Places conordgallagher Wants to Go

Three hundred years of preserved Spanish colonial history in San Antonio.

A 131-year-old wunderkammer of Texas history.

Ruins of a once-opulent grand Victorian resort.

These boots are made for selfies.

The summer home of the largest colony of bats in the world.

A gorgeous garden oasis with winding paths, stone bridges, and a troubling history.

This small stone building, the final work of a renowned artist, offers a peaceful environment with radiant, colorful glass windows .

A tribute to the "toughest woman on the Texas frontier," who survived a famous battle and five husbands.

A free, canine-friendly alternative watering hole near the more famous Barton Springs.

A view-altering observatory at the University of Texas.

This eclectic, mosaic-clad home includes a bamboo ping-pong loft and a "Whispermaphones" intercom.

DIY collection of eclectic holdings.

An abandoned 1920s school with a mysterious history.

This shale formation along the Appalachian Trail once inspired the third president of the United States.

This lookout tower built in the 1930s is now an in-demand cabin with what might be the best view of the Seneca State Forest.

In the mountains of West Virginia is this perfectly preserved Art Deco train station.

This former fire tower is now a rustic observatory that offers amazing views of eagles, hawks, and the Appalachian Mountains.

Spectacular mineral formations fill these caves, which have been used for everything from smoking meat to stashing illicit liquor.

An abandoned coal mine reached by a steep hike.

A melancholy guardian doubles as a judicious godmother to this small town cemetery.

This claimant to the title of "smallest church in the 48 states" doubles as an equally tiny, quasi-post office.

A well-preserved relic of the industrial age steel and iron works that dotted West Virginia.

A monument marks the location of the first successful steamboat demonstration.

This general store is more than a century old and home to various oddities and antiques.