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

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

A giant can of fruit cocktail is all that remains of what was once the world's largest cannery.

One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

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

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

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

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

A sculpture dedicated to Napa Valley's oldest mineral water company.

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

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

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

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.

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

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.

This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.

A 1920s speakeasy that had rum runners racing up and down the shores of California.

Frank Lloyd Wright died a year before construction on his largest public project even began.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.