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Profile image for Elliot Carter

Elliot Carter

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2015

2 Followers · 0 Following

Follow travelers to discover remarkable places through their journeys.

My Location Interests

  • Washington, D.C.

My Travel Badges

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    This badge celebrates your first 100 contributions to the Atlas Obscura community and the lasting impact you've made by helping others discover wonder.

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    This badge celebrates 500 contributions to the Atlas Obscura community and your extraordinary commitment to helping others discover wonder.

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122

Places I've been

Places this traveler has marked as been there.

Gas 'n' God

Arlington, Virginia

Arlington Temple United Methodist Church

This church built atop a gas station promises to "equip you for the next stage in your life’s journey."

The temple from the visitor's center.

Kensington, Maryland

Washington, D.C. Temple

The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.

The House of the Temple.

Washington, D.C.

House of the Temple

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.

The front of the memorial.

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Grenup Monument

This grisly headstone doesn’t seem to be resting in peace.

The Hollensbury Spite House

Alexandria, Virginia

Hollensbury Spite House

The narrowest house in America is seven feet of pure spite.

Woodrow Wilson Bridge

Fort Washington, Maryland

Woodrow Wilson Bridge

This rare triple-jurisdiction drawbridge passes through Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

The original hot dog stand, shuttered in 2006
Permanently Closed

Arlington, Virginia

Pentagon Hot Dog Stand

Rumor has it the hot dog stand was targeted by two Russian nuclear missiles.

National Building Museum

Washington, D.C.

National Building Museum

Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.

The Washington Hilton, known by some as the "Hinckley Hilton."

Washington, D.C.

Hinckley Hilton President's Walk

A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.

A discreet entrance to the White House.

Washington, D.C.

Secret Entrance to the White House

The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.

Down periscope.

Washington, D.C.

USS Balao Conning Tower

Part of a WWII submarine is lurking outside the Washington Navy Yard parking lot.

Old Stone House

Washington, D.C.

Old Stone House

The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.

Recolored photo of George White's 1991 cornerstone.

Washington, D.C.

Missing Capitol Building Cornerstone

A promising candidate for the lost rock laid by George Washington was unearthed, but the hunt is still on.

A clone of the clone of the Newton apple tree, present day.

Washington, D.C.

NIST Newton Apple Tree

A clone of a cloned tree that was so important it allegedly had its own guards.

Alferd Packer Cannibal Plaque

Washington, D.C.

Alferd Packer Cannibal Plaque

A brass plaque dedicated to a convicted cannibal hangs in the National Press Club, and that's not even the craziest part of the story.

Nike Missile Site W-92.

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Nike Missile Site W-92

Three abandoned missile silos are hiding in plain sight behind a suburban development in Maryland.

Navy Yard Railroad Gun

Washington, D.C.

Navy Yard Railroad Gun

One of the largest artillery pieces in the world sits in a Washington D.C. parking lot.

Washington's Titanic Memorial

Washington, D.C.

Titanic Memorial

This lonely waterfront memorial to the men of the Titanic was erected by the "Women of America."

Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes, Peru

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

The annual Blessing of the Fleets ceremony.

Washington, D.C.

The Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony

The fountains of the U.S. Navy Memorial are annually salted with water from the Seven Seas as part of a nautical ritual.

The model was relocated from the Smithsonian in 2010.

Washington, D.C.

USS Missouri Model Ship

The U.S. Navy’s preposterously detailed mini battleship took 77,000 hours to complete.

The stone has been worn down a bit over the years.

Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia Center Point

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.

Ruins of the kitchen outbuilding

Arlington, Virginia

Abingdon Plantation Ruins

The remains of a historic plantation nestled in between a parking lot and the rental car return at Reagan National Airport.

Washington Aqueduct Emergency Pumping Station

Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Emergency Pumping Station

These abandoned waterworks are crumbling into the Potomac River.

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