Places Edited by Allison Meier

The deadly but beautiful ornamental oleander was planted all over the island of Galveston after the hurricane of 1900.

The Kirkland Monument remembers a selfless Civil War hero who braved the battlefield to give water to his dying enemies.

Japan's first automaton went missing, only to be revived by the Osaka Science Museum.

Possibly the oldest living thing in Europe, more likely a pagan survivor.

From dragonfruit to mangoes to durian this Thailand resort allows guests to stay inside all manner of giant fruit.

In the St. Francois Mountains in the Ozarks at 1,772 feet above sea level, Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest (and possibly oldest) peak in Missouri.

This racially troublesome eatery thought a new coat of paint could erase its offensive connotations.

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.

Experience the life of an 1800's lumberjack at this interactive museum that is only accessible by railroad.

The highest point in Oklahoma used to be a lawless outlaw's paradise.

This crumbling headstone commemorates the first death by tiger in Britain's history.

A large piece of modern art makes this roundabout the only one in the world with its own laser.

The oldest Roman lighthouse still in use.

Buried beneath the New Mexico sands are believed to be millions of copies of Atari's E.T. video game.

The stones of this Incan wall complex fit together so well you couldn't fit a piece of paper between some of them.

A Netherlands hotel where you can sleep inside a wine barrel.

The highest point in Texas is capped by a big silver pyramid.

A swamp that was the site of prehistoric water burials also managed to preserve its corpses for millennia.

Pablo Neruda's custom-built lover's nest was made to remind him of the sea and named after his mistress' hair.

A whimsical monument marks the highest point in Kansas, not that you could tell by the looks of it.

Twelve natural mummies are displayed in the crypt of this former monastery school.

A Bulgarian monument to Russia's role in World War II is constantly being painted in pop culture protest.

This massive solar system model is sprawled out across Maine's suburban wilderness.

In this relatively flat state the highest point is an honored place.