mojavenc's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Beijing, China

The Forbidden City

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.
Zhangye Shi, China

Zhangye National Geopark

These layered sandstone mountains in China look like they are made of pressed crayons.
Aba, China

Huanglong Travertine Pools

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.
Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Shan

A total of 999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Orfield Labs Quiet Chamber

This lab's maddening silence is good for business but bad for sanity.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts

Hub of Scandinavian culture in a Minneapolis deli.
Long Beach, California

Astronaut Islands

These four islands right offshore have waterfalls, colorful lights, fancy buildings, and a secret purpose.
Tonopah, Nevada

McFarthest Spot

The farthest you can be in the contiguous U.S. from a McDonald's location.
Tonopah, Nevada

Lunar Crater

This massive crater in the middle of nowhere was used to train astronauts for moon landings.
Nye County, Nevada

Project Faultless Site

The site of an underground detonation of a megaton nuclear bomb in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
Cougar, Washington

The Ape Cave

The longest continuous lava tube in the continental U.S. offers 2.5 miles of dark explorations for the adventurous.
Rhododendron, Oregon

Silent Rock

According to legend, you must remain completely silent while passing this man-made mound or suffer the consequences.
Madrid, Spain

Atocha Station Tropical Garden

A lush indoor jungle fills this bustling Madrid transportation hub.
Madrid, Spain

Sobrino de Botin

The oldest restaurant in the world is this old-world Spanish eatery, still known for its suckling pig.
San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Mexico

Palace Atetelco

This pre-Hispanic apartment complex also includes ancestral paintings that point to its military past.
San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Mexico

Mural of the Great Goddess

A striking depiction of Teotihuacan's mysterious "Spider Woman."
San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Mexico

Quetzalpapálotl Palace

Dating back to the second century, vestiges of prehispanic mural paintings are found in this underground palace.
San Francisco Mazapa, Mexico

La Gruta

Cool down and fill up after visiting Teotihuacán at this bar and restaurant in a deep, underground cave.
Elx, Spain

Palmeral of Elche

Originally planted by the ancient Carthaginians, this sprawling palm grove is one of the largest in the world.
Córdoba, Spain

Noor

This Michelin-starred restaurant sheds light on a rare period of cultural and culinary tolerance in Cordoba’s past.
Hillsboro, Oregon

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

A midcentury ranch house hides a literal treasure trove of unique rocks and minerals.
Arroyo Seco, New Mexico

El Salto del Agua Waterfall

A waterfall and cave near Arroyo Seco that inspired the writings of D. H. Lawrence, Willa Cather, and Mabel Dodge Luhan.
Taos, New Mexico

Tiwa Kitchen

Taos Pueblo recipes, foraged ingredients, and outdoor ovens define the menu at this eatery.
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Musical Highway

If drivers cross the rumble strip on this stretch of Route 66 at just the right speed it plays "America the Beautiful."