This temple, built by an eccentric religious leader before his death, sits guarded and in ruins.

A surreal, Gaudi-inspired play space near an Anaheim community center.

An eccentric home stands out in an otherwise average neighborhood with mosaics, mini topiaries, and kinetic sculpture.

A large sculptural artwork and garden in Escondido, California.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

A watering hole where the options for seating include a bar, patio, or subterranean cave.

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate.

A tree grown from astronaut seeds which were exposed to cosmic rays.

This graveyard is the eternal home of the residents of a vanished California town.

Nose around a unique collection of more than 300 natural aromas used to craft perfume fragrances.

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

An Airy Would-Be Solution to a Housing Shortage.

Remains of a Greek freighter trapped off of Rocky Point in 1961.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

Former 1954 Del Mar Train Station now serves signature cocktails and delightful culinary treats, and still operates as a Metro stop.

This museum boasts the ninth-largest collection of insects in North America.

The cluster of boulders near Fort Irwin is covered in military insignia.

Forgotten and then destroyed by fire, this was once one of the largest saltwater swimming pools in the world.

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.

A sculpture of the famous photograph stands on San Diego's "Greatest Generation Walk."