After a water tower painting was accused of being an ad, a simple fix was made that gave the city a motto.

A life-sized recreation of the megafauna that once roamed this region is a feature at the birthplace of American paleontology.

The largest earthwork effigy in the world.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

Naturally carbonated water fills the mineral baths at this 19th-century California resort.

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

The oldest lighthouse on America's west coast no longer needs keepers, yet they maintain the site anyhow.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

It should come as no surprise that the world's largest artichoke lies in the town that calls itself the "Artichoke Center of the World."

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

Home to an apple tree that can produce 25 different varieties of fruit.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

This museum in the woods evokes the work and lives of Michigan's 19-century lumberjacks.

Rare collection of medieval books under lock and key.

The largest known medieval map of the world.

The remains of the oldest synagogue in Britain lay forgotten for seven centuries, hidden under a humble shop.

A 1920s speakeasy that had rum runners racing up and down the shores of California.

Housed in a memorial lighthouse, this museum relays the history of surfing, beginning with the antics of royal Hawaiian teenagers.

This concrete ship has had four careers - World War I tanker, floating amusement park, fishing pier, and artificial reef.

Elephant seals and sea lions have turned the abandoned buildings on this island into their endangered love shack.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.