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Grand Prismatic Spring

Image: MikeGoad

The steaming, multicolored circle of the Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most hypnotic and unique sights in the U.S. Part of Yellowstone National Park, this hot spring is the largest in the country and the third-largest in the world, measuring 370 feet wide and 160 feet deep.

Its vibrant colors, ranging from deep blue in the center to fiery red and orange at its edges, are unlike anything we see in nature every day. Minerals and microbes are responsible for these hues, with water temperature causing the pigments to fluctuate . The spring owes its existence to geothermal activity driven by Yellowstone's underlying magma chamber and is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.

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Fly Ranch Geyser

Image: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

One of the reasons why Fly Ranch Geyser is unique in the world is that it was formed after a human accident . This technicolor geothermal geyser, located on the Fly Ranch property in the Hualapai Geothermal Flats of Washoe County, Nevada, wasn’t there before 1916.

In 1916, while drilling a well for irrigation in the area, workers struck near-boiling geothermal water, leading to the creation of the first geyser. Decades later, in 1964, a geothermal energy company drilled a second well nearby, which caused the emergence of the Fly Geyser we know today. It has been spouting water into the sky ever since, forming several cone-like vents atop a mound that continues to grow.

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Devil’s Kettle

Image: chrishawaii

Where does the water from the Brule River go when it falls? For a long time, this was a mystery. Located in Judge C.R. Magney State Park near Grand Marais, Minnesota, along the North Shore of Lake Superior, the river is famous for its unusual split: one half flows downstream, while the other plunges into a seemingly bottomless hole .

This waterfall has baffled visitors and scientists for years because objects thrown into the "kettle," such as logs and ping-pong balls, appeared to vanish without resurfacing. This fueled theories of underground rivers or deep caverns beneath the falls. The mystery was solved recently when hydrologists discovered that the water entering the kettle resurfaces downstream . The kettle's strong currents explain why objects thrown in don’t resurface; they are broken apart and held underwater, functioning like a natural washing machine.

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Mono Lake Tufa Towers

Image: Stephen Leonardi

These unique limestone formations, known as the Mono Lake Tufa Towers, emerge from the salty, alkaline waters of Mono Lake , fed by underwater springs. Located in eastern California, near the Sierra Nevada mountains and about 13 miles east of Yosemite National Park, they are a striking natural wonder.

These tufa towers rise dramatically from the water. How were they formed? Mono Lake has no outlet, so its high alkalinity and salinity caused minerals to accumulate over time. This unique environment supports an ecosystem of brine shrimp, alkali flies, and migratory birds. To give you an idea, the lake’s salinity is more than twice that of the ocean, which means you could float effortlessly in its waters, as many visitors do.

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Crater of Diamonds

Image: Brett Sayles

If you find a diamond here, you get to keep it—this is the only diamond-bearing site in the world where that's possible. Open to the public for mining , the Crater of Diamonds is a 37.5-acre field located near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. It marks the eroded surface of a volcanic pipe composed of lamproite, a rare volcanic rock.

Visitors sometimes find diamonds of various colors, including white, yellow, and brown, along with other gems like amethyst and garnet. It was here that the "Uncle Sam Diamond" was found, the largest diamond ever dug out in North America, weighing 40.23 carats. Diamonds were first discovered here in 1906 when a local farmer found unusual crystals on his land, which sparked a minor diamond rush.

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Antelope Canyon

Image: Roberto Lee Cortes

Rocks that look like flowing water: Antelope Canyon is a famous and breathtaking slot canyon in northern Arizona. It consists of two main sections: Upper Antelope Canyon (a.k.a. Tsé bighánílíní, or "the place where water runs through rocks") and Lower Antelope Canyon ( Hazdistazí, or "spiral rock arches").

The canyon was formed over millions of years as flash floods and desert winds eroded the Navajo Sandstone. Even today, seasonal flash flooding continues to shape and carve the canyon’s mesmerizing features. Its surreal, wave-like formations in shades of orange are a favorite subject for photographers and tourists from all over the world.

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Petrified Forest

Image: Megan Clark

The Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona boasts one of the world's largest and most vibrant concentrations of petrified wood . The park, part of the Painted Desert, is located between the Apache and Navajo Counties.

Most of the wood found there is from ancient conifer trees that date back about 225 million years to the Late Triassic period. These trees were swept into river systems, buried by sediment, and transformed into stone through a process called permineralization . The park also features a wealth of fossilized remains of ancient animals, including early reptiles.

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Devils Tower

Image: Kyle Petzer

The Devils Tower stands alone, protruding dramatically from the plains. Considered sacred by Native American tribes, it was originally called "bad god’s tower," a name that eventually evolved into its current form. Located in northeastern Wyoming, this igneous rock monolith soars 867 feet above its base.

