Places Mike Walker Recommends

Thanks to a quirk of elevation this gift shop produces magic doughnuts that are found nowhere else on Earth.

Fill up your senses in this beautiful riverside garden, dedicated to the works of singer-songwriter John Denver.

Mysterious markers have been giving the public a lesson in dendrochronology for over a century.

This is not Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.

Featuring a casually threatening atmosphere along with dessert and coffee to die for.

See the imprints of ancient trees, burned and preserved by lava.

Despite a legend that says this highest peak in Oregon was climbed in high heels, scores of people have died on its slopes.

A beautiful botanical garden in the heart of the Natural State.

This Arkansas town is known for its gangster history, its healing waters, and now its brews.

Named for the 39 tribes that live in Oklahoma, this restaurant's menu deliciously highlights local flavors.

Seemingly grown on some other world, these New Mexico rock formations look like a disused science fiction set.

A hidden highland of peaks and pastures, largely unchanged since medieval times.

This French castle is said to have once held the Holy Grail but is now a gorgeous mountaintop ruin.

The mental institution where Van Gogh created some of his most famous work now allows guests to walk in the artist's footsteps.

This mountain trail inspired Nietzsche to complete his magnum opus.

The intricate geometry inside this Baroque-style dome was designed to create "terror of the human soul."

This Swiss cemetery is reserved for people who died in climbing accidents.

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

"In the Dark" Restaurant in Paris offers dinner in complete darkness.

One of the world's oldest and most massive living organisms is a grove of quaking aspens.

Crystal clear lake with a shoreline of travertine located in a Colorado canyon.

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

A former department store turned into a quirky restaurant.