Places Christopher Johnston Wants to Go

A bright California graveyard with a decidedly dark side.

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

Dioramas and animatronics lead you through the story of Bhagavad-gita, the Indian literary classic.

Home to secret Eastern Bloc spy equipment and the largest stretch of the original Berlin Wall outside of Germany.

A modern day curiosity cabinet.

The remains of a deserted steamboat sit rusting beside an old ferry pier and an abandoned train platform.

An installation tells of the horrific 1964 tsunami that devastated Crescent City, California.

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

Outside San Francisco lies a small clown cemetery and memorial.

This odd little museum holds exhibits on everything from blacksmith equipment to hair jewelry.

The peaceful gravesite of a rugged wild west gunman echoes the touching story of his last days.

The final resting place of the Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

An abandoned boat that's been stranded mysteriously for decades.

One of the best collections of antique printing machinery in the world.

At 130 years old and 126 feet tall, it is the largest known example of the rare Torrey pine tree.

Inky sludge oozes to the surface of this beach thanks to a rare natural tar seep.

Happy harbor seals frolic and snooze on this warm, sandy stretch of coast.

Named for a self-taught botanist who cataloged hundreds of native plants, this garden continues her work of preserving California plant life.

For almost 100 years, this site of peace and spirituality has existed on the California coast.

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

One poet's handmade, anachronistic home.

This little valley along Highway 1 is engulfed by thousands of lilies during the spring season.

This large collection of tiny things revels in the art of fine machinery well made.

The overgrown ruins of a once thriving World War I-era copper mine.