It was designated the first U.S. National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Geologists agree that Devils Tower was formed through the intrusion of magma into sedimentary rock layers about 50 to 60 million years ago. Today, climbers from around the world are drawn to its sheer walls, though climbing is prohibited in June to honor Native ceremonies.

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The Wave

Image: Mark Nemenzo

The Wave is a visually stunning sandstone formation located in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Known for its hypnotic, swirling bands of red, orange, and yellow, its delicate ridges are so easily damaged that even one misplaced footstep could ruin the beautiful patterns.

Approximately 185 million years ago, this area was a vast desert covered in dunes. Over time, layers of sand were deposited, compacted, and cemented, forming this Navajo sandstone shape. Unfortunately, The Wave is only accessible by a challenging hike that requires a permit, due to the fragility of its ecosystem and high demand from visitors. With less than 5% of applicants obtaining a permit each year, it is one of the most exclusive hiking destinations in the world.

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Image: Bruce Warrington

The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, located in northern New Mexico, displays a unique landscape of tall, cone-shaped rock formations. These "tent rocks," composed of pumice and tuff, are known as "hoodoos." They are natural formations ranging from a few feet to approximately 90 feet tall.

The name "Kasha-Katuwe" means "white cliffs" in the Keresan language of the Cochiti Pueblo. Hiking trails, such as the Slot Canyon Trail, offer visitors the opportunity to explore the cones up close while walking through dramatic, narrow canyons.

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Cattails

Image: Vlad Tchompalov

If you’ve ever seen a cattail and thought it looked kind of yummy, you were on the right track! Cattails grow abundantly in marshy areas across the U.S., and nearly every part of this plant is edible. Often called the "supermarket of the swamp," cattails are incredibly rich in carbohydrates and are a highly versatile food source. These plants not only provide nutrition but also materials for shelter and fire-starting, making them a top resource for wilderness survival in America.

The roots, once cleaned and cooked, have a potato-like quality and can also be dried and ground into flour. Impressively, they even outperform potatoes in starch yield per acre. Young shoots are edible as well, offering a fresh bite when raw or a tender taste when boiled, much like asparagus.

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Dandelions

Image: Keegan Houser

Often dismissed as a pesky weed, dandelions are actually among the most nutritious plants you can find in the wild. In fact, dandelions are considered even more nutritious than broccoli or cabbage! Every part of the dandelion is edible, from the leaves to the roots. With a taste and texture similar to chicory, the leaves are packed with vitamins A and C and be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach.

The bright yellow flowers can also be used to make tea, while the roots can be roasted as a coffee substitute. Dandelion tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants, including beta-carotene and polyphenols, and studies suggest it may benefit heart health.

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Wild Asparagus

Image: Gil Ndjouwou

Who knew you could harvest your own asparagus in the wild? Wild asparagus grows across much of the U.S., particularly in moist, sunny areas. While it looks similar to its cultivated cousin, wild asparagus tends to be thinner and tougher. When foraging, look for young shoots, which are more tender and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Like its commercial counterpart, wild asparagus is high in fiber and vitamins, offering a nutritious snack or even a potential side dish in a survival situation.

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Acorns

Image: Annie Spratt

You’re likely already familiar with acorns, the nuts of oak trees. Found abundantly across the U.S., particularly in forests and woodlands, these wild nuts are indeed edible after some processing. Acorns contain bitter tannins, which can be toxic and need to be removed by repeated boiling or soaking in water.

Once safe to eat, acorns can be either roasted or ground into flour. Though they don’t taste like much, they’re packed with carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Historically, acorns were a staple food for Native Americans and ancient cultures worldwide, proving their value as a survival resource.

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Cactus (Prickly Pear)

Image: George Pagan III

In the arid landscapes of the American Southwest, prickly pear cacti offer both nourishment and hydration. The pads (nopales) and the fruit (tunas) are not only edible but are also staples in Mexican cuisine.

The cactus fruit, known as a prickly pear, is super sweet and can be eaten raw right off the plant. Depending on ripeness, the flavor ranges from mildly sweet to syrupy. Packed with vitamin C and water, prickly pear cacti can be a true lifesaver if you find yourself stranded in the desert.

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Wild Onions

Image: Zoe Schaeffer

Wild onions grow widely across the U.S., thriving in fields, forests, and even backyards. Their bulbs, stems, and leaves are all edible and can be used just like store-bought onions to add flavor and nutrition to any meal. But foragers, beware—there’s an important distinction to keep in mind!

A highly toxic lookalike called death camas can be easily mistaken for wild onions, and as its name kindly suggests, it can have potentially lethal effects if consumed. The easiest way to tell them apart? Wild onions have a strong onion scent, while death camas has no odor. When in doubt, always trust your nose. That being said, unless you are 100% confident in your ability to identify wild onions, it’s wise to consult an expert or avoid foraging them altogether.

