Author: Ms. R.

On the banks of the Ohio River in northwest West Virginia, the Blennerhassett Hotel stands as a testament to an unrivaled era of grandeur.  Built in 1889 by Colonel William Nelson Chancellor, the impressive Queen Anne-style accommodations catered to the oil and gas barons, millionaires of their time. The hotel itself was named after Harmon Blennerhassett, a prominent area lawyer, and his wife Margaret.  The hotel, which features frescoes, elaborate window treatments and, notably, a passenger elevator, was listed……

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Overlooking the sea, the San Carlos Bastion has stood tall in the city of Campeche since the 17th century. When the Spanish colonized the city, it became a major trading port in the Mayan region—and an easy target for pirates. The San Carlos Bastion is one of five built to protect the city. Unbearably hot, the bastion’s sweltering basements became dungeons for buccaneers and criminals. When the War of Independence arrived, the cities were left to their fate, and……

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It doesn’t matter how much you have to drink—you’re unlikely to ever forget a visit to the Dyffryn Arms in rural Pembrokeshire. One of Wales’ great pubs, the Dyffryn Arms was originally built as a home in 1845 before later being converted into a pub. With no actual bar or beer pumps to speak of, pints are poured from a glass jug and served to punters through a sliding hatch. Drinkers then take a seat on the scattering of……

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In the eighth century, as Arab Muslims landed on the island of Sicily, they brought with them an ancestral version of ice cream. Known as sharbat, this ancient Persian treat consists of ice or snow drizzled with flavored syrups: rose, lemon, or sour cherries. Back in Persia, confectioners would rely on yakhchāls, ingenious insulated structures capable of preserving ice in the desert, but in Sicily, the upper slopes of Mount Etna provided ample snow. By the early 20th century,……

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Every empire needs a core. For a nearly ubiquitous national franchise like Half Price Books, that core can be found in the form of an enormous book warehouse in Dallas, Texas. Situated across the street from the former laundromat where Half Price Books got its start, the vast flagship location—five-times larger than their average store—holds over half a million books, multiple reading rooms, and even a built-in café.  Though its business model is centered around providing bargain prices on……

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In the early morning cold, steam fog rises from the slow-moving Setsuri River. Frost encases every surface in sparkling white. As the sun rises, the calls of red-crowned cranes—among the rarest cranes in the world—echo through the stillness. Red-crowned cranes are an iconic symbol in East Asian art and culture, representing luck, longevity, and fidelity. In the Indigenous Ainu language, the bird is known as sarurun kamuy or “god of the marsh.” The cranes use the Setsuri River as a nightly……

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Constructed in the 18th century, the Great South Wall preserves the deep water channel into Dublin Port and connects Poolbeg Lighthouse to the mainland. While the Poolbeg industrial area now surrounds some of the wall, around two kilometers of it still project out into the sea. The wall provides a bracing walk, rewarding those who journey to the end with fantastic views of both Dublin and the famous twin chimney stacks of the old Poolbeg Power Station, a beloved……

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Gwen Frostic was, until her death in 2001, one of the Midwest’s most treasured artists. The Michigan native—who never married, never drove, and lived until the day before her 95th birthday—was known for block prints of morel mushrooms, forest trillium, barn owls, birch bark trees, the first violets of spring, the amphibians in her beloved “frog pond,” and more. Despite a 1906 fever (likely Polio) that forever affected the mobility of her hands, Frostic would sketch images in nature,……

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Once part of an enemy aircraft detection system, the sound mirror in Redcar can now easily be passed by without notice. Those who stop to see it, though, will find a long-standing relic of World War I. Originally invented by Major William Sansome Tucker, sound mirrors were designed to alert locals to the incoming wave of enemy forces by air. This particular one, also known as Redcar’s Concrete Ear, was constructed in 1916 by British Royal Engineers. It stands a……

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Imagine a medieval castle plopped right in the middle of town—that’s Tharandt Castle (Burgruine Tharandt) for you. Built around 1206, the castle was intentionally constructed in a strong defensive place. Even still, Tharandt couldn’t avoid the dramatic fate of many castles: conflicts, fires, and centuries of relentless renovation. Now, Tharandt’s main attraction is strolling around the ruins rather than storming them. The castle’s heyday may be over, but it’s left behind enough charm—and rubble—to keep both history nerds and casual hikers……

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