Mr BigShot's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place
Leaderboard Highlights
Mr BigShot's activity rankings
1st
Places visited in Texas
1st
Places visited in Wyoming
1st
Places visited in Baker, California
2nd
Places visited in Oklahoma
2nd
Places visited in South Dakota
2nd
Places visited in Williams, Arizona
3rd
Places visited in Rapid City, South Dakota
3rd
Places visited in El Paso, Texas
3rd
Places visited in San Bernardino, California
Loading map...
Hillsborough, California

Junípero Serra Statue

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Calipatria, California

Calipatria Flagpole

Erroneously called the world's tallest flagpole, this landmark is devoted to "good neighborliness."
richstaab Added by richstaab
Newport Beach, California

Fashion Island Wind Chimes

These were the largest wind chimes in the world when artist Tom Van Sant created them for a California mall in 1967.
Added by haumart
Ojai, California

Matilija Dam

The disdain for this dysfunctional dam is reflected in a giant pair of scissors painted on the concrete face.
Added by wbksb
Lafayette, California

The Crosses of Lafayette

Thousands of crosses and markers for soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan blanket a California hillside.
leiris Added by leiris
Mill Valley, California

B612 Foundation

Astronomers plan to launch a space telescope into orbit, to find out what exactly stands in the way of an asteroid hitting Earth.
Dylan Added by Dylan
Sacramento, California

Tower Bridge

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.
Added by Jeremy D
Santa Clara, California

Shrine of Our Lady of Peace

One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.
James Ricci Added by James Ricci
Santa Rosa, California

Grave of Robert L. Ripley

Believe it or not, this is the final resting place of the man who created the Odditorium.
Gina G Added by Gina G
Tehachapi, California

Tehachapi Wind Farm

Thousands of turbines whir at the origin of North American wind power.
Allison Added by Allison
Los Angeles, California

The (W)rapper

This jagged colossus of a building is mostly held together by an enormous concrete exoskeleton.
Added by alebrun
Los Angeles, California

Griffith J. Griffith Statue

Although he donated over 3,000 acres to Los Angles, Griffith's life was marred by controversy.
jbartlett2000 Added by jbartlett2000
San Francisco, California

Fort Point

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.
Scott Mansfield Added by Scott Mansfield
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.
Added by CaliforniaBear
Berkeley, California

BioFuel Oasis

Worker-owned cooperative and resource for those looking to lighten their ecological footprint.
Added by theoktitus
Stanford, California

Stanford Red Barn

The world’s first stop-motion film was created on the racetrack outside this building.
SEANETTA Added by SEANETTA
San Jose, California

The San José Semaphore

It took years to decode its mysterious messages.
Anne Ewbank Added by Anne Ewbank
Lee Vining, California

Black Point Fissures by Mono Lake

Deep vertical fissures like miniature slot canyons cut across the cemented volcanic rock of Black Point above Mono Lake.
slgwv Added by slgwv
Baker, California

Afton Canyon

In one of the hottest parts of the Mojave Desert, shallow bedrock forces the typically dry Mojave River to the surface in this canyon, providing a vital oasis for humans and wildlife.
slgwv Added by slgwv
San Jose, California

Site of the World's First Radio Broadcasting Station

Three plaques mark the spot where the "forgotten father of broadcasting" worked.
Anne Ewbank Added by Anne Ewbank
Auburn, California

Foresthill Bridge

The tallest bridge in California was constructed for a project that was eventually cancelled.
Added by Jeremy D
Goleta, California

Monument to the Bombardment of Ellwood

The first attack on the continental U.S. during WWII occurred off the coast of a quiet California golf course.
Richard Peevers Added by Richard Peevers
Santa Monica, California

Origami Intersections

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

Cresta Aqueduct

A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.
Added by Jeremy D