These subterranean storage areas hold emergency water reserves.

A promotional sun clock on the site of San Francisco's great raceway.

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

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

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

Created in 1972, the famous sculptor's intricately detailed monument to San Francisco is overflowing with city landmarks.

Deco Modern sculptures of the people of the Pacific, cast for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

A pier that used to act as a busy ferry dock is now a decaying favorite of local fisherman and urban artists.

A 90-acre park on former landfill that hosts an annual kite festival.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying.

A Roman-inspired temple once controlled half of San Francisco's waters.

From the sky, a kaleidoscope of color brightens the grey landscape of the San Francisco Bay.

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

An abandoned car and strange wooden debris are among the scattered remains of the old sand and gravel quarry.

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

This mountaintop beacon is only lit three times a year but shines like some kind of all-seeing eye.

The largest whiskey stash on the West Coast survived the 1906 fires--but not without heroic effort.

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

A quiet nook at the top of a little-known hilltop park named after California's first poet laureate.

This teeny-tiny park built by a San Francisco man in 1962 is mostly stairs.

Staircase winds down the side of Telegraph Hill through gardens, wild parrots flying overhead.