Places cristyshepherd Wants to Go

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

This 4,000-foot-diameter hole is touted as "the most well known, best preserved meteorite crater on Earth."

After the construction of a nearby cathedral obstructed the view, the oldest belfry in Belgium was more than doubled in height.

This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its owners.

On this stunning Scottish island, you can walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs.

This 14th-century temple is also known as the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" for its gorgeous gilded reliquary hall.

An abandoned church gets a second life as a massive beer hall and event space.

Only open for two days a year, this church links ancient Greek and modern Christian celebrations.

For six months of the year, three giant mirrors direct a pool of sunshine onto this otherwise occluded town.

Twelve hundred stone carvings guard this off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temple.

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.

Ivy-covered Medieval tunnels cut through this charming town in France's Loire Valley.

Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.

The oldest stone house in Paris was built by its most famous alchemist.

Those belting out show tunes in this West Village piano bar might not realize it marks the site where Thomas Paine died in 1809.

A taste of Middle Earth, in the middle of the Bayou City.

Stroll through a wonderland of stupendous moss-covered trees.

Swirling layers of white and red rock earned these mountains their festive nickname.

This natural French spring has been turned into a magical grotto by Roman and medieval constructions.

Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

A three-table eatery sits inside the home-kitchen of a seafood virtuoso in Bangkok's Chinatown.

Inside the columbarium, thousands of colorful, high-tech Buddhas guard the ashes of the dead.

A constellation of golden cobblestones shows the names of local children born under a full moon.