Let's Go To Florence On This Week's Fast Five!

 Once in a while, I get out and go someplace a little unusual.  My family and I decided to go to the NASCAR Chase Race at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina.  It was a great time and I learned a lot about Darlington and the town we stayed in, Florence!

1.    Fly FLO.  I love this airport!  I simply couldn't believe it when I saw it.  All 4 gates and the garage door that opens when there's a flight that comes in.  It's amazing.  This airport began in 1929, helped the postal service, was part of the military in WWII, and has endured.  Since 1990, it has been updating and becoming quite the little regional airport.  Do you fly American Airlines?  I hope so.  They're the only ones who fly here.

Oddly enough, this tiny airport has everything you need.  They have a baggage claim, 4 boarding gates, ticket counter, restrooms, 4 car rental counters, a fire department in case of emergency, TSA, Homeland Security, Sheriff's Department presence, and one of each of the pieces of equipment you need to load, unload, fuel, and maintain the planes.  They even have one set of stairs, since they have no jetway.

Just under 50,000 people come through this tiny airport each year.  They have a library, mini market, business center, drone center, snacks to buy, and parking.  It's amazing.  The airport is also used by small planes, if you happen to have one.  Anyway, some of the smallest commercial jets I've ever seen fly in there from American Eagle and it's quite an adventure.

https://flyflo.com/  

https://www.facebook.com/flyflo.us/  

https://aeronautics.sc.gov/airports/florence-rgnl-airport  

https://www.expedia.com/lp/airports/flo/flights-from-florence-regional-airport  

https://businessviewmagazine.com/florence-regional-airport/   

2.    The Mars Bluff Incident.  This is the kind of history that I can never get enough of.  This is such a quiet area of South Carolina that you wouldn't imagine anything much ever goes on there.  Wrong!  Back in 1958 our government was out messing around with a nuclear bomb of all things, on a training flight, and there was an incident.

The Air Force was flying through the area when there was a problem with some of the devices attached to a nuclear bomb they were transporting.  Long story short; something jammed, one of the crew and the bomb fell onto the bay doors.  It was a trainee, and he managed to stay in the plane.  Not the bomb.  Fortunately, the core was stored separately on the plane, but the bomb detonated in Mars Bluff.  The crater is about 75 feet wide and 30 feet deep.  It destroyed a local man's house in the blast, even though it was not nuclear.  What a story!

Today, the crater still exists with some markers and such in the area.  There's an exhibit about it at the local museum which was fascinating.  We saw the trail that leads to the crater, but it looked like it might go through someone's personal property, so we didn't actually walk to it.  This was the best story I'd heard of since I heard about the B-52 crash on Elephant Mountain in Greenville, Maine.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mars-bluff-crater   

https://www.flocomuseum.org/featured-objects/mars-bluff-bomb/   

https://www.islands.com/1725985/mars-bluff-atomic-crater-south-carolina-accidental-fascinating-blend-history-mystery/   

https://supersabresociety.org/this_time_in_history/today-in-history-march-11-1958-b-47-accidently-drops-nuclear-bomb-on-house-in-mars-bluff-sc/  

https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article290616594.html   

3.    The Waffle House.  This is a time honored tradition when visiting a place that has one.  This is a wonder created in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia.  They now have 2,000 locations in 25 states.  They aren't in mine, so when I'm around one, I go at least once.

Waffle House is that fabulous 24 hour a day 365 day a year place where you can get breakfast anytime.  They do have other food during the day, but breakfast is what they're famous for.  And, you have to have a waffle.  Just sayin'.  Right now, they have a cinnamon crunch waffle that I tried and it is to die for.

But that's not the only reason to go to Waffle House.  One of the things they're known for is being lively.  To this day they will greet you with boisterous hospitality.  The staff will smile and chat with everyone.  You get that old time diner experience where they shout the order to the kitchen which is right in the main room.  It's fun, delicious and always open.  Never miss out on a Waffle House experience.

https://order.wafflehouse.com/menu/waffle-house-751   

https://www.wafflehouse.com/   

https://www.eater.com/2017/5/2/15471798/waffle-house-history-menu   

https://dekalbhistory.org/blog-posts/waffle-house-history-a-dekalb-original/   

https://wafflehousetracker.com/history   

4.    Florence, South Carolina.  This was a truly interesting and delightful town.  Actually, it's a city of 40,000 people, but it feels like a town.  I was duly impressed by the airport alone, but there was so much more.  This town went through an economic crisis.  I don't know what it was, but they're on their way back.  Wild guess; industry moved out or closed down.

