Author: Ms. R.

Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit a museum built of memories in Istanbul, Turkey, that was created in a book before it was created in real life. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear……

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In Fijian, the word tukuni means “fairytale,” a story that has been passed down through time. At Tukuni, a restaurant located in the foothills of Tuvu Lautoka, Fiji, food tells the island’s story.  On any given day, customers will find locally sourced and traditional Fijian meals like tavu fish, fish cooked on charcoal and wrapped in banana leaves, and kokoda, the country’s ceviche-like national dish made with fish caught that day, coconut milk, red and yellow bell peppers, and lemon…….

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Recipes from the Great Depression carry reminders of how difficult the period was for the average American. From Depression pie—where oats make for a poor man’s substitute for pecans—to mock apple pie—in which cinnamon-scented Ritz crackers stand in for fruit—the defining feature of most of these confections is what they lack. Even among the genre of desserts known as “desperation pies,” “hard times pie” seems particularly dire. Its other moniker, “water pie,” sounds like a practical joke or urban……

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The first thing Neil Armstrong did after setting foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, was defy orders. The entire point of the Apollo 11 mission was to collect lunar material. Mike Mallory, a member of the Apollo 11 Navy frogman recovery team, remembers being instructed to “save the moon rocks first. We only have one bag of rocks. We have lots of astronauts.” But seven minutes after stepping onto the moon, Armstrong was busy taking panoramic photos…….

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Most of the time, if someone openly declares themselves “weird” or “quirky,” it’s more indicative of how they wish to be seen than of any true idiosyncrasies. West Asheville’s Odditorium, however, holds up their end of the bargain, in spades. Sure, there are drag shows, burlesque nights, and comedy events; there’s live music ranging from Appalachian folk to punk to rap; there’s even an authentic Zoltan. But the true peculiarity of the space is a bit more subtle.  The……

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Added to Ridgefield Washington’s register of heritage trees in December of 2018, this Magnificent Giant Sequoia  named “Hughes” has been growing for more than a century. It is located at 605 N Main Ave, and adjacent to the tree is a sign left by the owners of the property that says it is the largest non-native tree in Washington state by volume. Not only is it massive at its 11-foot diameter trunk, but it has huge hanging branches and a……

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On the southeastern tip of the Isle of Man is a memorial stone dedicated to one of the island’s greatest conservationists. Sir William Percy Cowley was instrumental in the formation of the Manx National Trust and helped the Isle of Man gain more autonomy from the United Kingdom through constitutional reform through his work as a High Baliff and Deemster, as well as his work as Chairman of the War Consultative Committee.  A plaque on the side of the……

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