Places Aïda Amer Wants to Go

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.

Mirrors and glass shards cover every inch of this arrestingly beautiful mosque.

For two weeks every June, fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an astonishing light show.

The oldest hotel in the world has been operated by the same family for over 1,300 years, even catering to samurai.

The oldest bibliophilia club in America, with exhibitions on historic books and graphic arts.

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.

Under a glass sidewalk lie the remains of some of Manhattan's oldest buildings.

Hordes of precariously balanced stone figures crowd the shores of the Hudson River.

Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.

Wonderland replication in progress by one persistent man.

Resting place of Hollywood's immortals is also site of summer film screenings.

The old Niles Canyon Aqueduct in the San Francisco Bay Area is a bemusing and secret trail through nature for wayward travelers.

This historic national park is covered in the stunning ruins of red rock pueblos.

Miniature art that tells an enormous story.

The highest point in South Dakota contains the ashes of Valentine McGillycuudy, the "Holy White Man."

Thanks to a loophole in property ownership, this alleyway has become a cacophonous street gallery.

The farthest you can be in the contiguous U.S. from a McDonald's location.

Come for the speed, leave in love with the desert.

A sculpture for the sun and stars, created by Nancy Holt.

Sandstone rock formations that look like they belong on the cover of a progressive rock album.

These mysterious petroglyphs in Vermont reflect a troubled history in the treatment of Native American culture.

Dyed by iron oxide over centuries, these sandstone rocks rise thousands of feet into the sky.

A picture-perfect town, perfect for blowing up.