Places thisvanlifeofmine Wants to Go

Although now a decaying ruin, this stone cabin's history includes several notable figures.

A once popular resort—said to be the vacation spot of gangster Al Capone—now remains abandoned in the woods of Arizona.

The story of Two Guns, Arizona could easily be described as a Shakespearian tragedy on Route 66.

Ancient pueblos built into the base of a natural canyon wall.

A nature and cultural preserve named for its multitude of petroglyphs carved by the Northern Sinagua people.

This Old West prison built into the side of a cliff was said to be inescapable.

A historic jail preserves etchings from over a century of incarcerated people in a town with a rough and tumble past.

Twenty-seven massive radio antennas on the high plains of New Mexico search for life on other planets.

A one-of-a-kind sundial at the Very Large Array honors a radio astronomy pioneer, incorporating the original piers from his breakthrough radio telescope.

A unique collection of artistic rides

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

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

While you're unlikely to find riches here these days, this remote mine is a time capsule of the Gold Rush era.

One of the best-preserved ghost towns in Arizona speaks to the difficulties of establishing mining towns in the 19th century American West.

This rusted car found in Petrified Forest National Park's Route 66 exhibit may be the most photographed abandoned car in the country.

A motel dedicated to Southwestern nostalgia.

This Route 66 classic sports a giant fiberglass rabbit that you can ride.

Along the old Route 66 is an abandoned trading post made from old telephone poles, built by a former circus clown.

The symbol was surreptitiously built into the river bank by German prisoners of war.

The largest and most well-preserved petroglyph site in the Verde Valley.

These unique volcanic rock formations offer the perfect opportunity to camp and hike.

The ruins of this former mining boomtown once housed over 3,000 people. Now, the population is two.

Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.

High in the Sacramento Mountains, a facility dedicated to studying the sun.