Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Join Gastro Obscura's Sam O'Brien each week for Kitchen Dispatch as she tests new recipes and explores wondrous foods from her home kitchen. Subscribe to get it in the Gastro newsletter .

As the weather got colder last week, I decided it was the perfect time to make pawpaw ice cream. It’s not that I needed a frozen treat; with Thanksgiving in the rearview, I wanted to bid a proper goodbye to fall.

And, for me, there’s no better symbol of the ephemeral beauty of the season than the pawpaw. I first wrote about this fruit, which grows wild across the Eastern United States, last year .

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and all major podcast apps. Kelly McEvers: Becky Sigwright did not grow up on the water.

Becky Sigwright: I grew up in New Hampshire. My mom is a commercial janitor.

My dad is a forester. So very not boat-related.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

> Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and all major podcast apps. Kelly McEvers: Hanako Nakazato says, when she was a kid, she didn’t want to work in pottery.

Hanako Nakazato: I grew up in Karatsu, which is known for history of pottery. So when I was younger, I wasn’t interested in pottery.

It was too close to home. Kelly: Karatsu is in southern Japan.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , and all major podcast apps. Kelly McEvers: When Jason Williams was a kid in the ’80s, he had a favorite TV show.

It wasn’t a cartoon. It was more like a documentary show.

Like the educational kind. Jason Williams: I was obsessed with the show Great Chefs Great Cities , which was a program back on in the early, late ’80s, probably, where they’d go to different restaurant kitchens and make a dish.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

In this Atlas Obscura series, we soak in the beauty of Maine’s wilderness. Join us in exploring its rugged coastline, lush forests, and craggy hills alongside locals who draw inspiration from these landscapes in their work—be it pottery, culinary experimentation, or guided coastal tours.

First, we set sail with Captain Becky Sigwright on the oldest windjammer in the United States: the Lewis R. French.

Out on Penobscot Bay, we get an unbeatable view of the Maine coastline, sing sea shanties, and make a pit stop to eat some fresh lobster. Next, we check out the studio of production potter Hanako Nakazato.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Looking for your next adventure? These 20 extraordinary destinations might just change how you see the world in 2026.

Each place on this list asks something of you—patience, curiosity, humility, wonder—and gives something back in return. They’re not just trips; they’re invitations to travel differently, and to come home changed.

1. Fes el-Bali in Fez, Morocco Step through the Blue Gate into the world's largest car-free medieval city—9,400 winding alleyways where 150,000 people live as their ancestors did.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Arizona is wild in its environmental diversity, boasting five of the six distinct types of ecological biomes. Tundra, forest, woodland, scrub, grassland, and desert biomes are spread across the state, with four deserts, over 210 named mountain ranges, a biblical-scale monsoon season—and, of course, the Grand Canyon.

The Sonoran Desert, which stretches across much of the state’s southern half, is a “lush desert,” meaning that it receives rain twice a year, and thus features a visually stunning blend of sepia tones and deep green vegetation. The state’s rich culture reflects the diversity of its Native populations and the many who have migrated to the area, along with a strong connection to Mexican cultural heritage.

The region is the ancestral and current home to twenty-two federally recognized Native American tribes, including Diné (Navajo Nation) and the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

In the heart of Idaho, about 150 miles east of Boise, the steep slopes of Bald Mountain tower over a sun-kissed valley. For roughly a century, visitors have flocked to Sun Valley from all over the country for its premiere skiing and snowboarding.

But behind these sought-after slopes, there’s an impressive history and one-of-a-kind cultural experiences that make it a unique destination. Hollywood’s most celebrated stars have traveled to the valley for decades, yet Sun Valley has managed to maintain a laid-back local life and spirit even amid such A-list appeal.

That rare blend of low-pretension modernity—coupled with nonstop flights from eight major metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles—make Sun Valley a low-stress, culture-packed getaway.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

The Soviet Union built this town as a mining hub in the 1980s. When the USSR collapsed, the workers left to leaving just a few families, an abandoned mine, and a largely abandoned town.

The abandoned mine facilities are a time capsule of the 1980s USSR. Due to its proximity to the Chinese border you will need a special border permit to enter this region.

This can easily be obtained if you go with a local tour group.

Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.

Chinese mythology tells of how the goddess Nuwa mended the sky using five-colored stones after it suddenly collapsed. According to legend, the hill of Shibaozhai ("Precious Stone Fortress") was originally one of those stones accidentally dropped by Nuwa.

As such, this hill has been a sacred place of worship for centuries. Originally only accessed by being lifted up on chains, a twelve-story pagoda was constructed in the 18th century.

The vermillion structure currently seen today dates from the early 19th century. At 56 meters tall, it is among the tallest wooden pagodas in China, yet was built without a single nail.

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