Places embeekrais Wants to Go

One of the world's largest collections of rare and magnificent bird specimens.

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

This Pringle-shaped ledge makes for the perfect photo op.

A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

The site of a classic series of Laurel and Hardy pratfalls.

A large instrument played by the wind.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

Two men, two visionaries of Venice Beach, one little hotel that smells like cookies.

A 1920s home transformed into an immersive art experience, where every room is a portal to another realm.

From Japan to Italy, this California park explores the world's cultures through their gardens.

A giant donut stands as a popular symbol of Los Angeles iconography.

The liveliest ghost town in the state.

Named after a bandit and the star of several Hollywood prehistoric landscapes, these sandstone formations are a historical part of the Los Angeles natural landscape.

The oldest dim sum restaurant in the United States is a nostalgic jewel.

This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The most unique castle in all of Southern California, entirely constructed from repurposed materials.

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

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

A monument to the love people have for their pets.

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

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

This opulent hotel has been visited by Spider-Man, Charlie's Angels, and the Ghostbusters.

This dark, quiet forest on the outskirts of San Diego is dense with rumor and lore.