An optical illusion found amid a logged redwood forest.

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.

Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

The long, arduous journey of the stones of the Abbey of New Clairvaux.

This lesser known Hearst estate is a fairytale village built from the stolen bones of historic European buildings.

A Tibetan Temple and Buddhist organization just off the beaten path in Northern California.

This ultra-modern California span is actually a titanic solar clock in disguise built by famed architect Santiago Calatrava.

Life in this isolated, hilltop lighthouse was lonely, but it sure was lovely.

A tree grown from astronaut seeds which were exposed to cosmic rays.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape.

The first safe in this California town had to hold all the gold.

It should come as no surprise that the best view of the Hollywood sign is from Batman's lair.

A 140-year-old castle with underground caves hidden in San Francisco.

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

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

San Francisco Bay's ghost town.

It is locally loved and ridiculed for literally looking like poop.

Toss a Frisbee through the ruins of this Colorado gold mining town.

This interpretive path lets you get up close and personal with dinosaur bones.

These decaying bridges 1,000 feet high are a reminder of the skill it took to cross the Colorado Rockies by rail.

The remains of an early 1900s dude ranch that operated until the 1970s.