mcattt's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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San Jose, California

Santana Row Chess Plaza

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.
San Jose, California

Monopoly in the Park

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.
San Jose, California

Olympic Black Power Statue

A statue commemorate Tommie Smith and John Carlos's brave protest at the 1968 Olympics, a watershed moment for civil rights.
Pescadero, California

Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo State Park

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.
Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Mystery Spot

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

Davenport Pier Beach

Here, visitors can swing with the waves of the Pacific Ocean.
Mono County, California

Crowley Lake Columns

Eons old volcanic activity created one of the most stunning rock formations in the United States.
Big Pine, California

Methuselah Tree

Once thought to be the oldest living tree in the world, Methuselah was germinated before the Egyptian pyramids were built.
Inyo County, California

Sailing Stones of Racetrack Playa

The rocks in this arid basin leave trails of movement behind them.
Inyo County, California

Badwater Basin

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

Devils Golf Course Landscape

"Only the devil could play golf here."
California

Eureka Dunes

The highest dunes in California are the most likely place in the area to hear the Singing Sands.
Lone Pine, California

The Museum of Western Film History

The hundreds of movies and television shows shot in this high desert town are commemorated in a unique museum.
Sequoia National Park, California

General Sherman

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).
Three Rivers, California

Glowing Millipedes of Sequoia National Park

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

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

A ghost town originally established and governed solely by Black Americans seeking a place of their own, free from discrimination.
Coalinga, California

Iron Zoo

A dwindling menagerie of anthropomorphic oil derrick animals still dot the barren California landscape.
San Luis Obispo, California

Madonna Inn

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.
San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo's Bubblegum Alley

An alley covered with 20 years of bubble gum.
Morro Bay, California

Morro Rock

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

Monarch Grove Sanctuary

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.
Monterey, California

Jellyfish Exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Calla Lily Valley

This little valley along Highway 1 is engulfed by thousands of lilies during the spring season.