Man, the news in the winter is weirder and more entertaining than it is most of the rest of the year. Here we go!
1. Dandong, China. This seems like a normal city in China. It sits in the south part of Liaoning in the Northeastern part of the country. About 2 million people, with high rises and so forth. Doesn't seem to be anything abnormal going on here.
But throw in the beginning of that end of the Great Wall, and a tedious border with North Korea, and all of a sudden; you have something interesting.
In Dandong, you'll find a lot of North Korean culture because of that border. Remember, not everyone has the same relationship with that country as we do, so they have trade. They have minor amounts of travel. There's a bridge that goes across the waterway to North Korea. You can buy North Korean products and food there. You can eat at North Korean restaurants. Everywhere you look, you see flags from both North Korea and China. It's pretty eerie for us Americans. North Korea is a country we are not allowed to visit.
So, if you want to take a look at North Korea, this could be for you. If you like to travel to off the beaten path places and do things like walk on the beginning of the Great Wall; this may be for you.
https://www.youngpioneertours.com/living-dandong-chinas-dangerous-city/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25452941
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dandong-china-north-korea-gateway
https://www.travelawaits.com/2976659/forbidden-peek-into-north-korea/
2. Skiing in Bulgaria. Bet you snow bunnies never thought of that, and if you did, good for you! With mountain ranges like Rila, Pirin, and the well known Balkans; they've got some hills and in the winter; they've got snow! Bulgaria is hoping to really start cashing in on some tourism, and this is one of the ways that they are. Skiers are starting to arrive from all over the world.
You can vacation at great resorts at Bansko, and Borovets, and more, and have a great time. They have varied runs for all levels of skiers and everything you might find at your other favorite ski resorts. Throw in the fact that it's still a bit exotic and isn't real expensive, and you've got a great find.
So, if you're a winter person; check out skiing in Bulgaria. You won't regret it.
https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/bulgaria/
https://www.ontheluce.com/whats-it-like-skiing-in-bulgaria/
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-skiing-in-bulgaria
https://www.weski.com/en-us/guides/skiing/bulgaria/highest-mountains
https://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-resorts/bulgaria-ski-holidays/
3. The Aurora Borealis in America. I went a couple of years ago to Iceland in January, because I wanted to see the northern lights. Since then, I've seen them all over where I live in the northeastern United States. I'd heard of sightings in Canada and Alaska for years, but never saw anything in my neck of the woods.
Recently, as in the last couple of years, there have been several times that geomagnetic storms have allowed people way farther south than normal see the northern lights. There are a couple of sites where you can follow the daily predictions for the storm event nights. Winter is the perfect time for viewing in general. Dark and cold seem to really bring those lights out.
So, check your websites and see what's predicted for your area. If you have a clear night and the heavens have a geomagnetic storm; you could see some great lights!
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast
https://www.softservenews.com/
https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/northern-lights-us-2024/
4. The great snowpocalypse, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2026. Less than two months. Over 18 feet of snow. When I saw all the videos on Instagram, I sent them to my friends reminding them that if they thought they were having a bad day; it could be worse. Some of them were AI, but some of them were the real deal. They all were pretty dramatic.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a remote area off the east coast of Siberia. It hangs out into the Pacific Ocean nearly in the Bering Sea. It gets cold there and winters are harsh, but wow. It hasn't seen this much snowfall in over 100 years. The most amazing part was that I saw several videos of people sliding down massive drifts and tunneling out of buildings as though it was almost entertaining. What a resilient people. And don't forget; they also have 29 volcanoes on that peninsula. Most of those are active, even if they aren't erupting right now.
So, if you thought you were having a bad day, imagine how you'd feel with that, even though a tiny smidge is AI. Enjoy that snow the way the Siberians do.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-buries-kamchatka/
https://www.dw.com/en/russia-snow-apocalypse-kamchatka-photos-pictures-snowstorm-victims/g-75580716
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/01/21/russia-snow-2026-photos/88281213007/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TdDe5GoSzUI
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c8e5901727zo
5. Paris has a cable car and it's called C1! What's the big deal you might ask? Overall, it's not. Porto has one, as does London, Gibraltar, and most of Switzerland. However, this wasn't a gimmick. Paris wanted to extend their public transit, but in the area that was designated; they couldn't dig more metro or build more tracks for trains. There was a bus, but they wanted something else.
Paris is always trying to extend their public transportation amidst their sprawling metropolis, so they did something easier than tunneling or fighting residents and zoning boards. They built the longest urban cable car in Europe. It's nearly three miles long and takes 18 minutes to ride from one end to the other. It's part of the mass transit system in the city and so far it's been a success.
Sure there have been some complaints about the potential for people to look through windows and stuff, but there will always be complaints with change. Lots of people are using it, and the city is already considering making more. You can ride it for the price of a metro ticket, so all aboard!
It's on the Creteil Route from Pointe du Lac to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and it has five stops and connects to Metro Line 8.
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/greater-paris-frist-urban-ropeway-cable-c1-opened/
https://www.dw.com/en/france-the-metro-of-the-skies/video-75455821
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqP4QipFCkc
There you have it. Some things from the news on this week's fast five! Hope you enjoyed it! If you'd like to see what I'm up to right now, check out my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon."
https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2025
Keep adventuring! Like & Subscribe! Enjoy winter!
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