March 29, 2023

GASTRO OBSCURA  Far-Flung Restaurants  How far would you go for a special meal? And what are your limits? Our friends at Gastro Obscura sat down with Kristen Kish, Top Chef winner, Iron Chefco-host, and the chef at Arlo Grey in Austin about her new show, Restaurants at the End of the World, which covers—you guessed it—restaurants in some of the most far-flung places in the world, from a dining spot in Panama’s cloud forest to an eatery located on a Norwegian archipelago.  READ MORE →   UNUSUAL MAPS Indigenous African Cartography During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Europe’s colonizing countries came together to carve up Africa into spheres of influence. Those spheres hardened into lines, turning nearly all of Africa into European colonies. But while maps and cartographical borders served colonialism, in other hands, it also helped affirm the existence of other indigenous African kingdoms. This map, created by a king named Njoya the Great, depicts the borders and villages of Bamum, an ancient kingdom in what is now western Cameroon. READ MORE →   BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA Price Tower Located in a town about an hour northwest of Tulsa, Price Tower is the only skyscraper that Frank Lloyd Wright built during his 70-year-long career. The building was created out of concrete slabs that branch out like a tree, and the exterior walls were decorated with ornamental pieces of copper and gold-tinted glass (to mimic the look of leaves). Wright affectionately commented that this building was “the tree that escaped the crowded forest.” READ MORE →   ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Tying Mythic Knots From the classic Gordian knot said to have secured an ox to a cart dedicated to Zeus to the little-known Pasha knot used by Hindu Gods to bind (or extract) souls from the body upon death, cordage has been used for mythological, decorative, practical, and ritualistic purposes since the earliest days of humanity. Join us as we practice tying knots that people have used for thousands of years, connecting these ancient twists and tales to the ways we make meaning through myth and story today. ENROLL NOW →   MARCH MADNESS Basketball History While an American-born sport, the oldest basketball court in the world is actually in Paris, France. While basketball is indelibly associated with the United States, its roots span France, Canada, and up and down the East Coast. From a unique monument dedicated to a city’s rich basketball history to a hoop located inside the Supreme Court itself, here are a few places to explore the history of basketball. READ MORE →   FALKIRK, SCOTLAND Falkirk Wheel While it may look like a piece of computer-generated scenery straight out of a video game, the Falkirk Wheel actually transports boats from one disjointed canal to another as they navigate the Scottish countryside. This modern-looking contraption has an old-fashioned solution, however—it relies on an ancient Greek theory to function. READ MORE →   THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Wild Chocolate In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we chat with Rowan Jacobsen, a food journalist and host of the podcast Obsessions: Wild Chocolate. He takes us on a journey that follows his multiyear quest into the Amazon rainforest to learn more about a mythical chocolate that has a dark history and the potential to save parts of the rainforest.   ATTENTION TO DETAIL Meet the ‘Mother of Forensics’ The kitchen is well equipped and stocked. There’s a stove, a refrigerator full of food, a table with a rolling pin and a bowl, and a sink with Ivory soap. The wall calendar, featuring a sailing ship, says it’s April 1944. But there’s something else: Every item is miniature, hand-crafted, and a doll lies on the floor, apparently dead, cause unknown. This is one of Frances Glessner Lee’s Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of 1/12-scale dioramas based on real-life criminal investigation cases. READ MORE →   PORTO, PORTUGAL McDonald's Imperial Fast food and fine decor don’t always go hand in hand, but at Porto’s former Imperial Cafe, the two come together in what is often called the “most beautiful McDonald’s in the world.” The building has retained many of its original Art Deco features including the ornate ceilings, chandeliers, and a large stained glass wall, which is currently behind the counter. READ MORE →   TICKETS NOW ON SALE Ascend Ascend in Seattle Join mystic poet and performer Janaka Stucky on May 11 for a special celebration for the release of Ascend Ascend, now on vinyl! Featuring an atmospheric musical accompaniment from Dylan Desmond of Bell Witch, hear Janaka Stucky perform his book live with an immersive, multidisciplinary performance at Fremont Abbey that you won’t want to miss. GA and VIP tickets are still available! GET TICKETS →