This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

One Portuguese poet described this cape, the westernmost point in mainland Europe, as "where the land ends and the sea begins."

A hidden three-foot-wide house separates these two regal churches.

One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade.

Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.

The world's oldest bookshop still in operation.

Step back in time at this 19th-century kiosk.

This restored Portuguese cafe may well be the most beautiful place in the world to grab a Big Mac.

Elaborate tile work in this railway station tells the story of Portugal.

Eat the ultimate iteration of Portugal's most beloved pastry.

A working model of the entire San Francisco Bay and much of the Sacramento River Delta, complete with regular tides that change every 14 minutes.

The rusting remains of the largest assembled WWII fleet on the West Coast.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

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

The headquarters of the semiconductor giant has a 10,000-square-foot museum.

This lonesome Monterey cypress has survived centuries of wind, salt, and at least one attempt at arson.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

Hidden inside a gift shop that doubles as a museum, this gargantuan yo-yo can only be operated by crane.

The largest drain hole in the world.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.