Literally a million fascinating cartographic artifacts are held in this sprawling university collection.

This posh mansion began as a family's estate and ended as the site of a murder ripped from the pages of a pulp novel.

This iconic water tower and failed bandstand is open for panoramic views once a year.

This pebble beach is so beautiful that taking its rocks is against the law.

An ominous concrete cube cuts a dystopian silhouette atop this California mountain.

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

Travelers exchange letters with woodland creatures at this mini post office.

The stones that traveled from Spain to eventually become a holy place for San Francisco's nature worshippers.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

This beautiful ancient site is dotted with perforated sandstone pillars considered sacred by some Native American groups.

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

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

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

The highest point in Montana is as rugged and singular as the state itself.

A rapidly disappearing glacier filled with extinct grasshoppers, perfectly preserved in the ice.

The last physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark trail is one of their autographs etched into this giant rock.

The only road through the heart of Glacier National Park.