Places lepainperdu Wants to Go

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

Appropriation-friendly collection of books, periodicals, and more.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.

A promotional sun clock on the site of San Francisco's great raceway.

This shop and studio is dedicated to the art of the book, from letterpress to bookbinding.

A tiny theater hidden in an alley plays a constant stream of short silent films for anyone willing to peer through the peephole.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

At this California chicken ranch, four bucks will get you 18 eggs and a chorus of dancing animatronic poultry.

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

A giant can of fruit cocktail is all that remains of what was once the world's largest cannery.

This beautifully verdant lagoon is tucked below a massive volcano in a crater atop a black pebble beach.

The chefs at El Diablo use heat generated by an active volcano to cook the food.

Partially collapsed lava tube and cave system complete with concert hall, underground pond, and unique albino crabs.

Visit a surreal landscape so otherworldly NASA actually used it to train the Apollo 17 crew.

Lava stone structures possibly dating back to the 19th century may have been a stopping point for voyagers between ancient Egypt and the Mayan Civilization.

This Canary island is a quintessential example of nature’s beauty, and its unbridled fury.

Each spring, a dreamlike carpet of bluebells overtakes the forest floor.

Built by one man in the '20s, this site is now a museum representing the Great Basin cultures.

What looks like missing grout is actually an old pub's peephole.

This striking art museum holds an amazing series of curiosity cabinets.

Private collection of art inspired by cabinets of curiosity.