The mosaic floor of a 4th-century synagogue features a pagan zodiac wheel alongside traditional images of a Torah ark and menorahs.

Pablo Neruda's custom-built lover's nest was made to remind him of the sea and named after his mistress' hair.

A museum founded to reflect on and remember the human rights abuses under Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The modest home of the very immodest dancer who cost a king his crown.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.

The oldest lawn bowling club in the United States.

Thousands of turbines whir at at the origin of North American wind power.

This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape.

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

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

These WWII-era murals were initially booed as a libelous portrayal of the American dream but have survived multiple attempts to have them destroyed.

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

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

Elephant seals and sea lions have turned the abandoned buildings on this island into their endangered love shack.

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

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

Two mammoth statues inspired by equally tall tales lure tourists to this roadside attraction.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.

Oldest building in California still in use.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

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

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.