Places melissabaker Wants to Go

A fascinating collection of art made from petrified wood and fossils by two octogenarian twin brothers.

Dyed by iron oxide over centuries, these sandstone rocks rise thousands of feet into the sky.

Odd outsider art installations surround a Gold Rush-era ghost town.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

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

"Only the devil could play golf here."

Ten 25-foot-tall, beehive-shaped kilns, abandoned in Death Valley.

This incredible collection of vintage pinball machines can be played at 25 cents a pop.

This outdoor observatory offers stellar views and a scale model of our solar system.

A living snapshot of a different time in America is preserved and maintained by a community of volunteers.

A mistaken marker makes an erroneous claim along the historic Old Divide Road.

Stairs often replace streets on the steep slopes of this old mining town.

This strange seaside tower got its name from a wealthy eccentric who would hide coins among its stones.

These were the largest wind chimes in the world when artist Tom Van Sant created them for a California mall in 1967.

Fourteen curious and controversial white bunnies sit in a circle near Newport Beach City Hall.

This monster board rode a monster wave to break two world records.

An eclectic trailer park retreat in the middle of the California desert.

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

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

You don't have to be a diplomat to visit the so-called Camp David of the West.

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

A black and white painted wall creates an optical illusion in the California desert.

Hike amid the palm trees that thrive among Southern California's Indio Hills.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.