A dwindling menagerie of anthropomorphic oil derrick animals still dot the barren California landscape.

"You don't need a rocket scientist to build a steam engine, but we've got one." -Museum docent on the credentials of a restoration volunteer.

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.

California's first suspension bridge.

At the edge of the high desert, California's second-largest natural lake is home to a unique subspecies of trout adapted to its alkaline waters.

A walk through the historic city center, under the streets of Seattle.

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

This gorgeous beach hides behind two headlands in Oregon's Ecola State Park.

A massive sea stack famous for its appearance in The Goonies.

An office built to look like a giant basket.

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.

This urban oasis is a marvelous meld of music and landscape architecture.

This half-ton piece of the Alps sits at the base of the CN Tower.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World holds the world's tallest metal staircase.

One of the largest underground systems runs under Canada's largest urban center.

This mesmerizing kinetic sculpture blossoms endlessly in the breeze.

Every year, the colorful murals of Montreal get a complete makeover.

A Montreal deli that was so beloved that it was allowed to circumvent their laws of language.

A swaggering, monumental souvenir of the most extravagant party Montreal’s ever thrown.

Designed by Buckminster Fuller, this relic of the 67 Expo survived fire and ice.

A massive Montreal stadium that has seen nothing but trouble since its inception.

The biggest museum dedicated to insects in North America, one of the largest in the world.

This lovely, if imposing, piece of Canadian gothic is possibly the most photographed hotel in the world.

This steep cable railway has been hoisting passengers in the heart of Québec City for over a century.