These 14 Shortcuts Will Take 15 Minutes Off Every Meal You Prepare!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Creating dozens of recipes per month, WD's test kitchen has quick, delicious (and budget-friendly) cooking down pat. Learn the smart tricks they swear by to make over your mealtime prep. You'll thank us later!</span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pSFmsrkdqBtOdNY2xcX1i_bseSolwvMuosrDGbyagg19KVPoO0zA930orDuiEyG2XsAlecr7bLt7IukAzPQS090hKJuwmPgOeVa6wIEcd_P5KYyoDRSea6Crh9ecRSUEEY9uie_kcIA/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pSFmsrkdqBtOdNY2xcX1i_bseSolwvMuosrDGbyagg19KVPoO0zA930orDuiEyG2XsAlecr7bLt7IukAzPQS090hKJuwmPgOeVa6wIEcd_P5KYyoDRSea6Crh9ecRSUEEY9uie_kcIA/s1600/1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1. To quickly boil water for pasta, fill the pot part way and bring to a boil while using a teakettle or electric kettle to boil more water. Then add the boiling water from the kettle to the pot.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fJ_esirFh_UbgfupIeEMpAaSY1q2vA1fQuz6fpaDzVLQ5_sA2Oo2f3_MjIdRyOJ7ECtWhsfzahzi6KVyXR2j-DDMCdvglQ4kcxvAl7D6upfIevnyT3M8zw17fzp1csdHLbxtSImf4Jw/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fJ_esirFh_UbgfupIeEMpAaSY1q2vA1fQuz6fpaDzVLQ5_sA2Oo2f3_MjIdRyOJ7ECtWhsfzahzi6KVyXR2j-DDMCdvglQ4kcxvAl7D6upfIevnyT3M8zw17fzp1csdHLbxtSImf4Jw/s1600/2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 2. At the start of the week, cook a triple batch of pasta and run under cold water to cool; refrigerate. Just before serving, dip the cooked pasta in boiling water until heated through.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeaAVS51gUw7X73HqScgkDtgWcV3dQotxxoDBISz9MxCh9gpa2xOW0QQG5MAhnC0AsxxZNWKslF2Av6dlPw8NY47MeNaaQdPSALkKQ_gvFcgpjQYQqQGH1ZNeh9An-ZPBBI_Li-0Q8Po/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeaAVS51gUw7X73HqScgkDtgWcV3dQotxxoDBISz9MxCh9gpa2xOW0QQG5MAhnC0AsxxZNWKslF2Av6dlPw8NY47MeNaaQdPSALkKQ_gvFcgpjQYQqQGH1ZNeh9An-ZPBBI_Li-0Q8Po/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Cook rice according to package directions, then spread on a baking sheet to cool. Freeze in resealable plastic bags. To reheat, transfer to a bowl and microwave until hot.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBczDHZLJ8YbLhuF0U6sqKUhWkewJ63BgVmxzaI5_yvT6w9L2h3GIiaJkwxSyUKcSfls_OlE__dfY8rozsB4TYhhvuqysnK_UofPI0RjPmuTzG5rFAegZRHu2wg0l6F1NWugBZO4zgTU/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBczDHZLJ8YbLhuF0U6sqKUhWkewJ63BgVmxzaI5_yvT6w9L2h3GIiaJkwxSyUKcSfls_OlE__dfY8rozsB4TYhhvuqysnK_UofPI0RjPmuTzG5rFAegZRHu2wg0l6F1NWugBZO4zgTU/s1600/4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 4. Refrigerate a big salad with hardy veggies (romaine, carrots, celery). Each night, portion out what you'll eat and add dressing and other ingredients (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers).</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHGDJuHFi-XKdAW8UJpI_c1NSCFpsV9cd2o_exIG0_LUkB8CUcFt3Mz2C_MzTVkA_J4qxcGvlFpMTzY3zh36bx_BWvX_Wbt6lOxKlBw0VU4E4Vzjdnta33047LroPiPGMh3pW563ig9I/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHGDJuHFi-XKdAW8UJpI_c1NSCFpsV9cd2o_exIG0_LUkB8CUcFt3Mz2C_MzTVkA_J4qxcGvlFpMTzY3zh36bx_BWvX_Wbt6lOxKlBw0VU4E4Vzjdnta33047LroPiPGMh3pW563ig9I/s1600/5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 5. When a recipe calls for room-temperature butter but yours is rock-hard, don't risk melting it in the microwave. Grate the butter on a box grater and it will soften in minutes.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrIqExcvktNSE3DHc1TDPwOvyeSiN-4PhQwgwc_gTtnOc59D5t4BLMYsDRtubXm4626usoaIS_D2nnDwLwnt82QifMCNu_Qkexd85L-pJPbCqF_BKECVV89ucUMR1G-tTMa2nxMUFZhk/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrIqExcvktNSE3DHc1TDPwOvyeSiN-4PhQwgwc_gTtnOc59D5t4BLMYsDRtubXm4626usoaIS_D2nnDwLwnt82QifMCNu_Qkexd85L-pJPbCqF_BKECVV89ucUMR1G-tTMa2nxMUFZhk/s1600/6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 6. Save time by using jarred salsa as the base for sauces. It already contains tomatoes, onions, peppers and loads of flavor—with no effort!</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvcA6839A3E-Bk1OKPgMONgpr2hBwwa5VPQnS7WEMUf6sx9mU297myL8lMxSDWn5lcK9uTnZUYJIxSPpG1iL2BVsRe3QrOUNpsuHLfBO5h74H4yVCqcDqBXReKX4cJPQr9LmRh5XXZzw/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvcA6839A3E-Bk1OKPgMONgpr2hBwwa5VPQnS7WEMUf6sx9mU297myL8lMxSDWn5lcK9uTnZUYJIxSPpG1iL2BVsRe3QrOUNpsuHLfBO5h74H4yVCqcDqBXReKX4cJPQr9LmRh5XXZzw/s1600/7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. With their short cooking time and hearty, family-friendly fillings such as potato, onion or cheese, pierogies are an ideal freezer staple.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkPMcRgn4W3h55-N5qrdLes1bu5whab1pz2utrESsp6iBEWYjEc8ieWwkcyColU4-CnPfQMJEB52V_sYmRlKH45Qj05N345zE0MzZwpUNv76EtWSfpM-PLxMeSOg6GFJn4Jde3NRumIw/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkPMcRgn4W3h55-N5qrdLes1bu5whab1pz2utrESsp6iBEWYjEc8ieWwkcyColU4-CnPfQMJEB52V_sYmRlKH45Qj05N345zE0MzZwpUNv76EtWSfpM-PLxMeSOg6GFJn4Jde3NRumIw/s1600/8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. Shredded hash brown potatoes are a faster alternative to regular potatoes, with crisp and delicious results.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwYDbDyz6xaz2Y90sJzIODQvAEH-DGhZFsmYe3r0XCajIEpmeY1kSiPoQVOy9KwEhePT81qyj0IcVSwlWnAbc1382lAH2LVUZc8nPce6z4BNim8djVp0G41r-uh9kXk5K3p-aDYcCSuQ/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGwYDbDyz6xaz2Y90sJzIODQvAEH-DGhZFsmYe3r0XCajIEpmeY1kSiPoQVOy9KwEhePT81qyj0IcVSwlWnAbc1382lAH2LVUZc8nPce6z4BNim8djVp0G41r-uh9kXk5K3p-aDYcCSuQ/s1600/9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9. Use pie crust to transform wet or dry fillings into hand pies, rolls or pot pies. It's the perfect way to reinvent leftovers!</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXUPUsBjij1-N7BCGyuOMUcGlXclfotsGUFB1iLAJwP5hIqPaVNcvzFnOTbA4YDWkYzx16tUEFCpvuw0moS7dccpRbnC-U_UEjcZHtQM5Xs-gxOquGt8irI5LPDt_JDeSjjORNY7X4Vg/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXUPUsBjij1-N7BCGyuOMUcGlXclfotsGUFB1iLAJwP5hIqPaVNcvzFnOTbA4YDWkYzx16tUEFCpvuw0moS7dccpRbnC-U_UEjcZHtQM5Xs-gxOquGt8irI5LPDt_JDeSjjORNY7X4Vg/s1600/10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10. For a quick flavor boost to rice (or peas or corn), pulse 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley in a food processor with 1 Tsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsp olive oil and ¼ Tsp each salt and pepper until finely chopped. Fluff the rice with a fork and fold in the parsley mixture.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAz0uMAWSBo1NZIcqpu_xAUkKEcGkhJdYXIr6rsQ5Yvge2xUCO-lUbF4_LYk-jL5y-HlFemMjQO85sNNq2i5gAqffOk_FuI9Pt__0Qv4wbf4e3HmrgeA8hCrJazz3tR1oyMeJd5OrFB8/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAz0uMAWSBo1NZIcqpu_xAUkKEcGkhJdYXIr6rsQ5Yvge2xUCO-lUbF4_LYk-jL5y-HlFemMjQO85sNNq2i5gAqffOk_FuI9Pt__0Qv4wbf4e3HmrgeA8hCrJazz3tR1oyMeJd5OrFB8/s1600/11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11. Serve up slices of chicken breasts in minutes! Cut in half horizontally, season with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil over medium heat, until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The same trick can be used for shrimp or sausage. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">13. Creamy corn (or beans or tomatoes) can be served in less than 5 minutes! Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic and 1 jalapeño (both finely chopped) in a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add a 16-oz kg frozen corn (thawed) and 2 scallions (thinly sliced) and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups spinach (roughly chopped), season with ½ Tsp salt and ¼ Tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChL-GEIEzJBqNJMH-8azI1LuegvxpztyPWbu37ocmeQL6tBJkytsQKVzNWanhE8fPshyphenhyphenneflZd0oaJwruzsmshVLETJ0hfpcVQqW5ku_kg-aCViAk89d6YCWKs2udM46X0tapEehsdWQ/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChL-GEIEzJBqNJMH-8azI1LuegvxpztyPWbu37ocmeQL6tBJkytsQKVzNWanhE8fPshyphenhyphenneflZd0oaJwruzsmshVLETJ0hfpcVQqW5ku_kg-aCViAk89d6YCWKs2udM46X0tapEehsdWQ/s1600/12.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">14. Cooking sausage, pork or salmon in a time crunch? Just grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Coat 8 small sausage links (or food of choice) with olive oil and cook, covered, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.</span><br /> <div> <br /></div> </div>

These 14 Shortcuts Will Take 15 Minutes Off Every Meal You Prepare!

