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

Hiding amid the largest camellia collection in the country lies a charming children's maze, donated by a secret admirer.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

Over 300 taxidermied animals in a Californian restaurant make for a taxidermist's dream and an animal lover's nightmare.

An L.A. traffic island where the faces of locals have been carved into massive granite eggs.

Whiskey lovers, this is your happy place.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.

The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

A three-story, three-dimensional hobo clown in a tutu welcomes CVS shoppers.

Church and home-museum of a 1920s female revivalist preacher with a very sordid past.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

An vast warehouse of everyday treasures in Berkeley, CA.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

The tragedy of the Japanese internment camps is remembered here by a stark "Soul Consoling Tower."

Because there's no place like home.

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.

An extraordinary final resting place full of oversized art, amazing statues, and dead celebrities.

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

Discover for yourself what Herb Caen referred to as "the best kept secret in the Bay Area."

Since 1973, this block has been home to the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco.

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