A collection of memorabilia from the Beat era in the back of a San Francisco bookstore.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

The surviving remnants of a destroyed medieval church now stand in a public park.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

This drive-by, rotating mini-gallery is nestled in the suburbs of Colorado.

A cozy bookstore is tucked within an old gold mine shaft beneath the cafe and ice cream shop.

Just below the surface, shrimp are producing temperatures hotter than the sun.

The burial grounds of a secret society includes fences topped with fake Tesla balls.

The scant remains of this flooded historic village can be explored in one of the most remote areas of the Great Smokies.

The largest retailer of seashells in the world.

The Atlantis of Cape Cod reemerges during the lowest of tides.

Two Civil War-era cemeteries stuck between runways at the world's busiest airport.

This isolated airport in the middle of the Everglades sees more alligators than planes.

The subtle science of a master molecular gastronomist.

The modern museum honors the achievements of the state's all-star athletes.

In an alley not far from where two great highways meet, byways of a very different sort are honored.

This shop is named for a runaway elephant who smashed through its doors, stole some peanuts, and spent five days on the lam.

Prehistoric animals decorate this popular outdoor park.

The site of the "Bone Wars" between two rival paleontologists during the dinosaur rush of the 19th century.

This old train trestle and collapsed tunnel once allowed the railroad to negotiate the steep slopes of the Colorado Rockies.

Climb to the top of this spiritual tower, and you'll be rewarded with spectacular views.

This 19th-century ranch is being transformed into a residential library with thousands of books about the natural world.

The final resting spot of the Colorado Transportation Department's beloved unofficial mascot.

This sidewalk tribute honors Colorado's great culinary creation.