Almond Orchard Uprooting Row after row of plants lay flat, their brown branches and bone-dry roots splayed out on ochre grass. At first glance, a viewer might assume they’re surveying uprooted weeds or unwanted shrubs, but peer a little closer. These were once almond trees, each roughly as tall as a two-story home, and economically precious. Almond growers have been forced to sacrifice their crops in the face of drought and water regulations—and the possibility that more trees will have to be uprooted still looms large.  READ MORE →

GASTRO OBSCURA Bake Victory Cake In the 1940s, World War II colored most aspects of American life. Far from the front lines, its impact reached the kitchen, where a series of mandatory rations left American homes with limited sugar, flour, and animal fat. When rationing took hold, enterprising homemakers persisted with making “war cakes”—later rebranded as victory cakes— which were often sweetened with boiled raisins, a cheap, readily available dried fruit that made a capable substitute for sugar. Here’s how to make your own. READ MORE →

BEATTY, NEVADA Carrara The city of Carrara, Italy, is justly famous for its marble, which has been used for building stone and statuary since antiquity. The town of Carrara, Nevada, aspired to the same fame but fell far short. A deposit that seemed to be high-quality marble was discovered in the early 20th century, and a quarry operation began in 1913. But the city’s heyday was only from 1915 to 1916, with production halted by the end of 1917. The town was largely abandoned by 1924. It turned out the marble just wasn’t of very good quality. READ MORE →

ATLAS OBSCURA EXPERIENCES Birds in The City Join Atlas Obscura and the Bronx Zoo for a one-of-a-kind sneak peek into the world of curious birds! During this hour-long live online event, you'll get a chance to be digitally up-close and personal with a number of rare and incredible birds, from flamingos to penguins. During this virtual experience you will meet one of the Bronx Zoo's Ornithology team (i.e. a bird keeper), and you’ll discover what it takes to care for these fantastic birds, what working at the Bronx Zoo is like, and the conservation work they do to protect wildlife and wild places. LEARN MORE →

FROM THE ARCHIVES Mask-Wearing Pets In 1918, when the Spanish influenza reached the shores of the United States, some cities on the West Coast made mask-wearing mandatory in public. Photos from the time show people going to and fro, with the lower halves of their faces swathed in gauze. But some Americans took flu safety one step further: they masked their cats, too. READ MORE →

LÍTLA DÍMUN, FAROE ISLANDS Lítla Dímun This is the smallest of the Faroe Islands’ 18 main islands. But though it may be tiny, the islet still has the power to influence the atmosphere. It’s also the only island that remains uninhabited by humans, though for centuries, Faroese farmers have made the precarious journey to Lítla Dímun to tend to the creatures who rule the islet: its sheep. READ MORE →

All Hail the Hot Dog July 4 celebrations may have come and gone, but the hot dog remains a staple of summers here in the Northern Hemisphere. And for all our Frankfurter fans, here are seven places for you to embark on a pilgrimage to celebrate the humble hot dog, from a preserved, mounted hot-dog bun signed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, to barbecue bliss at New Jersey’s floating hot dog stand. Nothing can top that. Except maybe some mustard. READ MORE →

THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Dude Chilling Park When it comes to urban parks, Vancouver has some heavy hitters, such as Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, and Pacific Spirit Regional Park. And then there’s Guelph Park, a small park in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, which initially didn’t really register with a lot of people. But in 1991, a small art installation changed all that. It galvanised a small community, pitted residents against the city government, and ultimately renamed the park itself. Welcome to Dude Chilling Park.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Bunker Fans of military fiction might recognize this iconic bunker, which has served as a secret base for media properties including Wargames, Independence Day, and Stargate SG-1. Extending deep into a Colorado mountainside, the Cheyenne Mountain Nuclear Bunker may be the most recognizable semi-secret base in American history thanks to its appearances on both the big and small screen, but it is now more flash than function since most of its operations have been moved elsewhere. READ MORE →

GABLENZ, GERMANY Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge Nestled among the verdant foliage in Kromlau, Germany’s Kromlauer Park, is a delicately arched devil’s bridge known as the Rakotzbrücke, which was specifically built to create a circle when it is reflected in the waters beneath it. Like many similarly precarious spans across Europe, the Rakotzbrücke is known as a “devil’s bridge,” due to the colloquialism that such bridges were so dangerous or miraculous that they must have been built by Satan. READ MORE →

ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES In-Flight Bird Taxidermy This Saturday, join award-winning taxidermist and educator Allis Markham for a full-fledged demonstration series on in-flight taxidermy, drawing on techniques and principles often used in museum work. Allis will demonstrate how to capture movement in an otherwise static specimen, guiding us through the basics of taxidermy with the added whimsy of creating a sense of motion, adding a valuable skill to any budding or pro taxidermist’s skillset.