Unfortunately, Native American history in the United States is often eclipsed by European history and culture. Thankfully—for those who care to look—every corner of the United States features landscapes that were cultivated by Native Americans, monuments to Native American civilizations, and traces of robust ancient Native American culture. If you’re curious about the first human…
America’s National Park System rightfully receives a great deal of praise and many millions of visitors a year. However, seasoned nature lovers will happily tell you that some of North America’s most magnificent landscapes are in Canada. The Canadian Rockies are a serene, frosty paradise which transforms into a cool summer getaway from approximately June…
If you’re driving around Niles, Illinois, and you see a likeness of Italy’s most famous leaning tower in the distance—your eyes are not deceiving you. In 1931, successful businessman Robert Ilg proposed that a replica of Italy’s most celebrated tower was an artful way to store water for a series of sizable pools. Robert Ilg…
When most people think of the state of Nevada they envision glitzy casinos, posh restaurants, and trendy nightclubs. Outside of Las Vegas, Nevada is a geological wonderland which features some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the West. Great Basin National Park features ancient trees, pristine mountain lakes, and one of America’s most stunning cave…
Roughly 100 years ago, Picher, Oklahoma was a booming mining town. Residents took great pride in the town’s multiple thriving zinc and lead extraction sites. Picher’s seemingly endless supply of lead was used to fashion ammunition for soldiers fighting in World War I and World War II. As lead extraction expanded, so did poisonous piles…
Despite the galactic name, the Mars Cheese Castle is located on planet Earth. In 1947, Mario Ventura—otherwise known as Mars—opened a small gas station which sold some of Wisconsin’s most delicious cheeses. Over the decades, Ventura and family cultivated a cheese business that was so robust, only a giant custom castle on Frontage Road in…
The Illinois Railway Museum—which is located about an hour outside of Chicago—was founded in 1953 by 10 avid train lovers who each forked over a bit of their hard-earned money to save a retired train car from ending up in a junkyard. Since its inception, the Illinois Railway Museum has been a labor of love…
At first glance, the area surrounding California’s Salton Sea is strange, eerie, and desolate. The Salton Sea is a steadily dying lake that is contaminated by toxic farm runoff. Since the once popular Salton Sea began to decline in the 1970s, artists and other eccentric, creative folks have flocked to the lake’s shores in an…
