June 27, 2022

GASTRO OBSCURA  Hot-Dog Diplomacy  What makes a hot dog so magical? Beyond how tasty it can be, they’re convenient, informal, and adaptable. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council counts 18 regional variations, though surely there are more, each representing distinct cultural identities and traditions. But at their core, each hot dog is still merely and magnificently the same thing, and maybe the closest the United States has to a national dish. So how did it get embroiled with diplomatic gestures?  READ MORE → TURNING BACK TIME Let The Waters Come The reality in the 21st century is this: Water may soon win the battle against the land. By 2100, high tides will likely inundate land that’s home to between 190 and 630 million people worldwide. Scientists and government agencies are calling for a strategic or managed retreat, where it relinquishes the idea of control, of “holding the line,” in favor of accepting nature’s power and giving those protective ecosystems space to absorb wave energy and tides. One of the most ambitious programs is in the United Kingdom, which is planning a countrywide step back from the sea. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES New On-Demand Courses Build essential skills for unusual living, anytime, anywhere, with our new On-Demand Courses. We’ve taken our most popular live courses and made them available 24/7. This new structure offers you the unique opportunity to learn at your pace and on your schedule while providing a guided structure that facilitates learning. START LEARNING→ QUEENS, NEW YORK Riker-Lent-Smith Homestead This Dutch Colonial house was built as a one-room residence in 1656, with expansions in 1729 and 1800. For most of its history, the house has been occupied by the same family, all descended from Abraham Rycken Van Lent, commonly known as Abraham Riker. The house remained in the family until the 20th-century when it was passed on to family secretary William Gooth, whose family later sold it to the tenant at the time, Michael Smith. Smith died in 2010 but his widow still occupies the property, making it the oldest private residence in New York City. READ MORE → BEHIND THE SCENES Who Feeds Hungry Hikers? The White Mountains, a segment of the Appalachian Mountains, have beckoned adventurers for centuries. Dotting the mountains are a series of huts staffed by the croo, who feed and entertain overnight guests at eight backcountry huts. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the croo lug trash and recycling out of the shelters, returning the same day with 40 to 80 pounds of vegetables, frozen meat, butter, and lots of cheese—ingredients destined for memorable meals that bushed hikers savor in a breathtaking setting. READ MORE → FREE MEMBERS-ONLY EVENT Monster of the Month: Night Hags Join author Colin Dickey for this month's Monster — a return to the nightmare world of things that haunt your sleep, discussing the history of Night Hags. Are they witches? Demons? Or something far, far worse? You'll have to join us to find out! If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up during the RSVP process for this event. RSVP TODAY → UNKNOWN STATES America’s Lost State Behold, America’s 14th state: Franklin. What, you’ve never heard of it? Well, that’s probably because it existed for a brief and treasonous four years and was never recognized as a true state by Congress. Franklin’s boundaries were nebulous and even the name was not agreed upon unanimously; but even so, during its struggle for legitimized statehood, Franklinites would live, fight, and die for the principles the State of Franklin represented. READ MORE → PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Exposition Park Marker In a Pittsburgh parking lot, a small metal marker preserves a piece of the local sporting history. It marks the approximate location of home plate at the city’s long-since demolished Exposition Park. This marker is in a parking lot between the current PNC Park (home of the Pirates) and Heinz Field (home to the Steelers) stadiums. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY VISIT FLORIDA Florida’s Gulf Coast: A Water Wonderland It’s always time to get your feet wet along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with boundless opportunities to explore both above and below water. From mermaid shows to underwater museums, this wondrous coastline is filled with Sunshine State adventures. Dive in! LEARN MORE → FILM HISTORY Forgotten ‘China Girls’ Imagine: You settle into your chair. An old film’s queued up on the big screen. Suddenly, you see it: a few frames of a woman’s head before the film plays. This was a ‘China Girl’, a frame meant as a form of quality control for lab technicians. Photo labs produced these unique images for years, but with the advent of digital films, the China girls are disappearing. READ MORE → BETHEL, MAINE World Traveler Signpost This signpost brings the phrase “It’s a small world” into a whole new light. How could Naples and Denmark possibly both be located 23 miles from this roadside outpost? And surely the distance from Lynchville to China must be greater than 94 miles! The explanation is that the sign’s destinations aren’t far-flung nations (or a teleportation portal, alas). They are all towns in Maine. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DISCOVER PUERTO RICO Guayacán Centenario As you step into the Guánica State Forest, one of the largest tropical dry coastal forests in the world, the first thing you’ll probably hear are the birds chattering in the trees. What many people don’t realize is that one of those trees is the Guayacán Centenario—a tree that is between 700 and 1,400 years old, depending on who you ask. LEARN MORE →