Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

The second building of its name to occupy this location might be the finest flatiron building in San Francisco.

Chevron maintains one “Standard” brand station per state so it doesn’t lose the trademark.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

One of the oldest producers of hand-folded fortune cookies still uses its original secret recipe.

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

This turn of the century masterpiece has a mysterious goaty interloper.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

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

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Two cannon-like cranes were installed on top of the bank building to fend off bad feng shui.

A pair of nearly 1,000-year-old temples profusely covered in meticulous stone carvings.

Many Hindus make the long pilgrimage to this holy city to have their remains burned on the banks of the Ganges River.

These medieval funerary monuments are now home to a colony of critically endangered vultures.

The beautiful 16th-century stepwell lies in the shadow of a famous fortress.

This opulent 16th-century Maharaja’s palace is a unique mix of Hindu and Muslim designs.

An ancient wall in the shadows of the Amber Castle.

An ancient iron pillar in Delhi that seems to be rustproof.

Ancient traditions and surreal birdwatching come into sharp relief along one of the world's most polluted rivers.

A weekly bazaar sells thousands of books, from vintage collectibles to paperbacks sold by weight.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

One of the highest emergency huts in the world has been waiting almost a century to give imperiled climbers a place to lie down.