A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate turned YouTube famous.

The dramatic upward-curving roof is one of the most iconic examples of Googie architecture that still stands today.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

Secret US military film studio in the Hollywood Hills.

Legendary prop shop filled with one man's collection of scientific curiosities.

An eccentric folk art landmark made out of discarded bottles by an inspired "grandma."

Storybook cottage in Beverly Hills was once the site of 1920s silent film studio, affectionately known as "The Witch's House."

An antique store houses the last operational diner from the defunct department store chain.

Contemporary art inspired by natural history and science drawing on ancient techniques in a modern world.

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

During prohibition, corrupt city officials ran drinking dens under the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

Swarms of butterflies cannot compare to the awe inspired by the publicly-funded nakedness once displayed in this sunken garden.

A grove of "candelabra redwoods" deep in California's Lost Coast.

A brooding mansion of clinker brick stands out among the Victorian houses of Pacific Heights.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

One of the oldest producers of hand-folded fortune cookies still uses its original secret recipe.

A speck of nature and art in one of San Francisco’s most notorious neighborhoods.

Former 1954 Del Mar Train Station now serves signature cocktails and delightful culinary treats, and still operates as a Metro stop.

The artwork that Italians felt California didn't deserve.

An airy would-be solution to a housing shortage.

A cobblestone alley with an interesting past.

Gorgeous purple flowers drape from the world's largest blossoming plant.

Arcadia is home to a haven for nature geeks and 80s TV lovers alike.