Places Edited by Sandi Hemmerlein

One of the oldest producers of hand-folded fortune cookies still uses its original secret recipe.

One of Los Angeles's first murals once vibrantly depicted the dangers of United States imperialism.

One incredible room in the Santa Barbara Courthouse is covered in wall-to-wall canvas murals.

A museum dedicated to the decorative arts from the 16th through 19th centuries.

The largest salt lake in the Sahara is mysteriously alluring.

The oldest standing structure in downtown San Diego.

Though the original building has been demolished, these massive bronze doors were saved.

Hidden in the Santa Ynez Mountains off Highway 154, this tiny restaurant once served as a stagecoach stop.

“It's the quality” (but probably also the drive-through donut tunnel) that has attracted diners since 1968.

The largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheater in Africa was designed to seat 35,000 people.

This secluded date farm can be reached only by following a bumpy, single-lane desert road.

This historic aviation building is now a museum owned and operated by Disney.

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate turned YouTube famous.

This Hollywood dive houses a mural painted by the artists who animated its namesake film.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

Remnants of the United States's largest accidental oil spill still mar a California valley.

The ruins of the movie ranch owned by actor and stuntman Ray "Crash" Corrigan.

The restored estate of a wealthy rancher was once at the heart of an unprecedented legal victory.

The biblical sculpture honors those who lost their lives, homes and communities to the Chernobyl disaster.

An unexpected and peaceful oasis on a hillside.

A giant knight, sex education, date shakes, and Jesus coexist happily in this Coachella Valley desert oasis.

This magnificent mausoleum is as much a work of art as it is a historic resting place.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.