Places Stefan Kowasch Wants to Go

Hike amid the palm trees that thrive among Southern California's Indio Hills.

The beloved dining spot stands at the cross-section of Hollywood and the Old West.

This little barrel-shaped cottage by Lake Superior was once a cartoonist's summer retreat.

This towering volcanic plug stands out among the dramatic formations that dot this otherworldly desert valley.

This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

A historic recreation of the golden age of the Erie Canal, abandoned for some time, slowly being restored.

This 40-foot fowl marks the so-called "wild goose capital of the world."

This supper-club-turned-concert-venue still serves drinks at its original rotating bar.

One of Detroit’s oldest blues clubs stands in defiance of the passage of time and the city’s shifting fortunes.

A popular rock that acted as a waymarker for American pioneers.

Hike the unusual hoodoos and rock formations that form this little-known natural wonder.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

A monument marks the beginning of the longest north-south road in the United States.

This giant temperature attraction created some giant electric bills.

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

Today this bizarre rooftop phone booth seems like a piece of kitsch but it was once used to spot disastrous storms.

One man is on a singular quest to name an island after a famous hip-hop artist.

A massive tribute to this small county's top agricultural product.

The great American road trip, but smaller.

The titular fictional logger only inhabits this otherwise historically focussed museum via a piece of fiberglass kitsch.

Locals say Williams' ghost still haunts the place where she was murdered.

The Forest Service's surprisingly sophisticated collection of wildfire prevention art features America's most beloved bear.

Long before guestbooks and hotels, frontier travelers signed their names on this rock face.

The oldest tofu shop in the United States is a firm favorite with locals.