It should come as no surprise that the world's largest artichoke lies in the town that calls itself the "Artichoke Center of the World."

Two rocks in a perpetual kiss and one of "the most romantic spot in America."

The oldest lighthouse on America's west coast no longer needs keepers, yet they maintain the site anyhow.

An enormous artwork that colorfully celebrates over 150 years of US military achievements.

The first fresco Diego Rivera painted in the United States can be found in the former San Francisco Stock Exchange.

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

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

This private residence was the template for one of the most beloved television homes of all time.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

An early 20th-century jail not far from the infamous Tombstone, Arizona.

The ritual has been performed uninterrupted for nearly 700 years.

The fierce beast perches atop a pedestal marking where the historic City of London gates once stood.

London's last remaining public soapbox site has seen speeches from Karl Marx, Vladmir Lenin, and George Orwell.

People from around the world visit the shrine of Japan’s legendarily loyal dog.

This 700-year-old street food market features baby octopus and soy donuts.

The legendary birthplace of the Japanese maneki-neko is dotted with hundreds of lucky beckoning cats.

Colloquially known as “piss alley,” this narrow street filled with tiny bars and barbecue stands looks like it was pulled straight out of “Blade Runner.”

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

Shrine to Japanese water-goblins, complete with their preserved body parts.

The cutest shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to bunnies.

Crawl through the hole in the middle of this stone to break off a bad relationship or initiate a good one.

A moss-covered statue of a Japanese Buddhist deity stands at a quiet temple in downtown Osaka.

An enormous pair of straw sandals woven in the traditional way—to keep demons at bay.

This shrine dedicated to a legendary swordsman has become a pilgrimage site for the ill and infirmed.