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Pine Nuts

Image: Leila Issa

Pine trees are scattered across America, and their seeds—pine nuts—are a nutritional powerhouse. These small seeds, found inside pine cones, are rich in fats and proteins, making them a concentrated source of energy. In fact, pine nuts have sustained Native American tribes for centuries.

While they are labor-intensive to harvest, the effort is worthwhile. Packed with calories and bursting with flavor, they are an abundant and reliable food source. But it doesn't end there—surprisingly, most parts of a pine tree can be consumed, including the bark, needles, cones, and resin, either as food or for medicinal purposes.

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Chicory

Image: Christopher Luther

Chicory is often found along roadsides and in open fields throughout the U.S. The plant is recognizable by its bright blue flowers, and while its leaves can be eaten like lettuce, its roots are also useful—they can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

During the American Civil War, soldiers used chicory to stretch their coffee supplies, and even today some beer brewers occasionally use roasted chicory to add a bitter flavor to stout varieties.

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Blackberries

Image: Eric Prouzet

Who hasn't enjoyed picking a few blackberries during a walk? Blackberry bushes thrive across the country, especially in sunny, open areas. These delicious berries are loaded with vitamins C and K, along with fiber, making them an excellent survival food when in season. Additionally, their leaves can be brewed into a soothing tea.

Wild raspberries and strawberries are similarly plentiful in the American backcountry. Their unmistakable appearance and sweet flavor make them a great choice for novice or inexperienced foragers to safely enjoy nature’s pantry.

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Clover

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Who knew that stumbling upon a clover patch could bring more than just good luck? Clover grows abundantly across the U.S., from lawns to meadows, and both its leaves and flowers are edible. The flowers are often dried to make tea, while the leaves can be tossed directly into salads or soups an added nutritional boost.

Rich in protein and minerals, clover has historically served as fodder for livestock, but it can also provide essential nutrition for humans, especially in a survival situation! Its versatility certainly makes it a valuable addition to any forager's repertoire.

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Roy Chapman Andrews - Indiana Jones

Image: Intricate Explorer

Roy Chapman Andrews was an American explorer, adventurer, naturalist, and paleontologist who made it out of brawls with pythons, a whale, and armed bandits. He was erroneously reported dead a couple of times and led expeditions across the deserts of China and Mongolia—despite having a fear of snakes . One might safely say that he was the real-life Indiana Jones.

Though neither George Lucas nor Steven Spielberg, the producers behind the franchise, have ever confirmed the claims, they are fully aware of the number of parallels between the movie hero and the former director of the American Museum of Natural History , who collected dinosaur eggs as a hobby. Even Andrews’ granddaughter, Sara Appelbee, believes that Indy was at least inspired by her grandpa.

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Chuck Wepner - Rocky Balboa

Image: Luisa Frassier

A number of real-life pugilists are said to have inspired Silvester Stalone’s hero —or at least his iconic training methods, such as pulling carts or punching meat packs. Philly boxer Joe Frazier, who even had a cameo in the first movie, was one of them. Also, the nickname "Rocky" was taken from Rocco "Rocky" Francis Marchegiano, an Italian-American heavyweight champion who finished his career undefeated.

But the heart and soul of Rocky was the boxer, Chuck Wepner. Stalone has recounted many times that it was after watching Wepner give his all against the legendary Muhammed Ali that he got the idea for an underdog boxer who would never quit. Wepner’s career and his unyielding spirit later inspired other movies, like Chuck (2016) and The Brawler (2019).

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Belva Gaertner & Beulah Annan - Velma Kelly & Roxie Hart

Image: tadah

In 1924, reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins covered courthouse stories for the Chicago Tribune . One day, she was asked to write about the trial cases of two women accused of shooting their partners. A few months later, she quit the Chicago Tribune and proceeded to publish a play she had written: Chicago .

The two women were Belva Gaertner and Beulah Annan, both by then acquitted of the charges of murdering their respective partners. The ever-changing accounts of their alibis for the crimes, as well as the audience’s fascination with them, was what inspired Watkins to write the characters of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart , whose storylines closely resemble those of Gaertner and Annan. Watkins, who had described Gaertner and Annan as the "beauty of the cell block" and the "most stylish of Murderess Row," later sustained that she believed both women were guilty.

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Draper Daniels & Mary Wells Lawrence - Don Draper & Peggy Olson

Image: S O C I A L . C U T

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It is known that the multi-award-winning TV show Mad Men focused on showcasing the lifestyle and operations of grand advertising agencies from Madison Avenue, New York, in the mid-20th century. Although parts of the show were exaggerated for dramatic effect, some experts sustain that the anti-hero Don Draper was likely based on Draper Daniels—at least in terms of his career accomplishments.

