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The late 1940s and 1950s were a strange time in the United States. With the rise of the Soviet Union, the U.S. government and the public became increasingly paranoid. Senator Joseph McCarthy stoked fears of communists lurking in every neighborhood, and many citizens built in-home underground fallout shelters in hopes of surviving an impending nuclear war. On the military front, the U.S., desperate to stay ahead of the Soviet Union in the nuclear arms race — especially following Russia’s launch of Sputnik in October 1957 — devised some truly bizarre nuclear weapons tests and programs. How bizarre? Well, one such project aimed to detonate a nuclear bomb on the Moon, simply as a show of U.S. strength. Here are the details on that strange-but-true plan and other forgotten top-secret U.S. nuclear weapons projects from that era.

Unidentified flying objects have been around since ancient times, although they didn’t get the tag “UFO” until the early 1950s, after a number of sightings in that era. The so-called field of ufology has conducted numerous studies investigating the phenomenon, but in many cases the research has created more questions than answers. Complicating the issue, the field has also lent itself to hoaxes ranging from faked photographs and videos of “flying saucers” to claims of bogus government agencies investigating alien activity. Here are five of the most intriguing UFO and alien-related hoaxes that went a bit further.

The Carolinas’ coastline is well known for treacherous currents and navigational dangers that challenge even the most experienced mariners. In fact, North Carolina’s Outer Banks region has been famously dubbed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” for the many ships and lives lost there through the years. Often, the only thing standing between these mariners and doom on the rocks was a brilliant light flashing from a lighthouse. Thanks to GPS and other modern navigational aids, lighthouses no longer play the same crucial role in shipping, and today many of these famous Carolinas lighthouses stand dark, serving only as iconic symbols of America’s past. With the travel season in full swing, here are 10 must-see lighthouses along the coast of the Carolinas.

Scholars who have studied the Mayan Long Count Calendar have determined the calendar transitions into a new era on Dec. 21, 2012. Some misguided doomsayers have taken that information, noted its timing near the winter solstice and other astrological factors, and issued a dire warning that the Earth as we know it will end. Rest assured, there is no evidence pointing toward any type of cataclysm. But the fact that anyone would look at a calendar that dates to 3114 B.C. and give the culture that created it any credence in predicting the present day illustrates the mystique surrounding the ancient Maya. Just who were the Maya, and what made them so special? Here are five ways that the Maya were ahead of their time.

When it comes to searching for lost cities, most explorers perform painstaking research followed by sometimes years of planning before starting their hunt. Good examples of this can be seen in the search for ancient Troy in modern-day Turkey, and Tikal in Guatemala. But some of the most famous lost cities were not found after years of methodical searches, but were instead uncovered by accident, by people who sometimes didn’t even realize what they had found. Here are five notable lost cities that were rediscovered by someone who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Some of the most enduring and perplexing mysteries involve mass disappearances, in which a group of people vanishes without a trace. Some disappearances can be plausibly explained, but others create more questions than answers. Over time, some theories become so outlandish that they seem to overshadow any scientific or logical explanation. Here are five strange mass disappearances in history that make you wonder, “What really happened?”

It should come as no surprise that summer is the most popular time to take a scenic train ride in the United States, but many astute travelers have discovered the joys of booking a ride in the fall. While others battle heavy traffic on scenic parkways hoping to catch a glimpse of the spectacular changing foliage, those with the foresight to take the train can sit back and enjoy a meal, beverage and simply enjoy the view. Here are five of the best scenic train rides for fall in the United States. As for the prime dates to catch great fall foliage, links are available below to directly contact the railroads.

Scattered throughout Central and South America are ancient remnants of a once thriving civilization. Although the residents lived simple lives, their communities always produced some type of large-scale symbol that honored either their rulers or the gods in the sky. Using the simplest of tools, the creations ranged from straight lines more than nine miles in length to gigantic stone blocks miraculously transported from quarries nowhere near their final destinations. Some of these creations defy logic and any type of scientific explanation. Here are the top 5 ancient wonders of Central and South America.

Throughout history, boats have been one of the most efficient ways to transport everything from vital supplies to humans. But this efficiency can come with a price, as human error and nature’s power sometimes leads to disaster. Many of the following maritime incidents have become immortalized by legends and song while others have disappeared into history. Here are the top 10 shipwrecks and maritime disasters in or near United States waters.

The Southeastern United States covers a wide area ranging from the beautiful Appalachian Mountains to the clear-blue waters of southern Florida. There’s no shortage of tourist attractions in the region, including a number of fascinating alternatives to the more mainstream sites. Here are the five most unusual tourist attractions located in the Southeastern U.S.