The highest point in North Carolina and the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell is named after argumentative explorer Elisha Mitchell.

A curious collection of oddities including a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair and Harry Houdini's ouija board.

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

A sculptor's dream castle turned fantastical ruin.

One of the best places to see feral Colonial Spanish Mustangs in the United States.

The eerie ruins of a remote abandoned hamlet said to be founded by the survivors of a shipwreck.

The North Carolina grounds are leased in perpetuity to the British Commonwealth for as long as the WWII sailors are buried there.

So many migrating birds roost on the bridge, it has a special summer speed limit.

This historic sunny-yellow building has an unfortunate connection to the sinking of the Titanic.

In an effort to escape the horrors of slavery, one man mailed himself to freedom.

The iconic statue was moved to a new spot overlooking the James river after several years as a mascot for the local baseball team.

Inspired by a foil-wrapped potato, (seriously) the Markel Building has been deemed one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world.

Heron, whitewater rapids, and urban industrialism all add to the beauty of this concrete nature walk.

This museum devoted to the gothic author holds such interesting ephemera as his socks and walking stick.

This museum explores the grim reality of life in the earliest British colonies in America.

Giant busts of 42 U.S. presidents are sitting in a field in Virginia.

Artisans have been gathering in North Carolina since 1989 to show off whimsical takes on an everyday item.

A 30-foot-tall cement chair pays tribute to a historic design and a local industry.

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

You can find America's highest suspension footbridge at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

A giant cat slowly prowls the parking lot of Zebulon's car dealerships.

A giant cement churn carries the legacy of American resilience, unity, and greed.

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

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