Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Lightning Rod
The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.
Places exploringwithesch Wants to Go
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Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Sonny Bono Memorial Park
A small triangle of DC grass is the final resting place of one of Sonny and Cher's songs.
Washington, D.C.
Southwest Duck Pond
This lovely pocket park is one of the most under appreciated in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Mary's Garden
An overlooked oasis of quiet on the grounds of Washington's monumental basilica.
Washington, D.C.
Fort Reno Park
The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.
Washington, D.C.
Congressional Cemetery
The privately owned cemetery that holds room for Washington's finest when they step down from life.
Washington, D.C.
Peirce Mill Spy Station
Cold War intelligence agents monitored communist embassies from an attic in a former pigeon coop.
Washington, D.C.
Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at Reservoir Park
An Industrial Revolution-era public work that purified water using nothing but sand.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
Site of the Knickerbocker Disaster
You could be standing at the site of one of D.C.'s most fatal tragedies and not even know it.
Washington, D.C.
The Big Chair
A super-sized promotional trick that is now a D.C. landmark.
Washington, D.C.
Holt House
There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Washington, D.C.
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.
Washington, D.C.
The Brewmaster's Castle
This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.
Washington, D.C.
National Bonsai Museum
One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.
Austin, Texas
The Texas State Cemetery
A high-octane shrine to the greatest Texans who ever lived.
Austin, Texas
Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
To honor a beloved Austin radio DJ a neighborhood bridge has been covered in a loving mosaic.
Austin, Texas
Animatronic Lyndon Baines Johnson
Just like the real 36th president of the United States, animatronic LBJ amuses visitors with jokes and stories.
Austin, Texas
Elisabet Ney Museum
Life's work of sculptor Elisabet Ney remains preserved in her last studio.
Permanently Closed
Austin, Texas
The Bottle House
Unusual house, in an unusual neighborhood, home to some very unusual peanuts.
Austin, Texas
Mayfield Park
Free public park and gardens filled with peacocks and peahens.
Austin, Texas
Sparky Park
A former electrical substation is now home to an eccentric junk art masterpiece.
Austin, Texas
Mueller SunFlowers
A grove of colossal man-made flowers built to collect the sun's rays.
Austin, Texas
HOPE Outdoor Gallery
Austin’s nonprofit-run graffiti park where street art is meant to be painted over.
Austin, Texas
Congress Bridge Bats
Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats.
