Places Jillian Wants to Go

Founded by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, this one-room joint's James Beard–winning fry bread is light as a cloud.

A natural history wunderkammer in the middle of the desert.

These free-roaming horses were once destined to disappear from the land.

A mysterious "wedding cake" castle in the middle of the urban desert.

A classic Route 66 landmark that was built with scrap lumber and is held together with kitsch and puns.

The world's largest rose bush has literally outgrown the pioneer museum it was planted behind.

A perilous medieval road leading right into the sea.

A historic cemetery filled with quirky faux wood art and unique tombstones.

A labor of love built by local hang-gliding enthusiasts, this ideal launch spot was outlawed by the authorities and has since been largely abandoned.

This beloved Baltimore spot features caged dolls, a giant Pez collection, and many, many mannequins.

Walk a trail through a historic Quaker town that outlawed slavery in 1777 and was a major waypoint on the Underground Railroad.

This Maryland farm is known for its amazing corn mazes and its 30-foot junkbots.

This English-inspired Maryland garden is home to acres of opulent plant life including bushes shaped into an entire fox hunt.

A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.

A tribute to the beloved, kind-hearted "homeless mayor" of Silver Spring.

The bridge's highly-contested plaque (once again) honors Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

This beautiful stone arch bridge wasn't even expected to stand for one day, but people have been crossing it for centuries.

An eerie, decaying ghost town destined to fade into the forest.

The trials and tribulations of marking Poe’s grave.

Crammed into a Baltimore row house is an oddities shop that sells everything from skulls to dead insects.

This free, take-a-book shop seems like a trick but isn't.

It’s not hard to see why the historic Peabody Conservatory of Music’s library has been described as a “cathedral of books.”

Outdoor exhibits explore the contributions of European, African, and indigenous peoples to American frontier culture.

This sprawling farm was once a Cold War-era hideaway for the nation's top diplomats.