Aztec Ruins and the River of Lost Souls may sound like a title for the next Indiana Jones movie, but these are real places that you can visit—and you won't even need a passport or a hyper-active spirit of adventure. One small disclaimer is in order: The Aztecs had no connection with these impressive remains of a long-departed civilization.

Home to the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast, the first national park east of the Mississippi River celebrates an anniversary today. It's had three different names during its 93-year history—and the taxpayers got a real bargain when this area was added to the National Park System.

Coral reefs and desert islands, legends of pirates and sunken gold, an old military fort that housed a famous prisoner, and world-class bird watching—you'll find them all at this park.

The current occupant of the Oval Office has ties to the Lone Star State, but the term "Texas White House" is normally associated with a former president. Public tours of the Texas White House became available for the first time this year, along with other changes at the park that commemorates the 36th president from his ancestral roots to his final resting place.