The location of this historic castle was inspired by a donkey.

The true age of this ancient stone circle is unknown, but its stunning vista isn't in question.

Amazing and mysterious Neolithic settlement on Scotland's Orkney Islands.

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.

This stunning concert hall has become a symbol of Iceland's national recovery.

Cairns built to bring travelers good luck stretch across the land like miniature stone mountains.

The most powerful waterfall in all of Europe.

These ominous lava formations were said to be an entrance to the netherworld so of course they inspired a famous metal band.

The picturesque birthplace of Icelandic democracy is drenched in the blood of its brutal past.

This excellent museum recreates the boom days of the herring rush in the "Atlantic Klondike."

This elegant arc of a waterfall marks a religious turning point.

If a glacial river suddenly diving into a sheer chasm via a dramatic, multi-stage waterfall isn't peak Iceland, it's certainly close.

This museum dedicated to divination also honors a local 10th-century prophetess.

Instead of solid circles, the stoplights in this northern Icelandic town have glowing red hearts.

Iceland: home to volcanoes, waterfalls and, apparently, Santa?

The deepest lake in the United States, and once the site of epic destruction that lives on in legends.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

An abandoned Jazz Age dream home and con man's hideout in Death Valley.

The tragedy of the Japanese internment camps is remembered here by a stark "Soul Consoling Tower."

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.