These abundant, over-the-top monuments are so widely scattered that they define the entire compact capital cityscape, often leading to jokes about whether there are more statues than residents.

This fortress dates back to the 6th century and is also the site of a controversial abandoned restoration project.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

The hallowed remains of a 900-year old Ancestral Pueblo great house.

During World War II, over 13,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in this camp in the Idaho desert.

An impressive waterfall nestled in the cliffs of Idaho's Snake River Canyon.

The only bridge in the United States where BASE jumping is legal without a permit year-round.

Supposedly Satanic numbers adorn this preserved submarine sail.

The world's first nuclear power plant is open to visitors looking to role-play a meltdown.

This rustic old building is said to be the most photographed barn in America.

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

The marker offers a rare chance to be in four U.S. states at once, though there's some controversy over its geographic accuracy.

Legends surround this jagged rock formation in the New Mexico desert.

The ancient dwellings of the Puebloans, located in the cliffs of majestic mesas.

The "Fun Spot of the Desert" is now a haunting ruin, and a reminder that putting a water park in a desert is a bad idea.

A collection of anti-communist sculptures stands watch in the Mojave Desert.

The world’s largest concentrated solar plant generates as many problems as megawatts.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

Explore more than 130,000 new and used books in the "world's largest outdoor bookstore."

This former boomtown "island" is now submerged below Folsom Lake.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

A modest reminder of treacherous waters at the Golden Gate.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.