An enormous roadside pan tells the story of a battle for pie glory.

A 12-foot sculpture serves as a constant reminder of the importance of protecting and restoring the Boardman River.   

A humble ode to the heroic air rescue efforts of the United States Coast Guard serving on the Great Lakes.

This tree was warped centuries ago to serve as a botanical wayfaring tool.

For more than 50 years, an iconic sign has greeted visiting “fudgies” to the Traverse City area.

There's more contention than one might expect from cherry pie pans.

Strange physical sensations and optical contradictions keep visitors coming back for more.

Miners in Michigan developed a taste for Cornish beef pasties, which this roadside stand has been selling since 1947.

These dramatic cola-colored falls have appeared in a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a song by Sufjan Stevens.

This little barrel-shaped cottage by Lake Superior was once a cartoonist's summer retreat.

This lone tree and dramatic sandstone outcropping are so beloved by Michiganders they can be found on one of the state’s coins.

This bright yellow building is packed with sweet treats from all around the world, from chocolate-covered crickets to whoopie pies.

The Iowa state contender for largest pan in the world oddly only comes in second or so.

What was once a communal kitchen now serves heaping portions of hearty German fare.

This Mediterranean castle was built for a millionaire and his giant dog.

Twice a year, this road is closed off to allow for the migration of thousands of snakes, reptiles and amphibians between cliffs and a swamp.

A once-booming Mississippi River town with a history of racial violence is now eerie and mostly abandoned.

The lowest point in the state of Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

The lowest point in North America is home to an undrinkable pool surrounded by fields of geometric salt flats.

An assortment of armored tanks and Howitzer cannons in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

Not truly a ship nor a building, the Navy's first and last "landship" is now abandoned due to clerical issues.

The world-record holder for the longest bridge stretching continuously over water.

A 22-foot stainless steel quilting needle pays tribute to a local connection to fiber arts.