November 16, 2022

GASTRO OBSCURA History of Food-Based Insults  A few weeks ago, a viral video hit the Internet: a livestream pitting the lifespan of an iceberg lettuce against the political career of Liz Truss, then the British head of state. It was another entry in the long history of food-based insults, one that spans from Brazil to South Korea. Humans just can’t seem to resist insulting politicians with comparisons to fruits and vegetables. READ MORE → SOCIAL ETIQUETTE Housewarming Gift Ideas: Pineapple Say you’re a rich 1700s nobleman and you want to impress your fellow gentry. What’s a good gift to bring? Here’s an idea: a pineapple. If you find yourself at an old inn or perhaps even a new, trendy hotel today, there will likely be a picture of a pineapple somewhere near you. It is a near-universal symbol of hospitality. But why? READ MORE → DESTIN, FLORIDA A Fish Museum We’ve found the perfect destin-ation for fishing connoisseurs. The Florida panhandle town of Destin – self-dubbed “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” since the 1960s – is also home to a Gulf Coast museum dedicated to fishing. Outside the building are an extensive array of exhibits, from Destin’s first Post Office building to the Primrose, one of the original wooden Greek fishing boats. Don’t miss the ridiculously large shark jawbone. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DISCOVER ATLANTA Atlanta Monetary Museum For everything you wanted to know about the evolution of money as well as an in-depth exploration of the U.S. economy, a visit to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Monetary Museum is in order. In glass cases, you can see a visual progression of American money, from English shillings to paper notes independently printed by early colonies, to post-Revolution coins, and Civil War-era bills issued by Union and Confederate governments. LEARN MORE → FOOD FIGHTS Cheese on Apple Pie There’s perhaps nothing more American than apple pie. But even here in the United States, apple pie has its regional variants, and, inevitably, detractors of those variants. Perhaps the biggest controversy? Cheese. Which way do you land? READ MORE → FOR YOUR NEXT ART ADVENTURE Weird, Wild Sculpture Gardens The world is filled with unique, strange, and odd art installations—some that come from prominent figures in the art world, or some that seem to have happened by accident. From a landscape dedicated to Roman, Greek, and Egyptian mythology to a park that honors a local legend with phalluses as its key theme, here are some places that will have you scratching your head with wonder. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Produce Your Own Oral History In this four-week workshop led by oral historian Meral Agish, we’ll examine the key elements of oral history interviewing, including listening deeply and asking follow-up questions that invite your interviewee to share their story with you. We’ll also cover a range of accessible options for recording together in person or remotely by phone or video. By the end of our time together, you’ll have a project plan in place and will be well prepared to record your own oral history interviews. ENROLL TODAY → PRESERVING UNTOLD HISTORY Documenting Slave Houses Since 2012, preservation architect Jobie Hill has surveyed hundreds of structures that she believes once served as a home to enslaved African Americans, even if the buildings bear no visible trace of their past. Hill is determined to build a first-of-its-kind database that honors and preserves these spaces in more than memory, and to unite the houses with the stories of people who once inhabited them. READ MORE → ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Biltmore McDonald's Built in 1895, Asheville’s Biltmore Estate is the largest private home in the United States—by a long shot. The estate is open to the public, drawing in nearly two million tourists annually who wish to take in its bewildering scale (and secrets). It’s no coincidence, then, that the closest McDonald’s is, by some subjective measure, “the world’s fanciest McDonald’s.” But it wasn’t always. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Explore the Magical Galápagos The Galápagos Islands aren’t simply the place that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution; they continue to advance it, showcasing how unique life develops in distinct environments. Join us for a living lesson on ecology and conservation in one of the planet’s most fascinating, unique and wondrous habitats, tracking species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. BOOK NOW →