A curious whirlpool formation supposedly capable of entangling or engulfing branches, tree trunks, or whole rafts full of hapless tourists.

This former maximum-security prison is creepy, sobering, and supposedly haunted.

Railroad came. People came. Railroad left. Town died.

Enormous lake at the bottom of a unique cave system.

A mountaintop space observatory that is certified dark.

One man has spent decades faithfully constructing this unique brick and cinderblock castle.

An eerie site of reverence for those who have completed an epic journey.

This building contains handprints that are well over a century old.

A historic gristmill that still produces flour and grits the old-fashioned way.

This lovely burial mound is actually a replica that was installed after archeologists excavated the original.

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

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

A 315-foot spire jutting out from the Blue Ridge Mountains makes for breathtaking views.

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

The wooden house where the jazz great learned to play the piano.

This historic church houses the grave of a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Waterloo.

The author's beautiful and historic home is also a fully functioning goat farm.

The sole remaining outpost of a once-thriving South Carolina chain still sells “pic-a-nic” baskets.

All that's left of the quintessential "cabin in the woods."

The remains of the iconic train crash from the movie The Fugitive can still be found rusting along the Great Smoky Railroad.

Hidden amid a collection of trails is the site of a tragic crash.

Despite being burnt down multiple times, the ruins of this South Carolina church are still standing.

One man's extraordinary topiary garden in a small South Carolina town.

Two men built this castle on the Florida coast as an artistic “landscape sculpture.”