A hardware store Buddha statue installed to deter vandalism wound up attracting Vietnamese immigrants who came to pray.

In the country around Buttonwillow, California, a marker commemorates a revealing moment in the story of a water colony from the fictional Kcymaerxthaere that sought independence.

This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.

A deserted hodgepodge of experimental structures designed by nearby university students.

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

The stately birthplace of California's statehood.

An old whaling station now serves to give the public a look at the commercial whaling industry, no longer a part of Monterey's economy.

One of Antoni Gaudí’s earliest buildings, built between 1886 and 1890 for the industrialist Eusebi Güell.

This eagle-topped spire remembers the military commander who snatched up California for the United States.

This collection of hand fans doubles as a history of femininity.

This unique rock formation has become a popular walking trail.

The final resting place of a woman who never gave up on love.

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

Napa's oldest building is now a Mexican restaurant.

This Niagara Falls tourist trap is a world bright with neon and curiosities that will inspire love, hate, or a mixture of both.

Niagara Falls holds a special place in Nikola Tesla's history, so they put a statue on it.

This giant monument of the RCA mascot is a beloved fixture in Albany, New York.

A small Second Empire-style building is one of only seven remaining lighthouses on the Hudson River.

An unassuming island in the middle of the Hudson that hosts campers, including Aleister Crowley.

There must be a pun in this haystack somewhere...

A Manhattan office building is home to the world's largest chess board.

New York City's first Modernist house.

Finally, you don't have to be a pious Swedish seaman to relax like one.