Creating dozens of recipes per month, WD's test kitchen has quick, delicious (and budget-friendly) cooking down pat. Learn the smart t...

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Crochet rose headband tutorial

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW75G1XszWq7DzLz6hIjEOCzUjHeKMy6Rx6N94p31FhxKStO0OCSfR63P2MLdG6zPD_w7BttVVZqcQ249uAivbDBPtH68vNKyWdAYEjVINtatJ5qvDKDyrpDoA19zgEot6r-wbopnb2L8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW75G1XszWq7DzLz6hIjEOCzUjHeKMy6Rx6N94p31FhxKStO0OCSfR63P2MLdG6zPD_w7BttVVZqcQ249uAivbDBPtH68vNKyWdAYEjVINtatJ5qvDKDyrpDoA19zgEot6r-wbopnb2L8/s1600/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Crochet rose headband tutorial</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Material:</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crochet Hook.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pink Yarn</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needle and thread</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Scissors</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glue Gun</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to crochet rose?</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step 1: Chain 33.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step 2: Double crochet 2 times in the third chain from the hook.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step 3: Double crochet 3 times in the next chain.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4hnmC9qlY-LrZ4RU4bYupa5cnOMQJRgJ3CW0aNnQGcgmOyYoQuxXy44Z9GuUjcgEUkzPuVNe92m5tGGPdbiYZ2927i926isyKlXhH8kxVUFLQd7HiU2RxcD-CNMwT7QpFQPq9Evg6bM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4hnmC9qlY-LrZ4RU4bYupa5cnOMQJRgJ3CW0aNnQGcgmOyYoQuxXy44Z9GuUjcgEUkzPuVNe92m5tGGPdbiYZ2927i926isyKlXhH8kxVUFLQd7HiU2RxcD-CNMwT7QpFQPq9Evg6bM/s1600/2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Step 4: Repeat step 3 for the rest of the chains. Finish off, we have:</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm3cLX2kj5fZdQqDkfkqUCUxjy4Iib7NAZYBDwbJlqL0qj7W2TmiTP17IZxASXwLk6Fnb6gc6bZTytc7lFA7SIIdNPGZIQJUhG8WV6Ss9RnXW90IoBDuUrhAQN-LHSLpyjLROdm_PaEM/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm3cLX2kj5fZdQqDkfkqUCUxjy4Iib7NAZYBDwbJlqL0qj7W2TmiTP17IZxASXwLk6Fnb6gc6bZTytc7lFA7SIIdNPGZIQJUhG8WV6Ss9RnXW90IoBDuUrhAQN-LHSLpyjLROdm_PaEM/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Step 5: Leaving a 10 inch tail.  Coil the rose and sew the rose together.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibStUypszPpX1UPHmsCS-6-yFeVCb6rVggG13WhkovBsxLQ9nUZIdMaXrjl2mV-Ciwty6nAvDGM7CIEoMeVRYkVCCxR9McTeCm1olbE4mIh2FMXLau5xtNSiavHzwv_5aXNnvo4O3CkyA/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibStUypszPpX1UPHmsCS-6-yFeVCb6rVggG13WhkovBsxLQ9nUZIdMaXrjl2mV-Ciwty6nAvDGM7CIEoMeVRYkVCCxR9McTeCm1olbE4mIh2FMXLau5xtNSiavHzwv_5aXNnvo4O3CkyA/s1600/4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Crochet headband</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Round 1: chain 9.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Round 2: 1 double crochet in the third chain from the hook, 1dc in the next chain.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDShzLNkBW5I6ui2eZIeWPRw4Q7wybPa_uqTba6Tk2vInxLlw-lAEWBXAjUiOG26fGMWf1iXcD8dKxoel0JYQNKYwJWzlC7d3W5zkgoEkNpnp9uB0n10zEwYaG64Iw6ftqCZQGY0ixSxQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDShzLNkBW5I6ui2eZIeWPRw4Q7wybPa_uqTba6Tk2vInxLlw-lAEWBXAjUiOG26fGMWf1iXcD8dKxoel0JYQNKYwJWzlC7d3W5zkgoEkNpnp9uB0n10zEwYaG64Iw6ftqCZQGY0ixSxQ/s1600/5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Round 3: 3ch,  1 double crochet in the second dc in round 2 below, (1dc) x 4 times, 1dc at the second dc on round 2, 1 double crochet.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60Zgh2rWECDROhUCuTxyVE33fbvUgrnIadNvZF9CbR_rh_VKmXhQ7vQ-HeBjK7mWmQnPpKtvK1u1QJwXGYJPOP2JNJAxqpLanFhvHTPVjz82yYKlsFgNcBDLKfFcj_k_tdg8xmtiK0Y4/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60Zgh2rWECDROhUCuTxyVE33fbvUgrnIadNvZF9CbR_rh_VKmXhQ7vQ-HeBjK7mWmQnPpKtvK1u1QJwXGYJPOP2JNJAxqpLanFhvHTPVjz82yYKlsFgNcBDLKfFcj_k_tdg8xmtiK0Y4/s1600/6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFxhGKbunsIln7T6HhsIsSPk4Zq57CuO-qgFQx4kcFwYEwbtlI1UuwVIiPy-KUB5MHhDXu80m2rWmhF3-rNqRyx9SxE-w-XtkkilvhiVTbuU11BK12hh4dHMFPdPRXIMjYIXRmS3ct8U/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFxhGKbunsIln7T6HhsIsSPk4Zq57CuO-qgFQx4kcFwYEwbtlI1UuwVIiPy-KUB5MHhDXu80m2rWmhF3-rNqRyx9SxE-w-XtkkilvhiVTbuU11BK12hh4dHMFPdPRXIMjYIXRmS3ct8U/s1600/7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rki8OprJ7CLrKmEematew5ENTzE2X4O4sG-T5Z8EcNkQAHJ2K58WBenEGgdJPJ5OYQz1rnVXAsPZLp4W-wKkJzs55_T5VKmm0_e_dyxh4mhnqOt-vY5fBjoqu5zt89T06N_gKY3u9ts/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rki8OprJ7CLrKmEematew5ENTzE2X4O4sG-T5Z8EcNkQAHJ2K58WBenEGgdJPJ5OYQz1rnVXAsPZLp4W-wKkJzs55_T5VKmm0_e_dyxh4mhnqOt-vY5fBjoqu5zt89T06N_gKY3u9ts/s1600/8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Round 4 … round 30: crochet the same round 3.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Round 31: 3ch, (1 dc) 6 times. Finish off, we have:</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCFNpL9nNzpT9pWvZpONJAWkN2riXqFKM88onpsN1J87v49sytBJI6nlc34Di8e6C3Rq5a3-jcDYzqb0i5tpBMdJ7XfWy6vZh7cyEXuZi7U4aJLW1odxwGC4_4X1Du-0pXq4Nxpu1OvY/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCFNpL9nNzpT9pWvZpONJAWkN2riXqFKM88onpsN1J87v49sytBJI6nlc34Di8e6C3Rq5a3-jcDYzqb0i5tpBMdJ7XfWy6vZh7cyEXuZi7U4aJLW1odxwGC4_4X1Du-0pXq4Nxpu1OvY/s1600/9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Sew the rose and the head together (Depending on head round that we sew the headband to have two tail for the leaf of the rose)</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ30wgCMZAk6Rj9bsJhZeCpnnLfSiU6yoTAjGTPBrvLq1wkAz3vx-65w3Rs6i28gjGMqvgshOc7uW2jHMl_P5O9fZjl-fob73FacytkIOrgEGvPHLNY_jynqQq5-n3iuDzek9TlO3BnU4/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ30wgCMZAk6Rj9bsJhZeCpnnLfSiU6yoTAjGTPBrvLq1wkAz3vx-65w3Rs6i28gjGMqvgshOc7uW2jHMl_P5O9fZjl-fob73FacytkIOrgEGvPHLNY_jynqQq5-n3iuDzek9TlO3BnU4/s1600/10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Finished it!</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuuRZnmf9Coouhv0sVlSBQbcGt_-OuHiELYXjeXMRH72W-nSZuc_BXyEHHEZzMcAw4EhOY9FUhO24x2N7u2gSMvu4f5zbtpD78ghCx3yqtXhbK4lDCbBIb_LT6EfAmxUnUeHXpYSphik/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuuRZnmf9Coouhv0sVlSBQbcGt_-OuHiELYXjeXMRH72W-nSZuc_BXyEHHEZzMcAw4EhOY9FUhO24x2N7u2gSMvu4f5zbtpD78ghCx3yqtXhbK4lDCbBIb_LT6EfAmxUnUeHXpYSphik/s1600/11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /></div>

Crochet rose headband tutorial

 Crochet rose headband tutorial Material: Crochet Hook. Pink Yarn Needle and thread Scissors Glue Gun How to crochet rose? ...

