Places Edited by Daniel McDermon

An island in the middle of a lake, in the middle of a volcano, in the middle of a bigger lake, in the middle of a bigger island, in an archipelago, in the Pacific Ocean.

Every autumn, this hillside is ablaze with red summer cypress.

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.

A lake in the middle of the tundra of Quebec is said to be the purest freshwater lake on Earth.

A historic observatory precariously perched at the "Top of Europe."

Millions of glowing microscopic organisms light up the waters of this luminous lagoon.

Oh, just a motel on the edge of the desert decorated with thousands of clowns conveniently located next to an abandoned graveyard.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

The longest continuous lava tube in the continental U.S. offers 2.5 miles of dark explorations for the adventurous.

The world's toughest modern Christian pilgrimage leads directly to the gates of Hell.

Neither Spanish settlers nor anyone since has been able to tell who built these strange California rock walls.

The loneliest island in New York.

This high point in the Great Smoky Mountains is said to be home to the chief of all bears.

The highest point in North Carolina and the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell is named after argumentative explorer Elisha Mitchell.

Bold black and white motifs of life and death add a dramatic flair to this 17th-century crypt.

Medicinal spa created from the mineral-rich runoff of a geothermal power plant

A rocky sea serpent hides caves, blowholes, and a spectacular natural bridge.

We heard you like volcanoes so we put a volcano in your volcano so you can die for sure...

A cemetery and the town it served sinks beneath the sea during the volcanic birth of Mt. Vulcan.

Inspiring Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau, Mount Greylock in western Massachusetts is the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet above sea level.

This too-low North Carolina railroad trestle is still a notorious big rig executioner.

A particularly creepy abandoned hospital that sparks interest for lovers of the supernatural.

Oregon's unexpected high desert, displaying layers of time in a colorful show.