Daniels was the creative director of the legendary agency Leo Burnett and led famous campaigns for Marlboro, a leading cigarette company in the 1950s. One can only hope that his personal life was less turbulent than that of the fictional character, but the show perfectly transmitted the ingenuity of a big-buck creative director . Did you know that his apprentice, Peggy Olson, was also based on a real-life publicist? It is believed that Mary Wells Lawrence , an advertising legend and pioneering female leader in the industry, inspired the character of Peggy, a hungry and charismatic young writer who is only at the beginning of a brilliant career.

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William Randolph Hearst - Charles Foster Kane

Image: Zoe

Citizen Kane (1941), widely considered one of the best films ever made, was famously inspired by the life of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Charles Foster Kane, just like his real-life counterpart, rose from humble beginnings to immense wealth by building a newspaper empire . In this case, the history of personal scandal depicted in the movie did match reality.

Like Kane, Hearst had a mansion complete with private zoos and priceless art collections. Both men had political careers and a heavy presence in the press and media. Hearst did not take the movie lightly; the portrayal was so thinly veiled that the story offended him greatly, particularly the inclusion of a doomed romance that paralleled his relationship with actress Marion Davies.

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Pocahontas

Image: EricThriller

We know that Disney's Pocahontas (1995) is a highly romanticized version of historical accounts, but Pocahontas indeed was a real-life Native American woman in the 1600s. The movie took great liberties with facts. For example, Pocahontas was only 10 or 11 years old when she met English newcomers, not the young woman suggested in the film.

She was indeed the daughter of Powhatan , their tribe chief, and early accounts claim that she intervened to prevent the execution of English sailor John Smith, though these tales have been disputed over the centuries. The story of her life, captivity, transformation to Christianism and marriage to John Rolfe have been represented in several films, plays, books, and paintings throughout time, even though historical records of her life are scarce.

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Howard Hughes - Tony Stark

Image: Igor Bumba

Sure, perhaps Iron Man never existed. But Tony Stark might have, in a way. The billionaire genius who became Marvel's icon was heavily inspired by real-life American industrialist and aviator Howard Hughes. Both Stark and Hughes were visionary inventors, known for their technological prowess, complex personal lives, and eccentric personalities.

During his lifetime, Hughes was one of the richest and most influential people in the world, and, like Tony Stark, he behaved accordingly. Hughes had romantic entanglements with Hollywood stars and led a luxurious lifestyle. This was parodied in Stark’s playboy personality and his interactions with the press. Interestingly, Hughes, an enthusiastic pilot, carried several injuries he had sustained from being in four different plane crashes. These wounds were paralleled by those in Stark, who carried a literal gap in his body after an accident caused by a malfunction of his own technology.

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Peggy Lee - Miss Piggy

Image: cottonbro studio

Yes, even Miss Piggy drew inspiration from a real person. That person was none other than Peggy Lee, the legendary jazz singer , songwriter, and actress with a 70-year-long career. Lee was known for her sultry voice and sassy but commanding stage presence, a diva superstar personality. Does that remind you of a certain Muppet?

Miss Piggy’s signature traits include her charm and her conviction that she is destined for stardom . Many of Peggy Lee's qualities, even physical traits like her blond hair, were gracefully taken in by Miss Piggy’s creators, but not all. For instance, the tendency to karate-chop Kermit the Frog when she is mad at him might have been ad-libbed.

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The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Image: Jean-Christophe André

Molly Brown survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and her persona even made it to the 1997 James Cameron film. In it, Kathy Bates played Margaret Brown, aka "The Unsinkable" Molly Brown. A socialite, activist, and philanthropist, she showed stellar leadership and bravery during the disaster as a first-class passenger who helped several people into lifeboats before being forced to board one herself.

In the movie, she is portrayed as a strong, outspoken woman ready to defy social conventions and eager to make space for more people in the lifeboats. Reportedly, that night in 1912, she insisted that the boat return to save others, but her pleas were ignored. Real-life Molly Brown was known for her flamboyant personality ; she spoke several languages and traveled extensively. She even tried her hand at acting.

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Buzz Aldrin - Buzz Lightyear

Image: Kindel Media

Finally, it must be said: Buzz Lightyear was named and designed in honor of none other than Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon . Of course, as one of the faces and emblems of space exploration, Aldrin served as a direct inspiration for the beloved space ranger from the Toy Story franchise.

Sure, Buzz Lightyear was just a toy, but the yearning in his eyes when he looked at the stars was powerful enough to represent any astronaut. Was Aldrin honored by this nod to him? Yes, he even participated in several Disney events where both Buzzes discussed space travel, and the real astronaut gave the character advice about venturing "to infinity and beyond."