Historical Places

Machu Picchu 

Located in southern Peru, this ruined city lies on top of a mountain that's only accessible by train or a four day trek. Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, it was an important cultural center for the lnca civilization but was abandoned when the Spanish invaded the region. The location was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Concerns over growing numbers of tourists have led to limitation on how many people can enter the site, though only by a fraction of what is necessary. Hopefully they will limit it even more so this site can last for hundreds of years more.

Tikal

This Mayan city state is one of the largest and best preserved ruins of that civilization and was a dominant force in the Mayan world during the Classic Period (200-900 AD). Located in Guatemala, this place lets you experience your inner Indiana Jones early in the morning or late at night when the tourists go home and it's just you and the jungle. It is very serene and that made for one of the bet travel memories I have. Be sure to spend the night in the park, as you then really get to see it without the crowds. I particularly enjoyed seeing the sunrise from atop the temples.

Stonehenge

Located near Salisbury, England, this megalithic structure is over 3,000 years old and its stones come all the way from Wales. Scholars still are not sure how the builders got the stones there and have tried to replicate the feat, with dismal results. Moreover, we only have a vague idea to its purpose. 

Easter Island

Located out in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, is home to Moai statues that are the only thing left of a culture that once lived here. These gigantic and impressively carved heads are just another reminder that primitive people were not really all that primitive. The stones that attract visitors to this island are made out of volcanic ash; many still remain in the quarry, left behind by the inhabitants as diminishing resources on the island left their tribes doomed to wars that finally killed them off.

The Great Wall Of China

The Great Wall of China actually consists of numerous walls and fortifications. It was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (ca.259-210 BC) in the third century BC as a means of keeping out the Mongol hordes invading the country. The best known and best preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries, during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it's still a massive engineering and construction feat and human accomplishment.