A B-17 bomber stands as a memorial to the residents of Tulare County who served in World War II.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

This unlicensed collection of fast-food memorabilia sits on the site of the first ever McDonald's restaurant.

The Route 66 institution that inspired Taco Bell also served as an important headquarters for Mexican-American social movements.

The world's largest mountain carving could fit all of Mount Rushmore inside it many times over.

A train tunnel that was made obsolete by the dam it helped create.

California's first suspension bridge.

The oldest orange tree in California spawned a generation of citrus farmers.

Before it was abandoned and left to rust alongside the road, this riverboat starred in a John Wayne movie.

A fine mixture of the old and the new topped with an art deco neon spire.

A watering hole where the options for seating include a bar, patio, or subterranean cave.

Hidden in a hotel parking lot is a strange historical plaque erected by an obscure fraternal society.

This fully intact Neoclassical-Greek Revival style firehouse operated until 1938.

California's oldest existing theater building hosted an impressive cast of celebrities, including hosting Mark Twain's first lecture.

Once the largest town in eastern Yuba County now sits abandoned.

A public fountain that spouts "health water" from a nearby spring.

The first U.S. town to secede from the Union, only to vote themselves right back in.

Built to hold Gold Rush wealth, this building has withstood the test of time.

Where the first "expert riders, willing to risk death daily" for the Pony Express were recruited.

This 19th century train workshop is a treasure trove of railroad history.

I Street Bridge is the heaviest swinging center bridge in the United States.

A mesmerizing disco ball-like sculpture along the Sacramento River Walk.

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."