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In 2020, you’re gonna cross a few things off your bucket list.
You’re going to travel, see the world, meet new people – or at
least you’ll read about them, anyhow, which is where this
book comes in. Starting with the British Isles and moving
about, Atlas Obscura offers unique and hidden places
to visit and things you won’t normally see. It’ll make your
wanderlust, lust.
If you’re heading for London, for example, stop and see Jeremy
Bentham’s headless body. Being mummified was what Bentham
wanted when he died but alas, his noggin was stolen too many
times by mischief-makers, and it’s under lock and key.
Collectors will understand the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania,
where more than 100,000 crucifix and cross statues stand.
Atlas Obscura says that the Soviets tried to do away
with this field of Christian symbols by bulldozing it
thrice, but it was rebuilt each time. Conversely, if you’re
in La Paz, Bolivia, look for the Witches’ Market, or the
Devil’s Swimming Pool in Zambia.
Visit a tannery in Morocco (but be prepared: urine and fecal
matter are prime ingredients there). See a cave in Guam that
was home to “holdouts” from World War II for nearly 30
years. Spend a night in a hanging sphere on Vancouver
Island.
Or maybe you’d rather stick closer to home: Visit the Museum of
Death in Hollywood. See the world’s largest organism in
Utah; tour a paper house in New England. Visit Spirit Houses
in Alaska, hike inside a mountain in South Dakota to see a
waterfall, and gaze upon the Loretto Chapel Stairs in New
Mexico.
Are you packed yet?
For sure, a few dozen words don’t do Atlas Obscura: The Second
Edition justice. Revised, updated, with new information
and more destinations to see, this is the kind of book you
really need to put in your hands to fully appreciate.
In a way, it does double-service.
For anyone with means and a way, it’s like throwing a dart at a
map to determine your next vacation site, only in book form.
Authors Foer, Thuras, and Morton offer up the kind of
locales that you’ve either never heard of, or just don’t
think about – and they make these places easy to visit by
including travel information as well as phone numbers, fax
numbers, and other tips for a good visit.
For the reader who’s not going anywhere for now, well, you
will – in your mind – with Atlas Obscura: The Second
Edition. It’s browse-able fun. It’s useful and
interesting, full-color, wide-scoped, and if you’re tossing
things in a suitcase, leave room. Pack this.
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