Joined Atlas Obscura in 2018

I've been a reader of Atlas Obscura's articles since I discovered the website about 5 years ago. When I found the discussion forums, I signed up for them. Recently AO began to offer memberships, so I became a member. I spend a lot of time perusing the fascinating stories. I'm a history lover and am especially interested in the very early Native Americans, the first settlers of the United States, and natural history. My passion is ancient cultures of Latin America, especially Peru. My interest began when I was a child and I devoured every book in the school library and in the large public library located in the county seat near my home. At the same time my interest developed in history (first grade), I also began to read books about religions of the world. Again, the libraries were my source for years of reading material. In 1973, I had the honor of spending Summer in Peru as an exchange student. My stay there broadened my horizons and changed my life. I was able to go to Cusco and Machu Picchu as well as several sites near Cusco. Sacshuaman was especially mind-boggling in its beauty and scale. I lived with a family in Lima in a nice neighborhood only a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Because school was cold and boring, I spent my days being shown around the city by two Peruvian friends. They took me to every cathedral and cultural or historical site they could think of. I was introduced to the many markets, where the prices were low, the goods were absolutely beautiful and haggling over prices was expected. Back home in Pennsylvania, my parents continued taking us on family vacations to most of the states in the Northeast. Instead of amusement parks, we went to historical sites and museums, toured factories and graveyards, watched jets take off and land at large airports, and engsged in other educational activities. A half-century later, I asked my mother why we went to such interesting places. Her reply? "Because they were free," she replied as tears welled up in her eyes. During my career as an architectural designer, I traveled on a number of business trips. How badly I wanted to explore the cities we were in, but ut time constraints ruled it out. In my life, I've been to about 35 states, 6 Canadian provinces and one foreign country. I also spent several hours killing time in the airports in Panama and Ecuador. Now that I'm 64 and a citizen of the world, I look back on these marvelous adventures very fondly. The memories of them are indelibly etched in my mind and and vividly recalled at will. At present, physical disabilities prevent me from traveling, so I depend on AO to take me to new places near and far.

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Places peregrine79 Wants to Go

392

Places I want to go

Places on this traveler's wishlist.

Bryson City, North Carolina

The Road to Nowhere

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.

Collettsville, North Carolina

The House of Mugs

A cabin completely covered in coffee mugs, where visitors are welcome to leave one of their own—if they can find an empty nail.

Quincy, Massachusetts

First Dunkin' Donuts

This small shop walked so America could run on Dunkin'.

Wexford, Pennsylvania

Fountain of Youth

A stone arch leads to a cavernous 1930s spring house tucked away in the Pennsylvania woods.

Winchester Mystery House, with some of its many doors and windows.

San Jose, California

The Winchester Mystery House

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

John Goodway Sycamore Tree

This massive sycamore tree has been labeled as one of the largest in the state.

Valentine, Texas

Prada Marfa

A Prada store in the West Texas desert that is never open for business.

Goldfield, Nevada

Hard Luck Mine Castle

This magnificent, quirky home sits atop a literal gold mine in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Pueblo, Colorado

Heroes Plaza - National Medal of Honor Memorial

This memorial pays homage to Pueblo's four Medal of Honor recipients.

Afton, Wyoming

World's Largest Elkhorn Arch

This town is home to the world’s largest arch constructed entirely of elk antlers.

You'll find these sort of artifacts sprinkled all over the site.

Permanently Closed

Cedar, Michigan

Sugar Loaf Ski Lodge

A crumbling mountain resort that looks like it was abandoned in an instant.

Permanently Closed

Boston, Massachusetts

Bodega

This upscale streetwear store is hidden behind a fake Snapple machine in the back of a deli.

Los Angeles, California

Capitol Records Building Morse Code

The blinking light atop the iconic landmark has been sending secret messages for decades.

Murfreesboro, Arkansas

Crater of Diamonds State Park

The only diamond mine in the world where you can keep what you find.

Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Memorial Undercroft

A cavernous three-story, 43,800-square-foot basement that was forgotten about for 60 years.

Ashburn, Virginia

Belmont Enslaved Cemetery

The largest cemetery for enslaved people in Loudoun County was almost lost to history, if not for the research of a minister.

Atrani, Italy

Atrani

This seaside Italian village doesn't just look Escher-esque, it actually inspired the mind-bending artist.

New York, New York

New York Federal Gold Vault

More gold than anywhere else, ever.

Sevierville, Tennessee

Forbidden Caverns

Wild lights and sound effects turn a walk through some caves into an eye-popping 1960s tourist attraction.

Richfield, Utah

Pando, the Trembling Giant

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

Washington, D.C.

Washington Mini Monument

There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby.

Richmond, Virginia

The Grand Kugel

This 29-ton granite ball spins around at the slightest touch thanks to a scientific phenomenon.

Washington, D.C.

Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at Reservoir Park

An Industrial Revolution-era public work that purified water using nothing but sand.

Permanently Closed

Juneau, Alaska

Mendenhall Ice Caves

Breathtakingly blue walls shimmer inside the "Glacier Behind the Town."

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Places peregrine79 Wants to Go