Places Douglas Wants to Go

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

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

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

The first AIDS memorial chapel in San Francisco and one of only a few in the U.S.

Two mammoth statues inspired by equally tall tales lure tourists to this roadside attraction.

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

An old-timey medicine shop that once served Chinese laborers during the Gold Rush is still open for business to this day.

The creator of the carousel's bingo-pinball hybrid survives in California's oldest gaming establishment.

The artwork that Italians felt California didn't deserve.

A wild west scene starring life-sized wooden statues hides in the trees behind Pierce College.

Collective dedicated to restoring steam engines.

This enormous World War II relic is one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

A museum, art project, and institution that demands we look at the world around us in a strange new way.

"The greatest unknown literary treasure in Los Angeles."

Massive prehistoric mammals used these stones as oversized scratching posts.

Inside this clubhouse is a cinephile's paradise.

A crumbling Beaux Arts monument to the Bay Area's age of rail.

Whiskey lovers, this is your happy place.

Successful artist residence program has filled this ranch with dozens of sculptures over the years.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

The taxidermied remains of the "last wild grizzly bear in California" and of the symbol of the state of California.

Junkbots and mud babies are the masterpieces in this fantastically sci-fi art museum.

Hidden among the multi-million dollar mansions in the Santa Cruz hills is a sanctuary for troubled birds.

A working miniature city designed to teach kids about safety and presumably city planning.