It has a few colleges, including Francis Marion University which has been there since 1970 and has just under 5,000 students annually.  Other things that keep the city going are the headquarters of QVC, a Honda plant, and a hub for Otis Elevator amongst other businesses.  It is a county seat in the Pee Dee Region of the state.  The city was founded in 1890 and has been there ever since.  They have a hospital and medical center.  They actually have a lot of things.  You can see downtown in particular, a lot of unused buildings and can tell that the town had some tough times, but they're really coming back with a new lease on life.

We visited several businesses downtown and ate some great food throughout the city.  They have a busy mall and all kinds of other shopping.  As I said, they have an airport and a Buc-ee's to keep everyone busy.  They have Florence Center for concerts and such.  It's a very busy city these days, and the free museum is beautiful, nicely presented and a great place to visit.

Then, there's the other stuff.  There are between 30 and 40 hotels in this town.  They have their own short track for racing there and some minor league and college league sports.  Twice a year, there's a NASCAR Race At Darlington and Florence is probably where you'll stay.  We ran into race team employees at our hotel.  It's a thriving spot these days in Florence.  Do I recommend a stay there?  They have an accidental bomb crater and a Buc-ee's.  You need to check this place out.

https://www.cityofflorencesc.gov/   

https://discoversouthcarolina.com/florence

https://visitflo.com/   

https://peedeetourism.com/florence-county/   

https://www.southernliving.com/florence-sc-8715659   

5.    Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina.  It's "the track too tough to tame."  It's been a racing venue for 75 years.  It's history, meets, modern day, meets excitement.  I don't go to many NASCAR races, but when my husband and son asked me if I wanted to meet up and go, I couldn't resist.  This track is egg shaped.  It's a 1 1/3 miles.  It's one of the oldest existing venues in NASCAR.  So, when you visit this one, you get history to go with your race.

We went to both the O'Reilly Series race on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Chase Race on Sunday and it was fabulous.  There was shopping for merch, there was a lot of food and drink, there were activities and trivia games, there were people everywhere, and there was noise.  It was exciting and we had great seats right at the start/finish line.  If you want to see a NASCAR race and you don't have the time or whatever to see a bunch of them; this may be the venue for you.  It was a lot of fun and I would happily do that one again.  If you go, make sure you get your tickets and your accommodations early.  This place sells out.

https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/75th-anniversary/   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54200-d1961300-Reviews-Darlington_Raceway-Darlington_South_Carolina.html   

https://www.nascar.com/  

https://www.nascar.com/standings/nascar-oreilly-auto-parts-series/   

https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/   

There you have it.  If you ever thought about making that trek to Darlington, and by means of needing a place to stay and an airport; Florence, give it a try.  We had a wonderful time, discovered a city I'd never given a single thought to visiting, and saw some great racing.  One thing I did learn though.  Don't take an umbrella to a NASCAR Race.  They will confiscate it.

I will be posting some videos about my experiences on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon."  That's me!

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026  

Remember, always keep adventuring, always be willing to try something new, and Enjoy!

Wow! Here's Some Weird Stuff For This Week's Fast Five!

 I love hearing about strange places and strange histories and just plain strange stuff.  So here you go!  Here's five things that suddenly fascinated me, and some of them for all the wrong reasons!

1.    The Bra Fence, Iceland.  I don't care how you look at this one, it's unusual.  This fence is at a farmer's house along the Ring Road, Route 1 in Southern Iceland, between Seljalandfoss and Skogafoss Waterfalls.  What is this all about?  The short story is, no one is quite sure.

It started back in 2012.  The farmer reportedly awoke one day to find several bras strewn along the fence.  He left them there.  Why?  No one knows.  Since then, it's become a thing, and now we have the bra fence.  People stop by and leave bras and the area of fence that's covered has grown over the years.  What's the draw?  I don't know.  It may be like stapling a dollar at a beach bar in the Caribbean or something else.  It's hard to tell.  Feel free to leave a bra, but don't leave underwear or gloves.  The farmer will take those down.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/south-icelands-bra-fence   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g15145656-d21121559-Reviews-Bra_Fence-Holt_Westfjords_Region.html   

https://www.facebook.com/groups/422335988214633/posts/2549362845511926/   

https://www.funiceland.is/news/posts/2018/september/the-bra-fence-is-gaining-popularity/   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbcfk26AF2U   

2.    Ruterberg.  If you like the obscure, this is it.  Ruterberg is in Germany.  That's the short version.  The real story is really weird.  Have you ever felt invisible?  This place did.

