Alleyway plaque commemorating the death of a fictional character in The Maltese Falcon, not far from the author's home.

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

A "haunted" landmark on the coast of Southern California.

The tragedy of the Japanese internment camps is remembered here by a stark "Soul Consoling Tower."

The Hopi-style structure was built by the man who discovered Desert Hot Springs' famous mineral water.

Outposts of this restaurant chain were shaped like jaunty chapeaus.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

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

Coastal dunes, site of buried Egyptian movie set and former utopian colony.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

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

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

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

The haunting ruins of Jack London's dream house.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

A giant donut stands as a popular symbol of Los Angeles iconography.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

"Only the devil could play golf here."

Tenacious mummies survived dental problems, eternal entombment, and more than their fair share of devastating fires.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

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

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

The highest dunes in California are the most likely place in the area to hear the Singing Sands.