A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.

America's oldest Italian restaurant is a San Francisco institution.

The beautiful behemoth is one of the largest trees of its kind in the United States.

One incredible room in the Santa Barbara Courthouse is covered in wall-to-wall canvas murals.

This 15-story mural celebrates the 50th anniversary of the musician's iconic "At Folsom Prison" album.

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

The modest home of the very immodest dancer who cost a king his crown.

A unique market that brings together various goods and cultures.

Malibu's first beach home features an astonishing trove of ceramic tiles.

In California, colorful roadside signs remind us all that love transcends borders.

Every Sunday, this Thai temple in Berkeley serves a backyard brunch.

The first fresco Diego Rivera painted in the United States can be found in the former San Francisco Stock Exchange.

One doctor's retirement plan included opening this award-winning Mexican-Indian eatery on the ground floor of a hospital.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

This nonsensical smiling boat shuttles passengers between two places they could've easily walked between.

This general store offers visitors a glimpse back into the 1930s.

A 1920s speakeasy that had rum runners racing up and down the shores of California.

George Lucas donated this park to honor the birthplace of his two biggest movie franchises.

Each winter this underground cave forms a dazzling ice palace.

A trail weaves through the verses of a poem illustrated by stone sculptures inspired by Native American pictographs.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

The sea once considered an ecological wasteland is now called "crown jewel of avian biodiversity" by scientists.