A modest reminder of treacherous waters at the Golden Gate.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

San Francisco's urban bison herd has persisted in the face of extinction, development, and disease.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

A tribute to the life and work of the beloved "Peanuts" cartoonist.

The capital of the Cayman Islands is a center of offshore banking, but gets battered by blistering hurricanes.

The mouldering manses of wealthy colonials still pock the streets of a Curaçao neighborhood.

Rumored to be the famed pirate's lookout tower, this historic stone structure is now just watching for tourists.

A sharply wedged sundial marks the point at which each day in the United States begins.

Commercial airplanes land mere feet over the heads of sunbathing beachgoers on this tiny island.

This distinctive Crescent City tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.

Once the site of a Native American harvest festival, this humble clearing later played an invaluable role in the birth of jazz.

The world-record holder for the longest bridge stretching continuously over water.

Parts of the civil rights movement unfolded in this historic eatery, helmed by the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

The oldest family-run restaurant in the United States is a living museum of New Orleans dining history.

A small park on Bourbon Street features life-size bronze statues of New Orleans musicians.

Formerly known as National D-Day Museum, this collection commemorates the battles of Normandy and WWII.