The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.

A magnificent, reportedly haunted mansion built for a composer by Spiritualists.

This (occupied) house is 10 feet wide and full of spite.

The California capital city once stood 10 feet lower than it does today.

About 80% of all U.S. avocados are descendants of Rudolph Hass's glorious tree.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

A temple devoted to inner esoteric mysteries located in a California commercial strip.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

The show's fictional Korean medical camp was created in the Santa Monica hills.

This abandoned boat was left in place thanks to its rotting beauty.

This museum looks at the history of one of America's most famous prisons and most beloved albums.

An iconic location along the Los Angeles River where countless movie scenes are filmed.

An ultra-modern vista that has been featured in so many films the house is a celebrity in its own right.

Semi-recognized center of the world, with many oddities.

This mysterious and creepy location instills a strong sense of foreboding in all visitors.

The dramatic upward-curving roof is one of the most iconic examples of Googie architecture that still stands today.

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

Neoclassical Revival mansion and set of horror cult classic Phantasm.

The oldest dim sum restaurant in the United States is a nostalgic jewel.

Its dark depths conceal millions of rare, delicate crystal formations.

Colorful Native American paintings are hidden within this small cavern.

A vast city of the dead, where the deceased outnumber the living by more than a million.