rmcmacki's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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San Francisco, California

Secret Tiled Staircase

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.
San Francisco, California

The Wave Organ

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.
Long Beach, California

Looff's Lite-A-Line

The creator of the carousel's bingo-pinball hybrid survives in California's oldest gaming establishment.
Silverado, California

Black Star Canyon

The site of murders and Satanic cult gatherings.
Mission Viejo, California

Oso Creek Fairy Trail

This beautiful ridge-top trail is dotted by tiny homes apparently built by a group of itinerant fairies.
Naalehu, Hawaii

Kamilo Beach

Formerly a lovely white sand beach this Hawaiian stretch is now a trap for countless tons of trash.
Honolulu, Hawaii

The Queen Theater

The grand marquee of this abandoned Hawaiian theater remembers the building's elegant past.
San Bernardino, California

Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Healing Center

A former utopian healing center created by a huckster and built by derelicts.
Golden Valley, Arizona

Fish Bowl Spring

A secret fresh water spring for animals and humans alike hidden along the most famous road in the United States.
Baker, California

Mojave Megaphone

No one's quite sure why there's a metal megaphone bolted on two rocks in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
Lucerne Valley, California

Jack O'Landia

This strangely vacant Western amusement seems to be an empty tribute to residents of Lucerne Valley.
Crestline, California

Heart Rock Falls

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.
Riverside, California

Tio's Tacos

Mexican food and folk art.
Santo Amaro, Portugal

Santa Cruz da Graciosa Bullring

This Portuguese bullring is built right into the caldera of an island volcano.
São Miguel, Portugal

Solar Branco Gin Library

A 19th-century mansion houses the largest collection of gin in the European Union.
Tomar, Portugal

Museu dos Fosforos

Europe's largest collection of matchbox designs is a fascinating exploration of the cultural history of the world.
Lisbon, Portugal

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

One man's remarkable private collection of art from around the world.
Pinhal Novo, Portugal

Museum of Mechanical Music

This architectural beauty is the home to a personal collection of more than 600 examples of mechanical musical instruments.
Alcantarilha, Portugal

Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones)

This unassuming chapel in Portugal plays host to a ghoulish collection of bones.
Porto, Portugal

Banco de Materiais (Bank of Materials)

Building owners can take out tiles for free at this repository for historic building materials.
Santa Maria, Portugal

Poço da Pedreira

Rainwater transformed this old quarry into a peaceful pond you won't find in most tourist books.
Funchal, Portugal

Principality of Pontinha

A micronation on an islet along the coast of a Portuguese island.
Monte, Portugal

Toboggan Ride from Monte to Funchal

Men in rubber-soled boots serve as your "brakes" on this toboggan ride Hemingway described as "exhilarating."
Colares, Portugal

Praia da Ursa

In Portugal, a secluded stretch of untouched natural beauty hides at the bottom of a steep hill.