Places elainemellis Wants to Go

In this desolate valley resides a gorgeous set of rocks sporting a technicolor design.

Amalfi's pre-industrial history is slowly being engulfed by the lush vegetation of the Ferriere Valley.

This seaside Italian village doesn't just look Escher-esque, it actually inspired the mind-bending artist.

Artist James Turrell's ode to dawn and dusk on the campus of Rice University.

In the Hugging Tree Forest, lingonberry marshmallows, hot chocolates, and the best campfire lattes north of the Arctic Circle come to you.

The only geyser in the state of Pennsylvania is caused by pressure from an abandoned coal mine outside of the ghost town Centralia.

A unique Shinto shrine filled with bunnies and wordplay.

These sculptures honor the knights who once called Carrickfergus Castle their stronghold.

This amazing medieval fortress stands atop a promontory along the famous Cinque Terre.

Once a 19th-century brasserie, this McDonald's exterior celebrates Alsatian design and the "King of Beer."

This whimsical park encourages its visitors and wildlife to roam on and around the various works of art.

A historic fortification critical to Anglo-Scottish conflicts now serves as a bed and breakfast.

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

It's hard to believe the dizzying patterns covering this abandoned mine are completely natural.

This community on a small Venetian island has taken to painting their houses in bright neon hues.

A once grand hotel is being retaken by the wilderness it once capitalized on.

At Monet's beloved home you can still see the Japanese bridge, waterlilies, and weeping willows that were the subjects of some of his most iconic paintings.

This kitsch eatery is chock-a-block with bric-a-brac.

A museum and doll store featuring a surreal and super sanitized version of where babies come from.

A record-size collection of wild-haired troll dolls tells the story of the mythical creature's roots in Scandinavian folklore.

A stockpile of childhood lunch pails turned collectibles.

The world's only museum devoted solely to the art and collection of action figures.

Over 20,000 sets of spice shakers reveal the surprisingly telling history of our most basic spices.