#301 Scotty's Castle

Scotty's Castle is a Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival architectural wonder in Death Valley National Park. It was created with the vision of Walter E. Scott, famous gold mine con man. Walter convinced Chicago investor Albert Mussey Johnson to invest in his fake mine. The investment turned out to be a fraud but Albert enjoyed Scott's enthusiasm and constructed the property anyway. The National Park Service purchased the property in 1970 and has led tours of the interior ever since which contains all original furnishings.

*Due to a 2015 flood, the castle is currently closed and estimated to reopen in 2019

 

#298 El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park preserves one of the four original presidios or military districts of Alta California. Founded on April 21st 1782, its primary purpose was to protect the mission and settlers against local attack or foreign invasion. It was also the primary government and cultural center from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo. Today, the presidio operates as a State Park Museum that offers a glimpse into the past with original and restored structures.

 

#293 Presidio Park

Presidio Park in San Diego marks the spot of the first European settlement of the Western United States. Founded in 1769, the Presidio or military fort was established here to protect the land from invasion. Abandoned in 1835, it decayed for 75 years until local civic lead George Marston purchased the land for preservation. He donated the land to the city where a Museum to honor Mission Founder Father Junípero Serra was built. The museum is open today and provides sweeping views of the city in an idyllic setting.

 

#290 Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum

The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum is a sculptural museum in Joshua Tree. Noah Purifoy was an artist born in Alabama but spent most of his working life in California. He was the first African American to attend the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles and graduated with a BFA in 1956. He used debris and found objects from the desert to sculpt over 100 mesmerizing art installations created during his final years from 1989 to 2004.

 

#286 Getty Center

Built on the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, The Getty Center is a grand collection of art, architecture and gardens overlooking the Los Angeles Metropolis. It opened in 1997 at a cost of $1.3 billion dollars and was designed by famed architect Richard Meier. More than 1.3 million visitors come each year to enjoy famed European paintings, sculptures, photography and skyline views.

 

#276 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is my favorite museum in Southern California and has been around since 1916. The museum beautifully showcases the surroundings of Santa Barbara from the Native American Chumash, bird & mammal halls as well as marine and plant life. The beautiful grounds run along Mission Creek. With 3.5 million specimens in its extensive collection, there is something to delight everyone during its Centennial Celebration.

 

#261 Ramona's Marriage Place

Built by early settles José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio Estudillo, Casa de Estudillo is an historic adobe in Old Town San Diego that was one of the finest homes of its time. In 1884, Helen Hunt Jackson wrote 'Ramona', a romanticized novel based on the discrimination of Native Americans. It was called the finest novel written by an American woman at the time. It became so popular that people began traveling to California just to see the locations depicted in the book. San Diego capitalized on this influx and renamed the adobe 'Ramona's Marriage Place'.

 

#242 Mission Santa Barbara

Mission Santa Barbara is nicknamed the 'Queen of the Missions' because of its graceful, yet grand exterior. Founded on December 4th, 1786, the feast day of Saint Barbara, it is the 10th of the 21 Missions. The current Mission was completed in 1820 after an earthquake destroyed most of the original in 1812 and the interior remains almost completely unchanged. Each May, the I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival showcases beautiful chalk paintings by 150 artists.

 

#238 Casa Romantica

Casa Romantica was the former home of Ole Hanson built in 1927. Born in Wisconsin in 1874, Ole became a politician and moved to Seattle, Washington where he served as mayor from 1918-19. He bid for presidency in 1920 but lost so moved to California to begin a more peaceful life. Ole founded the city of San Clemente in 1925 to create a 'Spanish Village by the Sea'. Casa Romantica was his dream 'White House' and is a cultural center today that celebrates the history, culture and architecture of Orange County.

 

#219 USS Iowa

USS Iowa is a museum at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro which opened on the 4th of July 2012. It preserves U.S. Navy Battleship BB-61 which served during World War II, Korean War and Cold War. Three presidents have been hosted aboard and President Roosevelt's Cabin exhibit is a highlight. The tour also includes several rooms, berths, bridges, decks and has wonderful volunteers revealing its history.