Adventurers Program · AO Member

Monica Sanders

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2025

Monica Sanders is a writer, explorer, professor, and lifelong seeker of strange and meaningful places. Her work follows the threads between history, landscape, culture, law, and resilience, often beginning with a simple question: what story is hiding here? A New Orleans native and National Geographic Explorer, Monica is especially drawn to coastal towns, old cemeteries, local rituals, overlooked infrastructure, weathered buildings, and places shaped by memory. She writes about climate, technology, disaster, and communities, but she is just as happy wandering down a side street, reading a historical marker, or asking a local why something is the way it is. For Atlas Obscura, Monica hopes to share places that reward curiosity: sites with unusual pasts, quiet beauty, and stories that make the familiar feel new again.

@https://www.instagram.com/monicadrrprof/ monicacsanders.com

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My Travel Interests

Art & Creativity
Culture & Society
Food & Drink
Science & Technology

My Travel Badges

Badge Earned!

West Virginia Visitor

As part of the West Virginia Destination Challenge, this badge celebrates the beginning of your journey through West Virginia's remarkable places. Every place you mark brings you closer to discovering more of what makes the Mountain State unique.

Next Badge: West Virginia Adventurer You're just getting started. Mark 10 West Virginia places as Been There or Want to Go to unlock the Adventurer badge.
Badge Earned!

Ford's Mark Your Map State Exploration Challenge

You expanded your map during the Ford Mark Your Map State Exploration Challenge and reached the milestone required to unlock this limited edition badge.
Badge Earned!

25 States Visited

You've visited 25 U.S. states and are halfway to exploring all 50. Every state has its own hidden wonders, and you're well on your way to discovering them.

Next Badge: 50 States Visited Visit all 50 states to earn the highest state exploration badge.
Badge Earned!

First Contribution

This badge celebrates your first contribution to the Atlas Obscura community and the role you play in helping others discover wonder.

Next Badge: 25 Contributions Make 25 total contributions to earn your next badge.

Places Monica Sanders Recommends

Recommendations

Places this traveler recommends.

Photo: V Theater

Las Vegas, Nevada

V Theater

AO Original

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria Tide Lock Park

Long buried under the 20th-century landscape, this lift lock of the Alexandria Canal is the lone remnant of an ambitious early American transportation project.

AO Original

One of the original torpedoes is still on display.

Alexandria, Virginia

Torpedo Factory Art Center

A former major munitions plant that has been converted into a sprawling art space.

AO Original

Charlottesville, Virginia

Ix Art Park

An abandoned textile mill that is now home to art and concerts.

Popular Destinations

Places Monica Sanders Recommends