jlley's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Quemado, New Mexico

The Lightning Field

In the remote high desert of New Mexico, a strange array of poles beckon fury from above.
Shiprock, New Mexico

Shiprock

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

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area

The land is full of geologic eye candy, such as otherworldly spires, mushroom-shaped hoodoos, and prehistoric fossils.
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Ethyl the Whale

Life-sized sculpture of a blue whale made of hand-recycled plastic trash.
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Haiku Pathway

A serene garden path lined with 36 haiku stamped into clay stones.
Atlantic City, New Jersey

Chef Vola's

If it feels like a speakeasy, that’s because it probably was one.
Spokane, Washington

Mary Lou's Milk Bottle

A giant milk bottle from the 1930s beckons drivers to this diner.
San Bernardino, California

Mitla Cafe

The Route 66 institution that inspired Taco Bell also served as an important headquarters for Mexican-American social movements.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Café Papeneiland

Famed for its pie, this eatery has a hidden tunnel that allowed Catholics to secretly walk to church during the Reformation.
New York, New York

Zaragoza Mexican Deli and Grocery

Behind a grungy bodega facade, a Poblano family serves rich, home-cooked meals.
Pacifica, California

Linda Mar Taco Bell

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.
Madrid, New Mexico

Mine Shaft Tavern

Home to New Mexico's longest bar, this watering hole also has a mining museum and a haunted history.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Literary Café

Once frequented by heavyweights of the Russian arts scene, this café is stuck in the 1800s.
Sapporo, Japan

Dog's Roasted Sweet Potato Stand

The only thing sweeter than the potatoes is the canine proprietor of this roadside stall.
Key Biscayne, Florida

Miami Marine Stadium

An abandoned water sports stadium that has become a haven for graffiti and decay.
Brest, Belarus

Kafe Gagarin

Take Soviet nostalgia to new heights by toasting the first man in space over a full spread of Belarusian and Soviet fare.
Werfen, Austria

Eisriesenwelt

The largest ice cave in the world is thought to be the entrance to hell according to Austrian legend.
Hallstatt, Austria

Hallstatt Charnel House

An Austrian house of bones filled with hundreds of intricately painted skulls.
Hallstatt, Austria

Salzwelten: The Hallstatt Salt Mine

The world's oldest known salt mine.
Shetland Islands, Scotland

Broch of Mousa

A remarkably well preserved tower dating all the way back to the Iron Age.
Keoldale, Scotland

Cape Wrath

The farthest northwesterly point of the British mainland is one of the most remote places in the Scottish Highlands.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

Calum's Road

One man spent 10 years building a spectacular section of road because no one else would.
Scotland

The Old Forge

A pub that is literally in the middle of nowhere, but continues to do business.