One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

Cows on a ranch are commonplace, scattered cow bones everywhere? Not so much.

This mountaintop beacon is only lit three times a year but shines like some kind of all-seeing eye.

This odd little museum holds exhibits on everything from blacksmith equipment to hair jewelry.

These lush groves of fan palms rise up like oases out of southern California's Colorado Desert.

A giant knight, sex education, date shakes, and Jesus coexist happily in this Coachella Valley desert oasis.

A giant desert bird that once swung music fans at Coachella now has a home in a nearby traffic circle.

A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.

This conservation area is also home to many of the region's desert tortoises.

Traversing these canyons, visitors can take in stunning views and glimpses of the region's history.

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

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

A hardware store Buddha statue installed to deter vandalism wound up attracting Vietnamese immigrants who came to pray.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

One of the largest Buddhist communities in the West sits on the site of an old hospital.

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

Its dark depths conceal millions of rare, delicate crystal formations.

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

Where the writer penned his famous story about a jumping frog.

A cozy bookstore is tucked within an old gold mine shaft beneath the cafe and ice cream shop.

Once thought to be the oldest living tree in the world, Methuselah was germinated before the Egyptian pyramids were built.

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