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Buckle Up: A (Virtual) Road Trip to California Hidden Gems

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The Valley Relics Museum has moved from the Chatsworth location into two brand new airplane hangers at The Van Nuys airport. The museum is currently open to visitors wearing masks. (Courtesy of Valley Relics Museum)

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This summer, while so many Californians are sticking close to home, we figured we’d take a virtual road trip for your ears, to visit out-of-the-way secret spots, not the usual California tourist destinations. So next week, we're bringing you the best of our Hidden Gems and A Place Called What series.

The Valley Relics Museum Is a Love Letter to Pop Culture

When Bing Crosby crooned his chart-topping ode "San Fernando Valley" in 1944, the place was still pretty close to the Wild West. Since then, the populations of this group of 33 neighborhoods — communities like Tarzana, Reseda and Van Nuys — have exploded, spawning a history and culture all its own. The Valley Relics Museum in Chatsworth is a shrine to the things that defined 20th century life in the area. Peter Gilstrap takes us there.

Worth the Drive: Mono Hot Springs, Stunning Alpine Scenery

Mono Hot Springs is in the Southern Sierra Nevada, way up, over Kaiser Pass in the rugged wilderness. So it takes a little fortitude to get to its healing mineral waters. And, as Alice Daniel reports, a tolerance for gooey mud and... snakes.

Half Moon Bay’s Legendary Jazz Spot That Started in a Living Room

Just a few steps from the Pacific Ocean in Half Moon Bay sits a music venue with a mysterious name, a storied past and some of the best live jazz you could ever hope to find. Reporter Ryan Levi introduces us to the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society.

The Church of 8 Wheels

In San Francisco, there’s a church where the music is funky and skating is holy. Laura Klivans gets “ROLL-igious” and takes us there.

Plus, along the way, we'll visit Bumpass Hell in Lassen National Park, Rough and Ready in Nevada County, Zyzzyx in San Bernardino County and Happy Camp in Siskiyou County.

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