Michael Inscoe's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Lille, France

Monument to Carrier Pigeons

This statue honors the thousands of Allied avians that served and died for France during World War I.
Hartford, Connecticut

Flood 1936 Marker

A tiny memorial for the year the Connecticut River almost destroyed New England.
Yaiza, Spain

Green Lagoon

This beautifully verdant lagoon is tucked below a massive volcano in a crater atop a black pebble beach.
Hartlepool, England

Heugh Gun Battery Memorial Tablet

This memorial honors the first British soldier killed by enemy action on home soil during World War I.
Kabul, Afghanistan

Marjan the Lion Memorial

This monument honors the life of a long-suffering lion whose story captivated the world.
West Yellowstone, Montana

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

The residents at this Yellowstone wildlife park will certify your cooler as "bear-proof."
Szatmárcseke, Hungary

Szatmárcseke Calvinist Cemetery

Hundreds of boat-shaped headstones fill this graveyard as part of a centuries-old custom with mysterious origins.
Vancouver, British Columbia

Cambie Climbing Tree

Locals transformed this Canadian evergreen into a secret hangout with spectacular views of Vancouver's skyline.
Landers, California

The Dream Wanderer

Mediums from a psychic utopian community lead a trippy VR journey on a parked desert bus.
Washington, D.C.

Navy Yard Railroad Gun

One of the largest artillery pieces in the world sits in a Washington D.C. parking lot.
Battsengel, Mongolia

Taikhar Rock

People have been scribbling on this massive chunk of granite for more than 1,500 years.
Edwards Air Force Base, California

Edwards AFB Satellite Calibration Targets

These colossal desert barcodes have been fine-tuning spy satellites for decades.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar Sniper Tower

A former bank seized as a sniper vantage point during the Bosnian War is now a secret graffiti art gallery.
Ine, Japan

Funaya of Ine

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.
Beltsville, Maryland

Smokey Bear Archive

The Forest Service's surprisingly sophisticated collection of wildfire prevention art features America's most beloved bear.
Santo Stefano Quisquina, Italy

Teatro Andromeda

Gorgeous views of Italian mountains and valleys form the backdrop of this unique open-air theater.
Green River, Utah

Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel

This gallery of prehistoric red ochre art lines the wall of a scenic segment in Utah's San Rafael Swell.
Ise, Japan

Ise Grand Shrine

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.
Anoka, Minnesota

Anoka State Hospital

For over a century, it was a crucial center of mental health treatment and also the source of many local legends.
Alaior, Spain

Torre d'en Galmes

This remarkable prehistoric town is full of watchtowers and houses that have withstood thousands of years.
Seattle, Washington

Hat 'n' Boots

Seattle's super-sized cowboy apparel once belonged to a themed gas station that wrangled in herds of tourists.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Toleration Statue

Contrary to popular belief, this secluded statue doesn't represent Pennsylvania's founder.
Steyl, Netherlands

Mission Museum Steyl

This massive collection of taxidermy is full of specimens collected by missionaries during their international travels.
Seattle, Washington

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

This graveyard contains markers and monuments dedicated to some of the darkest chapters in Washington's history.