Places Jess Wants to Go

This former county courthouse was originally an opulent hotel and entertainment venue.

A tiny red pebble marks what may be the quietest outdoor spot in the United States.

Stroll through a wonderland of stupendous moss-covered trees.

Wash down heaping platters of meze with raki at one of the city's best taverns.

A meow-velous tribute to a beloved street cat, made famous on the internet.

This family-owned canteen has been selling goat milk ice cream since 1933.

A tiny park in the middle of some big power politics.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

Taking the subway here means doing so over a bridge located in the middle of an estuary.

A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in the city of Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family.

Climb a steep hill in 90 seconds on the second-oldest urban subway in the world.

Eat your way through history.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

The famed architect designed this Minnesota gas station of the future with a lookout tower.

A collection of 1,300 accordions of all shapes and sizes displayed in chronological order.

This no-frills bar in rural Wisconsin has become a haven for thirsty travelers.

This freshwater spring fills with 10,000 gallons of water per minute.

This replica of Michigan's mighty Mackinac Bridge is more than 200 times smaller than its northern counterpart.

This marker tells the story of a town’s toxic past.

There is an art, a science, and certainly a responsibility to occupying the Big Red Chair, and this is where it's learned.

This unusual three-way wooden foot bridge spans two rivers at once.

This tribute to a local man towers within a quaint lakeside park.

The Kalamazoo factory has 100 years of instrument-making, and one big wartime secret.

This supermarket offers shoppers a window into the past alongside their groceries.