This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

A Mysterious Masonic tomb in San Luis Obispo.

An alley covered with 20 years of bubble gum.

A deserted hodgepodge of experimental structures designed by nearby university students.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

A monument to the love people have for their pets.

Internationally-recognized arts center housed in a century-old former military barracks.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

A working model of the entire San Francisco Bay and much of the Sacramento River Delta, complete with regular tides that change every 14 minutes.

A living time capsule of the 1960s Richardson Bay water-front.

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.

The unedited photograph called "Bliss" has graced the screens of over a billion computers.

The flow from this waterfall sometimes comes out of springs below its rim.

Trails through lava-carved tube-caves display sparkling bacteria and a rich history.

This abandoned motel doesn't welcome guests anymore, but decay and a creepy atmosphere still call it home.

One of the largest fleets of armored vehicles in the world, sitting out in the California desert.

An abandoned cyanide mill is now a haunting magnet for graffiti and illegal parties.

Bits and pieces from the ill-fated Donner Party's winter cabins.

A Wild West saloon that helped define a generation of psychedelic rock.

This mother-daughter run curiosities shop is a beautifully odd mix of taxidermy and exotic plants.

An eccentric millionaire's personal curio collection includes at least one shrunken head.

The self-made house sculpture of an outsider artist who named himself "Chief Rolling Thunder."

A unique solar-powered pottery studio and gallery in the desert.