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America's Coolest Ghost Towns

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Old mines, abandoned buildings, and the occasional curse: ghost towns cover the United States, and they make for a fun detour.</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some ghost towns are protected by parks departments. But Bodie, CA, protects itself—with a curse.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For years, visitors to this ghost town have learned that bad luck will befall anyone who makes off with an artifact—a curse that is lifted only when the piece of contraband is returned. Sure enough, park ranger Mark Langner says that a couple times a month, he gets something in the mail—“an old nail or a piece of glass, with an anonymous letter apologizing—they know they’ve done something wrong.” Curse or no curse, he says, “karma is karma.”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And yet, people still can’t resist slipping off with a piece of history. It’s understandable. Abandoned towns exist all over the world, but there’s something uniquely American, even romantic, about ghost towns. Perhaps it’s because so many sprang up in the 19th-century Old West, when a rush to find gold and other minerals created an old-style economic bubble. When the money or luck ran out, so did the residents, often leaving behind empty houses, saloons, and brothels.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, gold (or lack thereof) isn’t the only reason towns have failed. “There are as many reasons for towns dying as there are towns,” says Gary Speck, a ghost town expert and author of books including Ghost Towns: Yesterday and Today. “Some towns were bypassed when highways were built or, in one-economy towns, when production decreased, like in logging camps. If the need for the town was gone, the town went bye-bye—unless it could adapt.”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He adds that while plenty of failed towns just got paved over by modern suburbs, finding the physical remains of little cities long gone makes for fascinating travel.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we looked for the most interesting ghost towns around the U.S., we found various states of preservation and decay. In Virginia City, MT, remaining buildings have been rehabbed to create festive tourist towns. Bodie, meanwhile, is kept in a state of “arrested decay”—basically, the same condition it was in when it became a historic landmark in 1962. “We’ll do repairs as needed—replace a roof or fix a window—using the right materials from the time,” says Langner. “If you do too much, it looks fake, but if you do too little, it become a pile of sticks.”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some ghost towns have found unique second lives. Terlingua, TX, got its start as a thriving mercury-mining town during the early 1900s, but today, it’s the lightly populated home of a famed chili cook-off.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Such an event might seem all the more poignant in a place where prosperity never took hold—and may be one reason people romanticize these long-gone towns.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or perhaps they just like looking at old stuff. Bodie still has some stocked stores, and visitors remark on seeing products their parents or grandparents used to have. “People yearn for simpler times,” says Langner. “And sometimes they’re just blown away that they’re somewhere that doesn’t get cell service.”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15woQ_wOuC_rsSzMQDRCJ96CNoqsKIOuh0V3364VNqhbSdZsAgDEGkjaA-rqZ2Z90EPchz25WHi8gCcoytvQ3Uew2rR26UsunqWQjMz5GffnzwsHNUKxskHfTqJEaAmKOdK56ZCB3ipI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15woQ_wOuC_rsSzMQDRCJ96CNoqsKIOuh0V3364VNqhbSdZsAgDEGkjaA-rqZ2Z90EPchz25WHi8gCcoytvQ3Uew2rR26UsunqWQjMz5GffnzwsHNUKxskHfTqJEaAmKOdK56ZCB3ipI/s1600/1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIy0UldDPuzVna-KokwqreS-WM9xDv1sVoSnSIEJDhZxEGlObYhtynyyqIJOl9d1KjwesOdWrOQe1E3Z92T0-cmKK1iXfuAnaB3iiQDmy2NXw0nvLUav4qwJNRtsVlqXhGplh26pIDz0/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIy0UldDPuzVna-KokwqreS-WM9xDv1sVoSnSIEJDhZxEGlObYhtynyyqIJOl9d1KjwesOdWrOQe1E3Z92T0-cmKK1iXfuAnaB3iiQDmy2NXw0nvLUav4qwJNRtsVlqXhGplh26pIDz0/s1600/2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Bodie, CA</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This former gold town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, along the California-Nevada border, had nearly 10,000 residents in the late 1870s, as well as saloons, a red-light district, and possibly even opium dens. Its slow decline lasted well into the 20th century, with its post office finally closing in 1942. Today, Bodie is in “arrested decay” but still has stocked stores. Just be sure not to shoplift: bad luck supposedly befalls anyone who makes off with anything from the site.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Lake Tahoe, about 75 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zw2lAh5bblCsCiFd7107HeWwocq27KjfUN9jF-hNpXVgdhSURGaj9eig27EY_3-0sifkGwNikpw21skp9IgPoTx38XjEVXLZEfrbW3K5QL_eu9TL_exAbnoUbXc0Yt85cIQ22l0cnNg/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zw2lAh5bblCsCiFd7107HeWwocq27KjfUN9jF-hNpXVgdhSURGaj9eig27EY_3-0sifkGwNikpw21skp9IgPoTx38XjEVXLZEfrbW3K5QL_eu9TL_exAbnoUbXc0Yt85cIQ22l0cnNg/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Terlingua, TX</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the early 20th century this town was a hotbed for mercury, but production dwindled and the town basically died out by the 1940s. In the 1970s, the lightly populated town found a new kind of heat: it became the home of a now famous chili cook-off. The favorite sightseeing activity is still “to come sit on the porch of the Terlingua Trading Company, have a cold refreshment, visit with people, and watch the sunset.” If you're inspired to spend the night, the Big Bend Hotel is the only game in town.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Big Bend National </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5TVpn-Vwc1C8yXXS93xnh-ghrLZ3Lotif5Z5_i59raK5RV6M6rAlYgeU453h8n95koXtFu0BaeFWQBtlb76qgC_WqhfCRX8dWN79tEnQ5ArIJFfTRbN5zHep6XHjiZ0zLrJ5AKSaaAk/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5TVpn-Vwc1C8yXXS93xnh-ghrLZ3Lotif5Z5_i59raK5RV6M6rAlYgeU453h8n95koXtFu0BaeFWQBtlb76qgC_WqhfCRX8dWN79tEnQ5ArIJFfTRbN5zHep6XHjiZ0zLrJ5AKSaaAk/s1600/4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thurmond, WV</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This coal town from the late 1800s went from several hundred residents to 7 by the year 2000. Once a big stop on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, its depot has been turned into a museum, and the town is now part of the New River Gorge National River. In 2005, 6 of its 7 residents reportedly ran for public office. You can check out the restored train depot and museum, but most folks come here for river rafting.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: New River Gorge National River.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYakgyQYtXV1QhmvuzFRrbqDSPxqga4u9NFZzQQg7bY8VaHBvUrOl7RRM-1HJ1MAlMIThIMQjkgS3Ob4AAdEK0ZaHw4YA-QcOw0O8HoZYD-Kts-MqJM9tVOpSVMKu-D2Qw2AAsKLzD1k/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYakgyQYtXV1QhmvuzFRrbqDSPxqga4u9NFZzQQg7bY8VaHBvUrOl7RRM-1HJ1MAlMIThIMQjkgS3Ob4AAdEK0ZaHw4YA-QcOw0O8HoZYD-Kts-MqJM9tVOpSVMKu-D2Qw2AAsKLzD1k/s1600/5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Santa Claus, AZ</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some would say this little desert town was never more than a marketing gimmick, launched in the 1930s to draw tourists and sell real estate: inns and restaurants had a Christmas theme, and tourists could meet the man in red pants himself, any time of year. In later years it became popular just for its post office and postmark, for kids who wanted a bona fide letter from St. Nick. The four-acre site has been for sale since 1983. But even if you’re not on the market for your own town, it makes a good detour on the way to Kingman or the Hoover Dam. You can see some vandalized buildings, an old wishing well, and the remnants of “Old 1225”—a derailed, pink children’s train.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Kingman, AZ.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqRb_uD_NHrPHx1QLBsi66N8Y7F3HIXP7NLReO-3kWIXG9SYKnyrPGqCQANorNmrbWsnYE3RCxmQcjyaweVzCDnBsCW584W2epMGo40GBKhlrwiI-Eg9Thmf1koBiwfEvPVgCrIsSWZY/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqRb_uD_NHrPHx1QLBsi66N8Y7F3HIXP7NLReO-3kWIXG9SYKnyrPGqCQANorNmrbWsnYE3RCxmQcjyaweVzCDnBsCW584W2epMGo40GBKhlrwiI-Eg9Thmf1koBiwfEvPVgCrIsSWZY/s1600/6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flagstaff, ME</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lake Flagstaff got its name from an interesting historical tidbit: Benedict Arnold’s troops once planted a flag here. But back then, Flagstaff was also above water. In 1950, plans for a hydroelectric dam meant the whole town would be submerged. While most buildings were moved or destroyed, some sites—the occasional chimney, for instance—can still be visible from the water’s surface, if you know where to look. You can get a map of the site from the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, or take a tour in a pontoon boat. You can also see artifacts and more about the lost town at the nearby Dead River Area Historical Society.