yowoshi's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Poway, California

Poway Midland Railroad

Take a leisurely ride on a 1906 cable car or a 1907 steam locomotive.
Ramona, California

Potato Chip Rock

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

Queen Califia's Magical Circle

A large sculptural artwork and garden in Escondido, California.
Palomar Mountain, California

Palomar Observatory

A world-class observatory in the California desert.
San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.
San Francisco, California

Chinese Historical Society of America

This museum in San Francisco's Chinatown is one of the oldest and largest archives of Chinese American history and culture.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Peregrine Falcons

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.
San Francisco, California

Musée Mécanique

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Cable Car Museum

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.
San Francisco, California

AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel

The first AIDS memorial chapel in San Francisco and one of only a few in the U.S.
San Francisco, California

Leroy King Carousel

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.
Solvang, California

OstrichLand USA

Get up close to emus and ostriches, or buy their tasty meat.
Santa Monica, California

Dogtown Coffee

Grab a latte at the birthplace of modern American skateboarding.
Santa Monica, California

Origami Intersections

Giant origami crease patterns engraved in Santa Monica intersections may even be visible from space.
Santa Monica, California

Route 66 End of the Trail Sign

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.
Santa Monica, California

Pacific Park Solar Ferris Wheel

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.
Manhattan Beach, California

Light Gate

The sun acts as a key that only fits this giant keyhole twice a year.
Carson, California

International Printing Museum

One of the best collections of antique printing machinery in the world.
Long Beach, California

Looff's Lite-A-Line

permanently closed
The creator of the carousel's bingo-pinball hybrid survives in California's oldest gaming establishment.
Long Beach, California

Astronaut Islands

These four islands right offshore have waterfalls, colorful lights, fancy buildings, and a secret purpose.
Anaheim, California

Brookhurst Community Park

A surreal, Gaudi-inspired play space near an Anaheim community center.
Anaheim, California

Stephen Hillenburg Memorial

A monument to the legacy of the man who created Spongebob Squarepants at the school where his passion for art and marine biology began.
Newport Beach, California

Bunnyhenge

Fourteen curious and controversial white bunnies sit in a circle near Newport Beach City Hall.
Laguna Beach, California

Victoria Beach's Pirate Tower

This strange seaside tower got its name from a wealthy eccentric who would hide coins among its stones.