Alleyway plaque commemorating the death of a fictional character in The Maltese Falcon, not far from the author's home.

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.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

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

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

Adolph Sutro's little-known, geographically inaccurate, deprecated monument.

Longtime headquarters of controversial boys' club for the world's wealthiest and most powerful.

A walk down memory lane in the heart of one of San Francisco's most notorious neighborhoods.

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

San Francisco's oldest operating hotel, with a Victorian atmosphere and a "haunted" fourth floor.

Storybook cottage in Beverly Hills was once the site of 1920s silent film studio, affectionately known as "The Witch's House."

This opulent hotel has been visited by Spider-Man, Charlie's Angels, and the Ghostbusters.

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

Half of a house.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

This partially buried wreck is one of the most complete of its kind but is only revealed when the sea allows.

The restored and active Victorian-era final resting place of San Francisco.

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

Life in this isolated, hilltop lighthouse was lonely, but it sure was lovely.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

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

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

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