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Eustis and Rangeley, ME.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDq7aS_fxEjnqpEW3P7QTNyJaAzANlKw6QMtsmYBzuqgpBWRiHLY-tYWbsOCpy7D5H44I3VN1AsagKx2GIhZuZPSRXb16vgYJswRiIhtU5bYilXlNluFXTlAeQJ61JL6l0qEdUcqeoMM/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDq7aS_fxEjnqpEW3P7QTNyJaAzANlKw6QMtsmYBzuqgpBWRiHLY-tYWbsOCpy7D5H44I3VN1AsagKx2GIhZuZPSRXb16vgYJswRiIhtU5bYilXlNluFXTlAeQJ61JL6l0qEdUcqeoMM/s1600/7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Calico, CA</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This former silver-mining town in Southern California peaked in the 1880s, but started declining when the price of silver dropped in the 1890s. It was a ghost town by 1907. The town’s restoration began in the 1950s, under the direction of Walter Knott, of Knott’s Berry Farm fame. Today, Calico is a San Bernardino County Park, but you can still see one-third of Calico’s original buildings, as well as Knott’s kitschier additions such as the gold-panning attraction and a “mystery shack.” To get a glimpse of the old days you can tour one mine, or wander the old post office and schoolhouse</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB6RxsuOqEe4h08rwMySns2-VYU5izoc7WxCi8flyoVdp7TTYW0t0SUmZcr-EB5bfSOeeHW56cZXaoPRKf88FB9cbYyr5ab2ZuXbx06KSFBm3B2Br3IUXlBk67LCXQGfx4h_ZUrua_eM/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB6RxsuOqEe4h08rwMySns2-VYU5izoc7WxCi8flyoVdp7TTYW0t0SUmZcr-EB5bfSOeeHW56cZXaoPRKf88FB9cbYyr5ab2ZuXbx06KSFBm3B2Br3IUXlBk67LCXQGfx4h_ZUrua_eM/s1600/8.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Virginia City, MT</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Founded on gold mining in 1863, this town once had about 10,000 residents—including Calamity Jane—and was even briefly the capital of the Montana Territory. Maybe it was bad karma having your capital share the name of another state, or just the fact that gold ran out, but the city has been frozen in time since the late 19 th century. Virginia City is now owned mostly by the state, though there are some shops, live music, and period-style theater.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: 90 miles from Yellowstone National Park.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvorDa5DUW4SaHnl3cwsBvL56npPR0gJiXhjOIT5sTKZK3ej2Pzm8f_nDIl-Kw7-9D_EC3cLFKsH0G7WWujGuPhCkjwXGuN6AFLc4JRoJ1nSMcnDXIfu52noPqmepQvc3WfFQ42Gu8hM/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvorDa5DUW4SaHnl3cwsBvL56npPR0gJiXhjOIT5sTKZK3ej2Pzm8f_nDIl-Kw7-9D_EC3cLFKsH0G7WWujGuPhCkjwXGuN6AFLc4JRoJ1nSMcnDXIfu52noPqmepQvc3WfFQ42Gu8hM/s1600/9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cahawba, AL</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This antebellum river town was the capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1826, though by 1825 the bad choice of geography was clear: the place was a flood magnet. Even so, it was later the home of a Civil War prison for Union soldiers and then, during Reconstruction, a meeting place for freed slaves. The floods largely won out, and now the ruins left in Cahawba—a few streets, cemeteries, and some buildings—are managed by the Alabama Historical Commission.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Selma, AL.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPDg3pW39I8bqoTuriDTsQy16qm1D3tlSI5QHJVOdf4MD8aq_oTx3rVWV8ksdjjJVEz6gwmpvjMFsPqYRPiG9kMipIwiB1hhL7uvqe8wXRo540cLV4Jce0WSt4HsRKiCqIZZWtIUlrzg/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPDg3pW39I8bqoTuriDTsQy16qm1D3tlSI5QHJVOdf4MD8aq_oTx3rVWV8ksdjjJVEz6gwmpvjMFsPqYRPiG9kMipIwiB1hhL7uvqe8wXRo540cLV4Jce0WSt4HsRKiCqIZZWtIUlrzg/s1600/10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dogtown, MA</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last building was torn down in 1845, but the stories of this hardscrabble town—supposedly named either because the poor residents lived like dogs, or because the local war widows kept canines for protection—has given it legendary appeal. Thoreau wrote of visiting here in 1858, and during the Great Depression, Roger Babson—an entrepreneur who foretold the stock market crash and later ran for President—erected about two dozen boulders within Dogtown’s mostly forested ruins. When hiking through now, you can see the boulders, with messages such as “Prosperity Follows Service,” “Get a Job,” and “Help Mother.”</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Gloucester, MA; Boston is about 40 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWb1R1mE4WoDAcZ3_llGuJfiXj11BwgcrkvLN7qvuixicYoXKsf35byIp_GDVoQZlqrHrYKlYjbjtzyUn_sTz_tLOl8Z4OXQGcpVFQY-MA1wiLuF-E5MWFDbId1vyuDzxW-VLunXpetU/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWb1R1mE4WoDAcZ3_llGuJfiXj11BwgcrkvLN7qvuixicYoXKsf35byIp_GDVoQZlqrHrYKlYjbjtzyUn_sTz_tLOl8Z4OXQGcpVFQY-MA1wiLuF-E5MWFDbId1vyuDzxW-VLunXpetU/s1600/11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rhyolite, NV</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Named for the local silica-rich volcanic rock, this town near Death Valley National Park sprang up in 1905 with the promise of gold—so much promise that a guy named Charles M. Schwab sank a lot of money into the town. Rhyolite had a school, a hospital, and a stock exchange by 1907—as well as a bustling society that included a symphony, Sunday school, and, ahem, lots of prostitutes. Things didn’t pan out so well, literally, and people left within just a few years. Rhyolite became an old-West movie set in the 1920s and is still home to several cool photo-op buildings, including one called the Bottle House, covered with liquor and beer bottles.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Death Valley National Park and Beatty, NV.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6-zMfbUJpW2YOfHkL_OhluAFX7W4vO52cXkwLjqZkj9fKd30uSzTKtAEDQwQPiP_3odTPOf_jABhWFB84-CCLHOxAOdRE_BOX9XdyIzQ6w-EyaKaI_deuR7CE4uujIRgnFmrt_pC7IM/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6-zMfbUJpW2YOfHkL_OhluAFX7W4vO52cXkwLjqZkj9fKd30uSzTKtAEDQwQPiP_3odTPOf_jABhWFB84-CCLHOxAOdRE_BOX9XdyIzQ6w-EyaKaI_deuR7CE4uujIRgnFmrt_pC7IM/s1600/12.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glenrio, TX and NM</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This little town straddling the Texas–New Mexico border was a busy road stop during the heyday of Route 66—offering gas, restaurants, motels—with a few newer buildings, such as a Texaco, reflecting the Art Moderne style. The movie crew for The Grapes of Wrath even spent some time filming here in 1939. But in the 1970s business came to a halt when I-40 was built and literally passed by Glenrio. There are supposedly a few people who live in Glenrio now, but otherwise the empty, largely intact little town is part of the National Register of Historic Places.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Tucumcari, NM, and Amarillo, TX.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialPa_ifn-v5WpJ5plLut4GrutWCwzQB3duw5y5CUd3U6VattrRlugCTRNsNVWEJHch3VNn62I-t1_AiFlYWZ1l-tnCOAZhQO3FFewG4nl5WL0jcUK4-1GImxork-F__8C27EHbveS7-U/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialPa_ifn-v5WpJ5plLut4GrutWCwzQB3duw5y5CUd3U6VattrRlugCTRNsNVWEJHch3VNn62I-t1_AiFlYWZ1l-tnCOAZhQO3FFewG4nl5WL0jcUK4-1GImxork-F__8C27EHbveS7-U/s1600/13.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goldfield, AZ</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This gold town thrived in the 1890s, then died and was reborn a number of times between 1910 and 1926. In the 1960s, it was reconstructed as a tourist stop. Goldfield offers perhaps more kitschy fun than historical preservation: you can visit the Superstition Reptile Exhibit, ride a narrow gauge railroad, or see folks in period costumes stir up a reenacted gunfight in the street.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Apache Junction, AZ.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDicnmN-7vRjQZ-rJJ5KAGh0MRZuzam3JZIO229nx04mTtaqLbjwZ1cOdOi38xj6JRVvRziMdVw9vdS0d9KHNtw2GXQcMoY6sFoGMGG49NbpraFu5rNAffvqR49Ov5d_aLEibVxtFCes/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDicnmN-7vRjQZ-rJJ5KAGh0MRZuzam3JZIO229nx04mTtaqLbjwZ1cOdOi38xj6JRVvRziMdVw9vdS0d9KHNtw2GXQcMoY6sFoGMGG49NbpraFu5rNAffvqR49Ov5d_aLEibVxtFCes/s1600/14.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gleeson, Courtland, and Pearce, AZ</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This trio of towns just west of Tombstone had ups and downs and intertwined fates: Gleeson used to be called Turquoise when the stone was its main draw, but everyone left when gold was found in Pearce; Pancho Villa is said to have fought in Courtland. Much of these three towns are now on private land, but you can wander the cemeteries or visit the Gleeson Jail, where, on the first weekend of each month, you can take a tour. Up the road you can also see the “jail tree,” where they used to tie up unsavory types before the jail was built.