Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

The so-called "Bridge of Thighs" in Palm Springs allows nudists to discreetly cross the road.

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

A vintage video game wonderland in downtown Reykjavik.

A series of tiny artificial islands rich with produce bob atop the surface of the lake.

A 2,000-year-old wine press hidden in an overlooked park in Tel Aviv.

Icelandic folklore says this giant boulder was ripped from the mountains and placed at its current location, where it became home to elves.

The neighborhood church casts a breast-shaped shadow that locals have come to call the “two o’clock titty.”

The maze-like transportation hub contains abandoned areas, derelict stores, and a resident bat colony.

This bustling Italian plaza is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater.

Chevron maintains one “Standard” brand station per state so it doesn’t lose the trademark.

The first AIDS memorial chapel in San Francisco and one of only a few in the U.S.

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.

This Czar-funded, onion-domed, lavishly muraled Orthodox Church played a starring role in "The Deer Hunter."

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

Junkbots and mud babies are the masterpieces in this fantastically sci-fi art museum.

A contemporary fresco movement illustrates the region's rich history.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

A charming easy-to-miss sculpture garden filled with whimsical and thought-provoking metal sculptures.

A deserted hodgepodge of experimental structures designed by nearby university students.