On March 11th, 1958, Walter Gregg was puttering around in a workshop on his Mars Bluff, South Carolina property. Gregg’s wife, his children and their friends, and his niece were also nearby. Without warning, an ordinary day took a menacing turn. After Walter Gregg heard an ear-splitting blast that shook the ground, followed by a…
In 1903, two Bavarian brothers named Otto and Louis Seelbach decided to open a grand hotel replete with ornate old-world craftsmanship in Louisville, Kentucky. The Seelbach Hotel was so wildly popular when it opened its doors in 1905 that the Seelbach brothers immediately started on an expansion that included an ornate Rathskeller Room—basement barroom—that featured…
There are several stories about how the charming small town of Cashiers, North Carolina came to be known by the peculiar name of Cashiers. Some say that Cashiers was a star racehorse, a trusty mule, or even an eccentric hermit. Local historical records indicate that Colonel John Zachary—who helped establish the town in the 1830s—chose…
The bulk of travelers associate fantastical rusty red rock formations with Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Most people are unaware that Canada is home to some of the most stunning sandstone canyons in all of North America. The hoodoos of Drumheller, Alberta, are a series of towering rock formations that are so commanding that…
When most people think of the Midwest, they envision a vast expanse of tornado-prone plains. Despite its flat-as-a-pancake reputation, the Midwest has quite a bit of geologic diversity. The bluffs and gushing waterfalls that surround the small, scenic town of Decorah, Iowa, are part of a stretch of the upper Midwest that was never covered…
In the 1960s, a visionary Finnish architect named Matti Suuronen designed a series of flying saucer-shaped dwellings known as Futuro Houses that could be broken into 16 pieces and assembled in virtually any environment. Suuronen expected his affordable, portable futuristic houses to be a smash hit. Unfortunately, the general public did not take kindly to…
The Crystal Shrine Grotto in Memphis, Tennessee, is a man-made cave like no other. In the 1930s, a businessman named Elliott Clovis Hinds sold his lucrative life insurance company so that he could build a memorial park that was slated to feature a visionary cave showcasing the beauty of nature and the life of Jesus…
Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area is a revered natural sanctuary located in Blue Springs, MO. Spanning over 1,071 acres, it is an undisturbed place that has been designated as a conservation area to protect its unique natural heritage. This pristine area was established in 1977 and its Nature Center opened in 1982 and has for…
