Monasteries on rock pillars, once accessible only by frayed ropes.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

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

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.

A monument to the frontier doctor who came up with the idea of delineating highways with a painted line.

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

One of the most photographed locations in the entire city.

Instead of faces, these sculptures have barcodes—statements on societal dehumanization.

A castle that was built stone by stone by an eccentric journalist.

A cake-themed art installation tucked away in historic Chinatown.

A treasure hunter's tiny bar, harboring celebrities since 1959.

This California tree is the single source of the state's entire orange industry.

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

In one of the hottest parts of the Mojave Desert, shallow bedrock forces the typically dry Mojave River to the surface in this canyon, providing a vital oasis for humans and wildlife.

One of the ghostly stops along Route 66.

The most isolated mailbox in America lets desert travelers record their passing.

In the middle of the desert, miles from any human life, sat an anomalous pay phone that still magically answers your calls.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

Where NASA's satellites and rovers phone home.

A former utopian healing center created by a huckster and built by derelicts.

These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

Medical and zoological curiosities for sale.

Pay your respects to departed pets, both celebrity and otherwise.