If you dial the number in this abandoned office window "Sam Spade’s" secretary will ask you to leave a message.

The largest drain hole in the world.

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

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

Downieville's largest Gold Rush structure still standing has one of the longest bars in California.

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

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

This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

Eastern zen meets Western grit in these four little trees growing out of a rock on Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shore.

A former mining hospital is now a vibrant artistic hub.

The smallest country in the world.

Despite being a perfectly pleasant place to be, Loyalton can't seem to attract any visitors.

This mother-daughter run curiosities shop is a beautifully odd mix of taxidermy and exotic plants.

Bill Murray bowled three straight strikes here at Reno's "Taj Mahal of Tenpins."

An eccentric millionaire's personal curio collection includes at least one shrunken head.

Its founder calls it a "proletariat art renaissance".