Once one of the largest producers of pig iron in the world.

This space rock fragment is one of the only meteors to have ever struck a human.

A house built from trash known as the poor man's Hearst Castle.

A dwindling menagerie of anthropomorphic oil derrick animals still dot the barren California landscape.

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.

This former stomping grounds of the most eminent astronomers of the early 20th century.

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

This crumbling Death Valley mining complex was known for its use of giant, 20-mule team wagons.

Go surfing on this urban wave, "hacked" by local surfers.

The liveliest ghost town in the state.

A mysterious and endangered parasitic herb from the California desert.

A picture-perfect town, perfect for blowing up.

Large tower used for simulating radiation of Hiroshima bomb and the tallest object ever relocated.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.