An unlikely beach paradise of giant sand dunes lies between two lakes just a few minutes from Michigan's cherry country.

The most northerly active sand dunes in the world have some very rare botanical residents.

This shifting North Carolina sand dune is an odd little desert surrounded by oceanic forest life.

A miniature desert appears out of nowhere on the lush isle of Lemnos, like something out of a Greek myth.

Massive mounds of golden sand look like a desert landscape randomly plopped in an Arctic forest.

This tiny patch of arid sand sits in one of the greenest states in the United States.

This old-fashioned roadhouse's quirky neon sign is as famous as its enormous dumplings.

An abandoned desert hamlet swallowed up by sand.

L.A.'s oldest operating bowling alley is a beautifully restored homage to its speakeasy days.

A beautiful ruin of a 14th-century Plantagenet castle built by a medieval mercenary.

This small town's local tradition is to create the world's tallest ice pillar.

Beneath a Virginia City bar is the entrance to an abandoned gold mine.

This cave system allegedly holds the "metallic library" of a lost ancient civilization.

This medieval sanctuary's tree-framed door looks like a portal to a mythical realm.

The home of Ireland's last leprechauns is officially protected by the European Union.

According to local lore, this narrow passageway through two large rocks was accidentally created by the devil himself.

A beloved carnival gets a modern makeover in Los Angeles.

The verdant mossy ruins of a Franciscan monastery lie in the remote Sintra hills awaiting exploration.

An engineering error ensured this cavernous 350-foot-long subterranean thoroughfare was never used as intended.

On this wooded path, a stained-glass window creates a spellbinding forest cathedral.

This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

After visiting hours, this picturesque waterfall is essentially turned "off" to be used for hydroelectric power.

The longest continuous lava tube in the continental U.S. offers 2.5 miles of dark explorations for the adventurous.

Limestone caves with spectacular showcase chambers.