Places sarahltait Wants to Go

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

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

This ancient Chinese observatory still contains early astronomy technology.

One of the few places where you can explore a 1918 paddlewheel steamboat from stem to stern.

A sculpture of a flying hawk made from colorful car doors.

A giant ball made from pieces of an old Jeep.

A quirky collection of outsider art made from automobile parts.

This giant spider sculpture made from the iconic car is one giant visual pun.

An experimental, automotive replica of Stonehenge.

Surrounded by traditional homes, this Tolkien-esque dwelling stands out on a quiet street in suburban Maryland.

A luxurious doomsday bunker hidden beneath an unassuming Las Vegas home offers the best of subterranean suburbia.

The Yiddish language stages a renaissance in a shtetl-inspired cultural center on the San Diego coast.

This unique sanctuary invites you to interact with the beautiful birds.

A futuristic-looking beach house built for the owner of a snack food brand.

Eastern zen meets Western grit in these four little trees growing out of a rock on Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shore.

Harder layers in colorful sandstone weather out as prominent “fins" and even more intricate and bizarre shapes.

Narrow slot canyons in a badland eroded into soft sedimentary rock provide an otherworldly landscape in this remote Nevada state park.

Located in the remote Monitor Valley, this travertine bowl contains a scalding pool of water.

An errant donkey ushered in a new era of mining in Nevada.

Colin Stokes "got a bit carried away" and built a castle that looks like something out of Tolkien.

This "life-size" depiction of Mickey Mouse as a half-lobster is both whimsical and a bit creepy, standing guard over the Boston waterfront.

Dedicated to nine marines from Massachusetts who perished during the Beirut bombings.

Designed to honor all those that work as nurses around the globe.

Commemorating the 1948 creation of the Jimmy Fund, a Boston-based cancer charity.