Places lelandbuck Wants to Go

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

No one’s quite sure why there's a metal megaphone bolted on two rocks in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

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

Russian history in San Francisco.

Coastal dunes, site of buried Egyptian movie set and former utopian colony.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

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

The remains of a 12th-century chapter house in Golden Gate Park.

The house where Good Will Hunting was written is a surreal fairytale abode.

Once a place of peaceful repose, this sanitarium now faces an uncertain future.

Two rocks in a perpetual kiss and one of "the most romantic spot in America."

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

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

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

The location of the last stand of Charles Manson's doomsday cult.

A nursery specializing in strange and beautiful succulents and cacti.

This forgotten Frank Lloyd Wright house is an architectural marvel at the end of a sleepy residential street.

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

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

L.A.'s oldest operating bowling alley is a beautifully restored homage to its speakeasy days.

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

The haunting ruins of Jack London's dream house.

A fashion designer's dazzling world of Japanese collectibles is hidden in a warehouse downtown.