Places summermaddux Wants to Go

A century-long search for a church that was never there.

The haunting peak of an old church is all that remains of a drowned Brazilian city.

During the rainy season, this temple is almost entirely submerged, accessible only by boat.

Kitschy nautical-themed bar has offered mermaid shows and underwater ballet since 1956.

A canopy trail with sweeping views and a giant tunnel slide.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

An eerie natural formation that looks right back at you.

This massive and complex stone tower is a great example of the many pre-historic nuraghes on the island.

This giant statue pays homage to this temple's furry residents who keep the landscape pristine.

These unconventional "tub boats" let locals row around the island's turbulent coast.

Giant animal sculptures are created with the rice straw leftover from the fall harvest each year.

This 1920s Dutch barge is now a floating bookstore.

The shop's owner has spent decades in the desert wearing nothing but a strategically placed sock.

On the edge of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, these rock formations create an eerie landscape.

The quiet resting place of a rock and roll legend.

In 1703, French settlers in what is now Mobile celebrated the first Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.

The second-tallest water tower shaped like a peach in the American South.

Monument to the cotton-destroying boll weevil.

Founded by a man who called himself the greatest hunter alive.

A cemetery for only coon hounds in northwest Alabama.

It may look like no more than a full-scale model, but every part of this full Space Shuttle stack had a working role in aviation history.

Medical museum featuring a number of excellent medical models.

Since it formed millions of years ago, this cave system has been a sacred burial ground, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and the center of an amusement park.

A 56-foot tall statue of the god of fire looks out over Birmingham, Alabama.