At this research institute, the chile is king.

Some of the Old West's most notorious outlaws frequented this mining town.

In the middle of a desert subdivision, there is supposedly an impact crater site from Kcymaerxthaereal times.

The final resting place of the living embodiment of the famous Forest Service symbol.

The U.S. Air Force has an anti-satellite laser weapon.

When life gave this firefighter a forest fire, he made a rough-hewn sculpture park using a chainsaw.

A blacklight journey through a celestial art exhibit.

A wealth of pop culture statuary and green chile dishes give this roadside restaurant clout.

Buried beneath the New Mexico sands are believed to be millions of copies of Atari's E.T. video game.

A half-acre utopia in the New Mexico desert features a graveyard, a game of horseshoes, a library, and a mailbox.

More than 21,000 images fill this overlooked gem of a prehistoric site.

Life-sized sculpture of a blue whale made of hand-recycled plastic trash.

The world's first commercial spaceport is a disappointment of cosmic proportions.

This pseudo-steampunk weapons facility is the world's largest wood and glue structure, and packs quite a wallop.

A sprawling collection of over 106,000 toys from around the world.

The official atomic museum of the United States explores the explosive and productive history of a much maligned energy source.

The old Route 66 town straddling Texas and New Mexico died along with the Main Street of America.

Twice a year, visitors can tour the desolate site that birthed the Atomic Age.

Giant origami sculptures tucked into desert scenery beckon passers-by to explore further.

This fast-food outlet is the only space and UFO-themed McDonalds in the world.

Legends surround this jagged rock formation in the New Mexico desert.

These aggressively sustainable art homes look like something out of 1970's science fiction.

A clear blue swimming hole with hidden caves, still unexplored.

If drivers cross the rumble strip on this stretch of Route 66 at just the right speed it plays "America the Beautiful."