The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

An abandoned 1930s gas station turned bustling neighborhood park.

No one's quite sure why there's a metal megaphone bolted on two rocks in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

The tiniest tiki room in San Diego.

Founded by a high school teacher, this poetry magazine became a center for all things literary.

Peek inside this sandy mailbox and you'll spot kids' letters to Santa.

This 75-year-old Shakespearean sculpture is painted by a local artist for every season.

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

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

This childhood throwback has hundreds of arcade games and pinball machines to transport you back in time.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

Colorful Native American paintings are hidden within this small cavern.

This magnificent mausoleum is as much a work of art as it is a historic resting place.

A relic from a forgotten bakery chain still spins atop a diner.

This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.

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

From sax to spuds, get 'em all at this landmark music establishment.

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

The remnants of an early automobile route across shifting sand dunes can still be found in the deserts of Southern California.

“It's the quality” (but probably also the drive-through donut tunnel) that has attracted diners since 1968.

Hidden in the Santa Ynez Mountains off Highway 154, this tiny restaurant once served as a stagecoach stop.

A tribute to one man's legacy of improving the accordion's reputation.

This stately structure has been abandoned for half a century.