Highly spherical boulders on the shores of New Zealand.

A galaxy of glowworms—larvae of a gnat—hides deep in the belly of these caves.

A perfect turquoise lake colored with glacier dust.

Dolphins, ancient clams and hundreds of waterfalls make this one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

A decommissioned Naval base now rents itself out for people who want to blow stuff up.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

One of the best absinthe distilleries in the United States.

Antiques by the Bay.

This (occupied) house is 10 feet wide and full of spite.

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

This shop specializes in oddities and Victorian-inspired wonders.

Art in the form of a winding, man made crack in stone.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

Over 315,000 preserved amphibians and reptiles in jars.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco's most expensive hotel suite includes a secret passageway rumored to have been used by JFK.

One of the last remnants of the city's Chinese nightclub scene is now a dive bar selling killer mai tais.

The restored and active Victorian-era final resting place of San Francisco.

This private residence was the template for one of the most beloved television homes of all time.

The oldest burial ground in the city, final resting place of city founders, Ohlone natives and murderers alike.

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

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.