Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 204

Tribute to a Mountain Man

By Linda Tancs

Near an unpaved road on the south side of Shadehill Reservoir in northwestern South Dakota stands a tribute to a mountain man. The honoree is Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in the 1800s who was mauled by a grizzly bear and left to die in the wilderness. Luckily for Hugh, his indefatigable spirit set him crawling for 200 miles from the site of the attack to eventual safety (and medical assistance) at Fort Kiowa. A monument marks the spot where the bear attacked. His life is commemorated in the film The Revenant.

Places of Invention

By Linda Tancs

Inventor Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Failure taught Edison to repeatedly innovate, an activity that is celebrated at Places of Invention. Located at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., the exhibition highlights innovative communities across the country and their effect on society. Visitors, both on-site and online, can explore and discuss case studies as well as contribute stories about their own communities.

Cagey in Neptune

By Linda Tancs

South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is shaped like a shark tooth, an apt construction given that the Neptune Islands off its coast boast the biggest great white sharks on the planet. Eager to draw on shark tourism, the Neptunes offer visitors an up-close-and-personal experience with this apex predator courtesy of underwater cages. Go ahead and take the plunge.

On Fire in Turkmenistan

By Linda Tancs

The Russians caused an infernal mess when they drilled for natural gas in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert in the 1970s. A rig collapsed, resulting in a crater 200 feet wide and 70 feet deep (known locally as the Door to Hell) that continues to burn for over 40 years now. Well, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all, considering that the site has become a hot (pardon the pun) tourist attraction. Located 160 miles from the capital Ashgabat, you can hire a guide to get you there.

The 2016 European Capitals of Culture

By Linda Tancs

New year, new cultural pursuits. The European Union’s honorees for 2016 Capitals of Culture are the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastian and Wroclaw, Poland’s fourth largest city. San Sebastian, the third largest city in the Basque Country, is focusing their agenda on a community of culture to foster peaceful coexistence. Seeking to link the two cultural capitals, Wroclaw’s opera director is planning a massive Spanish folk musical at the local stadium, featuring 50 dance groups and 80 choirs performing under the direction of a Spaniard. What a perfect way to promote understanding through culture and the arts.

Europe’s Tallest Sand Dune

By Linda Tancs

On a clear day you can see forever (or at least as far as the Pyrenees) from Europe’s largest mound of sand. Located on the western coast of France in the Arcachon Bay area outside Bordeaux, the Dune du Pilat (derived from pilhar, meaning “mound”) is a behemoth boasting 60 million cubed meters of sand—350 feet high and two miles long. Dare to master the summit? They’ve built 154 steps into it for that purpose.

On the Fringes of the Sahara

By Linda Tancs

Mushrooms. Ice cream cones. Giant pebbles. The desert has a way of making you see things. That’s no less so at the White Desert. On the fringes of the Sahara some 300 miles southwest of Cairo, the desert is a national park of Egypt. It’s best known for its peculiar wind-carved chalk rock formations (hence, the mushroom reference) arising from centuries of erosion and sandstorms. Local Bedouins are available for guided tours.

Rocks of Ages

By Linda Tancs

Cappadocia, Turkey, is a kingdom of caves and rock formations. Above ground, the chimney-like rocks have been carved into dwellings and, in some cases, luxury hotels. Below ground teems an ancient metropolis, carved deep into the earth by troglodytes. How best to view it depends on your point of view, literally. How about a hot air balloon ride above ground? Some of the underground cities, like Derinkuyu (the deepest), are open for tours.

The Sky Garden

By Linda Tancs

Public gardens abound in London, England, but a bird’s-eye view is a visual feast. It’s hard to top (no pun intended) Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street. Spanning three floors, it offers unrivaled views of the City of London. The highest public garden in the capital, you’ll discover exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks and an open air terrace. Tickets are free but are limited daily and must be booked in advance.

King of the Nutcrackers

By Linda Tancs

Boasting one of the world’s largest nutcracker collections, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington State touts the evolution of the nutcracker. Such a collection would hardly be complete without the hundreds of traditional toy soldiers with gaping mouths that make their appearance in homes at Christmas time. But you’ll also find over 6,000 nutcrackers—representing the work of over 50 countries—carved from wood, metal, ivory, porcelain and other materials. Their designs, both simplistic and artistic, run the gamut from serious to whimsical, ecclesiastical to risqué and menacing to cute. Visitors from over 75 countries have been greeted by Karl, a 6-foot-tall Bavarian nutcracker carved in Oberammergau.