The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

A sculpture serving as an homage to Pope John Paul II.

The spot where the fascist dictator made some of his most famous speeches including declaring war on Britain and France.

Ancient ruins hidden underneath a modern luxury hotel.

A serene space tucked amid the skyscrapers of Hong Kong's bustling financial district.

The world's longest outdoor covered escalator system transports commuters through Hong Kong's hilly terrain.

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

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

A local dialect born in the late 19th century is only spoken in this isolated California valley.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

This abandoned boat was left in place thanks to its rotting beauty.

A 90-acre park on former landfill that hosts an annual kite festival.

International delicatessen has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 110 years.

The century-old bell and clock tower at UC Berkeley is the third-tallest in the world, and has fossils.

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

The legendary statue-hating superintendent of Golden Gate Park is honored with... a statue.

Since 1973, this block has been home to the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

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

A collection of memorabilia from the Beat era in the back of a San Francisco bookstore.