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Tombstone, AZ.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon445eVZmmofggplOz0v0RWfSlbSuLZMudnqNhKYKyopQraZR_sih34GR8T_wVCyOPv7hzsD1DyXR6wTGYRhHujJ7OY8gaMgRkXouAMCksjzRe6WltQ0tAZkuFn6n4rxBhKQk0J-QbmQ/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon445eVZmmofggplOz0v0RWfSlbSuLZMudnqNhKYKyopQraZR_sih34GR8T_wVCyOPv7hzsD1DyXR6wTGYRhHujJ7OY8gaMgRkXouAMCksjzRe6WltQ0tAZkuFn6n4rxBhKQk0J-QbmQ/s1600/15.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kennecott, AK</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After producing $200 million worth of copper ore between 1911 and 1938, this mill town was tapped out and too remote to survive. You’ll find it at the end of a 60-mile dirt road in the middle of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the biggest national park in the U.S.—and even bigger than Switzerland. During its heyday, the company town had its own hospital and school as well as a skating rink and a tennis court. The original mill buildings are still here, but you’ll get the best access if you go with a guide from the NPS or a tour operator.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Chitina, about 60 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSByAdnU0hrwnWc4ig1HdVkpm5Gc9adPTYz6-_SzYT1iU8S5C-oJC80ex2rNG2Lb4Uj9nhRLjX9RBlQ8SImDutHEP7KAhyphenhyphen0WNGHxw36VZ5VlWIdqDIXkUyQRWEr_7RcGoRl9ijIkcMSc/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSByAdnU0hrwnWc4ig1HdVkpm5Gc9adPTYz6-_SzYT1iU8S5C-oJC80ex2rNG2Lb4Uj9nhRLjX9RBlQ8SImDutHEP7KAhyphenhyphen0WNGHxw36VZ5VlWIdqDIXkUyQRWEr_7RcGoRl9ijIkcMSc/s1600/16.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St. Elmo, CO</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The few folks left near St. Elmo, a onetime mining village and railroad stop, joke that the original residents left on the last train out—and never came back. After developing in the 1870s with hotels, dance halls, a school, and a telegraph office, the town faded by the 1930s, after the railroad closed. (One longtime resident named Annabelle, however, hung around until the late 1950s and has become the town’s patron saint.) You can still shop in the seasonal, antiques-filled General Store, rent four-wheelers, and stay in a rustic cabin in town.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Buena Vista, 20 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUCnfWkTlQ7D1ypIrBApVWZHGrBnzDhQWlRh7k9yBU_FtFIvOneKj1szX2qhcYZCuMHQt-mnoh7S1a4pfuf_wiS1xghPTs8T8a5tG5jxmLy4maYU6kpfRnDyqlw5uERg-jWJDU9s49NY/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUCnfWkTlQ7D1ypIrBApVWZHGrBnzDhQWlRh7k9yBU_FtFIvOneKj1szX2qhcYZCuMHQt-mnoh7S1a4pfuf_wiS1xghPTs8T8a5tG5jxmLy4maYU6kpfRnDyqlw5uERg-jWJDU9s49NY/s1600/17.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Swan Island, ME</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ironically, the original version of this island’s name—Sowangan, given by the Native Americans who lived here—translates to “bald eagle” (since, at that time, a lot of bald eagles lived there, too). Settlers came in and developed a village in the early 1700s, and Benedict Arnold passed through in 1775 on his way to attack Quebec. Otherwise, it was a pretty sleepy place—good for fishing and ice-cutting—that only got sleepier over the next century or so, until the state of Maine started acquiring the land in the 1940s. You can get to Swan Island only by boat, but once here you can camp and hike or visit old homesteads, stone walls, and a cemetery.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Richmond, ME, a ferry ride across the Kennebec River.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MIdSQ2Z_US0QQoLRlroWNVq5tOE1c14vVG_W2MoFwY5rLzxNm2AmsolMc_axqTucdNx7W05FkDmj98_6VclSZ30IxzUEMbI5HwbwlOI9INJoOOeK-laBxftSlKaNy0Ml0kG8ZJx8HlI/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MIdSQ2Z_US0QQoLRlroWNVq5tOE1c14vVG_W2MoFwY5rLzxNm2AmsolMc_axqTucdNx7W05FkDmj98_6VclSZ30IxzUEMbI5HwbwlOI9INJoOOeK-laBxftSlKaNy0Ml0kG8ZJx8HlI/s1600/18.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Texola, OK</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This place on the plains may have died from its own identity crisis. The farming town was born in about 1901, sitting near both Route 66 and the 100th Meridian. But surveyors kept not being able to decide if the town belonged in the Texas panhandle or Oklahoma. (It also had, at times, the names of Texokla and Texoma.) Such indecision, perhaps, combined with the Dust Bowl and the arrival of the more distant I-40, spelled the end of Texola. Census figures indicate that 36 people still live here, but most of what you can see is an old cemetery and an abandoned bar, Watering Hole #2.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Erick, OK, seven miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoaPVOgCCwXwxTHzCMuQnWkVbivbLbzYLUriBKfWLsYIUhWL1AdBjVD0DpKrkzUJmyrL6wpgd0yQ8QESwOBhC8wBzvaMgzpNuDjMnoD5viSDN9eLILKGEoKIVJHouQPvhK6Ajgr6RTqE/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoaPVOgCCwXwxTHzCMuQnWkVbivbLbzYLUriBKfWLsYIUhWL1AdBjVD0DpKrkzUJmyrL6wpgd0yQ8QESwOBhC8wBzvaMgzpNuDjMnoD5viSDN9eLILKGEoKIVJHouQPvhK6Ajgr6RTqE/s1600/19.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">South Pass City, WY</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The infrastructure of the former gold mine still exists in South Pass City, which launched in the 1860s but could no longer produce by the time of the Depression. The state of Wyoming bought the land in the 1960s, and now you can tour cabins, restaurants, dance halls, and a jail. The Miner’s Delight B&B, in nearby Atlantic City, even does an occasional “night-shift” tour of the old gold mine, complete with scotch tastings. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Lander, WY, 32 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysdYP_1VRdkPfgg_w-0bRqPMVscsSawYjlwU_0M3NhDjX4FftHtLloa9j7kpOuOAHlgNmZCwaaBZOer1qK0z-3DgpcDX_4rSs7se2_BWwGlYlXV9lXeVFyF4MluUNTbzLToSrEgBeK4k/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysdYP_1VRdkPfgg_w-0bRqPMVscsSawYjlwU_0M3NhDjX4FftHtLloa9j7kpOuOAHlgNmZCwaaBZOer1qK0z-3DgpcDX_4rSs7se2_BWwGlYlXV9lXeVFyF4MluUNTbzLToSrEgBeK4k/s1600/20.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Garnet, MT</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now on BLM land, this little gold-rush town turned up more red gemstones than gold, but both treasures dwindled over time, and a fire in 1912 leveled much of the town. Visitors can still see 30 historic buildings—including cabins, a saloon, and part of an old hotel—and camp within a half mile of the ghost town. Lost treasures aside, the area is rich with hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as chances to catch rainbow trout.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8imxOtojiuygD8dxK_ek_JmjP8L40UhFxQewUY7k9Cd0f5O7mg640beUCY9ARu3s2zctGiU2L1aE-kMEXrW0Tl4ZSHf3nEGF-JJSB7gbnP3dNkAC-cti2SLEybsvP0IF2KpHZot1ZJg/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8imxOtojiuygD8dxK_ek_JmjP8L40UhFxQewUY7k9Cd0f5O7mg640beUCY9ARu3s2zctGiU2L1aE-kMEXrW0Tl4ZSHf3nEGF-JJSB7gbnP3dNkAC-cti2SLEybsvP0IF2KpHZot1ZJg/s1600/21.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">North Brother Island, NY</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New York City is the last place you’d expect to find a ghost town, but this 20-acre island on the East River was developed precisely because of its isolation. In 1885, Riverside Hospital was built here as a quarantine facility for smallpox patients and then for others with infectious diseases—including the infamous Typhoid Mary (the unfortunate woman who spread typhoid fever without having any symptoms herself). The hospital eventually shifted into a housing center for veterans and a rehab facility for heroin addicts. By the 1960s it had deteriorated into abandoned buildings set in a tangle of trees. Don’t make plans to visit here soon, though: for safety and environmental reasons, the local Department of Parks and Recreation is restricting access until at least 2016.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m4NvUk1gADkyZibIT7ZMOxzhus9MSOsom4nUs1IGtqeEF7UQTIl5-9cDU3ys4F9XpaB6pKUNUYuH_vKRmD9Q9Bfhsb8xzq2SJ4HcnQ4eg0jTltNVg9YxTMbweXBrXUQeoRnxrrtQu8k/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m4NvUk1gADkyZibIT7ZMOxzhus9MSOsom4nUs1IGtqeEF7UQTIl5-9cDU3ys4F9XpaB6pKUNUYuH_vKRmD9Q9Bfhsb8xzq2SJ4HcnQ4eg0jTltNVg9YxTMbweXBrXUQeoRnxrrtQu8k/s1600/22.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Animas Forks, CO</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This little silver and gold mining town at 11,000 feet in the San Juan Mountains once boasted of being the biggest city in the world…at that altitude. Today, the former town of 500 is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, and you can still see several old cabin-style buildings, including the small jail. This is off-roading country, so your best bet is to rent a four-wheeler and soak up the mountain scenery—wildflowers in the summer, aspens in the fall—along the Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Closest Civilization: Silverton, 12 miles away, or Durango, 60 miles away.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <br /></div>

