Places Edited by Ike Allen

Crammed inside this grounded passenger plane is a bar that was once a Communist hang out and is now a ratty relic.

A massive stairway that almost wasn't leads to one of Australia's most scenic vistas.

Buried in the Laos jungle is a sanctuary for bears that would have otherwise been milked to death by poachers.

What was once the base for Russia's first nature reserve is now a ghost town, right on the shore of Lake Baikal.

This series of Armenian caves held the oldest brain, shoe, and winery in the world.

A geometric jumble of homes.

A hacienda that features all things uniquely Yucatán.

Nondescript elevator doors open to reveal a stunning, surreal world.

An elaborate Mayan city shrouded in alien conspiracy revealed the tomb of Pacal the Great.

Two provinces and two territories touch borders deep in the middle of the wilderness.

A popular European tradition makes its way to the states on one of America's most famous bridges.

A 6-mile-long lake created by an apocalyptic seismic event and the deadly chain reaction that ensued.

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.

A long abandoned hospital building on the outskirts of NYC.

A natural gas leak provides a flickering flame beneath a waterfall.

A hotly contested micro-nation off the coast of Montserrat.

The birthplace of the very first human resident born in Antarctica.

The clients of these mysterious hand-crafted funeral cars took their last ride in style.

This abandoned NASA launch site is now a memorial to a trio of astronauts who were killed there.

Paranormal activity on the great lakes.

A remote coral island with a gristly history of shipwreck, battles, and a horrendous war crime.

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.

These azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.

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