Places dirtlovinlady Wants to Go

A huge collection of rocks, gems, and crystals.

An underground mansion with fruit-bearing trees and grapes growing beneath the surface of central California.

Wool processing mill in an unlikely location.

This corn maze so big you may want to pack a lunch, and possibly a flaregun.

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

A natural dome made of volcanic glass in Inyo National Forest.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

An abandoned early 20th-century gold mine in a spectacular setting overlooking Bridgeport Valley and the Sierra Nevada.

An eccentric home stands out in an otherwise average neighborhood with mosaics, mini topiaries, and kinetic sculpture.

This large chunk of dark rock is a relic from an ancient volcanic eruption.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

This 19th century hydroelectric powerhouse was the first of its kind.

Eclectic collection of dark and macabre antiques.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

The first lookout in Yosemite.

Hidden beneath a lake for decades, this brutalist mine has now emerged from beneath the receding waters.

A cozy bookstore is tucked within an old gold mine shaft beneath the cafe and ice cream shop.