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

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

This spooky road cut through a mound of ancient coral might be haunted by a witch.

A promotional sun clock on the site of San Francisco's great raceway.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

'Cause the fence start shaking, the earth was quaking.

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

Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.

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 poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

Massive prehistoric mammals used these stones as oversized scratching posts.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

This massive redwood tree has a hole in the base big enough to drive through.

In this roadside "community for the small," abandoned toys gain new lives.

Spend a day hanging out with domesticated Russian foxes.

Where there's quartz, there must be gold. Thus is the story of the mines of Julian, and the titillating times of the Gold Rush.

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

A UFO scrapyard in the California desert.

Catch a glimpse of the elusive Peninsular bighorns right off of the desert freeway.