September 24, 2021

Mail Jumpers Here in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, mail delivery requires a little bit more athleticism than usual. That’s because this town is the first and only one in the United States where jumpers deliver mail from a passenger-carrying mailboat, a tradition that began in 1916 when the primitive roads were too difficult to traverse. It has continued uninterrupted, May through September, for the last 105 years. And yes, before you ask—people do fall in. All in a day’s work.  READ MORE → Florida’s Silver King The southeast coast of Florida is a hotspot for tarpon—a powerful game fish nicknamed the “silver king” for its dazzling appearance. It can grow up to eight feet long and can leap 10 feet out of the water; weighing up to 250 pounds, the fish can wear out even the strongest anglers. The silver king has brought visitors to this corner of the state for nearly 200 years; some historians believe it even played a role in making Florida a tourism hub. READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA COURSES Recreate Ancient Recipes Want to turn your kitchen into a vessel for gastronomic time travel? Throughout this 3-part seminar, we’ll use historical recipes and modern ingredients to create dishes from ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Rome, and the Mediterranean Middle Ages. ENROLL NOW → SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK Nott Memorial The Nott Memorial is the centerpiece of Union College, the second oldest college in New York State. Construction began on the 16-sided memorial in 1858 and was completed in 1879. This elaborate High Victorian Gothic structure is one of the world's few 16-sided buildings. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES A Growing Sargasso Sea Like red wine or cologne, sargassum can be very good in moderation. Sargassum is the umbrella term for a group of marine algae species—within a larger group called seaweed—that’s fundamental to the health of an entire region of the Atlantic and the many species who either live there or pass through. Sometimes, though, it explodes in growth, creating a continent-sized bloom. These blooms have long happened and are perfectly acceptable if they happen rarely. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case recently. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Learn The Art of Quilting Join Southern textile artist Aaron Sanders Head for this six-part workshop, where you'll learn how to craft a quilt from start to finish, and explore the art of quilt-making through a historical and cultural lens. No prior quilting experience necessary. ENROLL NOW → QUEMADO, NEW MEXICO The Lightning Field Comprising 400 polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array one mile by one kilometer, “The Lightning Field” by sculptor Walter De Maria is recognized as one of the late-20th century’s most significant works of land art. The exact location of the site is a well kept secret, but is definitely in the middle of nowhere. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES Decoding Hapaxes A hapax legomenon is a word that occurs only once in a text, an author’s oeuvre, or a language’s entire written record. They’re not limited to Latin. They appear in every language, from Arabic to Icelandic, even English. But where do these words come from, and what is their purpose? An investigation. READ MORE → LONDON, ENGLAND Site of Execution Dock The city of London was once the largest port in the world, and as such attracted its fair share of pirates and smugglers. Policing the port was the responsibility of the Admiralty court, which often handed down a death sentence to those convicted of piracy. Prisoners would be marched to the foreshore of the river in Wapping, where they ended their journey, and lives, at the site known as Execution Dock. READ MORE → SIDI IFNI, MOROCCO Abandoned Sea Cable Car Walking along the beach in the Moroccan city of Sidi Ifni, toward the port at the southern end of town, you may spot a huge concrete structure a little ways off the shore. This concrete curiosity is an abandoned remnant of a unique mid-century cable car system built toward the end of the Spanish colonial occupation of Sidi Ifni. In its heyday, this piece of infrastructure was one of the only sea cable car systems of its kind in the world, and a point of local pride. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY WEST VIRGINIA TOURISM Thorny Mountain Fire Tower The Thorny Mountain Fire Tower, located in Dunmore, West Virginia, was once a lookout tower built in the 1930s as protection and housing for fire lookouts. But after being decommissioned, years later, officials at Seneca State Park had a brilliant idea: turn this tower into one of the most unique (and in-demand) vacation rentals east of the Mississippi. LEARN MORE →