This black shoreline is made up of exploded lava particles.

This legendary urban waterfall creates a dazzling display of rainbows.

The largest hot spring in the United States is, as the name suggests, a stunning show of natural color.

Early prototype for Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

This spa theme park lets its guests take a dip in pools of coffee, wine, or ramen broth.

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

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.

Hanging over one of Japan's "hidden valleys," these vine bridges must be remade every three years.

Less a museum than a bizarre fantasy world created by artists and engineers.

The 10,000 Torii shrine.

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the "Golden Age" of the American automobile.

See massive fossils that are over 200 million years old in northeastern Arizona.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

Giant, natural amphitheaters made of delicate geological formations called "hoodoos."

Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.

This incredible collection of vintage pinball machines can be played at 25 cents a pop.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.

A walk-in working camera obscura produces 360-degree live images of the San Francisco coast.

Two thousand artifacts from around the world collected by one woman who loved to travel.

A beautiful geyser under environmental threat.