shines's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

shines

I'm in my mid 50s and live in the Asheville, North Carolina area. I've always loved traveling and do a considerable amount every year. I've been reading AO articles since the beginning and have played AO Trivia throughout the pandemic. I also joined the AO bookclub this year.

flickr.com/photos/docsue98/

2018
joined atlas
obscura

countries
I've visited

places
I've been

places
I want to go

places
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Leaderboard Highlights

shines's activity rankings

1^st

Places visited in Harrison, Nebraska

1^st

Places visited in Chadron, Nebraska

1^st

Places visited in Viña del Mar, Chile

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Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Edinburgh, Scotland

Regent Bridge

A roadway designed for a visiting monarch.

SEANETTA

Added by SEANETTA

Edinburgh, Scotland

David Hume's Statue

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.

Added by Rachel Gould

London, England

Tower Bridge Chimney

An architectural oddity hides in plain sight on this iconic London bridge.

AdOYo

London, England

The Tower of London Menagerie

These wire animal sculptures commemorate the exotic inhabitants that once called the Tower of London home.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

London, England

Two Princes Staircase

Richard III supposedly disposed of his nephews' bodies here in an effort to seal his claim to the throne.

satxwdavis

Added by satxwdavis

London, England

Traitors' Gate

The watery entrance for condemned prisoners heading to the Tower of London is still visible along the Thames.

satxwdavis

Added by satxwdavis

Viña del Mar, Chile

Reloj de Flores (Flower Clock)

Built for the 1962 World Cup, this fully functioning botanical clock is still ticking.

Tony Dunnell

Added by Tony Dunnell

Viña del Mar, Chile

Wulff Castle

A whimsical European-style chateau that calls the coast of Chile home.

FrustratedFormerContributor

Added by FrustratedFormerContributor

Valparaiso, Chile

La Sebastiana

Pivotal home of Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

Valparaiso, Chile

Elevators of Valparaiso

What was once a unique system of urban elevators is turning into a mechanical ruin.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Monument to Niccolò Tommaseo

The pile of books behind the dignified writer gave the statue a most undignified nickname.

StepYoshi

Added by StepYoshi

Ponte delle Tette

In the past, Renaissance sex workers were encouraged to entice customers on this bridge.

StepYoshi

Added by StepYoshi

Church of San Giacomo di Rialto

According to tradition this is the oldest church in Venice, but its actual age is a mystery.

StepYoshi

Added by StepYoshi

Peggy Guggenheim's Grave

The only museum with its curator—and her pets—buried inside.

St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

Michael Inscoe

Added by Michael Inscoe

Piraeus Lion

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

Added by mpwestfall

Palazzo Dario

Those who own or stay at this 500-year-old, allegedly cursed house often meet terrible fates.

Melanie Xulu

Added by Melanie Xulu

St. Mark's Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Dante's Tomb

Italian poet Dante Alighieri is entombed in this small mausoleum in Ravenna, and his hometown of Florence has never been too happy about it.

Added by lastpearl

Florence, Italy

Bronze Replica of Michelangelo’s David

A copy of the famous statue can be found in this Florence piazza, along with one of the most breathtaking views of the city below.

chateauesque

Added by chateauesque

Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.

Annalisa

Added by Annalisa

Plaza de Armas

Built on the remains of one the Incas’ most important gathering spots, this square keeps the spirit of a fallen empire alive.

micahspangler

Added by micahspangler

Tambomachay

An Inca spa, military outpost or maybe… both?

Tony Dunnell

Added by Tony Dunnell