Bits and pieces from the ill-fated Donner Party's winter cabins.

The awe-inspiring ship from the golden era of cruising has an incomparable history and a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.

Happy harbor seals frolic and snooze on this warm, sandy stretch of coast.

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

Gorgeous purple flowers drape from the world's largest blossoming plant.

“It's the quality” (but probably also the drive-through donut tunnel) that has attracted diners since 1968.

The overgrown ruins of a once thriving World War I-era copper mine.

Nursery with extensive collection of flesh-eating plants operated by the author of "The Savage Garden."

Arcadia is home to a haven for nature geeks and 80s TV lovers alike.

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

A nursery specializing in strange and beautiful succulents and cacti.

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

From Japan to Italy, this California park explores the world's cultures through their gardens.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

An optical illusion found amid a logged redwood forest.

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.

Exotic feline breeding compound and conservation center.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

These millipedes glow not out of attraction, but as a not-too-subtle warning.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

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

One of the last free public hot springs is decorated with hippie art.

San Diego's most historic and haunted home.