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From a distance, Floridaβs Boneyard Beach looks as though it is littered with the spindly bones of giant sea creatures. Boneyard Beachβwhich is located in Big Talbot Island State Parkβis a tree graveyard dotted with the pale trunks and roots of washed-up cedar and oak trees which have been displaced by coastal erosion. Less than…
Like most mid-sized cities, Rockford, Illinois is home to an art museum, a natural history museum, and a childrenβs museum. What visitors donβt expect is a quartet of 12-foot stone statues that have been likened to stone gladiators, petrified robots, and golems that will spring to life at any moment to defend the town of…
In the 1930s, a hunter named Douglas Herrick developed a keen interest in taxidermy. A jackrabbit pelt positioned next to a rack of antlers inspired Herrick to craft a mythical creature that would become a Wyoming legend. Herrick christened his creation a jackalope (one part jackrabbit, and one part antelope). Ever since Doug Herrick sold…
Itβs not surprising that a place with a fantastical name like Gold Hill, Oregon, is home to a mysterious natural anomaly that has puzzled and intrigued scientists and travelers for nearly a century. The Oregon Vortex/House of Mystery has been a curious roadside attraction since the 1930s, when Scottish engineer and geologist John Lister converted…
The owners, Steve and Wanda Wile have backgrounds in real estate and decided in early 2021 they needed a change and wanted to create a “happy place” for everyone, so, the idea of The Groovy Zoo emerged. At dinner one evening we drew a rendering of how we wanted The Zoo to appear on a…
One million years ago, an unnamed freshwater lake spanned what is now known as Meadow Valley near modern-day Panaca, Nevada. As the lake drainedβwind, rain, and snow created towering rock spires with winding networks of slot canyons that resemble petrified versions of some of Europeβs most celebrated cathedrals. Cathedral Gorge State Parkβs dramatic slot canyons…
In 1915, Lassen Peak in Northern California experienced a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. Ash and molten lava coated the surrounding landscape for several days. Glowing lava collided with patches of snow to create sweeping mudslides. In the wake of Lassen Peakβs dramatic explosion, the area became a National Park full of bubbling mud pots, jewel-toned alpine…
In 1909, a riverbank collapse on the River Severn in Gloucestershire, England, led to concerns that a busy canal vital to the flow of goods and services would be compromised if the water level rose any higher. Old ships were intentionally beached to create a man-made barrier to protect the adjacent canal. Today, Purton Hulksβotherwise…