Back in the day; I mean those days after WWII.  Germany had issues.  They'd just tried to commit genocide and pretty much pissed off most of the world, and after the war, they were divided.  This fact doesn't escape pretty much anyone; however, Ruterberg was all but forgotten in the fray.

This village sits along the Elba River, which was a border between East and West for a long time.  The village sat in a particular area that was just in the bend of the river, to the point that the borders were drawn all around it, but they weren't included in either side.  There was even a fence around it for years.  Were they the East or the West?  Neither one made a point of claiming them.  Years down the road in 1989 they declared their independence as their own republic on November 8th, 1989.  Well, the next day a little thing happened and the Berlin Wall was felled.  At this point, they are in Germany, but are they a republic or not?  Interesting question, and I'm not sure anyone truly knows the answer to that.

https://www.visit-mv.com/destinations/a-heimatstube-rueterberg   

https://www.militaryhistories.co.uk/locations/view/61   

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/poi/mecklenburg-schwerin/rueterberg-village-republic-1967-1989/14864214/   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQTJTpbTaco   

3.  Slope Cars of Japan.  How do I describe these?  Have you ever been out and needed to go up a hill but really didn't want to climb it?  In Japan that's not a problem.  The slope car is this one of a kind device that can be a monorail, funicular, or cog rail type car that takes you up and if you like, down a hill.  

These cars are all over the country, although one of the most famous ones is in Nagasaki.  Some have several seats, some have a single seat.  Most are self operated and free to use.  There are over 80 of these cars in the country.  Weird, yes?  They were created for people's convenience in the 1960's.  So, if you have mobility issues and need to go up a hill in Japan; this could be for you.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1121493-d11867641-Reviews-Hikosan_Slope_Car_Hanaeki-Soeda_machi_Tagawa_gun_Fukuoka_Prefecture_Kyushu.html   

https://www.discover-nagasaki.com/en/sightseeing/65004   

https://enjoy-kyushu.com/column/fukuoka/usefulinformation/4260.html   

https://web-japan.org/trends/11_tech-life/tec202403_vehicle.html   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgGQXEXVTrc  

4.    Gracie Mansion, Carl Schurz Park, New York City, NY.  You might not have any idea why anyone would give a hoot about this house.  Looking at it, I wondered about that too, but it's a special place.

Since 1942, every single mayor of New York City, except Michael Bloomberg, has lived in this house.  It was originally built in 1799.  It used to be Belleview Mansion and at one point it burned down.  It went through being for many things, and at one point, became Gracie Mansion, and in 1942 it became the home of the mayor.  How unusual is that?

That's not the best part.  This house sits in Carl Schurz Park.  If you know anything about this park, which I didn't until I visited it last week, it's a public park with amazing views of the East River, Roosevelt Island, Queens and beyond.  It's amazing.  It's a huge park with beautiful spots and facilities for playing and so on.  In the middle of it lives the mayor.  The house is accessed off the end of 88th Street, and the Astoria Ferry arrives just north of it at the end of 90th Street.  It's a great spot.

There's just one thing.  This park sits on top of FDR Drive.  It makes a tunnel for the busy road and the entire park, mansion, and everything is on top of a tunnel.  Wow.

https://www.graciemansion.org/   

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/carl-schurz-park/highlights/12329   

https://nylandmarks.org/explore-ny/gracie-mansion-yorkville-manhattan/   

https://historichousetrust.org/houses/gracie-mansion/   

https://www.ferry.nyc/   

5.    The Ghostbusters Firehouse.  This is the Hook & Ladder Company 8 in Manhattan.  Yes, it's a real firehouse and it's in operation today.  If you ever wondered, was it a real firehouse?  Is it currently filled with firemen?  Yes.  It's also a very popular quick stop for tourists in New York City.

Face it, we've all seen Ghostbusters.  We all loved it.  It's one of the most beloved movie franchises in modern history.  I don't even know how many people stop by here on their visit to New York, but it's a lot.  I had never been there until recently, and the day I stopped by, it was crowded.  The building has been there since 1903, even though it was refurbished a few years back.  Don't worry; it still looks like the old Ghostbusters headquarters inside.

