The Southern California pop sounds of surf and sand were born right here.

Once the gateway to the utopian dream-village of a Civil War embalmer.

An abandoned, unfinished mansion on grounds strewn with lava rocks.

This private residence was the template for one of the most beloved television homes of all time.

Stroll the grounds built by murder, suicide, and dirty oil money at one of Hollywood's most filmed mansions.

World-famous, Pink's still manages to keep its prized cult fetish status.

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

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

A UFO scrapyard in the California desert.

Rising out of miles of farmland, these buttes are sometimes called the world's smallest mountain range.

This raised bulls-eye visible from space was the subject of an intense geologic controversy.

This quiet park's strange sedimentary spires were named after Kodak's color film.

This historic tower in the California desert promises visitors a "vortex of good vibes".

A 90-foot-tall psychedelic "tree" on the side of the highway has baffled passersby for decades.

The world's first nuclear power plant is open to visitors looking to role-play a meltdown.

Supposedly Satanic numbers adorn this preserved submarine sail.

Home to the deepest rift anywhere on Earth.

Hundreds of trees made from glass bottles make up this forest on Route 66.

The L.A. Zoo has a secret garden of rare bootleg cycads, a palm specimen dating back 280 million years.

Raised illegally, Reggie now lives at the Los Angeles Zoo after authorities spent years tracking him down.

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."

A Swedenborgian glass church surrounded by redwoods sits perched atop a massive landslide area.

Giant Redwood-themed cafeteria operates under the golden rule, "Dine Free Unless Delighted."