Nikki Vargas's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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New York, New York

6 1/2 Avenue: Manhattan's Secret Street

Tucked away amidst some of the most famous addresses in the world is New York's only fraction of a street.
Belize

Great Blue Hole

A massive underwater sinkhole made famous by Jacques Cousteau.
Rouen, France

Tower of Joan of Arc

This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.
Paris, France

Le Stryge

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.
Baturiti, Indonesia

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

This tiny lake temple dedicated to a water goddess seems to float on the surface.
Iceland

U.S. Navy DC-3 Wreckage

This wrecked airplane has been sitting on a black sand beach since the 1970s.
Iceland

Haukadalur Geothermal Field

This valley of hot springs and boiling mud pots is home to the record-holding "Geysir," which originated the English word.
Iceland

Kerið Crater Lake

This eye-popping Icelandic crater lake is surrounded by red volcanic rock.
Iceland

Hofskirkja

This fairytale-like structure is the last turf church ever constructed in Iceland.
Marrakesh, Morocco

Jemaa el-Fna Square

Fortune tellers, snake charmers, poets, and storytellers all gather on this historic square in Morocco.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Carousel Bar

The only rotating bar in New Orleans has been slowly spinning since 1949.
Lee Vining, California

Mono Lake

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

Bodie State Historic Park

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.
New York, New York

'The Sphere'

This sculpture by artist Fritz Keonig survived the 9/11 attacks and now stands as a monument to the victims.
New York, New York

C. O. Bigelow Apothecary

The oldest operating apothecary in the US has treated everyone from Thomas Edison to Mark Twain.
Bloomington, Indiana

Beebe Gallery at the Kinsey Institute

A lesser-known part of the Kinsey Institute is this impressive collection of art, artifacts, and material culture related to human sexuality.
Bloomington, Indiana

Empire Quarry

A stunning, abandoned limestone quarry in southern Indiana provided the stone to erect the Empire State Building.
Muara Ancalong, Indonesia

Wehea Forest

Explore a uniquely pristine Borneo forest, now protected by former headhunters turned tour guides.
Chicago, Illinois

Man With Fish

This awkward aquarium sculpture is one of the strangest statues in Chicago.
Heimaey, Iceland

World's Largest Puffin Colony

Every summer local children form "pysja patrols" to save young birds that have wandered from their nests.
New York, New York

The Elevated Acre

Amid the bustle and noise of the Financial District hides a secluded garden oasis above the city streets.
Iceland

Svartifoss

The unique waterfall in Iceland's south features a backdrop of geometric black lava columns.
Mont Saint-Michel, France

Mont Saint-Michel

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.
New York, New York

Please Don't Tell

Dodge prohibitionists and slide through the telephone booth in Crif Dogs.