Happy harbor seals frolic and snooze on this warm, sandy stretch of coast.

Early prototype for Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim.

An offbeat angle on the ocean viewed through an antiquated lens.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

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

Join the circus for a few lessons to learn clowning, acrobatics, and Chinese contortion.

Nuclear waste dump site now an environmental sanctuary.

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

360-degree virtual reality chamber physically immerses scientists into their data.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

Art from the latest counter-culture; kids who dye their hair blue and believe the future will be a post-apocalyptic water world.

A cozy bookstore is tucked within an old gold mine shaft beneath the cafe and ice cream shop.

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

Legendary prop shop filled with one man's collection of scientific curiosities.

Smooth basaltic rocks tell a tale of ancient glacial waterfalls.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

An old California photo stand has been turned into a shrine to the cozy art of crochet.

A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

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

This 19th-century church is now a popular roller rink.

This Pringle-shaped ledge makes for the perfect photo op.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.