The peaceful gravesite of a rugged wild west gunman echoes the touching story of his last days.

Four hundred granite steps were built into this massive rock by the National Park Service.

The Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California."

The cobbled together compound of a deceased artist which now serves as a filming location.

A B&B on a Victorian lighthouse station in San Francisco Bay.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

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

Where there's quartz, there must be gold. Thus is the story of the mines of Julian, and the titillating times of the Gold Rush.

From Japan to Italy, this California park explores the world's cultures through their gardens.

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

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

An optical illusion found amid a logged redwood forest.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

One of the last free public hot springs is decorated with hippie art.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.

Costumed elves and mountain bikers co-exist peacefully at this abandoned Christmas-themed adventure park.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

A Swedenborgian glass church surrounded by redwoods sits perched atop a massive landslide area.

Eons old volcanic activity created one of the most stunning rock formations in the United States.

Trails through lava-carved tube-caves display sparkling bacteria and a rich history.