We first came across the Sultana Bar in downtown Williams, Arizona whilst crossing the United States by train a few years ago. What first caught the eye was a worn looking neon sign in the shape of a martini glass advertising ‘cocktails’ and ‘package goods’. If you ever see the […]
This week, we’re setting sail for a little known island, home to an abandoned Civil War prison, and links to the Lincoln assassination conspiracy. Far flung desert islands often capture the imagination as idyllic places to escape to. But there is an island the Gulf of Mexico that is so […]
In a land as vast as Russia, one wonders what abandoned places are lying out there waiting to be discovered. There are stories of entire mining towns in Siberia that have been left completely deserted, or fields filled with Soviet-era aircraft and tanks, simply left to rust. In little visited […]
Quite possibly one of the most unsettling bars in the world can be found on top of a beautiful mountain in Bavaria. The setting is majestic: spectacular sweeping views over the mountains looking towards Austria should provide the perfect backdrop to a cold glass of Müchner Sommer pilsner. But the […]
Here at the SGE, we love coming across people or groups who share our passion for exploring, history and adventure. In this edition of The Fellow Explorer’s Club, we caught up with The Empire Explorer, which is fast becoming our favourite resource for discovering New York State. When most people […]
Ask any discerning New Yorker, “light or dark?”, and they will know straight away you’re talking about McSorley’s Old Ale House. Tucked away in the East Village, the venerable institution has quenched the thirst of everyone from Abraham Lincoln to the lower denizens of the Bowery since 1854. There’s only […]
The setting could be any small village in France: winding lanes filled with teal shuttered cottages, a charming main square with a small school, café and boulangerie, and a church whose bells have beckoned the villagers to Mass for over seven hundred years. The only thing missing are people. We’re […]
The Sherlock Holmes pub on Northumberland Street near London’s Trafalgar Square, is much like many of the countless other pubs in the capital. That is until you venture upstairs! Where in the dining room, you’ll find yourself magically transported to 221b, Baker Street and a life sized replica of the […]
The World’s Fairs used to capture the public’s imagination. From the millions who attended such iconic Fairs as the ones held in New York in 1939-40 and 1964-65, to the nostalgia they’re viewed with today, the World’s Fairs were where people could catch glimpses of a better world; seeing such […]
As every local New Yorker knows, a visit to Times Square is about as appealing as a rush hour subway ride. But amidst the millions of visitors that throng here the year round, there is one tiny oasis where one can escape the maddening crowds. Hidden away on West 44th […]
At first, the church looks like a centuries old Gothic ruin: the stained glass windows are missing, as are the roof and spire. Left open to the elements, a fine layer of grass covers the floor where the aisle, pews and pulpit would have once been. You’d think you’d stepped […]
In the Society Archives the other day, we were looking at a map of New York City from 1909, and noticed something unusual. The familiar Avenues ran up and down the island, from 1st to 12th, including some of the most famous streets in the world – Madison, Park, Fifth. […]