There are lots of hands and feet stamped in the cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but Mel left behind something extra.

Hollywood's oldest hotel is the site of the first Academy Awards, the birthplace of Marilyn Monroe's career, and the home of Montgomery Clift's ghost.

The hidden jewel of Disneyland: a members only playground for the Disney elite.

A treasure hunter's tiny bar, harboring celebrities since 1959.

Grab a latte at the birthplace of modern American skateboarding.

This well-traveled chess park offers scenic views of the pacific and a colorful, eclectic clientele.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

Giant origami crease patterns engraved in Santa Monica intersections may even be visible from space.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

The lead horse on a Disneyland merry-go-round that is older than the park itself.

Inspiration struck on this seat outside the Griffith Park merry-go-round.

A family agreed to sell their property to Disney on the condition that this tree, planted as a wedding gift, would not be removed.

Allegedly haunted by Walt Disney himself, this inconspicuous lamp is always kept lit in his honor.

The oldest attraction in Disneyland is a prehistoric stump that Walt may have bought for his wife.

A relic from a forgotten bakery chain still spins atop a diner.

The simple auditorium that launched a pop icon's career into the stratosphere.

Gouged in the mountain to make stage coach access easier through the Fremont Pass.

Where the rich wintered in Pasadena.

Political debates in a fabulous Pasadena castle.

Some of the most unusual (and in some cases, disgusting) flavors of soda imaginable.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.