This portion of a lovely Belize beach is infested with (harmless) sharks and rays.

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.

Clap your hands at the base of the pyramid, and the song of a sacred Mayan bird will echo through the air.

Iconic red and white plaques show the creative names invented to navigate the city streets.

These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.

The first public library in the Americas has more than 45,000 books dating back to the 15th century.

The splendor of this 17th century golden chapel has led it to be called the "eighth wonder of the world."

Mexico City's largest market contains a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland.

The curiosities and wonders of pharmacy in a delightful historic building.

A house of courtship where the Jazz Age's most storied lovers got their start.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

The juke joint where legendary soul artists ate, drank, and made merry.

This Memphis recording studio launched the careers of Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley.

Elvis's own personal tropical hideaway.

The hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot is now a museum dedicated to his work.

Home to drunken tower-climbing goats... seriously.

One of corporate America's best-kept secrets is also one of the most publicly displayed.

For centuries young Thai men used this Giant Swing as a slingshot to heaven.

The golden Buddha statue at the Wat Muang Monastery is the tallest in Thailand, and the ninth-tallest in the world.

Six times a day a train runs right through the middle of this Thai street market, sending vendors scrambling.

The headquarters of the Mahanikai school of Buddhism, Thailand's largest monastic order.

A white Buddhist temple with a golden restroom.

When a supermarket opened up shop within a medieval building it became protected by UNESCO on a technicality.