A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

Once the fastest ship from San Francisco to Tahiti, the Galilee now lays in pieces in three different cities.

A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

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

This monster board rode a monster wave to break two world records.

A military vehicle collection, showcasing how war transportation advanced from horse drawn artillery to self propelled cannons.

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

Seven ceramic sculptures are scattered around this California college campus.

The remains of a deserted steamboat sit rusting beside an old ferry pier and an abandoned train platform.

This simple highway curve has become a comedic pilgrimage site.

For roadside fast food, pull over at the giant orange.

The diverse and sometimes odd cultural heritage of the Golden State is collected, examined, and displayed in this proud museum.

These lush groves of fan palms rise up like oases out of southern California's Colorado Desert.

This vintage car parts store is also a museum devoted to a squat little gem of automotive history.

One poet's handmade, anachronistic home.

Masterful ceramic fountain and map of the Pacific Basin.

Built by one man in the '20s, this site is now a museum representing the Great Basin cultures.

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

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

The set location for a 1987 cult classic draws international film buffs to the middle of the Mojave Desert.

This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape.

This California tree is the single source of the state's entire orange industry.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.