Occasionally I like to document websites and social media accounts that I’ve come across that I find fun, interesting and informative. What follows is the latest bunch of websites that I’d like to spotlight.
Roadside America
The Roadside America Project spotlights unusual attractions, statues, museums and oddities across the United States. The project is also on Facebook and has a Facebook fan group.
Terrible Maps
Terrible Maps is a website that makes amusing maps to illustrate differences in regions of the U.S. and the world. It also is on Facebook and X.
Rundown Buildings
The Rundown Buildings account on Instagram shows the transformation of houses, stores and abandoned places over time. Often things get worse but sometimes they improve. The website uses photos from Google Street View.
Jakexploring
The Jakexploring account on Instagram also uses Google Street View photos as well as others to show changes to businesses, homes and attractions over time.
Jozi vs. Jozi
In a similar vein, the now-deleted Twitter/X account Jozi vs. Jozi showed the decline of businesses and neighborhoods in Johannesburg, South Africa, over 10 to 15 years.
Jozi vs. Jozi lives on in archived news articles. (See reports by Times Live and Mail and Guardian in South Africa.)
Old Maps Online
Old Maps Online allows web users to browse historical places and see maps with timelines, including the U.S.
Flightradar24
Flightradar24 tracks airplanes currently in flight and the skies look pretty darn crowded.
