Over 315,000 preserved amphibians and reptiles in jars.

An L.A. traffic island where the faces of locals have been carved into massive granite eggs.

A cobblestone alley with an interesting past.

An amazing collection of fantastic reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and insects.

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

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

A library built during San Francisco's pioneer times is a student's retreat, bibliophile's sanctuary, and chess player's delight.

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

A vast city of the dead, where the deceased outnumber the living by more than a million.

An "anarchical" no man's land, complete with garbage sculptures and a hobo-run "Landfillian Library."

Get up close to emus and ostriches, or buy their tasty meat.

The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

While exploring the desert, you can stop by the home of a fictional heretic from a parallel universe.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

A speck of nature and art in one of San Francisco’s most notorious neighborhoods.

Gorgeous purple flowers drape from the world's largest blossoming plant.

At this California chicken ranch, four bucks will get you 18 eggs and a chorus of dancing animatronic poultry.

Art from the latest counter-culture; kids who dye their hair blue and believe the future will be a post-apocalyptic water world.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

Where there's quartz, there must be gold. Thus is the story of the mines of Julian, and the titillating times of the Gold Rush.

Russian history in San Francisco.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.