Places Amalia Wompa Wants to Go

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

A 1920s home transformed into an immersive art experience, where every room is a portal to another realm.

Sitting atop San Francisco's tallest hill, a cross honors the victims of the Armenian genocide.

Traversing these canyons, visitors can take in stunning views and glimpses of the region's history.

This shop and studio is dedicated to the art of the book, from letterpress to bookbinding.

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.

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

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

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

An abandoned Cold War missile radar site.

The perfect spot for a picnic, right next to a giant ballistic missile.

This museum boasts the ninth-largest collection of insects in North America.

This abandoned boat was left in place thanks to its rotting beauty.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

Dozens of feral felines rule a segment of Hollywood's only graveyard.

Bits and pieces from the ill-fated Donner Party's winter cabins.

Celebrating the transformation of trash into objects of beauty.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

The unedited photograph called "Bliss" has graced the screens of over a billion computers.

Staircase winds down the side of Telegraph Hill through gardens, wild parrots flying overhead.

Order savory Levantine baked goods with innovative twists at this takeout-only spot.

Here lies Lilly E. Gray, an alleged "victim of the beast," but the reason long remained a mystery.

In 1847, Brigham Young climbed this hill to survey the Salt Lake Valley and saw a fine place to build a city.

The remains of a community that was forced to move for a dam that never materialized still rot in this Pennsylvania park.