There is an unmarked red button hidden over Houston's Buffalo Bayou that is just begging to pushed...

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Some of the ancient-looking huts among these strange rock formations aren't ancient at all, but built as part of a movie set.

Four steel monoliths stand in the Qatari desert, in a breathtaking work of large-scale art by Richard Serra.

Once a highly polluted body of water has now been transformed into a gorgeous lagoon.

This water-powered cliffside railway is one of the steepest funiculars in the world.

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

The shallow, salty inlet was a safe haven for 19th-century pirates.

A creepy, deserted mock Arabian village can be found in the middle of the Qatari desert.

Housed in a 1912 architectural masterpiece, this outlet of the Golden Arches is a real beauty.

Religious perseverance and cultural coexistence manifest in an architectural gem that multiple wars couldn't topple.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

This underwater cave in Madagascar is home to what is thought to be the country's largest fossil graveyard.

Fabulous formations, weird and wonderful wildlife.

The centuries-old trees lining both sides of this dirt road may become Madagascar's first natural monument.

Sloth rehabilitation center in the jungle of Costa Rica.

In paradise, feral pigs have claimed an island all to themselves.

Morocco's Argania trees are infested with nut-hungry goats.

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

This vast, water-filled underground labyrinth can only be toured by boat.

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.

This giant underground cave chamber can only be accessed through a small opening at the top.

This spectacular mosque houses the second-largest chandelier in the world.