This fallen red oak tree has been transformed into a piece of trailside art.

A hidden beach at the end of a tunnel of mangrove trees.

A retired tobacco farmer's pet project turned into a sturdy miniature city.

In a pedestrian tunnel on North Carolina State’s campus resides an expressive and artistic free-for-all.

This research center for rare prosimians is studying how they sleep to help prolong human life.

One of the few surviving original NASCAR dirt-track speedways.

An abandoned Victorian house transformed into a museum and store filled with taxidermy and vintage goods.

This former factory has been transformed into a technicolor wonderland, where dozens of local artists have collaborated to create a real choose-your-own-adventure experience.

The highest point in Tennessee, Clingmans Dome bears witness to the ravages of one type of insect.

Who needs fancy modern water slides when this giant North Carolina rock works just as well?

A sculptor's dream castle turned fantastical ruin.

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.

A wedding chapel, vintage clothing shop, and bar all under one roof.

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

Curios, scientific antiques, oddities for sale.

A technicolor place of worship for Elevationists.

This modern antique shop is a museum for 1980's Saturday morning cartoon culture.

The haunting "Hell House Altar" is one of the few remnants of an abandoned college that has been a magnet for local legends.

Given just one more year to live, Conrad Schuck built his dream house in Bartow, Florida.

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.

A wonderful display of arts and crafts handmade by local artisans in the Southern Appalachians.

Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.

This rare basilica nestled right in downtown Asheville is an architectural marvel, inside and out.

Traditional Appalachian dances such as the Georgia Rang Tang and the Shoo-Fly Swing are kept alive at this weekly event.