What is the Thing?

A stone pillar marking the location of the westernmost battle of the American Civil War only honors one side of the conflict.

A reproduction of earth's many biomes.

A charming, homemade vending machine dispenses burgers and sandwiches at this hole-in-the-wall bakery.

A salt lake dotted with steaming limestone chimneys.

Strange red rock formations that have been attributed to a higher power for hundreds of years.

Electrical pylon in the shape of Disney's beloved mouse.

The world's largest private aircraft collection.

The walls of America's oldest masonry fort famously "swallowed" cannonballs.

Launchpad for the US military’s dead mouse operation to battle millions of snakes.

Each year this Japanese temple overflows with scowling, bearded good luck talismans.

A trio of keyhole-shaped burial mounds restored to their ancient glory.

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.

This Buddhist temple is home to the graves of the Japanese national legends, the 47 Ronin.

A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.

A 70-foot-deep ice cave formed by lava from Mt. Fuji on the edge of Japan's "Suicide Forest." 

A beautiful waterway tucked in the corner of a power plant.

This small park holds what remains of a former prison and execution ground.

A shrine dedicated to a 10th-century samurai emperor, whose head is not buried on site (contrary to popular belief).

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

Not quite the menace it once was, this monster still has some chops.

This ordinary set of steps is a must-see destination for fans of a certain romantic anime.

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.