This cabin once belonged to one of California's original settlers.

An ever-updating collection of retro Americana.

The flow from this waterfall sometimes comes out of springs below its rim.

A train tunnel that was made obsolete by the dam it helped create.

A showcase of engineering might that was also symbolic of westward expansion.

The smallest Mexican land grant in California was given, and then taken from, a 19th-century teacher and nurse.

A remote desert lookout offers unparalleled views of the California badlands for those who brave the trek.

The long, arduous journey of the stones of the Abbey of New Clairvaux.

The tallest bridge in California was constructed for a project that was eventually cancelled.

In one of the hottest parts of the Mojave Desert, shallow bedrock forces the typically dry Mojave River to the surface in this canyon, providing a vital oasis for humans and wildlife.

The disdain for this dysfunctional dam is reflected in a giant pair of scissors painted on the concrete face.

A unique museum where guests can rent and operate a locomotive.

A replica of the first public theater built in California.

This California family's ancestral melon is sold only here.

This eagle-topped spire remembers the military commander who snatched up California for the United States.

The short oil boom of Venice Beach, and its swift removal from the tourism-laden landscape.

Here, Father Agapius Honcharenko established his homestead, becoming the first nationally conscious Ukrainian to settle in the United States.

Outside San Francisco lies a small clown cemetery and memorial.

These six walrus head statues harken back to a time when this area wasn't far from the oceanfront.

Hidden inside a gift shop that doubles as a museum, this gargantuan yo-yo can only be operated by crane.

Three plaques mark the spot where the "forgotten father of broadcasting" worked.

A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.

This giant shopping mall still holds signs of its automotive past.

800 apricot trees honor Silicon Valley's agricultural history.