One of the largest Buddhist communities in the West sits on the site of an old hospital.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

Each summer, the migratory bats living beneath the bypass form "batnadoes" at dusk.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.

This museum boasts the ninth-largest collection of insects in North America.

An Aladdin's cave of old Silicon Valley tech.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

From the Difference Engine to the Cray-1, all under one roof.

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

An eatery within a Bay Area Buddhist temple pulls off all your favorite Vietnamese classics without the meat.

A trail weaves through the verses of a poem illustrated by stone sculptures inspired by Native American pictographs.

Nursery with extensive collection of flesh-eating plants operated by the author of "The Savage Garden."

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

The haunting ruins of Jack London's dream house.

A large instrument played by the wind.

The largest Star Wars collection in the world is its own galaxy of collectibles.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

Handmade treasures from around the world.