The lighthouse central to the 1980s horror classic "The Fog" is, in fact, located in one of the foggiest areas of the Pacific Coast.

A herd of 150 bison live on California's Santa Catalina Island and are at the heart of an ongoing debate between environmental protection and economic expansion.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

The world’s largest concentrated solar plant generates as many problems as megawatts.

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

This star-studded Old Hollywood restaurant is where fettuccine Alfredo made its United States debut.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

The "world's biggest dinosaur" once housed a creationist museum in its abdomen.

This giant temperature attraction created some giant electric bills.

Along a California highway is a kind of Jurassic Park made of metal.

Ancient pueblos built into the base of a natural canyon wall.

See massive fossils that are over 200 million years old in northeastern Arizona.

In Tucson a giant metal snake helps pedestrians cross a busy highway.

There are lots of hands and feet stamped in the cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but Mel left behind something extra.

According to legend it was a nap taken under this tree that kicked off the California Gold Rush.

An unreal vintage shop that wears its dadaist influence on its zombie fish.

A glittering South Asian anomaly in a wealthy Los Angeles suburb.

An eccentric folk art landmark made out of discarded bottles by an inspired "grandma."

A toweringly silly piece of modern art has been delighting locals since the 1980s.

The first declared National Monument in the United States.

The world's largest mountain carving could fit all of Mount Rushmore inside it many times over.