Places bleachedrhodopsin Wants to Go

In this historic region, homes and churches are carved into ancient volcanic rock formations.

Roman ruins top white travertine terraces formed by ancient hot springs.

This hunter-gatherer architecture is believed to be the oldest religious complex known.

An ancient church on a tiny island covered in stone bible stories has controversially been turned into a museum.

A small etching on the white marble parapet was written in runic script by a Viking mercenary.

A UFO scrapyard in the California desert.

A Frankenstein blend of science and art allows one tree to produce 40 different types of stone fruit.

One of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States.

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.

The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

They sort through millions of dollars worth of diplomatic gifts on behalf of the government.

A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.

This monument remembers the first Japanese Americans forcibly relocated during World War II.

An abandoned railroad tunnel is now filled with bioluminescent bugs.

One of its engravings is believed to be among the first representations of medical and surgical instruments.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

This grand old 80-foot sequoia towers above the buildings in the city’s retail center.

A breathtaking flower tunnel bursts with beautiful golden blossoms.

Peruse rare tomes like poetry bound in pearls or books with branches and berries growing out of their spines.

A charming museum of natural history featuring dioramas and exhibits made entirely by college students.

Giant sand sculptures of famous people and places are on display near the Tottori sand dunes.

A 19th-century architectural wonder designed by the "father of the skyscraper."

A life-sized mammoth sculpture marks the spot where the remains of a Columbian mammoth were discovered in 2005.