Author: Ms. R.

“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.” These words penned by the poet Joyce Kilmer so inspired the superintendent of St. Paul Parks, William LaMont Kaufman, that he designed this iconic fireplace in 1936. Kaufman saw the fireplace as the centerpiece of an arboretum and small woodland that survived the urbanization of the Como Park neighborhood surrounding it.  Alfred Joyce Kilmer dropped his first name and began a literary career around 1910,……

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Around 1900, a small schoolhouse named Pohick School #8 was erected along Hooes Road in Virginia to replace the Barkers School, located nearby and built in 1874. Sadly, Pohick School #8, which was also known as “the little red schoolhouse” burned down on July 12, 1928. But like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Snydenstricker Schoolhouse appeared in the same location just over four months later on October 19, 1928, and opened the following month. The landscape of schooling……

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On a sunny day in May, a dozen people met in the Roman ruins of Troia, in what is now Portugal, with a recipe. The ingredient list? 400 kilos of sardines, 150 kilos of sea salt, and 350 liters of seawater. The group included archaeologists, nutritionists, palynologists, ichthyologists, and, of course, one skilled chef. They had assembled to experimentally recreate garum, the ancient fish sauce of the Roman Empire, just as it was originally produced. The group patiently gutted……

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Constructed in 1818, this outdoor shopping district has seen many periods of decline and revival and decline again. At its peak of 64 stores, Old Town (also known as Gay Street) was a thriving retail area designed to increase commercial purpose in the surrounding area. The market transformed the area into a diverse, middle-class neighborhood, making it an ideal neighborhood for families and downtown workers with its proximity to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore.  After the post-war era pushed……

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The Krushuna Falls are located in rural Bulgaria, near the village of Krushuna. Despite not being on most European traveler’s regular tourist trails, the falls offer a beautiful setting complete with bright colors, dense vegetation, and multiple photo opportunities with amazing vistas. There is also a large selection of interesting moss and lichen, with aromas to match, all across the area.  The main waterfall extends to around 65 feet (20 meters) and splits into multiple, smaller waterfalls as it……

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The Stockholm city center has many beautiful buildings dating back hundreds of years, constructed for various purposes.  However, slowly over time these buildings were updated and modernized, often only sporting an old exterior. The Hallwyl Museum is the rare exception as the interior acts as a time capsule of sorts to how the wealthy lived in the 19th-century.  The house was constructed between 1893 and 1898 to suit the needs and interests of the count and countess. The building was……

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Hidden down a long path in the Lake Erie Metropark is the site of the Battle of Brownstown, a little-known War of 1812 conflict.  On August 5, 1812, Major Thomas Van Horne while leading 200 United States soldiers to River Raisin, was ambushed by roughly 25 Native Americans led by Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee, leader of the Native American Confederacy allied with the British.  The U.S. soldiers greatly overestimated the strength and skill of the attackers and retreated……

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