, often smaller than the average house cat, with a bushy tail and big……
The construction of San Sebastiano’s Church (aka Tempio Leon Battista Alberti) began in 1460 under the supervision of Leon Battista Alberti, a famous polymath who also invented Western cryptography, a claim he shares with Johannes Trithemius. The works had been commissioned by the Marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga, and the church, which was consecrated in 1529, underwent numerous renovations and alterations through the following centuries. San Sebastiano’s Church consists of two floors. The layout of the upper floor recalls the……
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — A barrage of Israeli airstrikes leveled apartment buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City on Tuesday, with rescuers clawing through the destruction to pull men, women and children from the rubble. Israel said the strike, which targeted a senior Hamas military leader, destroyed a militant command center and an underground tunnel network. The toll from the attack in the Jabaliya camp was not immediately known. The director of the nearby hospital where…
Philadelphia 76ers’ James Harden looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)(AP/Chris Szagola) Philadelphia 76ers’ James Harden looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)(AP/Chris Szagola) CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — James Harden publicly called his boss a liar and swore he would never again play…
Vicki Bååth, a 45-year-old teacher from Gamleby, Sweden, begins to panic as the room closes slowly in around her. Literally. The walls inflate, squeezing her from both directions. Strobe lights flash and some more-than-eerie laughs of children come from every direction. Soon Bååth reaches her limit, and yells “Stop it! Stop it!”—but the walls don’t stop. Finally, she gives in. “Peak fear!” she cries, and she is swiftly pulled out of the closing walls. After a breath, and a……
Legend has it that one night during the tumultuous years of 1657-1660, when Sweden occupied parts of Denmark, a local maiden named Karen Jørnsdatter faced a harrowing ordeal as drunken and lecherous Swedish soldiers pursued her through the streets of Odense. Seeking refuge to protect her honor, Karen fled up the bell tower of St. Canute’s Cathedral. However, her relentless pursuers followed her up the stairs, leaving Karen with no choice but to leap from a tower window, meeting……