America's Coolest Ghost Towns

Old mines, abandoned buildings, and the occasional curse: ghost towns cover the United States, and they make for a fun detour. Some ghos...

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World’s Most-Visited Castles

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Paris to Beijing, these historic castles and palaces draw millions of visitors for a glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine a castle: it probably looks a lot like Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, the turreted inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each year, more than 1.5 million travelers are inspired to make the steep walk or catch a horse-drawn carriage to reach this castle perched on a rocky outcropping in the Bavarian countryside.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“People have always been interested in celebrities and powerful people and their homes,” says Cordula Mauss, PR officer for the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces. “Immediately after the death of Ludwig II in 1886, the first tourists came and wanted to see what their king had built as his private residence.”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While castles, palaces, and châteaux naturally pique such curiosity, not all have Neuschwanstein’s European fairy-tale looks. Some of the world’s most-visited castles, found across Asia, feature red exteriors, pagodas, and gates.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consider Bangkok’s gold-spired Grand Palace, where Thai kings lived for 150 years, and where 8 million annual visitors now traipse through ornate rooms, manicured gardens, and temples, including one that houses a revered Buddha carved from a single block of jade.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other longtime royal residences have been repurposed as museums. St. Petersburg’s riverfront Winter Palace, for instance, is the sixth-most-visited castle, thanks to the appeal of masterworks by Titian and da Vinci along with lavish restored interiors, where Catherine the Great once held court.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">America’s closest approximation is California’s Hearst Castle, though it fell short of our top 20 list with only 750,000 annual visitors. And while Windsor Castle squeaked in at No. 19, Buckingham Palace didn’t make the grade (567,613 annual visitors), nor did Romania’s Bran Castle (542,000) or a single Irish castle. Ireland’s most visited, Blarney Castle, welcomed 365,000 in 2013.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said, there can be a downside to having too many visitors—these are delicate, historic structures that have existed for hundreds of years, and some, like Neuschwanstein, limit the daily entries. But it’s hard to stem curiosity when it comes to the lives of the blue-blooded.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Mauss puts it: “Who didn’t want to be a prince or a princess or at least a knight when he or she was a child?”</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Methodology: Totally up the world’s most-visited castles, we gathered the most recent data supplied by the attractions themselves or from government agencies, industry reports, and reputable media outlets. In most cases, it was 2013 data.</span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb-at0x0oAoVq1k2AkLf2pbR4Ng_Ws-iuqpN57lOEeUil8t7wA7nEnFkxJ6YHdAl4mWJrKNr_8JAsgPCZ4vIJgP0mQ9CyJQTOoHgS8s-8_XNZEma6Uz7YqBlAwSFfRC9gzm213NFvYkA/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb-at0x0oAoVq1k2AkLf2pbR4Ng_Ws-iuqpN57lOEeUil8t7wA7nEnFkxJ6YHdAl4mWJrKNr_8JAsgPCZ4vIJgP0mQ9CyJQTOoHgS8s-8_XNZEma6Uz7YqBlAwSFfRC9gzm213NFvYkA/s1600/1.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpZ4d-Ebdf3pWmbshcu7W3gkun3h8Sa6Q0eI-qDa2e0Q60Dk-mnXLTvKalAUfsA0N73ge8ZKytNj_W3YZIkR7y2Jrffy7F3Ue6qrh6SM4X5Ha_PGyR9i4Z15-rs6LfvkKSnGigPttyg/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVpZ4d-Ebdf3pWmbshcu7W3gkun3h8Sa6Q0eI-qDa2e0Q60Dk-mnXLTvKalAUfsA0N73ge8ZKytNj_W3YZIkR7y2Jrffy7F3Ue6qrh6SM4X5Ha_PGyR9i4Z15-rs6LfvkKSnGigPttyg/s1600/2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <h2 style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No. 1 The Forbidden City (Palace Museum), Beijing</span></h2> <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Annual Visitors: </strong>15,340,000</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each day, tens of thousands of visitors pour through the <a href="http://www.dpm.org.cn/index1280800.html" style="color: #cc0000; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Forbidden City</a> to see the 178-acre walled compound that once shielded the Imperial Palace from public view—while housing Chinese emperors and their extensive entourages. (To handle the volume, the government has started requiring advance ticket sales during festivals and holidays and prohibiting annual ticket holders from visiting during peak seasons.) Bright red buildings topped with golden pagodas exemplify traditional Chinese architecture, while the Palace Museum showcases art, furniture, and calligraphy</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX_XdB3Ray01YuF2KWxTUO89e4WGOCOsu0BthVUyE2pxpnyn-AwT_VxWHEI3mrMjZy7gzlLW7lg6oWr4qX00KTbjTbwzSJSfkp_4dFnNJ45exSewXnCAJd1bV5lJITHK21s8gucIO8O0/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX_XdB3Ray01YuF2KWxTUO89e4WGOCOsu0BthVUyE2pxpnyn-AwT_VxWHEI3mrMjZy7gzlLW7lg6oWr4qX00KTbjTbwzSJSfkp_4dFnNJ45exSewXnCAJd1bV5lJITHK21s8gucIO8O0/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 2 The Louvre, Paris</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 9,334,0000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The largest and most famous museum in the world—displaying masterpieces like La Gioconda (the Mona Lisa) and the Winged Victory of Samothrace—got its start as a palace. The U-shaped Louvre housed generations of French kings and emperors beginning in the 12th century, and the remnants of the original fortress that occupied the site (built for King Philippe II in 1190) can be seen in the basement of the museum. The building was extended and renovated many times. Head to the decorative arts wing for a glimpse of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie’s opulent state apartments, built between 1854 and 1861.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtuwu0o0VHivfIABz5Xpr0VKELa8iuExZG3FyeffRYcLdZUuOv3RDPsPOf5IIucQwfHmWO8sOAGaeOp2ZMKMzxnfLgrE_hmQ5YWHCTBFNbD4TQKIEa5n6WUMm72U33ABCvHG26Mgl4ZY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtuwu0o0VHivfIABz5Xpr0VKELa8iuExZG3FyeffRYcLdZUuOv3RDPsPOf5IIucQwfHmWO8sOAGaeOp2ZMKMzxnfLgrE_hmQ5YWHCTBFNbD4TQKIEa5n6WUMm72U33ABCvHG26Mgl4ZY/s1600/4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 3 Grand Palace, Bangkok</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 8,000,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Royal offices are still used within the Grand Palace, and state visits and royal ceremonies like the Royal Birthday Anniversary of the current King Bhumibol Adulyadej are held there each year. This was also the official residence of Thai kings from 1782 to 1925 and counts numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around open lawns and manicured gardens. The palace’s Temple of the Emerald Buddha is considered one of the most sacred sites in Thailand. It's Buddha was carved from a single block of jade, and his garments, made of pure gold, are changed in a royal ceremony three times a year to reflect the Thai seasons.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-dzqReKieQlg1OOpgKyId2stmSEqA2yNr1I7nH-wyhGdq8yW8FHvg9yK7j3NiCFwDRy7HR6Oqfgk2bS7tuHBvGPO-uR2HP_rlsHPXj1d9d8QmevMb53Sk0r38ZteAxmAUQjMIZE5048/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-dzqReKieQlg1OOpgKyId2stmSEqA2yNr1I7nH-wyhGdq8yW8FHvg9yK7j3NiCFwDRy7HR6Oqfgk2bS7tuHBvGPO-uR2HP_rlsHPXj1d9d8QmevMb53Sk0r38ZteAxmAUQjMIZE5048/s1600/5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 4 Palace of Versailles, France</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 7,527,122</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Louis XIV built Versailles in the late 1600s, it became the envy of other European monarchs in Europe, and the opulent estate retains an unmistakable allure. Versailles gets seven times the visitors of any other château in France (apart from the Louvre); it helps that it’s easily accessible from Paris. No other palace in the world can match the grandeur of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, dripping with chandeliers, and Marie Antoinette’s bedroom, decorated with hand-stitched flowers. The vast grounds are free most days and an attraction in themselves, with 50 water fountains, a parterre (formal garden), a grand canal, and other sites like the Grand Trianon, built for Louis XIV as a refuge from court life, and Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ0OBsKUw-z91FjHgyUsjbZYC0f8T6r67X8NIjihu4dkSBiTQaUQy9p-x0wEC53OdZ-wKRVAqq8jbFraC26tPyFretWFhS8nJF87kIIIiN0wU8mn7Qd9b6d4sHM17ZFFohKrHjBJW87c/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ0OBsKUw-z91FjHgyUsjbZYC0f8T6r67X8NIjihu4dkSBiTQaUQy9p-x0wEC53OdZ-wKRVAqq8jbFraC26tPyFretWFhS8nJF87kIIIiN0wU8mn7Qd9b6d4sHM17ZFFohKrHjBJW87c/s1600/6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 5 Topkapi Palace, Istanbul</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 3,335,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With a lovely setting overlooking the Bosporus and Sea of Marmara, Topkapi Palace was the royal residence for about 400 years until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. The sultan lived with his wives, concubines, mother, and children in the harem, under the fierce protection of eunuchs. Look for the Privy Chamber of Murat III, with its indoor pool, gilded fireplace, and walls decorated with blue, white, and coral Iznik tiles from the 16th century. The Palace Kitchens reopened in September 2014, displaying fine china and large cookware. And the complex also includes courtyards, gazebos, gardens, and the Imperial Treasury. An emerald and diamond-studded bow and quivers sent by Sultan Mahmud I to the ruler of Persia is just one example of the lavish gifts on view.