aequitas135's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Arcadia, California

Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

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

Slab City

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.
Niland, California

East Jesus

An off-grid art installation that encourages its visitors to imagine a world without waste.
Calipatria, California

Salvation Mountain

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.
Bombay Beach, California

Bombay Beach

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.
Mecca, California

Salton Sea

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.
San Diego, California

Panama-California Sculpture Court

A hidden courtyard houses early 20th-century plaster masterpieces.
San Juan Capistrano, California

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Oldest building in California still in use.
Cabazon, California

Cabazon Dinosaurs

The "world's biggest dinosaur" once housed a creationist museum in its abdomen.
Palm Springs, California

Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium

Explore the wide world of desert plants at this unique Palm Springs botanical garden.
Rancho Mirage, California

Sunnylands

You don't have to be a diplomat to visit the so-called Camp David of the West.
Crestline, California

Heart Rock Falls

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.
Laguna Beach, California

'The Greeter'

This wooden statue commemorates a man who spent nearly 40 years waving hello to the people of Laguna Beach.
Long Beach, California

RMS Queen Mary

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.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Point Vicente Lighthouse

A "haunted" landmark on the coast of Southern California.
Santa Clarita, California

Oak of the Golden Dream

According to legend it was a nap taken under this tree that kicked off the California Gold Rush.
Hacienda Heights, California

Hsi Lai Temple

An unexpected and peaceful oasis on a hillside.
Brea, California

Brea Redwood Grove

A non-native grove of 241 redwoods in Southern California.
San Bernardino, California

Unofficial McDonald's Museum

This unlicensed collection of fast-food memorabilia sits on the site of the first ever McDonald's restaurant.
San Luis Obispo, California

Madonna Inn

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.
Sponsored by Visit California
Ojai, California

Bart's Books

Explore more than 130,000 new and used books in the "world's largest outdoor bookstore."
Morro Bay, California

Morro Rock

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.
San Simeon, California

Hearst Castle

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.
San Simeon, California

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.