The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

I-95's Tijuana-style celebration of kitsch at the Carolina border.

Malibu's first beach home features an astonishing trove of ceramic tiles.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

An abandoned Jazz Age dream home and con man's hideout in Death Valley.

The marker offers a rare chance to be in four U.S. states at once, though there's some controversy over its geographic accuracy.

"I did this all while you were watching TV."

The drama of nature in full effect in this Nevada State Park.

Oldest building in California still in use.

Hollywood's most famous landmark, the "temporary" sign that has stood for decades longer than intended.

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

The site of a tragic massacre that spawned a multimedia franchise.

An eccentric playboy's astounding natural history collection.

A spiritual vortex among the red rocks in Sedona.

This Arizona observatory is famous for investigations into Martian life, and as the place humans first spotted Pluto.

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.

The spot in the Mile-High City that's exactly 5,280 feet above sea level (at least for now).

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

Former villa and estate of James Deering developed to preserve native tropical forests.

A bronze statue on a downtown corner honors Minneapolis's favorite career gal.

One man's homage to the orange as realized through a long-term folk art labor of love.