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kXHeHJXgmOZqo7fbfwt1eNiqS7eiI7Ezl2JV35hn8EpjnXhzp_Wf-HhjxvUDKl5GYNF8XdOxvjhar8h5fIPpRyST5M8zNnX7ukQhyzt5hgt3thMCVZfVSTBfdgEJnB8fDnKEPxlM9Fc/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kXHeHJXgmOZqo7fbfwt1eNiqS7eiI7Ezl2JV35hn8EpjnXhzp_Wf-HhjxvUDKl5GYNF8XdOxvjhar8h5fIPpRyST5M8zNnX7ukQhyzt5hgt3thMCVZfVSTBfdgEJnB8fDnKEPxlM9Fc/s1600/7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 6 The Winter Palace (State Hermitage Museum), St. Petersburg, Russia</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 3,120,170</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Catherine the Great and Nicholas I are among the Russian royals who occupied this green-and-white baroque palace along the Neva River from 1762 to 1917. Today, the palace is a museum with one of the finest collections in Europe, including works by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci (Benois Madonna). Much of the palace was destroyed by fire in 1837, but the beautifully restored interiors speak to the opulent tastes of the Russian elite. St. George Hall (a large throne room) features two tiers of windows, double Corinthian pink marble columns, patterned parquet floors, and gilt bronze details.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BwoCDxO4jXxEWuDXVyroT_s6JlFkinja2sl9Gc9fWVd-_l7Q5zwgQDBLREwfMzq5Uzr948DuZhbIghzmHd00HWmFNGWzNNxH3-UbW8ik9Ta5x_Cy5fViX48OHOgiSsGdJiVbF0C8IkY/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BwoCDxO4jXxEWuDXVyroT_s6JlFkinja2sl9Gc9fWVd-_l7Q5zwgQDBLREwfMzq5Uzr948DuZhbIghzmHd00HWmFNGWzNNxH3-UbW8ik9Ta5x_Cy5fViX48OHOgiSsGdJiVbF0C8IkY/s1600/8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 7 Tower of London</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 2,894,698</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This medieval fortress on the north bank of the River Thames was built to intimidate Londoners and keep out foreign invaders. The oldest part of the structure, the White Tower, dates back to the 12th century. While it originally served as a royal residence, the Tower has become notorious for its use as a prison and the site of executions that included Henry VI and Lady Jane Grey. Millions flock to the tower today to see historical reenactments as well as the British Crown Jewels, among them, the Sovereign’s Sceptre containing the Great Star of Africa, the largest colorless cut diamond in the world. In 2014, the tower’s moat was filled with 888,246 ceramic red poppies in remembrance of British soldiers who died in World War I—an example of art installations and events held regularly.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVrnsq_N_VPr1aqmJQOxkdebQqX1b4Ntk-tE7OpMn5antHkOMrTdpQ_XZB8_fgbN3DDQdHAIpn4Y5i-lp9rpFaD7DErU7fsTcTG9a1TY8h76i920M536qQJw9EauznGih6uv0tdFPbHM/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVrnsq_N_VPr1aqmJQOxkdebQqX1b4Ntk-tE7OpMn5antHkOMrTdpQ_XZB8_fgbN3DDQdHAIpn4Y5i-lp9rpFaD7DErU7fsTcTG9a1TY8h76i920M536qQJw9EauznGih6uv0tdFPbHM/s1600/9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 8 Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 2,870,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Austria’s most-visited site is this Rococo Palace, a summer retreat for Hapsburg emperors from the 1700s until 1918. Of the 1,441 rooms, the most famous is the Mirror Room, with white and gold Rococo decoration and crystal mirrors, where Mozart is said to have performed his first concert at age six. The palace’s elaborate gardens can claim the world’s longest Orangerie and the site of the first zoo (east. 1752). The guided Grand Tour provides access to all 40 rooms open to the public, including the Gobelin Salon with tapestries from Brussels and the Millions Room, an office paneled in rare rosewood.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaV_TcCySpR0dZcEqJEyySQGSwvp7UP70ukrUXTAJ6gZy6Ex89JLBWuAZTTfY-fMpn6k2QRG6WiU-35RKew3beMUzXKk5V8whR562C80gSjam4c02XaGSWAYmbMOZ5N7Q-4gcLhyphenhyphenNR3M/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaV_TcCySpR0dZcEqJEyySQGSwvp7UP70ukrUXTAJ6gZy6Ex89JLBWuAZTTfY-fMpn6k2QRG6WiU-35RKew3beMUzXKk5V8whR562C80gSjam4c02XaGSWAYmbMOZ5N7Q-4gcLhyphenhyphenNR3M/s1600/10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 9 Alhambra y Generalife, Grenada, Spain</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 2,315,017</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Refined and expanded over centuries, this hilltop palace and fortress complex combines fortifications, gardens, churches, and several palaces, notably the Alhambra, and the Generalife, the country estate of the kings of Grenada and Andalusia. Both are remarkable examples of Islamic architecture from Spain’s medieval period. Expect intricate arabesques, honeycomb vaunted ceilings (muqarnas), and courtyards with pools and fountains. Generalife’s Moorish gardens feature large boxwood trees, rosebushes, and willows and cypresses. Numbers swell in the spring and summer; to beat the crowds, consider a January visit.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsV30UXZJKm_O9BZPs2mp34ka9NxOxd79D4qz5Fd4IgIvTCNjnqmBx63cpaM6BYzJ2UoFDVzz9mFIEofLDX5goBGa71IKMjmCSzKtRW0hZXct5nOnoqZWTDhy89yEVqxhsy0xbnDJpHU8/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsV30UXZJKm_O9BZPs2mp34ka9NxOxd79D4qz5Fd4IgIvTCNjnqmBx63cpaM6BYzJ2UoFDVzz9mFIEofLDX5goBGa71IKMjmCSzKtRW0hZXct5nOnoqZWTDhy89yEVqxhsy0xbnDJpHU8/s1600/11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 10 Shuri Castle, Okinawa, Japan</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,753,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shuri Castle was the seat of the kings of Ryukyu for more than 400 years. The castle was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and reconstruction work was only completed in the early 1990s. The results include eight Chinese-style gates or entrances, plus gardens, a study, and a main hall with red-colored tiles on two layered roofs. The three-story red building houses two throne rooms and the royal family’s private apartments. Ponds, bridges, and miniature islands makeup the royal gardens, added in 1799.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbptj-KlvpKV7JkIpLLsWUpzVrJz3KNUC8cW646gkjRNCtPuiAYdq9ckMbqwbb-spBkDqOUPIWgj3N8dbjCGGKlQSaW_CGoVxkqJiSf64hugeHGnJneTkYqIqUYSeKgtwgLz2vGLcD2eY/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbptj-KlvpKV7JkIpLLsWUpzVrJz3KNUC8cW646gkjRNCtPuiAYdq9ckMbqwbb-spBkDqOUPIWgj3N8dbjCGGKlQSaW_CGoVxkqJiSf64hugeHGnJneTkYqIqUYSeKgtwgLz2vGLcD2eY/s1600/12.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 11 Prague Castle</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,748,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Czech president lives in Prague Castle these days, yet most areas are open to tourists, who stroll through palaces, ecclesiastical buildings, and museums like the Prague Castle Picture Gallery. The Castle, whose history dates back to 870, still guards the Bohemian Crown Jewels, notably, the St. Wenceslas Crown, made of pure gold and decorated with pearls and precious stones. The crown is kept in an iron safe with seven locks and seven keys; all key holders must be present to open it—the last time was in 1998. At 753,474 square feet, Prague Castle counts as the largest ancient castle in the world.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKrO9WpE6QpI9LmHXE3vW_HkIhAJ_jWKbkv6yhOwYRyxaaCRTyeqs1rAmcImPHlGi5jvh9m71keIx_vqaZg0dthAkLGXOak6aLnQgsgXzaFZv_l9BZldSEFmO2duGivDzY9GG2o8oURs/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKrO9WpE6QpI9LmHXE3vW_HkIhAJ_jWKbkv6yhOwYRyxaaCRTyeqs1rAmcImPHlGi5jvh9m71keIx_vqaZg0dthAkLGXOak6aLnQgsgXzaFZv_l9BZldSEFmO2duGivDzY9GG2o8oURs/s1600/13.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 12 Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto, Japan</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,579,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A 17th-century feudal lord outfitted this castle with 44-foot-high outward curving stone walls (much-games hi) intended to repel invaders. Many of the castle buildings were destroyed by fire during the Sean Civil War of 1877. The Main Tower was rebuilt in 1960 using original materials and methods. It now features a museum with displays on the castle’s history and construction as well as a collection of weapons, armor, and furniture. Time your visit to spring to catch the surrounding 800 cherry trees in pinkest bloom.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuEYuGvbDbtOSxS6eWVChyUvNLyk2wkzMK7PDT-7ODUtKAkihsy9wTpMezMfJ6WYGKfhKUac7yhCQxCyf6CERzTugGUmPABObjYYLk5y-519tXEXeJTIQ9jYKH51fvide6lAYGqDEM6c/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuEYuGvbDbtOSxS6eWVChyUvNLyk2wkzMK7PDT-7ODUtKAkihsy9wTpMezMfJ6WYGKfhKUac7yhCQxCyf6CERzTugGUmPABObjYYLk5y-519tXEXeJTIQ9jYKH51fvide6lAYGqDEM6c/s1600/14.