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

Bits and pieces from the ill-fated Donner Party's winter cabins.

Officially named the "Loneliest Road in America," this barren stretch of Nevada road offers almost nothing but sky and open fields.

This museum looks at the history of one of America's most famous prisons and most beloved albums.

Seven ceramic sculptures are scattered around this California college campus.

Outsider art or homage to aliens?

A tiny survivor of the Donner Party disaster.

The capitol city's oldest existing cemetery.

I Street Bridge is the heaviest swinging center bridge in the United States.

Giant Redwood-themed cafeteria operates under the golden rule, "Dine Free Unless Delighted."

The art and history of the velvet painting are on full display in this Los Angeles museum.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

A visionary, futuristic sculpture in Los Angeles that never met its extraterrestrial potential.

The final resting place of the songwriter who penned “Take Me Out To The Ball Game."

A small, peaceful sculpture garden with a grim memorial to a disaster that took place a few blocks away.

A small sculpture garden that provides a microcosmic representation of California.

This midcentury LA bar was the birthplace of tiki culture.

This monster board rode a monster wave to break two world records.

Museum dedicated to the preservation of surf culture.

This set of rickety spaceships are prepared to give alien travelers a place to relax and go to the bathroom.

This 150 foot seven-tiered cascading waterfall is one of the hidden gems of the White Mountains.

Come for the gun-toting hillbilly madman, stay for the ice-cream loving basketball bears.

Discovered by cows, these upstate New York show caves are presented with a healthy dose of psychedelic folk art.