Places Michael Ballard Wants to Go

This plaza at the end of the world teems with monumental tributes to a problematic history, and laser discs.

A vast landscape of craters created by meteorites.

Conifers from the Jurassic Period transformed into stone in Patagonia.

A toxic lake near a volcanic caldera that is home to flamingos and other life.

Massive rock sculptures formed during the time of the dinosaurs still stand undisturbed.

Climb and walk into the crater of one of the youngest volcanoes on Earth.

This tombstone marks the spot where the legendary British spy met his end.

Beirut's thinnest building was the result of feuding brothers.

A monumental underground karstic wonderland is also the water source for over a million citizens of Beirut.

Curious crustaceans support an obelisk from ancient Egypt that now stands in modern-day Central Park.

An uber-secure, windowless tower of doom in the center of Manhattan is an NSA spyscraper.

A pedestrian island in the middle of world-famous Times Square emits a strange (and purposeful) humming noise.

This unmarked and unloved Manhattan subway grate created one of the most iconic images in American cinema.

Mysterious 500-year-old tapestries depict a unicorn hunt.

More gold than anywhere else, ever.

New York City's smallest piece of private property.

The "Seinfeld" diner.

The world’s oldest and biggest bookstore stocking only mystery, crime fiction, espionage, and thrillers.

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

The 44,000-ton aircraft carrier was purposely sunk to create an artificial reef teeming with life.

This historical swimming pool near Miami is emptied and refilled each day with naturally filtered water.

A violent name for a violent volcano.

Rare signs of the former Soviet Union in the Caribbean, though not where you'd expect them.

This stone commemorates the island's launch into international aviation.