Places Polytropa Wants to Go

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

The rocks in this arid basin leave trails of movement behind them.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

Its buzzing collection honors vibrator history.

Hidden in the hills of Hollywood, this secluded Oz-themed garden is dotted with dozens of thrones.

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

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

Giant acorn-shaped 19th century gazebo from which suburban Washingtonians gazed upon the original "silver" spring.

Live data is transmitted from the Atlantic coast to instantly recreate the ocean waves in this fountain at the NOAA headquarters.

The design of this historic domed church was influenced by Thomas Jefferson and intended as a statement of religious freedom.

This castle constructed in 1928 was crafted from drawings of Lismore Castle in Ireland.

This memorial honors five journalists who were killed in a mass shooting in 2018, and affirms the importance of the first amendment.

This Georgian-style house built in 1746 is the oldest surviving structure in Bladensburg.

Built in 1815, the stabilized ruins of the grist mill and sawmill are now gated, but interpretive displays on the features and functions of the mill preserve its history.

A total of 14 men held the title of "president" before George Washington—their historical legacies are enshrined in the lobby of a hotel.

One of the oldest anatomical theaters in the U.S. still in use was once the site of an infamous cadaver riot.

The longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere takes over three minutes to ride down.