One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.

This collection of hand fans doubles as a history of femininity.

Massive prehistoric mammals used these stones as oversized scratching posts.

Neither Spanish settlers nor anyone since has been able to tell who built these strange California rock walls.

A sudden forest of traditional Papua New Guinean art works is hidden in a corner of Stanford University.

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.

Location of the most powerful laser in the world, and the potential birthplace of tiny stars.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.

Nuclear waste dump site now an environmental sanctuary.

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

A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

A rough granite monument marks the spot where Europeans first caught sight of the San Francisco Bay.

Neoclassical Revival mansion and set of horror cult classic Phantasm.

Radioactivity still cause for concern at this urban explorer's paradise.

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

A crumbling Beaux Arts monument to the Bay Area's age of rail.

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

A favorite haunt of dinosaur loving children and hallucinogen loving hippies alike.

Depicting scenes of everyday life - and specific individuals - in Great Depression era San Francisco.

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

A historic hotel that made a cameo in Hitchcock's classic film has no intention of letting guests forget its fame.