Remember that scene in the Matrix, when Neo is in the big white room with all the weapons flying by? Well, this is what it would look like if he had wanted trees instead of guns.

During its heyday, 72 one-ton buckets from this dredge bore into the Powder River excavating vast gold deposits.

The steepest tramway in North America provides stunning views of the out-of-the-way Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon.

The park preserves a single, rare species of carnivorous plant that spells doom for unsuspecting insects.

The first North American landing spot for James Cook on his third voyage of discovery in the Pacific.

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

The largest wooden building in the world now houses a fascinating collection of aircraft.

This super-sized skillet is a replica of a usable giant pan where a woman once skated on bacon.

Home of Jake the Alligator Man, the mummified remains of a cigar smoking, cross-dressing celebrity of the Northwestern coast.

Standing 191 feet tall and measuring more than 55 feet in circumference, this is the world's tallest spruce tree.

This tree has witnessed nearly 1,000 years of history.

The longest spit in the United States ends at a lighthouse in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The small town of Poulsbo in Washington state is the next best thing to the Kingdom of Norway.

This famous bridge twisted itself into oblivion, but not for the reason you might think.

A massive environmental project transformed this former smelter into a beautiful park.

This landmark vessel dry-berthed in Tacoma's harbor served in emergencies and ceremonies for more than 50 years.

This Old Town cabin tells the story of Tacoma's settlement through a replica of its first non-Native building.

This municipal sundial has been keeping time along Tacoma's Commencement Bay since 1978.

A Roman holiday is closer than you think when you use this 1916 staircase inspired by Rome's Piazza di Spagna.

This parking garage has given itself over to graffiti artists and the neighborhood can't thank them enough.

This three-story antique market and curiosity emporium claims to be "the largest singly owned antique shop in the Pacific Northwest."

Tacoma's historic Beaux-Arts train station is now a federal courthouse featuring large-scale glass sculptures by artist Dale Chihuly.

A beautiful footbridge with over 2,000 glass sculptures along the walls and ceiling.

The only royal palace on U.S. soil has been a territorial capitol, a military headquarters, and a prison for a queen.