Places RakelOm Wants to Go

An art collective teaching the more fiery, metal-y art forms.

A herd of 150 bison live on California's Santa Catalina Island and are at the heart of an ongoing debate between environmental protection and economic expansion.

The beauty and the beast of hydraulic mining is on full display at this California Historic State Park.

An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.

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

From the Difference Engine to the Cray-1, all under one roof.

The remains of the first punk club in L.A.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

This large collection of tiny things revels in the art of fine machinery well made.

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.

Where religious effigies, magic soaps, and occult candles are brought to customers at wholesale prices.

Antiques by the Bay.

Bug-devouring flora are the stars of a special wing of the glass conservatory.

Life in this isolated, hilltop lighthouse was lonely, but it sure was lovely.

A glittering South Asian anomaly in a wealthy Los Angeles suburb.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

World's largest collection devoted to one fruit.

Dioramas and animatronics lead you through the story of Bhagavad-gita, the Indian literary classic.

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

This quirky roadside attraction dives into the many theories surrounding North America's most infamous hairy cryptid.

The highest dunes in California are the most likely place in the area to hear the Singing Sands.

A peculiar idol to the Hindu King of Ghosts demands fine leather footwear in exchange for warding off evil.

World's tallest monolithic statue has served as a pilgrimage site since its completion in 993 CE.

Miraculous vase predicts the future at this Tibetan Buddhist site in the Himalayas.