Tourist Destinations

All pandas are owned by China. They rent them out to zoos for $1 million per year each for a minimum of 10 years.

How China’s booming panda business works Pandas are a big business — both for China and the zoos lucky enough to score a visitor. They can also be extremely expensive. At last count in 2004, there were about 1,600 pandas alive in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Around 350 pandas live under […]

All pandas are owned by China. They rent them out to zoos for $1 million per year each for a minimum of 10 years. Read More »

Every fall, Alaska’s Katmai National Park hosts “Fat Bear Week” and crowns the park’s fattest brown bear. The aim is to highlight the park and wildlife conservation.

Everything you want to know about Katmai National Park’s Fat Bears Every fall, Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska hosts Fat Bear Week. Fat Bear Week is an auspicious celebration where the park invites its online community to compare photos of bears from when they first visit Brooks Falls in the spring to photos

Every fall, Alaska’s Katmai National Park hosts “Fat Bear Week” and crowns the park’s fattest brown bear. The aim is to highlight the park and wildlife conservation. Read More »

In order to bolster its waning popularity as a travel hub, Japan’s Kishigawa Train Line appointed a cat named Tama as its new station master in 2007, leading to a huge spike in popularity as a tourist destination. In 2010 a second cat was hired to “assist” Tama with her duties.

Station Master Tama The Cat Today I want to introduce a special spot in Japan that is a must-visit for cat lovers! Of course, there’s Cat Island, but have you heard of the only cat station master in Japan? The Super Station Master Tama is a cat! In Japan even cats can become a station

In order to bolster its waning popularity as a travel hub, Japan’s Kishigawa Train Line appointed a cat named Tama as its new station master in 2007, leading to a huge spike in popularity as a tourist destination. In 2010 a second cat was hired to “assist” Tama with her duties. Read More »

The statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square in London sits on a base of soil imported from Virginia because Washington swore he would never set foot on British soil again. “In a square that marks one of Britain’s greatest victories stands a reminder of one of its greatest defeats.”

Why George Washington’s Statue in London Doesn’t Touch British Soil Outside the National Gallery in London sits the strangest statue in Trafalgar Square, or maybe all of England. It’s not bizarre because of its design or composition, but instead for whom the statue honors. It is a replica, one of 25 or more, spread around

The statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square in London sits on a base of soil imported from Virginia because Washington swore he would never set foot on British soil again. “In a square that marks one of Britain’s greatest victories stands a reminder of one of its greatest defeats.” Read More »

For centuries the city of Troy was considered a myth until it was re-discovered in 1871 in present day Turkey. The area had been excavated before but the ruins of Troy were beneath newer excavations and had gone untouched for millennia even though the site had people living on top of it.

The search for the lost city of Troy Exhibitions and events The myth of the Trojan War has captivated people for thousands of years and has led pilgrims, explorers and archaeologists to search for the location where the famed conflict took place. But did the city really exist? In anticipation of our major autumn exhibition,

For centuries the city of Troy was considered a myth until it was re-discovered in 1871 in present day Turkey. The area had been excavated before but the ruins of Troy were beneath newer excavations and had gone untouched for millennia even though the site had people living on top of it. Read More »

Winchester Cathedral was built on marsh and was on the verge of collapse as it sunk into the earth. A diver named William Walker worked alone in pitch-black water for five years, eventually putting down 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete blocks, and 900,000 bricks to save its foundation.

Saving the Cathedral A century ago, Winchester Cathedral was saved by the heroic work of William Walker, a diver who worked tirelessly to shore up the historic foundations and preserve one of England’s greatest buildings. The story goes back to 1905 when experts discovered that parts of Winchester Cathedral were under serious threat of collapse.

Winchester Cathedral was built on marsh and was on the verge of collapse as it sunk into the earth. A diver named William Walker worked alone in pitch-black water for five years, eventually putting down 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000 concrete blocks, and 900,000 bricks to save its foundation. Read More »

The spaniards destroyed an Inca temple and built a cathedral on the temples foundations. Later, an earthquake completely destroyed the Spanish-made cathedral but left the foundations of the temple intact.

Coricancha, the Incas’ temple of the sun: a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 3 The thin air and harsh, rocky slopes of the Peruvian Andes wouldn’t seem to be a likely locale for the capital of an extensive pre-Columbus empire. Any community seeking to thrive under these conditions would need to be equipped

The spaniards destroyed an Inca temple and built a cathedral on the temples foundations. Later, an earthquake completely destroyed the Spanish-made cathedral but left the foundations of the temple intact. Read More »

The entrance of the Lascaux cave in southwestern France, famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings, was discovered in 1940 by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat and his dog, Robot. Robot fell into a hole, and Ravidat explored it with his friends, finding walls covered with depictions of animals.

Lascaux For Lascaux in the Corrèze department, see Lascaux, Corrèze. Lascaux (French: Grotte de Lascaux, “Lascaux Cave”; English: /læsˈkoʊ/, French: [lasko]) is a complex of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of the cave. The paintings

The entrance of the Lascaux cave in southwestern France, famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings, was discovered in 1940 by 18-year-old Marcel Ravidat and his dog, Robot. Robot fell into a hole, and Ravidat explored it with his friends, finding walls covered with depictions of animals. Read More »

Michelangelo hid under the Medici Chapel in Florence for 3 months during a period of political turmoil, occupying his time by sketching on the walls with charcoal. His whereabouts were a secret for almost 500 years until the museum director stumbled upon the drawings in 1976.

Michelangelo’s Hidden Drawings In 1530, to escape the wrath of the Pope, Michelangelo holed up in a tiny secret room under the Medici Chapel of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. The artist had been working on the lavish tomb when all hell broke loose in Florence, and he was forced into hiding. With nothing but

Michelangelo hid under the Medici Chapel in Florence for 3 months during a period of political turmoil, occupying his time by sketching on the walls with charcoal. His whereabouts were a secret for almost 500 years until the museum director stumbled upon the drawings in 1976. Read More »

On Disneyland’s opening day in 1955, an invitation-only crowd of 15,000 was expected, but thanks to counterfeit tickets, 28,154 entered the gates. A few more even scaled a fence, using a ladder erected by an entrepreneur who charged $5 a head. On the Santa Ana Freeway, there was a 7-mile backup

Disneyland’s Disastrous Opening Day Whether or not Walt Disney wished upon a star, his dreams were about to come true as nearly half of the United States gathered around black-and-white televisions on July 17, 1955. After more than two decades of planning and a breakneck year of construction, the Mickey Mouse creator had transformed a

On Disneyland’s opening day in 1955, an invitation-only crowd of 15,000 was expected, but thanks to counterfeit tickets, 28,154 entered the gates. A few more even scaled a fence, using a ladder erected by an entrepreneur who charged $5 a head. On the Santa Ana Freeway, there was a 7-mile backup Read More »