Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.

Not only is this nature preserve the largest protected freshwater island on the East Coast, but it’s also a stronghold of Gullah living.

This maze-like, oceanfront gift shop—the nation’s largest— has been serving kitsch to the Myrtle Beach community for over 80 years.

A haunting—but not haunted—chapel remains in the woods.

If Myrtle Beach is the mini golf capital of the world, this is its crowning glory.

Amazingly detailed marble cinerary urns that once held the cremains of Roman elite.

Legend has it the commander of the defenders drew a fateful line in the dirt with his sword just before the final battle.

Colorful curls of hand-blown glass form a captivating tower in San Antonio's Central Library.

Two small markers remember the Alamo's feline protectors.

An ivy-covered arch bridge dedicated to Tejano music singer and legend Rosita Fernandez.

These boots are made for selfies.

A gorgeous garden oasis with winding paths, stone bridges, and a troubling history.

These large-scale reproductions of Mario Sanchez’s colorful pictures and murals feel like a walk around a small movie set, and also lead you down an imaginary “street” of past decades.

Near the ruins of a Civil War coastal fortress lies the only known African refugee cemetery in the United States.

This small Key West museum is packed with dozens of artifacts that illustrate the life of the iconic playwright.

A monument celebrating the idea of reaching inaccessible places.

The only zoo where you can buy animals that won't need feeding.

Live long and prosper in Tennessee.

Once decrepit and slated for demolition, now one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world.

A bizarre roadside attraction and the first instance of miniature golf in the world.

Classy up your Big Mac with bow-tied servers and chandeliers at the world's fanciest McDonald's.

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

The fine fabric handwoven at Biltmore Industries was once coveted around the world.

Every week, a festive public jam session breaks out in downtown Asheville.