A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

There is no trying to fall in love with this Star Wars fountain, you just do or do not.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

The lowest point in North America is home to an undrinkable pool surrounded by fields of geometric salt flats.

"Only the devil could play golf here."

Marta Becket's hand-painted theater in the desert.

Giant, natural amphitheaters made of delicate geological formations called "hoodoos."

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