1The Strange Brain of the World’s Greatest Solo Climber. If you have yet to see National Geographic’s award-winning documentary “Free Solo,” I highly recommend it. It will make your palms sweat, or give you vertigo, or both! The story is about Alex Honnold, the first rock climber to scale Yosemite’s sheer-faced Half Dome without a rope. Talk about nerves of steel, and seemingly a guy with a death wish. There is now a verb named after him, ‘honnolding.’ It means you are in some scary, precarious place with your back to the wall, facing your fear. Yikes! So why can Alex do what most cannot? The key resides in his brain. It seems he does not have the same stress response as us mere mortals. I dare you to watch the trailer for “Free Solo,” then read the article about how his brain works.
2Tony Stark’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Cabin is Available on Airbnb. So ‘Avengers’ fans outed Airbnb when they made a side-by-side photo comparison of a listing that looked strikingly similar to Tony Stark’s getaway cabin. Who has that kind of time??? At any rate, it is the cabin from the film, and you too can have an ‘Avengers’ experience for $800 a night, albeit a more rustic experience sans cool ‘Avengers’ gear, along with a good chance of seeing snakes and spiders. (See this article’s companion story, number seven below.)
3Beautiful Libraries Around the World Every Booklover Should Visit. It is a booklover’s dream to venture into a library. Bet you never thought to make it part of your world tour itinerary. The Trinity College Old Library in Dublin, Ireland looks like something out of ‘Harry Potter.’
4This Glow-in-the-Dark Zip Line Course Really ‘Lit’ Up Our Night. Hey, New Yorkers! If you did not get to leave the city for the holiday weekend, you can still have a super fun adventure that is right at your doorstep on Long Island. Try zip-lining through light-covered trees at night.