A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

Guarded by the Angel of Grief, the Stanford family tomb attracts an odd mix of halloween revelry and somber contemplation.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Neoclassical Revival mansion and set of horror cult classic Phantasm.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Collective dedicated to restoring steam engines.

One of the last remaining Carpenter Gothic churches is situated on a wildflower conservatory overlooking the bay.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

A gap in the concrete has been transformed into a miniature playground for the mind.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

A modest reminder of treacherous waters at the Golden Gate.

This (occupied) house is 10 feet wide and full of spite.

A walk-in working camera obscura produces 360-degree live images of the San Francisco coast.

The one-time watch house for incoming ships at the Golden Gate now stands abandoned and hidden in trees.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

Big gun installations, built over a massive cemetery, now abandoned & hidden in trees.

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.

At the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, a small sign basically begs for a high-five.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.

Guns that have been defending San Francisco since 1904.

A temple devoted to inner esoteric mysteries located in a California commercial strip.

With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.