Places nicoleeellan Wants to Go

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

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

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

A mountain range on an active U.S. Navy base hides thousands of mysterious prehistoric rock carvings.

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

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

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

The quirky salon doubles as a retro museum run by the world's leading "hairstorian."

Colorful Native American paintings are hidden within this small cavern.

This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

For over 20 years, Lil Toot has delighted guests with narrated boat rides between Stearns Wharf and Santa Barbara Harbor, becoming a beloved local legend and top-rated experience for visitors.

At 130 years old and 126 feet tall, it is the largest known example of the rare Torrey pine tree.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

Inky sludge oozes to the surface of this beach thanks to a rare natural tar seep.

Everything you always wanted to know about borates is here.

Rusty pieces of metal jutting out of a breakwater are all that's visible of the 12,500-ton ocean liner that capsized just off the beach.

A basement full of treasures lies beneath this inn that has worn many hats throughout its 140+ years.

From Japan to Italy, this California park explores the world's cultures through their gardens.

A dry lake is what remains of a community founded on a real estate scam.

A bomb shelter and some fireplaces are all that remain of the house Fred Roberts tried so hard to keep standing.

A spiritual center in the Santa Monica Mountains founded by Alice Coltrane after the death of her husband and fellow jazz musician John Coltrane.

View the California coastline (and the home of Barbara Streisand) inch by inch with stunning, government-sanctioned aerial photography.

A strange mishmash of ruins and abandoned structures hint at the park's many lives.

An Old West film set seen in countless TV shows and movies is open for the public to explore.