Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

A giant statue perched on dumpsters watches over the freeway.

The stately birthplace of California's statehood.

Fake rail crossings mark the site of an influential doctor's demise.

For almost 100 years, this site of peace and spirituality has existed on the California coast.

A simple plaque remembers a California island massacre that claimed more than 100 lives.

A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying.

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

An old whaling station now serves to give the public a look at the commercial whaling industry, no longer a part of Monterey's economy.

Built for an exposition in 1915, these horticultural displays have stood the test of time.

The oldest orange tree in California spawned a generation of citrus farmers.

Steinbeck's old stomping grounds, immortalized in Cannery Row.

This nondescript tunnel has been featured in a number of iconic movies, from “Roger Rabbit” to “Back to the Future.”

San Francisco’s condensed garden of incredible plant growth.

One of California's oldest continually used high schools has an interesting history, both on and off screen.

The first safe in this California town had to hold all the gold.

One of the largest Buddhist communities in the West sits on the site of an old hospital.

The oldest U.S. Government building in California, and it's State Historic Landmark #1.

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.

Humboldt's human-powered sculptures race across land and sea for days on end in a wacky quest for dominance.

A lighthouse built to save lives that took quite a few with its treacherous location.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.