Author: Ms. R.

As a caldera formed by the eruption of a supervolcano, Lake Toba is surrounded by interesting geological formations. One of these is Sipiso-piso waterfall, which translates literally as “like a knife.” An underground river that runs along the Karo Plateau comes to a sudden 390-foot plunge before joining the waters of the lake. Water pours out of an opening in the cliff as if it had just broken through it. Sipiso-piso is located in the hills, at an altitude……

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Once known as Redwood Cottage, the Baker House is located on the shores of Geneva Lake. It is one of the oldest homes on the lake and the last one of its kind in the city limits of Lake Geneva.   Built as a summer home for the family of Robert H. Baker, it cost a mere $15,000 to build when completed in 1885. Baker was best known as the mayor of Racine, a Wisconsin State Senator, and the CFO……

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Albert Einstein’s summer house originated as a gift from the city of Berlin for the scientist’s 50th birthday. The simple, wooden house located in the village of Caputh on Lake Templin is a little over nine miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Berlin. The home was custom-built for Einstein in 1929. Although it was referred to as a “summer house,” Einstein actually spent most of the year living in this little house during his last years in Germany. He hosted……

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This story is excerpted and adapted from Women on Waves: A Cultural History of Surfing From Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions by Jim Kempton, published in July 2021 by Pegasus Books. With the destiny of a kingdom on the line, Princess Ka‘iulani, heir to the Hawaiian Crown, entered the White House in Washington, D.C., on a delicate diplomatic mission. She had just sailed from Great Britain, where she had been riding her……

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The Farrandsville iron furnace constructed in 1837 stands 54 feet tall and is composed of sandstone. It is one of the largest iron furnaces in the United States and a beautiful example of stone construction.  This furnace was one of the first in America to use the “hot blast” iron technique, with pipes imported from Scotland for that purpose. This technique improved furnace capacity by shooting preheated air into the furnace which increased the temperature. It’s also one of……

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The Holmenkollen Ski Jump towers over the city of Oslo, and has played a vital part to the local community for around 120 years. The first ski jumping competition took place at this site in 1892, while a crowd of 12,000 onlookers looked on. In the early years of competition the jump was much more simple than nowadays, being composed of a natural hill with take of ramp made from snow and tree branches. Gradually, the jump was developed,……

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