A massive sea stack famous for its appearance in The Goonies.

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

This lighthouse has been guiding shipping into the Golden Gate since before the American Civil War.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

Its buzzing collection honors vibrator history.

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

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.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

Here, visitors can swing with the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

Housed in a memorial lighthouse, this museum relays the history of surfing, beginning with the antics of royal Hawaiian teenagers.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

It's not your typical library, memorial, or book store.

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

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

This little valley along Highway 1 is engulfed by thousands of lilies during the spring season.

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

This lonesome Monterey cypress has survived centuries of wind, salt, and at least one attempt at arson.

The oldest continuously operating church in California.

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.