Places toniamonkey Wants to Go

The liveliest ghost town in the state.

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

Gold Rush-era tombstones line the park's paths.

A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.

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

The restored and active Victorian-era final resting place of San Francisco.

A couple turned their front yard into an artistic masterpiece.

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

The most unique castle in all of Southern California, entirely constructed from repurposed materials.

San Franciscans leave gifts and messages for the magical beings that live behind the tiny, mysterious door installed on a tree in Golden Gate Park.

A former utopian healing center created by a huckster and built by derelicts.

A multimedia experience that chronicles the atrocities of racism.

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

Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) themed taco shop.

A shrine to a skeleton saint in the city of angels.

Hundreds of trees made from glass bottles make up this forest on Route 66.

A bigger-than-life pun that has become a beacon of altruism.

The "Fun Spot of the Desert" is now a haunting ruin, and a reminder that putting a water park in a desert is a bad idea.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.

A "Titanic" superfan changed his name to Jack and set up this strange shrine to the blockbuster, complete with Korean food and Tarot readings.

This ultra-modern home clings to the slope of the Hollywood Hills on a precarious stilt.

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.