New posts gaining attention right now, refreshed from recent reader activity.
Motorists know that they’re in for the ride of their life when they spy a fierce dragon statue with gleaming red eyes. A stretch of road situated between Tennessee and North Carolina known as the Tail of the Dragon attracts daredevils from all over the world. The Tail of the Dragon—otherwise known as US 129—features…
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…
Like most mid-sized cities, Rockford, Illinois is home to an art museum, a natural history museum, and a children’s museum. What visitors don’t 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…
Most visitors arrive in Sicily with plans to see Taormina, Palermo, and the beaches around Cefalù. Those places deserve the attention, though some of the island’s most memorable experiences happen far from the usual tourist circuits. Sicily has abandoned villages swallowed by earthquakes, prehistoric cave tombs hidden inside limestone valleys, and volcanic trails covered in…
If you’re a ghost town enthusiast, Glenrio—which straddles the border of Texas and New Mexico—is truly the stuff that dreams are made of. Once a quiet oasis in the vast arid landscape of West Texas, Glenrio faded out in the mid-1970s when newly paved Interstate 40 left historic Route 66 in the dust. Glenrio serves…
Iran is well known for its unique architectural style, as well as its historical buildings, which have been well preserved throughout the centuries. The Shah-e-Cheragh Mausoleum, which was built during the 12th century, holds the holy tombs of Mir Muhammad and Amir Ahmad, the brothers of Imam Reza. Historical documents revealed that Imam Reza is…
The commercial building known as the “Crooked House” in Sopot, Poland is a popular landmark for tourists and photographers. Built in 2004 by the design team of Szotynscy & Zaleski, this 4,000 sq meter building is part of the Rezydent shopping center. The inspiration for its unusual shape came from Polish fairytale illustrations by Jan…
Prior to the 1900s, the state of West Virginia was home to hundreds of water-powered grist mills. West Virginia residents would cart bags of grain and corn to the mills to be transformed into flour that could be used for cooking and baking. If money was short, it was not uncommon for customers to trade…
