russellnelson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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russellnelson's activity rankings
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Places visited in Oakland, California
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Places visited in Reykjavik, Iceland
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Places visited in Monterey, California
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Places visited in Berkeley, California
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Places visited in Hobart, Australia
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Places visited in Palo Alto, California
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Places visited in San Bernardino, California
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Santa Rosa, California

Charles M. Schulz Museum

A tribute to the life and work of the beloved "Peanuts" cartoonist.
Napa, California

Monticello Dam Morning Glory Spillway

The largest drain hole in the world.
Winters, California

The Lonely Parking Meter

The only parking meter in the entire town, it is surrounded by 100 free spaces.
Merced, California

George Hicks Fancher Monument

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

Bodie State Historic Park

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.
Yosemite National Park, California

Indian Village of the Ahwahnee

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite National Park, California

The Ahwahnee Hotel

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

The Catalina Island Bison Herd

A herd of 150 bison live on California's Santa Catalina Island and are at the heart of an ongoing debate between environmental protection and economic expansion.
Palomar Mountain, California

Palomar Observatory

A world-class observatory in the California desert.
San Juan Capistrano, California

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Oldest building in California still in use.
Riverside, California

The Parent Washington Navel Tree

This California tree is the single source of the state's entire orange industry.
Riverside, California

The Ark of Citrus

The Citrus Variety Collection at UC Riverside contains two trees of each of the 1,000+ varieties of citrus.
San Bernardino, California

Unofficial McDonald's Museum

This unlicensed collection of fast-food memorabilia sits on the site of the first ever McDonald's restaurant.
Near Lake Arrowhead, California

SkyPark at Santa's Village

Costumed elves and mountain bikers co-exist peacefully at this abandoned Christmas-themed adventure park.
Agua Dulce, California

Vasquez Rocks

Named after a bandit and the star of several Hollywood prehistoric landscapes, these sandstone formations are a historical part of the Los Angeles natural landscape.
Lancaster, California

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Each year these high desert hills are absolutely covered with poppy flowers in a surreal show of nature.
Daggett, California

Solar One and Solar Two

Decommissioned experimental solar facilities that pioneered solar energy technology.
Yermo, California

Peggy Sue's 50's Diner & Diner-Saur Park

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.
Yermo, California

Calico Ghost Town

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

Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex

Where NASA's satellites and rovers phone home.
Baker, California

World's Largest Thermometer

This giant temperature attraction created some giant electric bills.
Tecopa, California

China Ranch Date Farm

This secluded date farm can be reached only by following a bumpy, single-lane desert road.
Inyo County, California

Amargosa Opera House

Marta Becket's hand-painted theater in the desert.
Amargosa Valley, Nevada

Devil's Hole

Water of undetermined depth has attracted rare fish and cult leaders alike.