Is it a cookie? Is it a cake? A whoopie pie is two large, soft chocolate cookies held together with a luscious buttercream filling. Its origin may be in dispute, but we can all agree that it's a truly American treat.
In the early 20th century, Pennsylvania experienced a gilded age of dramatic architecture and elaborate decor. These photographs of now-discarded and nearly-forgotten sites are a moving, melancholy, magical tribute.
Pennsylvania history features coal mining, farming, big industry, and political power. It also leads the nation in potato chip production, pretzel bakeries, mushrooms, and meatpacking. All hail the Keystone State.
We've been making our show for a year. Whew! Thank you for inviting us into your ears. In this mini-episode, we take a brief look back at our first two seasons and share a sneak peek at the future of Strong Sense of Place.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a tough travel quiz, chilly winter thrillers, a guide to Persepolis, a Frankenstein book club, Vietnamese cuisine, and more.
This sweeping adventure will whisk you away with a charming hero to two remarkable destinations: Yakushima Island's dense cedar forests draped with lush moss and the kinetic energy of neon-and-karaoke Tokyo. Buckle up!
Treat yourself to some travel inspiration and explore Vietnam. From oh-so-green rice paddies to energetic cityscapes, these vibrant images of scenery and people will fire up your imagination and your wanderlust.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got national costumes, sea shanty mania, 10 Jane Austen facts, the mysteries of Socotra Island, cafés around the world, and more.
'Tis the season of snow and ice, so let's embrace the frosty weather with this thoroughly chilling mystery set in a tiny fishing village on Sweden's east coast. Bad actors getting their comeuppance is so comforting.
Pho is Vietnam's national dish, a comforting bowl of spice-infused broth, rice noodles, beef, and fresh herbs that tastes like love. We recommend you simmer a pot of broth and take a virtual trip to Hanoi, Vietnam.
The VAC Library in Hanoi is a unique open-air structure that invites play along with learning. Solar-powered and self-sustaining, it's a modern (beautiful) example of how libraries can interact with the environment.
Warning: This show is going to inspire you to book tickets to Vietnam as soon as possible. Who could resist its stunning natural beauty, vibrant street food, fascinating history, and warm, friendly people? No one.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the booksellers along the Seine, cafés around the world, Iranian poetry, 31 days of literary treats, wine label design, and more.
This weekend, take a bookish getaway to a British boarding school where tradition makes daily life far more fraught than final exams. (And way more murdery!) But, darling, the countryside and campus are lovely!
Here! This is where we'd like to teleport this afternoon to spend a few hours reading amidst the colorful bookshelves. Located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this library has been impersonating a magical portal since 1837.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a challenging literary quiz, a daring photography feat, new Agatha Christie documentaries, Pierre Cardin's vision, and more.
This slim novel is a scintillating, titillating celebration of the breathlessness, devil-may-care sensibility, and desperate optimism of New Year's Eve. Put on a mile-high wig, grab a mask, and prepare to be seduced.
It's always enlightening to look back on the year that was to see which posts got the most reads and shares. As usual, the list of our top posts of 2020 is full of surprises: Edward Gorey! Devil's Bible! Manor Houses!
We're wearing red sweaters, drinking eggnog, eating cookies, and generally making merry because it not now, when?! And amidst all the noshing and noel-ing, we want to share two sweet poems that celebrate the season.
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway that runs through Brontë country from Keighley to Haworth to Oxenhope, passing through lush, green countryside under the watchful eye of sweet-faced sheep.
Train travel is the best travel, and these luxury trains prove it! From Canada to Japan, Europe to Peru, and beyond, here are some of the poshest cars on the rails, chugging through the world's most beautiful scenery.
