Places Sun Wants to Go

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

This (occupied) house is 10 feet wide and full of spite.

One doctor's retirement plan included opening this award-winning Mexican-Indian eatery on the ground floor of a hospital.

Get up close to emus and ostriches, or buy their tasty meat.

The abandoned personal amusement park of the King of Pop.

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."

This park is home to well over 100 handmade birdhouses.

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.

What began as an illegal art installation has become a symbol for unity, ocean awareness, and coastline preservation.

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

Sojourn to the past at this residence teeming with 1950s memorabilia.

A large sculptural artwork and garden in Escondido, California.

One of the last free public hot springs is decorated with hippie art.

Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.

A town church once nearly submerged by the damming of a river is now hauntingly visible as the water recedes.

A fashion designer's dazzling world of Japanese collectibles is hidden in a warehouse downtown.

This "synagogue" is not what it seems to be.

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

A Cold War site complete with rusty structures, hiking trails, and beautiful views.

The restored estate of a wealthy rancher was once at the heart of an unprecedented legal victory.

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

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

The huge granite obelisk that towers over a small California town.

These millipedes glow not out of attraction, but as a not-too-subtle warning.