A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

It's not your typical library, memorial, or book store.

An eccentric millionaire's personal curio collection includes at least one shrunken head.

This mother-daughter run curiosities shop is a beautifully odd mix of taxidermy and exotic plants.

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

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

One poet's handmade, anachronistic home.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

An old whaling station now serves to give the public a look at the commercial whaling industry, no longer a part of Monterey's economy.

The oldest U.S. Government building in California, and it's State Historic Landmark #1.

The first safe in this California town had to hold all the gold.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

One of the largest Buddhist communities in the West sits on the site of an old hospital.

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

This quirky roadside attraction dives into the many theories surrounding North America's most infamous hairy cryptid.

Home to the "Circus" trees created by Axel Erlandson.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

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

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.