Back in 1952, you could get a mushroom cloud chaser with your atomic cocktail.

Formerly the world's largest, this Willy Wonka-esque contraption runs 24/7.

“Live hard, ride fast, eat pizza” at this joint filled with Evel Knievel memorabilia.

One of the world's tallest Ferris wheels takes visitors high above Las Vegas in a spinning party room.

Ancient human, animal, and geometric figures drawn in the earth.

The stone-covered graves lie within the ruins of an Old West ghost town.

This conservation area is also home to many of the region's desert tortoises.

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

A giant desert bird that once swung music fans at Coachella now has a home in a nearby traffic circle.

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

Huge otherworldly domed rocks on the shore of a deadly lake.

These lush groves of fan palms rise up like oases out of southern California's Colorado Desert.

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.

An off-grid art installation that encourages its visitors to imagine a world without waste.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.

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

The so-called "Bridge of Thighs" in Palm Springs allows nudists to discreetly cross the road.

One of the most extreme deserts in the world, these snow-free valleys harbor life, despite the hostile environment.

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

A shockingly detailed small scale recreation of the temples of Abu Simbel.

A B&B on a Victorian lighthouse station in San Francisco Bay.

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.