A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

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

Steinbeck's old stomping grounds, immortalized in Cannery Row.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

Eat a tasty meal in the house where John Steinbeck was born.

This 19th century train workshop is a treasure trove of railroad history.

The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

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

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

The longest burning light bulb in the world.

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

The rusting remains of the largest assembled WWII fleet on the West Coast.

Thousands of crosses and markers for soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan blanket a California hillside.

A unique piece of graffiti offers a little slice of local history and mystery.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

Antiques by the Bay.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

Dive bar built out of the remains of a whaling ship.

Where the alchemists dream of transmuting base metal into gold was actually achieved.

A shape-shifting buy-sell-trade bookstore, born to Beatnik Era spirit.