Canyon walls shrouded in ferns.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.

The one-time watch house for incoming ships at the Golden Gate now stands abandoned and hidden in trees.

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

Each year these high desert hills are absolutely covered with poppy flowers in a surreal show of nature.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

This strange seaside tower got its name from a wealthy eccentric who would hide coins among its stones.

Behind this beachfront shop lies a spectacular, colorful sea cave with an equally colorful past.

World-famous, Pink's still manages to keep its prized cult fetish status.

Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.

A walk-in working camera obscura produces 360-degree live images of the San Francisco coast.

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

A favorite haunt of dinosaur loving children and hallucinogen loving hippies alike.

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

Established in the '60s, a family-owned tropical drink bar founded by Ray Buhen, bartender to the stars.

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.

A prohibition-style speakeasy takes up residence in the last Victorian residence in Hollywood.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.