The firefighters at this company are thrilled to be so closely associated with Ghostbusters.  They have a lot of fun with it.  They are always cordial to the tourists and if they aren't busy fighting a fire, they might just take you on a tour.  You can use the 1 subway to Franklin Street for your visit.  Once you exit the subway just put it in your Google maps and it will guide you right to it.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ghostbusters-firehouse   

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3728839-Reviews-GhostBusters_Firehouse_Company_8-New_York_City_New_York.html   

https://www.thefilmtripper.com/blog/ghostbustersfirehouse   

https://www.ghostbusters.com/   

https://www.untappedcities.com/ghostbusters-1984-nyc-filming-locations/   

I love strange stuff and I wanted to share some of it with you!  If you like, check out a YouTube Channel called "What On Earth Is This?"  He has good weird stuff.  I also like "The Tim Traveller."  If you'd like to see what I'm up to check out my YouTube Channel "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon."  That's Me!

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026   

Check in next week and see whatever I might come up with!  I'm traveling this weekend, so you never know what I might find!  Thanks for joining me! Enjoy!

This Week's Fast Five is Less Fun & More Things You Should Be Aware Of!

 When you are well traveled, you realize that there are things going on in the world that as an American in the United States, you may not hear about.  What the media sometimes fails to understand is that as a global society, what goes on in the far reaches of the world may impact our lives right here.  So, today I bring you a few things that hopefully you haven't missed, but unfortunately in the United States you may have.

1.    What are the Kuril Islands?  If you were to look at the pictures I've placed here, you'd probably liken them to the Faroe Islands or something like that and think that it couldn't possibly impact your life.  Surprise!  The Kuril Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific/ Sea of Okhotsk between Russia and Japan.  Did that get your attention?  It should.

There was never a formally accepted peace treaty between these two countries after WWII, because out of this chain of islands, Russia and Japan couldn't agree on who owned four of them.  There's been tension there ever since.  Tension, Japan, Russia.  Think about that.

Fortunately, it was an ignored issue for decades, but recently, Russia decided to up the ante so to speak.  Russia is having troubles in its war with Ukraine.  There's also a lot going on there that we don't hear about.  As Americans, we don't dare get directly involved in that or there will be a large war.  However, a certain Russian President suddenly decided to visit these disputed islands for the first time ever and it's set off a firestorm of public rhetoric.  Where is that going?  No one knows for sure, but the flame has been ignited.

As a public supporter of both Taiwan and Ukraine, Japan now kind of sits in the hot seat between China and Russia.  You should be aware of that.

https://www.youtube.com/@PulsePointReport  

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v07p2/d167   

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/18/kuril-islands-putin-takaichi-dispute-japan-russia-northern-territories   

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/eurasia/explainer-putin-s-1st-kuril-islands-visit-what-is-the-territorial-dispute-between-japan-russia/4026281   

https://www.mzunguexpeditions.com/kuril_islands_2025_en  

2.    What's up with Indonesian Ferries?  That might seem like an odd question, however there have been multiple incidents with these ferries recently.  I know of at least three incidents with the Bali/Indonesia ferries.  Weather capsized one, Weather sank another and fire caused one to have everyone abandon ship.  Why do I bring this up?

Those ferries run through 19 different operators and cover 36 routes.  They are a normal way to get around and if you travel on a budget like I do, you might use them to get around if you happen to be traveling in the area.  Everyone loves to go to Bali and it's one of the best ways to go if you're in Indonesia.

Is there a problem?  For reasons passing my understanding, boats catch fire and no one can put them out.  They are on water.  I don't get it.  It happens.  Weather around Indonesia during this season can be extremely unpredictable due to monsoon season and other conditions.  Does this mean that the ferry operators are lax or not to be trusted?  Not as far as I can see.  Sometimes things just happen.  I remember times over the years that planes seemed to crash right and left, and it wasn't anything in a pattern or from neglect, so that leads me to think that maybe stuff just happens.  However, I thought that you all should know just in case it might affect a trip you're planning.

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/g-s1-136858/blaze-indonesian-passenger-ferry   

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/passengers-rescued-as-second-ferry-in-days-catches-fire-in-indonesia/article71335131.ece   

https://voi.id/en/economy/590595   

https://openferry.com/destinations/indonesia?  

https://www.netferry.com/ferries/from/indonesia/indonesia   

3.    Have you heard about the AI Heaven that was created in China and went viral online?  This was amazing.  Why do I mention it?  for one reason; not all news should be bad.  For another, I think that the combination of the person who created it and the fact that it went viral might give us a little insight into how the Chinese might view heaven.

