Places Cynthia Wants to Go

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

This volcano rises like a giant anthill from the plains below, with a road spiraling up to the rim.

This haunting monument honors the victims of 9/11.

Peek into a cave of giant, glimmering crystals.

Giant quails play and greet visitors at a suburban park.

An alien landscape of chalk-rock in the Egyptian desert.

This frequently-photographed waterfall takes only a short hike to visit.

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.

A trail of iron footwear stands as a monument to the thousands executed along this riverbank during WWII.

From a distance, this structure looks like an ordinary office building but a closer inspection reveals a unique facade.

A collection of whimsical metal sculptures scattered along a forest path.

A scrap-metal sculpture recalls an infamous 19th-century camel.

The first atheist monument on public land in the United States.

Stuck in a bygone era, the oldest subterranean shopping street in Japan hides beneath the popular Asakusa district of Tokyo.

A group of college students hauled a desk up a mountain more than 40 years ago. The notebooks inside have become a makeshift time capsule.

Ute tour guides have been sharing the ancient dwellings and rock art inside this large park with visitors for more than 40 years.

A uniquely lettered street sign marks the corner where the iconic word game was invented.

A tribute to the incredible generosity the Choctaw Nation showed the Irish people during the Great Famine.

This sheep farm has been forever transformed since being built for “The Hobbit” film series.

Twisted girders are all that remain of an Icelandic bridge that was wiped out by a combination of volcanic heat and glacial floods.

What was once believed to be a church floor turned out to be the artwork of geology.

The damming of the Colorado River buried an iconic geologic formation before record-breaking drought brought it back.

Where you can hail your favorite fictional commanders-in-chief.

In a largely deserted ghost town, a little brick building recalls its history as a gold rush hub and haven for outlaws.