A large sculptural artwork and garden in Escondido, California.

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

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

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

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

Reverend Franzo Wayne King administers spiritual enlightenment through the music of the jazz legend.

A library built during San Francisco's pioneer times is a student's retreat, bibliophile's sanctuary, and chess player's delight.

Longtime headquarters of controversial boys' club for the world's wealthiest and most powerful.

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

The rest of him lived another 61 years and was buried elsewhere.

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.

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

An abandoned convention space that has been left to the homeless and the radical.

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

Come crisp December nights, this fairly plain neighborhood becomes a holiday dream world.

This star-studded Old Hollywood restaurant is where fettuccine Alfredo made its United States debut.

Once strictly off-limits, this lower level housing curious and priceless vehicles of the Petersen Automotive Museum is now open to the public.

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

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

Dyed by iron oxide over centuries, these sandstone rocks rise thousands of feet into the sky.

The wild west is still alive and well at this authentic mining town watering hole.

A private collection of massive steel monsters guarding a Texas pipe works.

An ode to the friendship between four Pacific Rim countries.