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

The Internet Age began with a transmission from this biker bar.

Historical trolley restoration and operation at History San Jose, Kelly Park.

A statue commemorate Tommie Smith and John Carlos's brave protest at the 1968 Olympics, a watershed moment for civil rights.

A decommissioned Naval base now rents itself out for people who want to blow stuff up.

This odd California folly seems like it was almost designed to accumulate urban legends.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.

The world’s first stop-motion film was created on the racetrack outside this building.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

The longest burning light bulb in the world.

Location of the most powerful laser in the world, and the potential birthplace of tiny stars.

A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying.

This mountaintop beacon is only lit three times a year but shines like some kind of all-seeing eye.

Cows on a ranch are commonplace, scattered cow bones everywhere? Not so much.

Thousands of crosses and markers for soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan blanket a California hillside.

This 252 step staircase offers stunning views of San Jose.

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

A lonely monument to the original Silicon Valley tech campus.

This small monument to the great inventor contains a time capsule and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The oldest house in the capital of Silicon Valley.

A life-sized mammoth sculpture marks the spot where the remains of a Columbian mammoth were discovered in 2005.

This grand old 80-foot sequoia towers above the buildings in the city’s retail center.