It is locally loved and ridiculed for literally looking like poop.

One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.

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

From the sky, a kaleidoscope of color brightens the grey landscape of the San Francisco Bay.

A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.

This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

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

The world's most famous donkey lives in this pen.

Worker-owned cooperative and resource for those looking to lighten their ecological footprint.

The first mural ever dedicated to the women of the Black Panther Party.

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

This abandoned boat was left in place thanks to its rotting beauty.

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

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

Sitting atop San Francisco's tallest hill, a cross honors the victims of the Armenian genocide.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

A hidden subterranean installation offers a view of the sky.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

An overlooked and unassuming engineering marvel.

This print shop boasts one of the largest pinball arcades in San Francisco.

This shop specializes in oddities and Victorian-inspired wonders.

Inside an old airplane hangar, friends and strangers alike play on a massive trampoline.

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

A shop full of natural curiosities, carnivorous plants, and costumed taxidermied mice.