September 08, 2021

GASTRO OBSCURA ‘Skyscraper Cabbages’ Skyscraper cabbages: that’s how botanist Edgar Anderson described the massive kale endemic to Jersey, the little island off the coast of France. Up until recently, 12-foot kale was a common sight on the island of Jersey, dwarfing everything except for full-sized trees. Although the plant is now known mostly as Jersey kale, it has gone by many names, attesting to its long history of human cultivation. It’s hard to say exactly where the crop originated or how it came to attain its ultimate towering form. But we do know that it was the Jersey growers who hit upon the bizarre innovation that guaranteed the plant’s fame: kale walking sticks. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES Scottish Artificial Islands Lochs across Scotland are speckled with small, flat islets, known as crannogs. These little bits of land have long intrigued archaeologists, because in addition to being surrounded by water, they’re immersed in mystery. Researchers are still working to pinpoint precisely when humans lugged stones to build them, and why. READ MORE → NIEUWERKERK AAN DEN IJSSEL, NETHERLANDS Lowest Point in the Netherlands The Netherlands is known for its flat terrain and reclaimed land, much of which is below sea level. The highest point in the land is an underwhelming 322 meters, but what about the lowest? That honor goes to a quiet region in the town of Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, which boasts a point with a height of 6.67 meters below sea level. READ MORE →   FROM THE ARCHIVES Spring-Heeled Jack In Victorian England, the scariest boogeyman was a fire-breathing devil-man who could jump unnaturally high. Some said he was a demon, while others thought he was just an extraordinarily agile human. But no matter what you believed about the legend, Spring-Heeled Jack was a name that inspired fear among the folk. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Million Dollar Point Today, we’re diving deep into the waters of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. We’re going underwater to visit a very strange place from a very strange episode at the end of World War II—a place called Million Dollar Point, where the U.S. military dumped millions dollars worth of goods off a beach in Vanuatu, purely to spite the British and French. PERTH AND KINROSS, SCOTLAND Tomnadashan Mine This mine was built in the 19th century, but attempts to glean copper, gold, and sulphur from its depths ultimately proved unsuccessful. Today, it’s more famous as an iconic Monty Python location, where King Arthur and his knights confront the monster that guards the Cave of Caerbannog—the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on. It’s a fairly quiet place, so don’t worry if you’ve forgotten to pack your Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. READ MORE → Introducing The Sheldon The vehicles at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks, Alaska, are huge attractions for any automobile lover. The museum contains more than a hundred ultra-rare vehicles in its collection, including a meticulously maintained 1899 Hertel Runabout and a 1921 Heine-Velox Victoria, but there’s a subtler, more historically significant car patiently waiting for its turn in the spotlight. We’re talking, of course, about The Sheldon, the first and only car manufactured in Alaska. READ MORE → ESSEX, ENGLAND The Broomway At high tide, this centuries-old footpath abruptly disappears into the sea. With sand in all directions, it’s easy to become disorientated. For this reason, the pathway used to be defined by bundles of broomsticks tied to poles which would guide those intrepid enough to wander out into the mist—this is where the name comes from, though it’s also been dubbed “Doomway” due to the deadly history. READ MORE → NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA St. Louis Cathedral A testament to French architecture, people have come to this stunning church for 300 years to worship and seek eternal life. But when you enter the St. Louis Cathedral, you are just as close to death. Just beneath your feet as you sit in the pews are buried hundreds of the church’s faithful, with the prominent members of the church, as well as the laypeople of New Orleans, lying interred within the crypts beneath the church. Through three centuries of disasters and renovations, the church has lost track of exactly whose remains rest in each tomb. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU A History of Air Travel Dedicated in 2003, just before the First Flight Centennial, is the Monument to a Century of Flight: 14 wing-shaped steel structures with 100 milestones etched onto granite panels. Situated high on a sand dune in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s easy to feel inspired. Here are six aeronautical highlights from the monument to remind you that inquisitive humans are never finished exploring. LEARN MORE →