Places julialalexander Wants to Go

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

The Zalud family experienced a number of tragedies in one decade, giving rise to rumors that the 19th century house is haunted.

One of the last free public hot springs is decorated with hippie art.

The eerie remnants of an ancient forest were hidden under the sand for centuries.

Get up close to emus and ostriches, or buy their tasty meat.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

This quirky roadside attraction dives into the many theories surrounding North America's most infamous hairy cryptid.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

Dive bar built out of the remains of a whaling ship.

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

San Francisco's oldest operating hotel, with a Victorian atmosphere and a "haunted" fourth floor.

Gold Rush-era tombstones line the park's paths.

At this deceptively beautiful beach, nothing is what it seems.

World's largest collection devoted to one fruit.

An outdoor sculpture park of giant pink robots and post-apocalyptic Christmas scenes.

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

In this roadside "community for the small," abandoned toys gain new lives.

In California, colorful roadside signs remind us all that love transcends borders.

An old California photo stand has been turned into a shrine to the cozy art of crochet.

The quirky salon doubles as a retro museum run by the world's leading "hairstorian."

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.