This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

The solitary grave of a schooner captain killed by lightning while serving biscuits.

A museum and research center dedicated to preserving the history of Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars.

This iron and wood Civil War city-ship was the first vessel to be sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

A non-native grove of 241 redwoods in Southern California.

The watery grave of an impractical idea.

When ecosystems collide in the arid Southwest.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

Accessible only by boat, this centuries-old island fort never saw troops or combat.

This posh mansion began as a family's estate and ended as the site of a murder ripped from the pages of a pulp novel.

This site is both a remarkable reminder of the town's mining history and a fantastic government blooper.

A short hike into the mountainside forest reveals a decaying 1890s town.

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.

A boulder in the Churchyard of Down Cathedral marks the legendary burial place of "The Apostle of Ireland."

The former home of queer novelist Yoshiya Nobuko memorializes her contributions to modern-day manga.

A Saint Nicholas-themed ghost town in the Mojave desert.

The colossal cartoon man stands outside a Nevada museum.

Curiously, this large sporting goods store features 14 wax representations of American presidents.

A historic Civil War estate-turned-museum looks back on the Confederate States of America.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

The oldest lighthouse on America's west coast no longer needs keepers, yet they maintain the site anyhow.

This 18-foot-tall steel lotus is a meditation on ecological crisis that originally appeared at Burning Man.

Bill Murray bowled three straight strikes here at Reno's "Taj Mahal of Tenpins."