Places Edited by Sandi Hemmerlein

A 1950s Googie burger stand is now a Los Angeles landmark.

Located in the remote Monitor Valley, this travertine bowl contains a scalding pool of water.

This former open-pit manganese mine is now a massive graffiti canvas.

This rare, carefully curated collection showcases the history of neon inside a grandiose Elks lodge.

More than 25 fully functional scale replicas of famous lighthouses dot the shores of Lake Havasu.

The world's first motel is now an administrative building for an apple farm.

Once the central jail for Los Angeles, this building housed inmates like Al Capone, those arrested from the Zoot Suit and Watts Riots, and individuals imprisoned for their sexuality.

These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

An unexpected connection to Chicago awaits visitors on an island just off the California coast.

Explore the wide world of desert plants at this unique Palm Springs botanical garden.

This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

This grand memorial remembers the 20 members of the Los Angeles Times killed when the office was bombed.

This house turned museum chronicles the life and work of Richard Neutra.

The former home of silent film star Harry Carry.

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.

Instead of faces, these sculptures have barcodes—statements on societal dehumanization.

A riverfront park that both remediated and preserved its industrial past.

An old California photo stand has been turned into a shrine to the cozy art of crochet.

The neighborhood of Eagle Rock is named after a gigantic boulder with a shadowy surprise.

The San Andreas Fault spectacularly offsets this creek.

Although he donated over 3,000 acres to Los Angles, Griffith's life was marred by controversy.

An Italian restaurant became a rock-and-roll hangout and the lair of the "Hollywood vampires."

Where a railroad loops under or over itself to rise or drop more than 70 feet in a short distance.

This 19th-century museum inside of a lighthouse is only accessible during low tide.