A once-booming Mississippi River town with a history of racial violence is now eerie and mostly abandoned.

The lowest point in the state of Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

Even with its slightly risible name this colossal cross is still able to inspire awe.

This former Union fort commands a fine view of downtown Cape Girardeau and the Mississippi River.

Overlooking the Mississippi River, this building served as the county courthouse from 1848 to 1861.

This 1854 courthouse along the Mississippi River has a storied history.

The only mill in the state that features a covered bridge.

These pink granite water slides are the result of millions of years of erosion.

Vintage neon signs illuminate highway history.

Rusted and decayed, this former mining site is a portal to the past.

Giant granite rocks standing end-to-end like a train of circus elephants.

In the St. Francois Mountains in the Ozarks at 1,772 feet above sea level, Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest (and possibly oldest) peak in Missouri.

Erosion and time have created a naturally-formed water park.

Often referred to as the largest spring in America.

One of the deepest springs in Missouri.

This small turbine mill along Rocky Creek was built in 1928

Once an ambitious nature spa, these forest ruins now provide a serene monument to failure.

An average of 33 million gallons of water pour out of the collapsed cave at the heart of this spherical spring.

It's as if the herds walked straight out of a fairy tale into the Missouri wilds.

A historic, scenic mill that was forced to close due to overlogging.

A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.

A sharp bend in a dramatic river canyon cut through red rocks.

When it was built in 1929, this historic bridge was the only place to cross the Colorado River for 600 miles.

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the “Golden Age” of the American automobile.