This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

The stone labyrinth in this New Orleans city park was laid to symbolize healing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

This Art Deco airport was once deemed “the air hub of the Americas.”

A hurricane-stricken oak tree has been reborn as a beautiful chainsaw artwork.

Despite the ever pressing encroachment of urban sprawl this grand New Orleans manse still stands.

Tiny historical streetcars wind through a small scale version of Crescent City in this whimsical train garden.

The world-record holder for the longest bridge stretching continuously over water.

A museum of unusual collections, mini-towns, and a half-dog, half-alligator.

An eerie and beautiful group of columns mark the site of a grand mansion lost to time and fire.

This racially troublesome eatery thought a new coat of paint could erase its offensive connotations.

A Cajun-style Christmas on the river also involves sky-high pyres and explosives.

A 19th-century Gothic, castle-like statehouse by the Mississippi River.

“The Cajun Music Capital of the World” has kept things French in a Louisiana prairie town for over 75 years.

For 150 years one family has been producing the iconic hot sauce on a bayou island made of salt.

A swamp and garden tour featuring local wildlife and exotic botanical specimens from around the world.

A miscalculation turns a very shallow freshwater lake into a very deep saltwater lake.

This failed condo development was reborn as a street art hub.

Austin’s local mountain isn’t really a mountain at all.

Roadside Americana, fairy tale characters, and Austin quirkiness come together at this magical course in the heart of Texas' capital city.

Home to an endangered salamander, a full moon celebration, and a large spring-fed outdoor swimming pool.

This simple frog painting created by musician Daniel Johnston embodies the spirit of Austin.

The only rotating bar in New Orleans has been slowly spinning since 1949.

This New Orleans tree is filled with hidden chimes that produce a carefully tuned melody.

A collection of oddities including Dr. Kevorkian's suicide device, the Thanatron.