Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

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

Giant, friendly pelicans in Central London, the most unlikely of places.

A fortified palace in the shape of a ship on the Thiou river.

The world's only silo that was topped by two revolving restaurants has unfortunately been demolished.

A unique bridge with an equally unique view.

In this Parisian garden's grotesque former life as a zoo it fed exotic animals to the bourgeois and put humans on exhibit.

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

Finally the worlds of UFO enthusiasts and beef jerky lovers have come together in this roadside shop.

The unusual patterns in this rock formation result from two distinct modes of weathering.

This raised bulls-eye visible from space was the subject of an intense geologic controversy.

Few things look more out of place than the electric blue ponds in the reddish-brown desert of Utah.

A tunnel with windows, so you don't miss out on the impressive views.

The fifth-longest natural arch in the world, and the longest outside China.

Settled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1859, this abandoned frontier town has appeared in several films.

Bizarre lunar-like landscape with thousands of large stone "hoodoos."

This rugged area of red rocks and arches is often considered one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Giant, natural amphitheaters made of delicate geological formations called "hoodoos."

The hike through a narrow river flanked by the 2,000-foot-tall walls of Zion Canyon is one of the best in the world.

A giant open-air sculpture made of over 200 full-sized boats.

An exotic wildlife habitat right off The Strip.

The drama of nature in full effect in this Nevada State Park.

Brightly colored 30-foot-tall totems light up the desert sky just outside Las Vegas.