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

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

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

A modern day curiosity cabinet.

An unreal vintage shop that wears its dadaist influence on its zombie fish.

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

Acres of natural wonders left behind by a socialite-turned-gardener.

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

This private residence was the template for one of the most beloved television homes of all time.

The lowest point in North America is home to an undrinkable pool surrounded by fields of geometric salt flats.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

The oldest burial ground in the city, final resting place of city founders, Ohlone natives and murderers alike.

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

Explore 10 acres of environmental sculptures.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

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

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

This serene oasis in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood holds some of Gandhi's ashes and got Elvis into Eastern Philosophy.

Each year these high desert hills are absolutely covered with poppy flowers in a surreal show of nature.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.