A common entry point to the Griffith Observatory trail holds its own wonders.

An expansive book store, art gallery, and curio shop with wares ranging from tarot cards to novelty socks.

The most unique castle in all of Southern California, entirely constructed from repurposed materials.

This large collection of tiny things revels in the art of fine machinery well made.

This dark, quiet forest on the outskirts of San Diego is dense with rumor and lore.

While you're unlikely to find riches here these days, this remote mine is a time capsule of the Gold Rush era.

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.

This outdoor observatory offers stellar views and a scale model of our solar system.

The "world's biggest dinosaur" once housed a creationist museum in its abdomen.

The so-called "Bridge of Thighs" in Palm Springs allows nudists to discreetly cross the road.

An off-grid art installation that encourages its visitors to imagine a world without waste.

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

A recreation of the doomed ocean liner in the middle of the Smoky Mountains.

A 70,000-square-foot institution dedicated to a very literal, creationist perspective on the Book of Genesis.

This "Plant Farm Museum" is home to the divinely inspired and visionary outsider artwork of Reverend Howard Finster.

A free display of artistic lifesize dinosaur sculptures in a backyard garden.

An alternate history park where the Union Army loses the war... to dinosaurs.

A collection of beautiful crystals shaped like freshly plucked roses.

A retired tobacco farmer's pet project turned into a sturdy miniature city.

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the "Golden Age" of the American automobile.

The mall's looks were inspired by the cowboy extras who used to meet up—and cause real trouble—at this Hollywood hub.