These towering cliffs jut dramatically from the middle of a barren desert.

This family-owned bakery is one of the last places in Brooklyn to sell the Nation of Islam–inspired bean pie.

Officially named the "Loneliest Road in America," this barren stretch of Nevada road offers almost nothing but sky and open fields.

A tree bears footwear on the loneliest road in America.

This Old West eatery along America's Loneliest Road was originally a stop on the Pony Express.

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

A gap in the concrete has been transformed into a miniature playground for the mind.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

An "anarchical" no man's land, complete with garbage sculptures and a hobo-run "Landfillian Library."

The final resting place of the Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

A vast city of the dead, where the deceased outnumber the living by more than a million.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

This 19th-century church is now a popular roller rink.

A Buddhist retreat built on more than 100 acres of California Redwood forest.

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

This redwood is a historic landmark, a town’s namesake, and the dancing sideline symbol of Stanford University.

Guarded by the Angel of Grief, the Stanford family tomb attracts an odd mix of halloween revelry and somber contemplation.