A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

This star-shaped military outpost is now simply trying to protect itself from neglect.

An ancient and majestic fortress that played an integral role in Portugal's road to independence.

Sip cherry liqueur at a bar dating back to 1840.

One of the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridges.

Located in the thermoelectric factory that once powered the entire city, this Portuguese museum is shockingly fascinating.

An exquisite collection of fairytale conveyances that puts most car museums to shame.

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

Ride on a fully-restored Nike nuclear-tipped missile elevator from the Cold War.

Centuries of biking history are nestled in the shadow of the birthplace of contemporary mountain biking.

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.

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

A gathering of green robots at the Googleplex.

San Francisco Bay's ghost town.

At night, this glittering musical tunnel draws skaters and photographers.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

Under the right circumstances, this waterfall in Yosemite briefly turns a luminescent fiery orange.

The first lookout in Yosemite.

An old-timey medicine shop that once served Chinese laborers during the Gold Rush is still open for business to this day.

A little-known, but surprisingly large waterfall on the Little Truckee River in the northern Sierra Nevada.

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

An early 20th-century fire lookout, still in intermittent use, preserves legacy fire-locating equipment.