July 01, 2022

PAYING HOMAGE  The Story of Elvis Presley  There’s just something about the King. You may know him as a singer or movie star, a GI or a 20th-century-icon, young and lithe or older and, well, a little less lithe. But you definitely know him. There are places all over the world that pay homage to Elvis Presley, the time in which he lived, and the impact he had on popular culture. Here are 15 of them—how many have you visited?  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Pearl Meat It’s easy to see why the mother-of-pearl shell was once so coveted. To look at its iridescent nacre is like gazing into the eye of a swirling, glittering storm. For almost a century, over 80,000 tons of the Pinctada maxima pearl shell were exported globally from Australia for use in the production of fashionable mother-of-pearl buttons, with commercial focus eventually shifting to the glamorous and lucrative pearls themselves. But now, more than 140 years since the first hard-hat divers walked these coralline sea beds, it’s the comparatively pedestrian offshoot of pearl meat that’s getting people excited. READ MORE → WOOLSEY, NEVADA Lovelock Airmail Arrow Early aircraft navigation was, shall we say, primitive. Traveling through the skies mostly relied on visual landmarks on the ground. Enter a continent-spanning network of concrete navigational arrows, all pointing in the correct direction for planes to follow. A remarkable number of arrows remain today, and while most are remote and hard to reach, this one is about 10 miles northeast of Lovelock, Nevada. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Playing Ancient Games In this course led by Game Master and mythologist Dr. John Bucher, we’ll dive deep into the world of ancient games, exploring the symbols, cultural context, and uses of games played over 1000 years ago. We’ll look at the history and mythology that gave rise to them, as well as basic tenets of game theory and human psychology as they apply to game playing. ENROLL TODAY → FRAUGHT MONUMENTS Toppling Ukraine’s Russian and Soviet Past A 115-foot-high metal parabola known as the Arch of the Peoples’ Friendship sits in the center of Kyiv. Big enough to be seen from a mile away, it arcs over a large observation deck that was also long home to a 26-foot-high statue of two workers—one Ukrainian and one Russian—and a granite stele depicting the 1654 Pereyaslav Council, which started the incorporation of Ukraine into the Russian state. This huge monumental park was very popular among locals before Russia’s full-scale invasion in late February 2022, but in the midst of the current invasion, the country is grappling with how to commemorate its history. READ MORE → TORONTO, ONTARIO North Toronto Station Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, the North Toronto Station has serviced passengers and served alcoholic beverages within its walls for over 100 years. Constructed in 1916, the building primarily served as a Canadian Pacific Railway station for over 20 years, closing its doors in 1930 before re-opening for one day to accommodate a visit from King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth on their first visit to Toronto. A decade later, the site was renovated and reopened as the largest liquor store in Canada. READ MORE → HIT THE ROAD, JACK The Legend of Spring-Heeled Jack In Victorian England, the scariest boogeyman was a fire-breathing devil-man who could jump unnaturally high. Some said he was a demon, while others thought he was just an extraordinarily agile human. But no matter what you believed about the legend, Spring-Heeled Jack was a name that inspired fear among the folk. READ MORE → PORTUGAL Covão dos Conchos Despite its appearance, the surreal-looking opening in Portugal’s Lagoa da Serra da Estrela is actually not a portal to any other time or place, but rather a manmade funnel leading into a long tunnel. Though it looks like a natural sinkhole lined with cascading waterfalls, Covão dos Conchos is, in fact, a wonder of engineering. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Wander Castles In Romania Explore Romania's magnificent castles and ruins while traversing its dramatic landscapes, learning about the fabled land. Take a peek inside the imposing Bran Fortress, also known as “Dracula’s Castle”, and stroll through Rupea Citadel, one of the most spectacular and best-conserved medieval structures in Transylvania. BOO