This abandoned boat was left in place thanks to its rotting beauty.

Eons ago, a rushing lava river formed this pristine passage through solid rock.

The awe-inspiring ship from the golden era of cruising has an incomparable history and a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.

An off-grid art installation that encourages its visitors to imagine a world without waste.

This massive crater in the middle of nowhere was used to train astronauts for moon landings.

The rocks in this arid basin leave trails of movement behind them.

Travelers leave tea kettles in a remote part of Death Valley as part of a mysterious, decades-old tradition.

A hard-to-reach oasis in a desolate corner of Death Valley National Park.

The highest dunes in California are the most likely place in the area to hear the Singing Sands.

A massive hydrovolcanic explosion left a half-mile wide crater in Death Valley.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

In the middle of a remote desert town is a surprisingly opulent hotel.

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

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

First LEED-certified gas station in the United States.

A modern day curiosity cabinet.

An artist's cute bronze subway sculptures belie his violent artistic past.

Elevated freight railway turned wildly successful urban park.

This triumphal arch celebrating the Sun King's conquest of Lille is a masterpiece of military architecture.

A haunting collection of the vanished and disappearing natural world.

Natural history museum celebrating biodiversity with a parade of taxidermy animals.

19th century pendulum and a clock restored by a rogue group of guerilla artists.

The video game-themed street art first popped up in the French city.