Places zenman Wants to Go

These pillars are one of the few remnants from the mysterious lost empire of Makuria.

A giant mascot, a car bomb, and the mafia mingle in the history of a defunct restaurant chain.

A crumbling mountain resort that looks like it was abandoned in an instant.

This massive geographical sculpture is so subtle, it's possible to pass by it without noticing.

A spectacular but little-known slot canyon in extreme northern Nevada, with sheer walls nearly 500 feet high and a perennial stream.

The drama of nature in full effect in this Nevada State Park.

Preserving the remains of Native American cultures which otherwise would have been submerged behind Hoover Dam.

A hidden slot canyon in the southern Nevada desert makes an unexpected oasis and scenic hike.

European castle ruins in an American state park are actually the product of death and grief.

Settled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1859, this abandoned frontier town has appeared in several films.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

This amazingly preserved Gold Rush town is a historian's dream.

A mining town, now abandoned, was built in a canyon so narrow that the railroad ran right through the hotel lobby.

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate turned YouTube famous.

In the early 1900s, hundreds of Black Americans found opportunity in this now-abandoned rural community.

This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

Though an earthquake destroyed this village in 1980, one former resident still walks its streets every day.

This former open-pit manganese mine is now a massive graffiti canvas.

The remains of a failed attempt at medieval nerdery are hidden deep in the woods of Virginia.

Collection of vintage trailers double as hotel rooms.

Eons ago, a rushing lava river formed this pristine passage through solid rock.

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

The "worst battleship ever built" is enjoying a grand second act, submerged 30 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

An underwater statue of Christ blesses the coral reefs off Key Largo.