This small island was the first National Wildlife Refuge ever created in the United States.

A Lovecraftian altar of nightmarish bronze chairs sits ominously on a boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta.

A grand entrance to one of the world's smallest Chinatowns.

Cool down and fill up after visiting Teotihuacán at this bar and restaurant in a deep, underground cave.

Mexico's first public cable car soars over the congested streets outside Mexico City.

In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

Frida Kahlo's childhood home, now a museum of her life and works.

It's believed this golden brick is part of the legendary lost Aztec treasure.

This colossal ancient sculpture of the monstrous Aztec rain god has a literally stormy history.

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

Come face to face with the ferocious visage of the serpent-headed mother goddess of the Aztecs.

The turquoise-studded skull of a long-dead Aztec man sits within Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology.

The only castle in North America to ever house European sovereigns.

A jaw-dropping "megalibrary" that turns book-browsing into a geometric adventure.

The hot chocolate here all stems from small, sustainable microproducers in Chiapas and Tabasco.

Many people don't realize there’s a lot going on in—and below—the world’s tallest triumphal arch.

This old-school café is famous for serving coffee, chilaquiles, and the Cuban Revolution.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

A graceful natural rock formation stands astride the point where the Gulf of California meets the Pacific Ocean.

A museum dedicated to a sea that should have never been.