A beautiful 62-acre Catholic shrine and botanical garden.

The deepest lake in the United States, and once the site of epic destruction that lives on in legends.

The seamy, underground secrets of Portland's criminal past.

These old stone ruins in the Oregon wilderness were once bathrooms and are steeped in legends of murder.

A roaring, awe-inspiring double cascade of icy water flows through woodland Oregon like something out of a Tolkien novel.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

This quirky UFO-shaped curiosity is often mistaken for the airport’s control tower.

The American Home, Re-imagined.

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

Two mammoth statues inspired by equally tall tales lure tourists to this roadside attraction.

A historic hotel in an old California railroad town with a rowdy reputation.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

A stellar example of Art & Crafts architecture, and a movie set to boot.

Where the polar bear watches over everything, and every drink is a double.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

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

One of the best absinthe distilleries in the United States.

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.

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

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

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

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

Bonsai garden in Oakland is curated by the first non-Japanese female bonsai master in the United States.