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 13 Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,520,128</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This looks like the ultimate fairy-tale castle, though its backstory is anything but. Reclusive King Ludwig II was declared insane and deposed before the castle was completed; he died shortly thereafter of mysterious causes. Neuschwanstein Castle stands as a testament to his medieval vision, with a two-story throne room inspired by Byzantine churches and a bedroom decorated with murals depicting the legend of Tristan and Isolde and furnished with an ornately carved oak bed covered in blue silk. Visits are allowed only via guided tour.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLdr8dENCsLhJL6sePE6CjSOy6xXpOjUggErM3pwAo8iPUFHmwMAg320pFCx328FLoxJo35fXTdI2ay26ZnGpm_bYKYMc-3TdNFoYbMifWykQUYgt0n2hxt9yHeWcQ5dG2hj4wT9H9ag/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLdr8dENCsLhJL6sePE6CjSOy6xXpOjUggErM3pwAo8iPUFHmwMAg320pFCx328FLoxJo35fXTdI2ay26ZnGpm_bYKYMc-3TdNFoYbMifWykQUYgt0n2hxt9yHeWcQ5dG2hj4wT9H9ag/s1600/15.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 14 Osaka Castle, Japan</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,512,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Skyscrapers encroach on this 16th-century castle, but thanks to 15 acres of parkland, it remains an oasis complete with cherry blossom trees and waterways. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a politician and warlord regarded as one of Japan’s great unifiers, built Osaka Castle, which was a seat of power until the mid 1800s. Ravaged by war and fire, the castle has been reconstructed many times, most recently, in the 1990s. The five-story-tall donjon, built on a stone foundation to protect it from attackers, now displays art and armor from the 16th century. Hideyoshi’s Golden Tea Room, with walls, pillars and tea utensils finished in gold leaf, has been reconstructed on the third floor.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKyeX7QhayIGtkS3oY3YEovyBS8HOgqj2xqEmM3p5Nt6I6DC9Yx4uQfORjbZdnsfM0n39slBdflJBVy1lvwGnEBgCShilD1hK1qU6gGNVrjFaG0biEaphaeZaog9QlQITNUK-Dqx6B70/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKyeX7QhayIGtkS3oY3YEovyBS8HOgqj2xqEmM3p5Nt6I6DC9Yx4uQfORjbZdnsfM0n39slBdflJBVy1lvwGnEBgCShilD1hK1qU6gGNVrjFaG0biEaphaeZaog9QlQITNUK-Dqx6B70/s1600/16.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 15 Nagoya Castle, Japan</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,472,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Golden Dolphins (kin Sha chi), believed to be able to summon water, spring from the roof of Nagoya Castle, built in 1612 on the orders of General Ieyasu Tokugawa to ward off attacks from Osaka. It flourished until the late 1800s, even serving as a temporary residence for the Emperor of Japan. During World War II, many of the buildings were burned down in air raids; the iconic main tower was reconstructed in 1959. Hommaru Palace’s entrance hall, adorned with black lacquer and ornate metal fixtures, and main hall, with tiger screen paintings, reopened to the public in 2013; restoration work continues.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijafqB9M9RuviEpU6y4L3MCoGBYae7S0cMiSPTroop_WKjz54TDhhDo-MDGlrItUP9tBQOje4XYKZM1dZC20WjbiiES_US5fBB49ODDuV5l3rcbKUDQ3IHRsuhswJNI1qIyPkG3LzP8j4/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijafqB9M9RuviEpU6y4L3MCoGBYae7S0cMiSPTroop_WKjz54TDhhDo-MDGlrItUP9tBQOje4XYKZM1dZC20WjbiiES_US5fBB49ODDuV5l3rcbKUDQ3IHRsuhswJNI1qIyPkG3LzP8j4/s1600/17.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 16 Nijo Castle, Kyoto, Japan</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,463,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most castles in Japan were built from the late 1500s to early 1600s, when there were many warring city-states—and Nijo Castle is no exception. Ieyasu Tokugawa ordered the construction of this flatland castle, consisting of two rings of fortifications, in 1603, with two palaces eventually added. Ninomaru Palace’s five buildings encompass 33 rooms, including a waiting room with intricate wall paintings of tigers and leopards, and a hall where the 15th shogun (military governor) announced the restoration of Imperial rule in 1867.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK60oJ7pe747QQ1wqcMm3fJYe_9LToL8jGGCtqkIUS04TXIZ77vtQcJc1baBBd6P-_jvdxAoi26M4THFl5B5nJdWBYVH0KBVfYVkrfwo4EReIwSoFvjUzt4O0dayomXBveEYGtgvIZbQ/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK60oJ7pe747QQ1wqcMm3fJYe_9LToL8jGGCtqkIUS04TXIZ77vtQcJc1baBBd6P-_jvdxAoi26M4THFl5B5nJdWBYVH0KBVfYVkrfwo4EReIwSoFvjUzt4O0dayomXBveEYGtgvIZbQ/s1600/18.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <br /> <h2 style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No. 17 Edinburgh Castle</span></h2> <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Annual Visitors:</strong> 1,420,027</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/" style="color: #cc0000; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="World's Most-Visited Castles: No. 17 Edinburgh Castle">This ancient stronghold</a> sheltered Scottish monarchs like Queen Margaret and Mary, Queen of Scots during times of unrest. The castle became a military base in the 1600s, serving as a jail for prisoners of war. The imposing fortress on Castle Rock dominates the Edinburgh skyline. Like the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle’s history is tumultuous and bloody—hundreds of supposed witches were burnt at the stake where the esplanade is today. Visitors who enter will see the Great Hall, with its medieval wooden roof; the alleged biblical relic, the Stone of Destiny; and the Scottish Crown Jewels, hidden beneath a latrine to avoid detection during World War II.</span></div> <div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7Qg5gvyMz6PjkcjVWx5soJG6qcATMVlg71zc_tvRiKsADy3B7EphXi-1adlDpzUXYieeT3UJuW2o6Ci20tLtoT_87Xq3YCvc1uhmzNDmaIX634ofFGwnqEc0RJvPIN9F-_Evo0Cdb_o/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7Qg5gvyMz6PjkcjVWx5soJG6qcATMVlg71zc_tvRiKsADy3B7EphXi-1adlDpzUXYieeT3UJuW2o6Ci20tLtoT_87Xq3YCvc1uhmzNDmaIX634ofFGwnqEc0RJvPIN9F-_Evo0Cdb_o/s1600/19.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 18 Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russia</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,382,000</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A summer residence for Russian tsars, this palace southeast of St. Petersburg is named for the wife of Peter the Great, Catherine I, who ruled Russia for two years after his death. But credit for its lavish Rococo style goes to daughter Empress Elizabeth, who ordered her imperial architect to renovate it on a scale to rival Versailles. The palace stretches more than half a mile in circumference and is elaborately decorated with a blue and white façade with gilded reliefs. It’s most famous for the Amber Room, a chamber made completely of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3UuesycqocrAvv1xnjHG1jadm2HiCWOxuBIVOmtUR_FU9WD36UV2Ha289q2cK77bTwCeFn6IguP7UxTMd_1vM7MbNNrdnco-ZLcjSySJqElOGpTdQYVlnJ9qLuYTPA-8OI5cPRyyWMU/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3UuesycqocrAvv1xnjHG1jadm2HiCWOxuBIVOmtUR_FU9WD36UV2Ha289q2cK77bTwCeFn6IguP7UxTMd_1vM7MbNNrdnco-ZLcjSySJqElOGpTdQYVlnJ9qLuYTPA-8OI5cPRyyWMU/s1600/20.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> No. 19 Windsor Castle, Berkshire, United Kingdom</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,327,976</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thirty-nine British kings and queens have stayed in Windsor Castle, the longest occupied palace in Europe. In the 1600s, Charles II setout to rival the achievements of his cousin, Louis XIV, at Versailles by modernizing the 11th-century castle’s interiors with painted ceilings and ornate wood carvings. The colossal Waterloo Chamber celebrates the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, while the State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Canaletto. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjQ4bAuRygF3VjtqbpNCi-n1n5XYoQmACfFvhOtYwUrnC6vvGTI-jSQ0qrpn66CPAITZnn85cBD-0kWAiCQ_30N6_Ay3a5Y_1HIsmjBMfK7e74o8BWWEBj1XRyhF9vmdfiOIplzYa2Bs/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjQ4bAuRygF3VjtqbpNCi-n1n5XYoQmACfFvhOtYwUrnC6vvGTI-jSQ0qrpn66CPAITZnn85cBD-0kWAiCQ_30N6_Ay3a5Y_1HIsmjBMfK7e74o8BWWEBj1XRyhF9vmdfiOIplzYa2Bs/s1600/21.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No. 20 Doge’s Palace, Venice</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annual Visitors: 1,307,230</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Venice was a powerful city-state, its highest official was the doge, and he lived in this pink-and-white marble palace, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture right by St. Mark’s Basilica. The structure standing today has been remodeled and expanded over the years (the oldest section dates back to 1340). The doge’s apartments are as ornate as any sovereign’s, with marble fireplaces, painted friezes, and ornate stucco work. This palace was also the seat of government, featuring council chambers and two prisons connected by the famed Bridge of Sighs.</span><br /> <br /></div>

World’s Most-Visited Castles

From Paris to Beijing, these historic castles and palaces draw millions of visitors for a glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous...

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