A late sculptor's last project was to turn this abandoned cement factory into a castle-themed amusement park.

A cult following celebrates the legend that belies this curious podiatrists' office sign which has worked its way into song, literature, animation, and the visual arts.

An oddities shop packed with twisted treasures inspired by Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe.

Site of the greatest known waterfall that ever existed.

Home to an endangered salamander, a full moon celebration, and a large spring-fed outdoor swimming pool.

Hundreds of samples of "Devil's Rope" hide in a defunct vintage elevator.

One of America's first planned communities is preserved in a state park.

Mennes invented the tags we all place annually upon our license plates, and his story is told frankly and in full upon his headstone.

Like Mardi Gras, only everyone's a pirate.

The humble home where the famous beat author lived briefly and wrote one of his most famous works.

The best Tiki bar in Las Vegas.

Back in 1952, you could get a mushroom cloud chaser with your atomic cocktail.

This incredible collection of vintage pinball machines can be played at 25 cents a pop.

An exotic wildlife habitat right off The Strip.

This tiny, hurricane-resistant house in Galveston is one of the city's most notable architectural oddities.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

The taxidermied remains of the "last wild grizzly bear in California" and of the symbol of the state of California.

An overlooked and unassuming engineering marvel.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

The final resting place of the Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

Haunting and beautiful trees, doomed to die.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.