A tiny theater hidden in an alley plays a constant stream of short silent films for anyone willing to peer through the peephole.

Exquisite irises bloom every spring in this hillside garden.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

One of the world's tallest Ferris wheels takes visitors high above Las Vegas in a spinning party room.

An overlooked monument to the celebrity gangster who helped put the sin in Sin City.

A giant open-air sculpture made of over 200 full-sized boats.

These banned cigarette vending machines now sell little pieces of pocket-sized art.

Formerly the world's largest, this Willy Wonka-esque contraption runs 24/7.

These markers are used to determine the ground stability of the Strip.

An enormous illuminated figure dances on the Las Vegas strip.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.

A hidden gem, named after a San Franciscan icon, offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.

The newsstand that never closes its doors—well, almost never.

International delicatessen has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 110 years.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

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

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

Eat a tasty meal in the house where John Steinbeck was born.

One poet's handmade, anachronistic home.

A porcelain company's former dumping ground, completely covered in pieces of collectible ceramics.

A miniature view of the park, caught in time.