It was created by what's called an Optical Shop by a Chen Aijun, and it is beautiful.  This 30 second snippet lets us see his view of heaven.  Over 5 million views, people.  Was it Chinese people or all around the world?  I don't know the ratio, just the ball park total.  I saw it.  It was serene and gorgeous, but I probably would have liked more waterfalls.  That's just me.

What does this mean to anyone?  It's just a potential view into the psyche of Chinese people.  They're reported as Communist, which means no religion.  However, we all know that there are various temples all over the country.  Just something to ponder and a beautiful video to watch.  It also may just be a reminder that people are people no matter where they live.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1785622403215644  

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368856.shtml   

https://inelda.org/the-chinese-approach-to-death-and-dying/   

https://orcasia.org/the-mandate-of-heaven-then-and-now   

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czepw096wy4o   

4.    Who are the Houthis?  Excellent question.  What do you know about Yemen?  I didn't even know that their capital is Sanaa.  However, this one is good to know.  The Houthis appeared in the 1990's.  That's a long time ago, right?  They control parts of Yemen, including that capital and carry a lot of weight in the region.  If you've ever been told not to go to Yemen, this pseudo civil war is probably why.  It reminds me of the Taliban and Afghanistan.

This group is militant and does physical, military style, guerrilla attacks on certain entities.  The latest one this year is against the Saudi Oil Trade.  They've been disrupting the oil channels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the continents of Europe and Asia.  Military action, blockades and so on.

What does this mean to people from the United States?  If you've been watching, oil has been an issue lately.  Iran, Venezuela, Russia and on and on.  Throw Saudi Arabia into the mix and there's just more trouble.  I know what people say.  They say that's why we need electric cars.  Have you ever looked at all the everyday items we use that are oil products?  This affects all of us.  Oh yeah, they're on Iran's side too.  You need to be informed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-yemen-houthis-war.html   

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/08/25/how-the-houthis-have-become-the-most-fearsome-of-irans-allies  

https://mei.edu/backgrounder/the-houthis/  

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-yemen   

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChasDMjXYn_oyoKlDSSB39w   

5.    What is the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement?  From what I can tell, this is what happens when some of those Middle Eastern countries get sick and tired of it all.  This is one we all need to know about.  These are three strategically placed countries and Pakistan is even a nuclear power.  

What's happening is that the United States is becoming less reliable as the world's peacekeeper (sorry, it's just true), so these three decided to join forces in a NATO style pact.  I just mentioned the troubles the the Saudis are having with the Houthis.  Pakistan has always had troubles with India.  Turkey borders Syria, Iraq, and particularly Iran with all the latest shenanigans there.  Together, they will become a force.  Would I attack any of them?  Not now, much less after the Mecca Agreement.  Attack one, responds all.

This is new.  It doesn't mean that the United States will be in an animous relationship with any of these countries.  Historically, we get along with them pretty well as Middle Eastern relations go.  However, you should be aware of this.  What goes on in the Middle East often comes home to America.  We are at war in Iran right now.  You should know.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/17/trump-hails-mecca-pact-can-it-replace-the-regions-us-security-umbrella   

https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/mecca-agreement-why-saudi-arabia-turkey-and-pakistan-teamed-historical-moment  

https://freedomhouse.org/country/saudi-arabia   

https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/turkey.html   

https://pakconsulatela.org/about-pakistan/   

I know this isn't my normal blog, but in my defense; there are things we should know.  Everything here, with the possible exception of the Chines AI Heaven, can directly affect our lives here in the United States.  War affects us.  Oil disruption affects us.  Global relations affect us.  Even ferry transportation can affect us.  Just because Russia isn't bugging us, doesn't mean that what goes on with them and Japan is unimportant.  It's better to be informed than surprised.  This is also why I advocate travel as education; which is why you might want to know about the ferries.  If you've never gone out and looked at the world; you may not be aware of what no one will publicly tell you.  It's important.

If you'd like to see something more light hearted and what I'm up to right now; check out my YouTube Channel; Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon.  That's Me!

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026  

Thanks to so many of you for reading my little blog!  See you next week!  Get out there and see the world!  Enjoy!