A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.

Where a railroad loops under or over itself to rise or drop more than 70 feet in a short distance.

Sleep where gangsters fell amidst smoke and flame, with nary a bullethole to show for the legendary struggle.

From working out of his garage to the James Beard semifinals, one Tucson baker has kept his fan base—and his grains—local.

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.

The fading, forgotten remains of a once bright and booming factory.

The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

A local dialect born in the late 19th century is only spoken in this isolated California valley.

A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

The first life claimed by this record-breaking peak wasn't lost to exposure or a fall but rather lightning.

The story of Two Guns, Arizona could easily be described as a Shakespearian tragedy on Route 66.

A Wild West jailhouse that slid down the mountainside.

A spiritual vortex among the red rocks in Sedona.

This Route 66 classic sports a giant fiberglass rabbit that you can ride.

A self-built castle made by a mysterious man.

This southwestern historic site was designed and built by an artist who wanted his work to "feel at home."

In Tucson a giant metal snake helps pedestrians cross a busy highway.