Author: Ms. R.

 One of the largest waterfalls in the United States at some 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide, Shoshone Falls can be spectacular when the Snake River is running full. They’re located in the Snake River Canyon about three miles upstream from Twin Falls, Idaho, and form the centerpiece of Twin Falls city park.  A fraction of the flow is diverted to a small hydropower plant (capacity a little less than 15 megawatts), which has minimal effect on the……

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The Shot Tower Historical State Park sits on the New River in Austinville, Virginia. The 215-year-old tower was conceived by Thomas Jackson, a local miner and business owner. It took seven years to complete the 75-foot high tower of limestone, quarried from the Austinville mine about a mile away. Inside the tower is a 75-foot-deep shaft, that reaches river level.  The tower was used to mold “shot,” which was sold to settlers as ammunition. This was done by pouring……

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One of Serbia’s football pioneers Danilo Stojanović was born in Lapovo in 1878. He brought the first ball to his hometown in 1902. In 2019, a monument dedicated to him and his loving football was constructed. Stojanović, also known as Čika Dača, founded the first football club Šumadija in Kragujevac in 1903, and five years later he founded the LSK football club in his Lapovo. Čika Dača dedicated his life to football, first as a player, then as a coach,……

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Hacienda Buena Vista and plantation is located on the mountainous side of Ponce and it’s considered one of the most preserved haciendas in Puerto Rico. Hacienda Buena Vista’s buildings and machinery date back to the mid-19th century and after all this time, they’re still functional. Don Salvador de Vives emigrated from Venezuela to Puerto Rico and started Hacienda Buena Vista in 1833 as a farm that produced plantains, bananas, corn, and avocados. Between 1845 and 1847, Carlos Vives, the……

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Tours of the Ute Mountain Tribal Park, located in the Mesa Verde/Mancos Canyon area, offer something few other tours do— a chance to really learn and experience the deep history of the place. It’s possible at Ute because all of the tours are conducted by a Ute guide.  Located next to the Mancos River, the Ute Mountain Tribal Park is 125,000 acres of canyons, rock art, and natural formations, all steeped in the history of the Ute and Ancestral……

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La Piedra Escrita translates to “the written stone” and resides in Jayuya covered in Taíno petroglyphs from the pre-Columbian era. Located inside the Rio Saliente, La Piedra Escrita partially blocks the path of the river, forming a tidal pool safe for swimming. The area surrounding La Piedra Escrita has picnic tables, viewing towers, and a wooden boardwalk that goes to the river. While the atmosphere invites visitors to float and relax in the natural pool, thrill-seekers often climb la Piedra Escrita and jump……

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La Puerta de San Juan is the last of the five gates that allow access into the walled city of Old San Juan. The vibrant red gate, which stands 16 feet tall and dates back to 1635, is located at the end of El Paseo de la Princesa, the historical promenade of San Juan. When the Spaniards moved from Caparra to the islet of San Juan, now known as Old San Juan, they started to build structures to protect……

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Although many travelers may be familiar with “La Ruta del Lechón” in Cayey, Puerto Rico also has a lesser-known gastronomical route. Located on State Route 156 in the town of Orocovis, you will find “La Ruta de la Longaniza.” This winding road nestled in the mountains of La Cordillera Central, the mountain range traversing Puerto Rico, is known for its longaniza.  Longaniza, a long, thin sausage, has roots in Spain and Portugal and was brought to the Americas by……

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This piece was originally published in Undark and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. Over four days last May, members of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, a First Nations community in the interior of British Columbia, oversaw a site survey of around two acres of land surrounding the province’s former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Using an electromagnetic technology called ground penetrating radar (GPR), an archaeology professor charted what appeared to be the grave shafts of 215 children……

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Kioskos de Luquillo are a row of side-by-side food kiosks with all the best samplings of Puerto Rican cuisine. With everything from fritters to exquisite seafood, Los Kioskos de Luquillo is a popular stop for travelers visiting El Yunque, Luquillo, and Fajardo. Los Kioskos are located right across the Montserrate Beach on Route 3, offering a beachfront, open-air dining experience. The atmosphere is casual and often visitors spend time going back and forth between the kiosks and Monserrate Beach…….

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Some people might take the night sky for granted. Seeing a cascade of stars is as simple as looking up in those cases. But for others, the night sky is a precious, and dwindling, resource. According to a 2016 New York Times article, “four out of five Americans live in places where they can no longer see the Milky Way.” Westcliffe, Colorado wasn’t going to be one of those places. The tiny town located in the Wet Mountain Valley……

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Just a short drive west of San Juan, is Charco Azul and Cuevas Arenales, a stunning double-dip in nature for the adventurous-minded. Charco los Murielogos de las Cuevas Arenales roughly translates as “Pool of the Bats at Sand Caves” and Charco Azul means “blue-water swimming hole.” Getting to the water itself is a challenge, thanks to a steep walk down. But arriving at the bottom is worth the descent—and the return climb later—as you reach the Rio Morovis. Wading into the river, head……

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