A beautiful, dense forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji, with a tragic reputation.

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

Travelers exchange letters with woodland creatures at this mini post office.

One of the best absinthe distilleries in the United States.

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.

A store that sells all manner of bones, insects, and animal curiosities.

A 90-acre park on former landfill that hosts an annual kite festival.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

The remains of a 12th-century chapter house in Golden Gate Park.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

The taxidermied remains of the "last wild grizzly bear in California" and of the symbol of the state of California.

Furniture tries to escape an abandoned building in San Francisco.

In this century-old literary safehouse, print is alive and well.

A monument to the love people have for their pets.

A famous alternative culture epicenter and where Joplin serenaded young hippies.

An overlooked and unassuming engineering marvel.

There is no trying to fall in love with this Star Wars fountain, you just do or do not.

Get lost in this haunting fairytale art walk through a man-made eucalyptus grove.

The best place in the park to test out your throwing arm.

The old Niles Canyon Aqueduct in the San Francisco Bay Area is a bemusing and secret trail through nature for wayward travelers.

Appropriation-friendly collection of books, periodicals, and more.

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.