bryanwoerner's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Urubamba, Peru

Wiñay Wayna

These steeply terraced ruins are a stop along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Washington, D.C.

Sergeant Stubby

The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.

'Cartwheel' Tower

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.
New York, New York

Gimbel's Bridge

A three-story copper skybridge connects two Manhattan buildings with Art Deco luxury.
Arlington, Virginia

George Washington Memorial Parkway

This isn't your average roadway—it's actually a National Park and a transportation pioneer.
Washington, D.C.

The Old Patent Model Museum

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Ollantaytambo, Peru

Ollantaytambo Ruins

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish conquistadors.
Urubamba, Peru

The Former Wiñay Wayna Pub

This is why we can't have nice things on the Incan Trail.
Luray, Virginia

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

An organ located deep within a cave, whose "pipes" are the geological features of the cave itself.
Dayton, Ohio

"Stumpy" John Silver

This stuffed pigeon of war had the very serious name "John Silver" until he lost a leg in battle.
Newark, Ohio

Longaberger Basket Building

An office built to look like a giant basket.
Athens, Ohio

Athens Lunatic Asylum

An abandoned asylum incorporated into a college campus.
Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Crystal Cave

Take a drunken tour inside the world's largest known geode.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis Manhole Covers

Downtown Minneapolis mixed art and function by turning some of their sewer covers into works of art.
Sakakah, Saudi Arabia

Za'abal Castle

This fortress sits atop a centuries-old well system.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati Yellow Lamps

An obsolete, vanishing traffic device warns Cincinnati drivers away from middle-of-the-road obstructions.
Canyon, Texas

Palo Duro Canyon

The Grand Canyon of Texas.
Washington, D.C.

Yenching Palace

The iconic D.C. restaurant where the Cuban Missile Crisis was negotiated, now a Walgreens.
Washington, D.C.

Starship Enterprise NCC-1701

The actual model from the original "Star Trek" series is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Dayton, Ohio

The Avrocar

A real flying saucer, contracted by the U.S. Air Force.
Sankt Goarshausen, Germany

Statue of Loreley

A memorial for a young woman and her ghost, which are claimed to have caused countless deathly shipwrecks.
Powell, Ohio

Leatherlips Monument

A monument to a Native American leader who was known for never breaking a promise and met his end after signing a deal with white settlers.
New York, New York

Macy's Wooden Escalators

A bit of retro transportation flair preserved in the world's largest department store.