Places Ruben Stemple Wants to Go

The compass on its front was a handy tool for 17th-century merchants who needed to know the direction of the wind.

The only urban monument in the world designed by the great surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.

This marine reptile was discovered by one of the 19th century's greatest fossil hunters.

Climb atop one of the world's longest and heaviest trains for an unbelievable journey across the Sahara Desert.

This abandoned convent keeps the tomb of a legendary beheaded princess.

This floating sculpture of ice is a poignant reminder of nature's power.

A mysterious inscription may hold a clue about the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke.

Transport yourself to the 1980s era of video games at this themed restaurant and bar.

This small museum in a 17th-century building honors three iconic Scottish writers.

These 1,500-year-old remains were found in a mysterious Anglo-Saxon mass grave.

The most remote tree in the world is more than 170 miles from its nearest neighbor.

A mural in rural Georgia welcomes visitors to a fictional Missouri town.

The Midwestern United States' tribute to Michelangelo is a foam statue sprayed with gaudy gold paint.

This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

When the imprisoned pope's remains were finally returned to the Vatican, his heart stayed behind in France.

A curious museum of old video game consoles hidden in the back of a store.

Once known for its horse-powered knife sharpening, this 200-year-old shop offers an array of blades and hard-to-find culinary tools.

This elegant carving of the Buddha guards a small Buddhist temple within a cave.

Many of the murals covering this sleepy Florida town hide some sort of intentional error.

This giant iron playfully pays tribute to an early 20th-century architectural trend.

This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

This collection of 80 polarizing foods aims to challenge your subjective notions of repulsion.

The largest puppetry museum in the United States houses the world's most complete collection of Jim Henson artifacts.

Known as "The People's Park," this verdant oasis is home to elephants and villagers alike.