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

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

A charming desert roadside bakery that produces 10 times more bread daily than it has residents in its town.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

Smooth basaltic rocks tell a tale of ancient glacial waterfalls.

This crumbling Death Valley mining complex was known for its use of giant, 20-mule team wagons.

The lowest point in North America is home to an undrinkable pool surrounded by fields of geometric salt flats.

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

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

A carousel trades in its classic horses and calliope for endangered species, native flora and fauna, and a modern soundtrack.

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

High on a hill overlooking Los Angeles lives a world famous, high power conical Tesla Coil.

The final resting place of a space program monolith.

A modern day curiosity cabinet.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Giant Redwood-themed cafeteria operates under the golden rule, "Dine Free Unless Delighted."

Come crisp December nights, this fairly plain neighborhood becomes a holiday dream world.

This serene oasis in an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood holds some of Gandhi's ashes and got Elvis into Eastern Philosophy.

One of the largest helium balloons in the U.S. is a 112-foot ginormous orange.

A military vehicle collection, showcasing how war transportation advanced from horse drawn artillery to self propelled cannons.

Stripes of flowers bloom each spring in a 50 acre rainbow of color.

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.