Did Sir Francis Drake really claim Monterey for Queen Elizabeth? What does it take to win the world’s worst car show? Why did the new nation of Argentina attack the port of Monterey? Monterey County is known nationwide for its agricultural bounty, a bay bursting with marine life, world-famous golf courses, annual displays of automobile extravagance, and Big Sur, one of the top ten scenic road trips in the nation, but what about the stories and places that don’t appear in traditional travel guides? Secret Monterey: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure reveals the unexpected and little-known stories behind major attractions, as well as numerous other spots replete with mystery and intrigue. Did General Sherman really jilt the beautiful Senorita Bonifacio? Why did activists decapitate a Catholic saint canonized in the US? When will the next “big one” strike along one of the world’s most closely observed earthquake faults? Local author, travel writer, and historian David Laws answers these questions and introduces you to the other side of Monterey County, a trove of unexpected and unique places just waiting to be explored.

How do you step into a live fairytale with aerial dancers, opera singers, and a huge rabbit? Where can you walk on a beach covered with broken pottery? What is the Institute for Abnormal Arts? Who will show you evidence Bigfoot is real? Find the answers to these questions and many more in Secret California: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. This is a book for travelers who love to meet quirky characters, discover oddities, and experience littleknown aspects of the Golden State. Learn the fascinating tales behind all the points of interest and discover some new places to look for adventure. Learn where to spend a night in a museum, explore an underground city, and watch silent movies in the same theater where Charlie Chaplin premiered The Tramp. Find out about the country’s only perfume museum, how a wall became covered in frogs, and why a colorful garden will not grow. Whether it’s an ancient society’s crypt or the second city underneath the capital, this guide leaves no stone unturned. Author Ruth Carlson uses her years of experience as a Californian to fill you in on the hilarious, the bizarre, and the beautiful in this unusual guidebook so you can experience the hidden treasures locals would like to keep to themselves—if only they knew about them!

At a glance, Mobile, Alabama, is a reserved Southern city, steeped in charm, heritage, and history. But look a little more closely and discover a winding tale of revivalist zeal, quirky contradictions, and delightfully ghastly scandals and scoundrels. In Secret Mobile: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, you’ll unearth secrets of the past. People will be quick to tell you that Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America, and they’ll be even quicker to tell you about Joe Cain, the rebellious firefighter credited with restoring the Mardi Gras tradition following the Civil War, but is that really the whole story? Not even close. As you’ll quickly learn, when it comes to Mobile, there’s always more to the story. Learn why the City of Mobile was twice burned to the ground, what famous presidential quote was uttered in the historic Battle House Hotel, and how a telltale oak grew out of the grave of an allegedly innocent convicted murderer. You’ll explore new terrain—like how to join the city’s most spirited kayaking group, where to find Hippie Beach, and the best way to see the iconic Middle Bay Lighthouse and the cow that lived there. Intrigued? Local author Amy Delcambre is just getting started. She’ll be your storytelling guide to explore all of the unseen threads that make up the fabric of Mobile and help you dive in to untangle the facts and the legends that make up the best of Mobile’s secrets.

Who is buried under the runway at Savannah Airport? Was “Jingle Bells” really written in Savannah, despite a distinct lack of snow to dash through? And what is the source of that peculiar echo on River Street? Find the answers to these and many more questions in Secret Savannah: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. While it may be renowned for its majestic moss-draped oaks and historic architecture, there are many more things to discover in this beguiling coastal city. Did you know that Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath once tried to turn one of Savannah’s most remarkable homes into a nightclub? Or that Martin Luther King Jr. gave an early version of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Savannah before he delivered it at the Lincoln Memorial? Local author Christopher Berinato has scoured the fringes of greater Savannah to dig up some deep cuts of history, legends, and maybe even a few ghosts. Let his eye-opening guide astound you with fascinating tales of the most charming city in the South.

Which scientific landmark moonlights as a mausoleum? Where can you find sacred street food? When was there nearly a Civil War battle in San Jose? What civil rights icon got started in San Jose? What’s the real story behind Sarah Winchester’s mysterious house? Find the answers to these and other questions you didn’t know you had. From player pianos to disappearing lakes, from ghost towns to buried limbs, this unconventional guidebook will take you through bizarre and fascinating stories that define San Jose’s history and shaped this one-of-a-kind city. Whether you are a life-long San Jose resident, a new transplant, or a first-time visitor, local writer Cassie Kifer will introduce you to quirky and beautiful places and share stories about the city that never get told. Part tour and part scavenger hunt, this guide will take you to some of the weirdest and most wonderful places in Northern California’s biggest and most misunderstood city.

How can the “father of the California wine industry” still be walking around after more than 160 years? Why do thousands of beer lovers flock to Sonoma County from across the US once a year? Where can we play “top gun” in a real fighter jet? And why are Snoopy, Woodstock, and all the Charlie Brown gang standing around all over the place? Countless curiosities, icons and hidden treasures fill the pages of Secret Sonoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. From hidden beaches on a world-famous coastline to wineries unknown even by oenophiles, from the tallest trees on the planet and NASCAR stars to rollicking tales of 18th and 19th century California, this is your ticket to adventure and surprises in the California Wine Country. A veteran author and Sonoma County native, Karen Misuraca reveals her deepest, darkest secrets of where she sees ghosts of centuries past, buys fetishes to vanquish her enemies, and bellies up to the bar in Gold Rush-era roadhouses. Where does she fly through the treetops, stargaze through powerful telescopes, and loll in geothermal hot springs? Even if you and your friends have been here before, and especially if you live here, Secret Sonoma is your new book of wonders.

To the untrained eye, Los Angeles may seem like a spectacle of glitz and glamour, freeways and traffic snarls. But beneath those superficial impressions hides a richly complex and diverse city teeming with quirky art, dazzling buildings, hidden histories, strange spectacles, and inspiring cultural landmarks. Secret Los Angeles guides you to the hidden gems that make the city and surrounding county truly sparkle. Discover the story behind the featherbrained “Statue of Liberty of L.A.” and the butterflies of an abandoned oceanside neighborhood. Stroll along the other walks of fame and drive along a musical road. Explore a historic movie palace hidden in the Jewelry District and find the inspiration for Disneyland nestled within Griffith Park. Find the secretive locations of Prohibition-era speakeasies and sip top-notch booze at a Willy Wonka-like distillery. Experience a reenactment of the Great Los Angeles Air Raid and uncover the history of Central Avenue’s jazz legacy. Local author Danny Jensen directs you to under-the-radar destinations that are often overlooked, even by locals, yet offer fascinating insight into a place that captures so many people’s imagination. Whether you’ve recently arrived or lived here all your life, this book will help you see and understand L.A. in a completely new way and inspire you to explore further.