Places joparkman Wants to Go

Mesoamerican monoliths and zoomorphic stones covered in royal visages, ancient mythology, and grand celestial events.

Experiencing Guatemala's sensory-exploding church is a blunt reminder of European influence.

Deep in the Guatemalan jungle stands an ancient pyramid that once marked the reign of a king.

A ruined Maya city that suffered a years-long case of mistaken identity.

Giant kites are flown during this Day of the Dead celebration in Guatemala.

One of the world’s most colorful cemeteries, where each pigment is symbolic.

Hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle is a turquoise paradise of natural pools, caves, and waterfalls.

Central America's deepest lake is actually a volcanic caldera, surrounded by three volcanoes.

This town at the north edge of Myrtle Beach holds a wealth of Black history.

This Myrtle Beach art museum features a rotating display of pieces by artists from James Audubon to Frank Lloyd Wright, but it’s their collection of Southern works that truly impresses.

Not only is this nature preserve the largest protected freshwater island on the East Coast, but it’s also a stronghold of Gullah living.

Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.

One of few remaining marionette theatres in the United States that still conducts regular shows.

This maze-like, oceanfront gift shop—the nation’s largest— has been serving kitsch to the Myrtle Beach community for over 80 years.

The two locations of this landmark ice cream shop scream pure Americana nostalgia.

A charming monument to a very special dog.

The uniquely-designed winter home and sculpture studio of Anna and Archer Huntington.

The oldest bridge in South Carolina may have been designed by the same man who created the Washington Monument.

The only working large-scale tea plantation in the United States.

A monument to one of the few Olympic flames ever to be lit outside of the host city.

Dedicated to the "King of Soul."

Designed by famed architect Horace King.

The first free library in Georgia features an original Tiffany stained glass window of Mary Willis.

FDR hoped to find a cure for polio in this Georgia town's warm springs.