ralexjordan's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Rome, Italy

Temple of Hercules Victor

This curious, round temple is the oldest still-standing marble building in Rome.
Rome, Italy

The Aventine Keyhole

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.
Rome, Italy

St. Valentine's Skull

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.
Syracuse, Italy

Ear of Dionysius

Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.
Syracuse, Italy

Chiesa di San Filippo Apostolo

Built on a medieval synagogue, this church has a burial crypt, tunnel system, and Jewish ritual bath hiding deep underneath.
Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

Maho Beach

Commercial airplanes land mere feet over the heads of sunbathing beachgoers on this tiny island.
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Blackbeard's Castle

Rumored to be the famed pirate's lookout tower, this historic stone structure is now just watching for tourists.
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Point Udall

A sharply wedged sundial marks the point at which each day in the United States begins.
Captain Cook, Hawaii

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau

These ancient sacred grounds granted amnesty to those who managed to reach them.
Captain Cook, Hawaii

The Painted Church

A priest with no formal artistic training used basic house paint to create gorgeous religious scenes inside this historic church.
Kealakekua, Hawaii

Captain Cook Monument

A controversial memorial at the place where Captain Cook met his violent end.
Hilo, Hawaii

Mauna Kea

Earth's tallest volcano is sacred to Native Hawaiians, and home to a dozen world-class observatories.
Kalaupapa, Hawaii

Kalaupapa Leper Colony

Once home to over 8,000 exiled Hawaiians suffering from Hansen's Disease.
Wahiawa, Hawaii

Kukaniloko Birthstones

This ancient Hawaiian henge may have been an early star chart.
Wahiawa, Hawaii

World's Largest Plant Maze

Race through the maze, get your name on the sign.
Kaneohe, Hawaii

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park

An authentic replica of an Asian temple and garden hidden amongst the natural beauty of Hawai'i.
Honolulu, Hawaii

The Queen Theater

The grand marquee of this abandoned Hawaiian theater remembers the building's elegant past.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Shangri La

Doris Duke's lasting collection of Islamic Art, hidden in a Hawaiian paradise.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Koko Crater Trail

Climbing this abandoned railway leads to breathtaking vistas of O‘ahu.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Spitting Caves

A unique set of caves that spits waves back out into the ocean.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Bishop Museum

This museum of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture is the legacy of the last descendant of the Kamehameha Dynasty.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Nisshodo Candy Store

This mom-and-pop Japanese sweets shop has been serving cloud-light mochi for almost a century.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Iolani Palace

The only royal palace on U.S. soil has been a territorial capitol, a military headquarters, and a prison for a queen.
Honolulu, Hawaii

Sky Gate

During the solar phenomenon "Lahaina Noon" this bendy, curvy sculpture forms a perfectly circular shadow on the ground.