Places rubysage Wants to Go

Perched high atop telephone poles is an uncanny outdoor art gallery that greets passersby on their commute.

Two men, two visionaries of Venice Beach, one little hotel that smells like cookies.

Rainbow-hued local gem in Venice.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

An ultra-modern vista that has been featured in so many films the house is a celebrity in its own right.

Her final resting place was intended to be modest and private, but the power of her popularity continues to draw visitors.

From pre-war whiskey cocktails to prohibition-era speakeasy secrecy, this bar has seen it all.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

A black and white mural stands out from its psychedelic surroundings.

The largest collection of two headed animals in the world.

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

A three-story, three-dimensional hobo clown in a tutu welcomes CVS shoppers.

Where a great scandal unfolded with a famous female revivalist at its center.

This traditional garden in the San Fernando Valley doubled for Star Fleet Academy, and is irrigated entirely by wastewater.

One man's vast collection of artifacts and ephemera from matchbooks and postcards to vintage neon signs and cars.

The last orange grove of the San Fernando Valley is owned and protected by CSU Northridge.

Grab a latte at the birthplace of modern American skateboarding.

In one Santa Monica parking lot a mushroom cloud made of chains heralds a message of peace.

On a quiet suburban street stands a peculiarly decorated house covered in mosaics.

A treasure hunter's tiny bar, harboring celebrities since 1959.

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

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

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

Drink a Guinness under the wings of Reagan's retired Air Force One in his presidential library.