A lake formed in the basin of a massive impact crater takes the shape of an unbroken ring when viewed from above.

This semi-secret garden in south Seattle emulates a traditional Japanese garden using the plants of the Pacific Northwest.

The quiet canyon has a tumultuous history involving a doomsday cult.

Hidden above a drug store on a nondescript corner of Lincoln Heights is a private clubhouse for intrepid explorers.

Secret US military film studio in the Hollywood Hills.

An increasingly eccentric apartment building, topped with winged beasties.

Where the line between entertainment and aerospace blurs.

Raised illegally, Reggie now lives at the Los Angeles Zoo after authorities spent years tracking him down.

The beauty and the beast of hydraulic mining is on full display at this California Historic State Park.

This traditional garden in the San Fernando Valley doubled for Star Fleet Academy, and is irrigated entirely by wastewater.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

Russian history in San Francisco.

What began with a single, 357-pound chunk of the Canyon Diablo meteorite grew to be an impressive collection. 

First LEED-certified gas station in the United States.

A multimedia experience that chronicles the atrocities of racism.

Longtime headquarters of controversial boys' club for the world's wealthiest and most powerful.

Celebrating the transformation of trash into objects of beauty.

One of the world's largest collections of rare and magnificent bird specimens.

No matter what it might seem like on film, most scenes filmed on a plane are filmed at this LA studio.

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

This hands-on math museum believes in turning concepts into constructs.

This ultra-modern home clings to the slope of the Hollywood Hills on a precarious stilt.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.