January 10, 2023

SAVING NATURE  Floating Forts for Birds  In the warm sun of a late spring day, a small island bustles with birdlife. There on the Oder, the second largest river in Poland—which also defines part of its border with Germany—the sandy island teems with a variety of gulls, terns, and plovers, all living on these artificial floating islands. The refuges are the work of Piotr Chara, who aims to save the birds from invasive predators—namely, raccoons and American minks.  READ MORE →   UNBELIEVABLE LIVES The Lobero Golden Eagle This golden eagle’s long and eventful story begins in 1849, when the California gold rush lured fortune seekers from around the world, sparking the biggest migration in American history. But it’s not been content to sit and look pretty—its long history involves it being shipwrecked, traded for a bottle of whiskey, shot with an arrow, then twice lost for decades and recovered. The gilded wooden sculpture known as the Lobero Golden Eagle is now—finally—back at the Lobero Opera House in Santa Barbara, California. May it finally have a peaceful afterlife. READ MORE →   RIDGEDALE, MISSOURI Bat Bar in Lost Canyon Cave In the Missouri Ozarks, the Bat Bar gives new meaning to the term “watering hole.” It’s next to a waterfall within a mountaintop cave. Visitors park at the Top of the Rock welcome center and take two- or four-person golf carts through a 2.5-mile woodland path, eventually dipping into the Lost Canyon Cave, which is home to a natural waterfall, a live bat colony, and a one-of-a-kind bar. Bat bar! READ MORE →   SPONSORED BY VISIT ARIZONA Arizona’s Striking Natural Wonders Feast your eyes on some of the most beautiful and surprising landscapes the American West has to offer. The geography of this northeastern stretch of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert can be incredibly dramatic. And while we’ve all heard of—or seen—the majesty of the Grand Canyon, there are a number of lesser-known natural wonders that will take you off the beaten path in this gorgeous state. Prepare to be stunned. LEARN MORE →   STOP, IT’S THE FASHION POLICE The Hidden Rules of Puritan Dressing In 1676, Hannah Lyman was in trouble for flouting the laws of the colony of Connecticut. Her crime? Wearing silk hoods. New England’s Puritan colonies had many laws restricting how citizens—particularly women—could dress. “Sumptuary laws” like these weren’t unique to that time or place; they had governed personal behavior as far back as ancient Rome. But Puritans, being Puritan, gave sumptuary laws a particularly moral cast. READ MORE →   TALLINN, ESTONIA Saint Olaf's Church This church, originally built in the 12th century, has seen extensive modification including several changes to the height of the tower. In 1590, the tower reached its maximum height of almost 159 meters (522 feet) and it is said in some quarters that it was at that time the highest building in the world. The church has been fully destroyed by fire at least three times and the tower has been reconstructed even more frequently. The current height is 124 meters (407 feet). READ MORE →   ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Designing Immersive Gatherings Immersive experiences have taken center stage over the past several years, whether as escape rooms, festivals, pop-ups, and performances. But what does it mean for an event to be truly immersive, and what does it take to create one? In this four-part seminar, acclaimed immersive theater director and experience designer Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects will walk us through the elements of immersive gatherings and guide us through the process of designing our own. ENROLL NOW →   GASTRO OBSCURA  The Brewing Brides  In 1621, Englishwoman Allice Burges stepped off a ship and onto American soil, clutching a letter of recommendation. She was one of 57 women who’d come to join the early settlers of the Chesapeake Bay. The company’s investors had reasoned that wives and, eventually, children would cure the colonists’ loneliness and cement their attachment to the new land—and keeping the colonists happy was good for business. But the women also had practical skills that would improve everyone’s chances for survival. Chief among them? Making alcohol. READ MORE →   MURCIA, SPAIN Paparajotes No matter how well you speak Castellano or tolerate the blazing summer sun, Murcianos of southeastern Spain can always tell you’re not a local by how you eat a paparajote. You might be tempted by the treat’s sugary, crispy exterior, but if you rush ahead and take a bite straight through, you’re in for a bitter surprise. READ MORE →   GASTRO OBSCURA TRIPS A Mexico City Culinary Adventure On this culinary adventure in and around Mexico City, immerse yourself in the complex cultural identity of a metropolis where pre-Hispanic, colonial, and contemporary influences collide. From enjoying tacos al pastor while taking in a hidden Diego Rivera mural to learning more about heady Aztec brews, our focus throughout will be food and the people who make it. BOOK NOW →