The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

Thousands of migrating monarchs overwinter clustered amongst the eucalyptus trees.

A quiet nook at the top of a little-known hilltop park named after California's first poet laureate.

The "Kill Bill Church" was transformed into a place of worship after a long Hollywood history.

A museum dedicated to the decorative arts from the 16th through 19th centuries.

One incredible room in the Santa Barbara Courthouse is covered in wall-to-wall canvas murals.

This store is dedicated to unique found footage and the strangeness of pre-internet pop-culture.

For roadside fast food, pull over at the giant orange.

The last of a gourmet supermarket chain, this store helped spark California's Food Revolution.

This surreptitious shop is only open five hours per week.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

This nonsensical smiling boat shuttles passengers between two places they could've easily walked between.

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

Over one million bird-related artifacts await.

A mysterious and endangered parasitic herb from the California desert.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

This collection of hand fans doubles as a history of femininity.

The beloved dining spot stands at the cross-section of Hollywood and the Old West.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

A remote desert lookout offers unparalleled views of the California badlands for those who brave the trek.

If you dial the number in this abandoned office window "Sam Spade’s" secretary will ask you to leave a message.

The only parking meter in the entire town, it is surrounded by 100 free spaces.