A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

A house built from trash known as the poor man's Hearst Castle.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

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

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.

Housed in a memorial lighthouse, this museum relays the history of surfing, beginning with the antics of royal Hawaiian teenagers.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

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

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

A shop full of natural curiosities, carnivorous plants, and costumed taxidermied mice.

This 19th-century church is now a popular roller rink.

The giant pair of sexy legs sticking out the window of this costume store have become its main draw.

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

A favorite haunt of dinosaur loving children and hallucinogen loving hippies alike.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

A garden oasis filled with flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.

Over 315,000 preserved amphibians and reptiles in jars.