robertz's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Truckee, California

Boca

This settlement on the original Transcontinental Railroad began by harvesting timber, but transitioned to a forgotten 19th-century industry: harvesting ice.
San Luis Obispo, California

Motel Inn

The world's first motel is now an administrative building for an apple farm.
Walnut Grove, California

Locke Historic District

The only standing town in the United States that early Chinese Americans built for themselves.
San Luis Obispo, California

'The Iron Road Pioneers'

A simple statue outside a California Amtrak station honors the overlooked contributions of the "silent spikes."
Auburn, California

Foresthill Bridge

The tallest bridge in California was constructed for a project that was eventually cancelled.
Alameda, California

USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
Sacramento, California

Tower Bridge

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.
Tulare, California

Preston’s Pride

A B-17 bomber stands as a memorial to the residents of Tulare County who served in World War II.
Weaverville, California

Weaverville Joss House

This Taoist temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California.
Sacramento, California

St. George Hotel Marker

Where the first "expert riders, willing to risk death daily" for the Pony Express were recruited.
Lodi, California

The Original Home of A&W Root Beer

A plaque and memorabilia collection mark where A&W got its start.
Sacramento, California

Vic's Ice Cream Parlor

At this 1940s-era neighborhood favorite, you can still drink a cherry phosphate.
Doyle, California

Sierra Army Depot

One of the largest fleets of armored vehicles in the world, sitting out in the California desert.
Sutter, California

Sutter Buttes

Rising out of miles of farmland, these buttes are sometimes called the world's smallest mountain range.
San Luis Obispo, California

The Bells of El Camino Real

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."
Shandon, California

James Dean Memorial Junction

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.
Sausalito, California

Marin Headlands

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.
Kingsburg, California

Swedish Coffee Pot Tower

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.
Avalon, California

Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden

Chewing gum tycoon's memorial lies perched over wife's botanical gardens on Santa Catalina Island.
Morro Bay, California

Morro Rock

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

Kinetic Steam Works

Collective dedicated to restoring steam engines.
Richmond, California

Richmond Shipyards

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.
Fiddletown, California

Chew Kee Store

An old-timey medicine shop that once served Chinese laborers during the Gold Rush is still open for business to this day.
San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo's Bubblegum Alley

An alley covered with 20 years of bubble gum.