Places marissaweekend Wants to Go

Explore the wide world of desert plants at this unique Palm Springs botanical garden.

Traversing these canyons, visitors can take in stunning views and glimpses of the region's history.

Nestled in Coachella Valley, this museum transports guests from the Mesozoic Era, to the land of Egyptian kings.

A giant knight, sex education, date shakes, and Jesus coexist happily in this Coachella Valley desert oasis.

A quirky little oasis in the California desert where rescue animals abound.

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.

Mediums from a psychic utopian community lead a trippy VR journey on a parked desert bus.

World's largest collection devoted to one fruit.

A tribute to the Nirvana frontman hides beneath the bridge that was the singer's beloved hangout spot.

Population: three people, two dogs, and one old grouch.

America's smallest "national forest" has only 33 trees.

A colorful hidden village of the fair folk.

A cheeky name for an observatory visitor's center.

Made of granite, this is a symbol of the Inuit peoples near water that expresses abundance.

A high point in Vancouver kitsch.

This educational and eco-friendly community is Iceland's "home of the sun."

The final resting place of the controversial chess champion.

At this museum in Iceland, visitors can sample fermented Greenland shark.

A Wes Anderson-esque lighthouse that boasts magnificent coastal views.

The oldest bookstore in Iceland.

This elderly couple's hand-picked collection of rare gems is one of the finest in all of Iceland.

This secluded Iceland farm holds the collected works of one rural sculptor's creations.

Iceland: home to volcanoes, waterfalls and, apparently, Santa?

This museum dedicated to divination also honors a local 10th-century prophetess.