Of all the origin stories for weed's secret code, this one likely has the goods.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

This mysterious series of teeny guerrilla installations sheds a whimsical light on street art in Oakland.

With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.

Collective dedicated to restoring steam engines.

Neoclassical Revival mansion and set of horror cult classic Phantasm.

Monumental sculptures of Patrick Amiot, constructed from debris, detritus, and determination.

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

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

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

A huge work of Burning Man-inspired outsider art on the grounds of a California winery.

A restored 1920s cascade stairway provides one of the best views of Oakland's Lake Merritt.

An vast warehouse of everyday treasures in Berkeley, CA.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Worker-owned cooperative and resource for those looking to lighten their ecological footprint.

Nursery with extensive collection of flesh-eating plants operated by the author of "The Savage Garden."

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

An amazing collection of fantastic reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and insects.

Once the largest winery in the world, this castle-like building now sits abandoned on the San Pablo/San Francisco Bay shore.

An "anarchical" no man's land, complete with garbage sculptures and a hobo-run "Landfillian Library."

A unique market that brings together various goods and cultures.