A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

This old mining town, deep in the California desert, has a year-round population of one.

This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

World's largest collection devoted to one fruit.

A nursery specializing in strange and beautiful succulents and cacti.

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.

The location of the last stand of Charles Manson's doomsday cult.

This impressive tunnel was dug entirely by hand over the course of 36 years.

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

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

The beautiful 1920 Pantages Theatre remains hidden just underneath the LA Downtown Jewelry Exchange.

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

A house built from trash known as the poor man's Hearst Castle.

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

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

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

This opulent hotel has been visited by Spider-Man, Charlie's Angels, and the Ghostbusters.

Ten 25-foot-tall, beehive-shaped kilns, abandoned in Death Valley.

Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.

L.A.'s oldest operating bowling alley is a beautifully restored homage to its speakeasy days.

Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

Neither Spanish settlers nor anyone since has been able to tell who built these strange California rock walls.

The liveliest ghost town in the state.