With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

27-room home built with the fortune of a sugar magnate.

This futuristic bridge is one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian bridges in the world.

Once the largest windmill outside of Holland, with enormous 114 foot sails.

A historic hotel in an old California railroad town with a rowdy reputation.

Where the polar bear watches over everything, and every drink is a double.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

Honoring the famed folktale author, this California museum looks like it belongs in the Black Forest.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

One of the best absinthe distilleries in the United States.

This 19th-century church is now a popular roller rink.

A mysterious painting of the self-declared Emperor of the United States watches over a local hof-brau.

Antiques by the Bay.

The awe-inspiring ship from the golden era of cruising has an incomparable history and a reputation as one of the world’s most haunted places.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

Oldest building in California still in use.

A brooding mansion of clinker brick stands out among the Victorian houses of Pacific Heights.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

Get up close to emus and ostriches, or buy their tasty meat.

The rusting remains of the largest assembled WWII fleet on the West Coast.