In the early 1900s, the Save the Redwoods League took a stand against a logging company that was attempting to chop down a towering redwood forest. The Save the Redwoods League argued that cutting into a forest full of trees that were thousands of years old would be akin to destroying a grandfather clock. In…
European fairy tales are full of gorgeous enchanted forests populated by magical creatures such as giants, gnomes, and elves. The vibrant wildflowers that blanket the Hallerbos—or ‘Blue Forest’—in Belgium have surely sparked the imaginations of storytellers throughout the ages. Each spring, the Blue Forest is home to a sea of delicate bluebell blooms that delight…
For centuries, people in the Michoacan state of Mexico have celebrated the arrival of millions of vibrant monarch butterflies every October. Local lore states that the beautiful orange fluttering creatures are the spirits of deceased loved ones who arrive just in time to participate in Mexico‘s jubilant Day of the Dead celebrations. The Monarch Butterfly…
Every year, countless travelers flock to the Romanian region of Transylvania to visit stately Bran Castle, after which Irish horror master Bram Stoker modeled Count Dracula’s imposing lair. Many visitors are unaware that a forest known as Hoia-Baciu is the spookiest place in all of Transylvania. Hoia-Baciu is home to twisted trees, dense blankets of…
Transylvania, Romania is best known for a menacing castle that was home to a fierce warrior and ruler named Vlad the Impaler. Vlad the Impaler ruled Transylvania in the mid-1400s. Locals view him as an avenging hero who drove away Saxon invaders. Descendants of the defeated Saxons have characterized Vlad the Impaler as a brutal…
The general consensus is that Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth. Or, maybe the happiest place on Earth is the country of Finland—which consistently ranks very high in all quality of life polls. Residents of Oregon know that the happiest place on Earth is in fact a green hillside visible from Route 18 near…
If you dream of encountering a fairy, a dragon, or a white rabbit every time you journey into the woods, you must visit the The Enchanted Forest in Malakwa, British Columbia. In the 1950s, Doris and Ernest Needham slowly began to fill a lovely stretch of forest with sculptures of mermaids, pirates, and artifacts such…
The Dark Hedges are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of. A lane of densely packed beech trees which have grown together to form an ominous tunnel appears as though it may be the entrance to the underworld. Local legend says that the spirit of a Grey Lady frequents the Dark Hedges—weaving from tree…
