Fragments of a massive unfinished sculpture sit near the main quad of the University of Illinois.

An actor's tribute to a former mentor.

Hidden in the grounds of the Fort Dodge Museum is a "real" and terrifying petrified giant.

Home to the world's largest quilt collection dating from the 1600s through today.

A park that allows you to get up close and personal with one of the world's largest open volcanic craters.

This neon blue river gets its color from a unique mix of bacteria and volcano minerals.

This spectacular public market has got meat, fish, vegetables, baked goods, and enough kielbasa for a lifetime.

The home made famous by the 1983 holiday classic is now a perfectly preserved shrine to the movie.

Funded by John D. Rockefeller, this is one of the earliest, and most beautiful, shopping arcades in America.

The oldest U.S. Government building in California, and it's State Historic Landmark #1.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

The oldest continuously operating church in California.

A tree grown from astronaut seeds which were exposed to cosmic rays.

Haunting and beautiful trees, doomed to die.

This lonesome Monterey cypress has survived centuries of wind, salt, and at least one attempt at arson.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

When California condors were hovering on the brink of extinction, this recovery program was charged with helping the birds thrive again.

Even in death, he's still your huckleberry.

Hikers can still stroll beneath the long conveyer of this abandoned mining facility hidden in a West Virginia river gorge.