On April 26, 1986 a massive accident occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in what is now the Ukraine. A nuclear reactor exploded, sending radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and killing more than 50 people, with another 800,000 exposed to radiation and increased risk of cancer. Around the Chernobyl plant is a 30-kilometer Zone of Alienation (I'm not making this name up), established to prevent people from entering the most heavily contaminated area (and hurriedly evacuated, as you can see by... READ ON

You've definitely seen them: commemorative state plates featuring landmarks and slogans from a particular state. I call them "state plates," but the official term among collectors is "souvenir state plates." They're often displayed in kitchens, and the designs range from kitschy to classy to impossibly bizarre -- see below for examples of each. According to CountryHome (in their "What's Hot Now" feature!), state plates have been around since the 1870s: Souvenir state plates date back to the 1870s.... READ ON

Last year was my first Lollapalooza ever. It's been around since 1991, but let's just say there's no way my parents would have let me go back then. At the time, it was created by Perry Farrell as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction. So much for farewell - it ran for the next six years. Then it took a little hiatus, but came back in 2003. The results were not that great, and in 2004, ticket sales were so dismal that the shows had to be canceled altogether. In 2005, though, Farrell tried again, this... READ ON

Lots of folks are cutting back on vacations this summer, and some are staying home completely to save money. With the help of the internet, you can take a virtual tour of many tourist destinations, and also places you can only visit online. Some of these tours are interactive flash sites; others are not. 1. The Caves of... READ ON