Places Hheeaatthh Wants to Go

Burping, gurgling geothermal mud pots by the Salton Sea.

The sea once considered an ecological wasteland is now called "crown jewel of avian biodiversity" by scientists.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

Huge otherworldly domed rocks on the shore of a deadly lake.

Erroneously called the world's tallest flagpole, this landmark is devoted to "good neighborliness."

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.

The "Fun Spot of the Desert" is now a haunting ruin, and a reminder that putting a water park in a desert is a bad idea.

The most isolated mailbox in America lets desert travelers record their passing.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

One of the ghostly stops along Route 66.

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.

This dormant volcanic crater has been converted from a roiling pit of magma to a pleasant hiking spot.

This old mining town, deep in the California desert, has a year-round population of one.

This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

Under the right circumstances, this waterfall in Yosemite briefly turns a luminescent fiery orange.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

This naturally heated mountainous creek has created a group of neon blue pools of potentially deadly boiling water.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

Eons old volcanic activity created one of the most stunning rock formations in the United States.

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