The highest point in North Carolina and the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell is named after argumentative explorer Elisha Mitchell.

Traditional Appalachian dances such as the Georgia Rang Tang and the Shoo-Fly Swing are kept alive at this weekly event.

A wonderful display of arts and crafts handmade by local artisans in the Southern Appalachians.

Carrying on the legacy of a short-lived experimental school tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina.

A museum dedicated to the legacy of Bob Moog and his pioneering synthesizers.

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.

This ancient art form was used to capture the lives and struggles of the Haywood Street ministry.

This Asheville chair museum wants to revive a dying art.

A nourishing complex of found object art, paintings, and sculptures that celebrate key figures in Black history.

Perfectly preserved ancient monastery in an impossibly dramatic location on a rocky island in the Atlantic.

If drivers cross the rumble strip on this stretch of Route 66 at just the right speed it plays "America the Beautiful."

Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

A rugged lava field dotted with molds of the ancient pines that were growing when the volcano erupted.

On the Oregon coast there is a natural hole that seems to be draining the sea.

Two massive rock outcroppings on the Oregon coastline.

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

This lake in the Cascades lives up to its name, disappearing down a hole every spring.

A volcanic fissure over two miles long and up to 70 feet deep.

Massive crater in central Oregon.

The longest continuous lava tube in Oregon.

The fanciest public restroom in New York City boasts fresh flowers, art, and a classical music soundtrack.

The residents of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe live without much fanfare within the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.

The blinking light atop the iconic landmark has been sending secret messages for decades.