Author: Ms. R.

Say the words “final resting place,” and what comes to mind? A cemetery where a quiet green space is dotted with graves and headstones? Even if you imagined something grander, like an ornate mausoleum, you probably wouldn’t think of a small chapel on a village street. But that is precisely what Edward Costello determined he would build as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mary Josephine, when she died in 1877 at the age of 46. The……

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Excerpted and adapted with permission from What the Bears Know: How I Found Truth and Magic in America’s Most Misunderstood Creatures, A Memoir by Animal Planet’s “The Bear Whisperer,” by Steve Searles and Chris Erskine, published October 2023 by Pegasus Books. All rights reserved. In the late 1990s, the snow-globe village of Mammoth Lakes, California, hired hunter Steve Searles to shoot and kill 16 troublesome bears. In the course of his preparations, the bears won Steve over, and he……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we learn the story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice of Burundi in the Motor City. Find out more here. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take……

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Within Berg’s Bazaar in Riga, Latvia is the Jana Seta Map Shop. Shelves reach the ceiling and are filled with paper maps. At the end of the Cold War, many maps created in the former USSR became available and this shop bought them all. All of the maps inside have been scanned but there are still many originals available for sale. The details on these maps are amazing, yet scary. This shop also is filled with travel books and……

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The Prehistoric Museum showcases the unique natural history of Utah. It is also home to an active paleontology lab, complete Allosaurus and Camarasaurus skeletons, along with various artifacts from the native tribes in Utah. …

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An extinct volcano on the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), where visitors can drive up to the crater to look inside. The location also supports a fantastic of the city and the ocean on both sides of the island….

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Dr Russell’s Imaginarium is the name given to this quite fascinating museum which is situated in the outer Perth suburb of Guildford. Inside holds a treasure trove of items that the owner, Phil Russell, has gathered over a number of years. After overcoming a life-threatening accident at the age of 17, Russell pursued his lifetime ambition of opening up his own antique store and showing off his collection to the world. What started as a small collection of items……

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The distinctive character of North Macedonia‘s relatively small capital, with a population of roughly 600,000, is encapsulated by the whimsical question: “How many statues grace Skopje’s streets? I can’t say for sure, but there may well be more statues than residents!” In fact, the city center is adorned with hundreds of extravagant, faux-classical, patriotic sculptures that didn’t exist prior to the turn of the millennium. The Bridge of Civilizations serves as a prime example of this abundance, boasting an……

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On the first floor of the Palace of Culture and Science building down the street from the Warsaw main train station is The Museum of Technology. It is dedicated to the wide variety of contributions the Polish people have made to science and technology. This museum displays the first Enigma machine developed in Poland. Computers, cameras, motorcycles, and cars are also included. The displays are engaging and English is included in all of the signage….

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D-Day has become remembered as one of the most important days in history. The incredible tale of the combined Allied forces fighting back against the Axis powers as they swept across Europe has become a cornerstone of history. On the western shore of Southampton Water, relics of the D-Day are slowly being worn away to the sea. Small concrete bulks, known as “beetles,” were part of giant floating piers used to offload the mass of vehicles and supplies onto……

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