An abandoned, unfinished mansion on grounds strewn with lava rocks.

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.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

An eccentric folk art landmark made out of discarded bottles by an inspired "grandma."

360-degree virtual reality chamber physically immerses scientists into their data.

An "anarchical" no man's land, complete with garbage sculptures and a hobo-run "Landfillian Library."

Once a place of peaceful repose, this sanitarium now faces an uncertain future.

Discover for yourself what Herb Caen referred to as "the best kept secret in the Bay Area."

On a barren hillside in the Yucca Valley, the recently restored Desert Christ Park has attracted pilgrims and kitsch hunters for over 50 years.

This Pringle-shaped ledge makes for the perfect photo op.

This old mining town, deep in the California desert, has a year-round population of one.

This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

Legendary prop shop filled with one man's collection of scientific curiosities.

A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

The "3rd largest" city in California is an empty mirage of suburbia in the middle of nowhere.

A Mysterious Masonic tomb in San Luis Obispo.

Two rocks in a perpetual kiss and one of "the most romantic spot in America."

Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

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

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

Dive bar built out of the remains of a whaling ship.

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

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

Along a California highway is a kind of Jurassic Park made of metal.