A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

A mysterious painting of the self-declared Emperor of the United States watches over a local hof-brau.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

Alleyway plaque commemorating the death of a fictional character in The Maltese Falcon, not far from the author's home.

In this century-old literary safehouse, print is alive and well.

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

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

The old Niles Canyon Aqueduct in the San Francisco Bay Area is a bemusing and secret trail through nature for wayward travelers.

A museum devoted to bringing to light forgotten or neglected histories through exhibitions, education and public programming.

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

The sign at the garden gate reads: "These Plants Can Kill."

The rocks in this arid basin leave trails of movement behind them.

World's first "penitentiary," meant to be humane, drove men insane.

America's most famous museum of medical oddities is home to the remains of Albert Einstein's brain.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.