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

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

The illuminating collection of L.A. street lights is run by the city and only opens one day per month.

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

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

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

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

Once a place of peaceful repose, this sanitarium now faces an uncertain future.

An abandoned Jazz Age dream home and con man's hideout in Death Valley.

This Pringle-shaped ledge makes for the perfect photo op.

An offbeat angle on the ocean viewed through an antiquated lens.

Smooth basaltic rocks tell a tale of ancient glacial waterfalls.

This little blue house pokes out over the campus of UC San Diego, seven stories high.

Travelers leave tea kettles in a remote part of Death Valley as part of a mysterious, decades-old tradition.

An eccentric folk art landmark made out of discarded bottles by an inspired "grandma."

Where there's quartz, there must be gold. Thus is the story of the mines of Julian, and the titillating times of the Gold Rush.

Legendary prop shop filled with one man's collection of scientific curiosities.

On a barren hillside in the Yucca Valley, the recently restored Desert Christ Park has attracted pilgrims and kitsch hunters for over 50 years.

Ancient human, animal, and geometric figures drawn in the earth.

Arcadia is home to a haven for nature geeks and 80s TV lovers alike.

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

The "3rd largest" city in California is an empty mirage of suburbia in the middle of nowhere.

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

A giant donut stands as a popular symbol of Los Angeles iconography.