Author: Ms. R.

Dessert perogies may not be familiar to those without Northern European connections, but they are as big a part of a traditional meal as the more savory varieties. And on the Canadian Prairies, those desserts take the form of saskatoon berry perogies. Rob Engel, the owner of Baba’s Homestyle Perogies,  notes that a traditional Ukrainian dessert perogy would have a prune filling. When Ukrainians first started immigrating to the Canadian Prairies more than 100 years ago, however, prune plums……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. This episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast welcomes How To! host Amanda Ripley as she goes in search of the answer to the question “How to set up a roadside attraction that will bring visitors to your town” with expert Erika Nelson, the founder of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Things. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange……

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So, you’re a lungfish. You’re minding your own business, searching for snails and other tasty morsels in the warm, murky water of a tropical lowland lake that will, in some 340 million years, be in eastern Iowa. Your long but plump body—an aquatic sausage with teensy fins—swims through the shallows, past what looks like a large rock. It is not a rock. It’s a six-foot-long giant in this ancient ecosystem: a muscular menace that might be mistaken for an……

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Black cats are world-renowned for being the harbingers of bad luck and misfortune. However, in some cultures, they are seen as talismans or good luck charms. The latter may be said of the darkly colored feline who resides in London’s premier purpose-built luxury hotel, The Savoy. Kaspar, as they are affectionately called, can be seen perched on a table to the left of the reception desk until their unique services are required. Kaspar has the remarkable and one-of-a-kind task……

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Built in 1852 by Samuel Stonestreet for his son, Dr. Edward Elisha Stonestreet after he had graduated from medical school at the University of Maryland, this one-room doctor’s office has been moved on two separate occasions, and now lives on as a museum on the grounds of Beall-Dawson House. The office was initially located in the front yard of the Stonestreet Family House at the intersection of East Montgomery Ave. and Monroe St. Dr. Stonestreet practiced medicine there for……

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Little remains of the medieval London bridge, save for a few artifacts and the pedestrian entrance that forms part of St. Magnus the Marytr church in London. Once the key crossing point of the Thames River, the bridge was built in 1209 to replace the original Roman crossing built in 50. It remained in use for over 600 years, before being demolished in the 19th century to provide access for river traffic. The most famous and longstanding of London’s Thames river bridges, the……

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Spaç prison was operational from 1968 to 1991. A place that housed mostly political prisoners, it stands as a grim reminder of the brutal treatment prisoners endured while incarcerated under the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. Prisoners were subjected to forced labor in nearby mines and were held in small cells that still bear their memories—names, words, and drawings are etched into the concrete walls of the cells.  The prison is so notorious that it has become a metaphor. Sometimes……

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Hanging Rock National Natural Landmark is a unique feature along the Wabash River near Lagro, Indiana. Hanging Rock rises approximately 65 feet above the river and provides a spectacular view of the surrounding area and river. It has been recognized as a National Natural Landmark since 1986. Prior to this, Hanging Rock served as a river navigational landmark and a lookout point. The unique rock formation is part of an ancient reef. Like the nearby Wabash Reef, Hanging Rock is……

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All week we’ll be giving you a peek at the gifts we here at Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura have on our wishlists. Sometimes the days slip away during the holiday season and suddenly it’s just hours until the gift exchange. We’ve all been there—and we have a solution for you. Here are some of our favorite gift subscriptions and memberships, all available online. Historic letters For the politics wonk. Letterjoy delivers a history lesson directly to your mailbox…….

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In 2016, this mysterious ship bearing the name Tamaya 1 washed up on the shores of Robertsport, Liberia. After the 60-meter-long ship washed ashore, it took government officials several days to realize what had happened, as the Liberian coast is largely unmonitored. Two days later, the government officials learned about the mystery ship on their shores, the Coast Guard boarded the vessel to investigate. The lifeboats were missing and there was no trace of the crew. The Ministry of National……

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Wood and stone are traditionally two of the most popular materials for building. A much less common choice is wooden stone. Yet, that is exactly what a Colorado entrepreneur decided to use to build his business in 1932. Apparently tired of working with regular wood, lumber dealer William T. Brown constructed a building entirely of Colorado petrified wood. Even the floor was made of petrified wood. The completed product was billed as the “world’s oldest gas station” with a……

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