chien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Morro Bay, California

Morro Rock

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.
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.
Avalon, California

Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden

Chewing gum tycoon's memorial lies perched over wife's botanical gardens on Santa Catalina Island.
Irvine, California

Orange Balloon

One of the largest helium balloons in the U.S. is a 112-foot ginormous orange.
San Francisco, California

Spreckels Temple of Music

An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.
Three Rivers, California

Moro Rock

Four hundred granite steps were built into this massive rock by the National Park Service.
Long Beach, California

The RMS Queen Mary

The awe-inspiring ship from the golden era of cruising has an incomparable history and a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.
Los Angeles, California

Elliott Smith's Tribute Wall

Pay your respects to a folk-punk legend.
San Diego, California

Fallen Star

This little blue house pokes out over the campus of UC San Diego, seven stories high.
Los Angeles, California

Cactus Store

The neighborhood shop is a sort of tiny cactus museum full of exotic specimens you can take home.
Riverside, California

Tio's Tacos

Mexican food and folk art.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.
San Jose, California

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.
San Bernardino, California

Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Healing Center

A former utopian healing center created by a huckster and built by derelicts.
San Diego, California

Lucha Libre Taco Shop

Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) themed taco shop.
San Simeon, California

Hearst Castle

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.
Culver City, California

The Museum of Jurassic Technology

A modern day curiosity cabinet.
Los Angeles, California

Venice of America Canals

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.
San Francisco, California

Palace of Fine Arts

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.
San Francisco, California

Crown & Crumpet

The tea room that pushed the boundaries of adorable straight into...we can't find the words.
Los Angeles, California

Urban Light

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.
Los Angeles, California

La Brea Tar Pits Dragonfly Fossils

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.
Los Angeles, California

Hollywood Sign

Hollywood's most famous landmark, the "temporary" sign that has stood for decades longer than intended.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.