Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Profile image for Osage

Osage

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2018

The trip that bit me with the travel bug: I did my first real traveling when I went on my first cross-country road trip in the summer of 1961 at the age of six in a brand-new red Pontiac Catalina convertible with my brother & parents. We began in Columbus Ohio and traveled to see my grandparents in Santa Barbara California, by way of Yosemite, & the Painted Desert, traveling a lot on old Route 66. While passing through Yuma Arizona we were caught in a flash hailstorm that came out of the blue and only lasted 20-30 seconds yet left 1.5 inches of hail just a bit smaller than a golf ball in a layer all over the road. Being in a convertible, my dad had to do some quick thinking and swerved into a gas station that had a 'wing' triangular-shaped roof canopy supported by steel poles over the gasoline pumps. Only my father's quick thinking and the fact that there was an open space at one of the pumps, saved the convertible top, the front and rear windows and our vacation trip. Other cars around us were not so lucky - I saw many that had cracked or broken windshields as Dad pulled back out onto the road. Still today, I clearly hear in my mind, the loud popping sounds of the hailstones breaking under the tires as he pulled out. It was not long before the clouds disappeared entirely, the sun came out in full fury and the hailstones were history; small rivulets of clear water headed for the sides of the road. Within minutes there was no sign of them, including no moisture left on the pavement! While in California we saw the redwoods and visited relatives in Bakersfield and Shell Beach. In New Mexico we stayed one night in an air-conditioned concrete[!] tipi at a small motel. I recall my uncle Raymond who was the sheriff of Santa Barbara County at the time [or at least that's what he told us kids], taking my brother and me on a ride in his police car while on duty and he even pulled over someone with lights & siren! I have a few B&W photos from that CA trip that have survived all these years. Funny, the ride home was not as memorable, maybe because we were all tired and grouchy and I just wanted to be home again sleeping in my own bed! Hey, I was six years old! I've loved to travel, especially to wild and natural places, all of my life.

0 Followers · 0 Following

Follow travelers to discover remarkable places through their journeys.

My Travel Badges

  • Badge Earned!

    West Virginia Destination Challenge

    West Virginia Visitor

    As part of the West Virginia Destination Challenge, this badge celebrates the beginning of your journey through West Virginia's remarkable places. Every place you mark brings you closer to discovering more of what makes the Mountain State unique.

    West Virginia Destination Challenge
    Next Badge: West Virginia Adventurer You're just getting started. Mark 10 West Virginia places as Been There or Want to Go to unlock the Adventurer badge.
  • Badge Earned!

    First Contribution

    First Contribution

    This badge celebrates your first contribution to the Atlas Obscura community and the role you play in helping others discover wonder.

    25 Contributions
    Next Badge: 25 Contributions Make 25 total contributions to earn your next badge.
  • Badge Earned!

    25 Contributions

    25 Contributions

    This badge celebrates your first 25 contributions to the Atlas Obscura community and the role you play in helping others discover wonder.

    100 Contributions
    Next Badge: 100 Contributions Make 100 total contributions to earn your next badge.
  • Badge Earned!

    100 Contributions

    100 Contributions

    This badge celebrates your first 100 contributions to the Atlas Obscura community and the lasting impact you've made by helping others discover wonder.

    500 Contributions
    Next Badge: 500 Contributions Make 500 total contributions to earn your next badge.

Places Edited by Osage

  • Been
  • Want to Go
  • Recommendations
  • Stories
  • Countries
  • US States
  • Added
  • Edited
  • Lists
  • Tried
  • Want to Try
282

Places edited

Places this traveler has helped edit.

Hacienda Buena Vista seen from above.

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Hacienda Buena Vista

This museum preserves the heyday of Puerto Rican coffee.

Layd Church Ruins 1

Cushendall, Northern Ireland

Layd Church Ruins

The father of Belfast medicine is buried in the graveyard of this 13th-century church, which now lies in ruins.

Not a regular school pool...

Muroto, Japan

Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium

Sharks, stingrays, and turtles swim in the pools at this former elementary school.

The masonry wall entrance to Snib's Cave

Lendalfoot, Scotland

Snib's Cave

Near this coastal cave stands a small memorial to the hermit who made it his home for three decades.

Thirparappu Waterfalls

Tiruparapu, India

Thirparappu Waterfalls

A handmade waterfall in Kanyakumari.

Entrance to the garden

Anse Royale, Seychelles

Kot Man-ya Exotic Flower Garden

You can find more than 200 species of tropical plants at this garden owned by a former ambassador.

Crystal World Exhibition Centre

Devon Meadows, Australia

Crystal World Exhibition Centre

A potpourri of rocks, fossils, and crystals is rounded out by a dinosaur garden and a 15-foot great white shark.

Skull Rock

Wilsons Promontory, Australia

Skull Rock (Cleft Island)

A unique rock formation that only a few have managed to venture inside.

The lone arch.

Rookhope, England

Rookhope Arch

This magnificent arch is all that remains of a former smelt mill.

Ha Baroana

Metolong, Lesotho

Ha Baroana Cave Paintings

The walls of this sandstone outcropping are covered with 2,000-year-old artwork.

Waterfall 2

San Antonio de Ureca, Equatorial Guinea

Ureka

This village surrounded by breathtaking waterfalls is one of the wettest places on earth.

Esie Stone Figurines

Esie, Nigeria

Esie Figurines

More than 1,000 stone figures were discovered in a small Nigerian town, where they had been sitting for centuries.

Aerial view of the fort

Dublin, Ireland

Magazine Fort

This 18th-century fort surrounded by a moat was used to store gun powder and ammunition, and now sits in the middle of a large park in Dublin.

Chimney Rock in the summer.

Chimney Rock, North Carolina

Chimney Rock

A 315-foot spire jutting out from the Blue Ridge Mountains makes for breathtaking views.

Lady Well

Glasgow, Scotland

Lady Well

This ancient holy well is older than much of the city that surrounds it.

The playing fields

Durham, England

"Cat" Ball Court

These courts are the only ones of their kind in the world, made for a unique ball game that dates back to the 1700s.

Coral Cut looking west

Palm Beach, Florida

Coral Cut

This spooky road cut through a mound of ancient coral might be haunted by a witch.

Sandra West's unassuming tombstone hides a wild ride below the surface

San Antonio, Texas

Grave of Sandra West and Her Ferrari

In 1977, wealthy socialite Sandra West was buried wearing an elegant white nightdress while reclining comfortably in her powder-blue 1964 Ferrari.

Wetumpka crater
Permanently Closed

Wetumpka, Alabama

Wetumpka Impact Crater

One of almost 200 confirmed impact craters in the entire world, untouched for tens of millions of years.

The ruins looking north

Germantown, Maryland

Ruins of Clopper Mill

The hidden ruins of a mill that is linked to an attempt to assassinate the vice president of the United States.

Wachusett Dam and Reservoir

Clinton, Massachusetts

Wachusett Dam and Reservoir

Once the largest gravity dam in the world.

Bubble Beach

Soufriere, Dominica

Bubble Beach Spa

Thermal springs underneath the seabed provide the heat and bubbles for these beachside natural hot tubs.

Sahalie Falls

McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Sahalie Falls

Rushing water plunges over a 100-foot drop created by an ancient lava flow at this majestic waterfall.

The entrance from inside of the cave

Cuevas, Spain

La Cuevona

A road that winds through this natural cave is the only way to access the small, appropriately-named village of Cuevas.

Previous Page 4 of 12 Next

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.