A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.

A cobblestone alley with an interesting past.

Celebrating the transformation of trash into objects of beauty.

The dramatic upward-curving roof is one of the most iconic examples of Googie architecture that still stands today.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

Remains of a Greek freighter trapped off of Rocky Point in 1961.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

Outposts of this restaurant chain were shaped like jaunty chapeaus.

A large sculptural artwork and garden in Escondido, California.

This temple, built by an eccentric religious leader before his death, sits guarded and in ruins.

A sudden forest of traditional Papua New Guinean art works is hidden in a corner of Stanford University.

The oldest continuously operating church in California.

A charming desert roadside bakery that produces 10 times more bread daily than it has residents in its town.

Burping, gurgling geothermal mud pots by the Salton Sea.

This diner's a kitschy dreamland for anyone whose heart is stuck in the 1980s.

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.

Every weekend, people gather here for a brief chance to see their loved ones on the other side of the United States–Mexico border.

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

This well-traveled chess park offers scenic views of the pacific and a colorful, eclectic clientele.

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

Subterranean house made out of a grain silo, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains.