The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

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

Once the largest windmill outside of Holland, with enormous 114 foot sails.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

The oldest lighthouse on America's west coast no longer needs keepers, yet they maintain the site anyhow.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

With its peeling paint and faded sign, this theater-turned-recycling plant is a nostalgic relic of 1950s Americana.

The first attack on the continental U.S. during WWII occurred off the coast of a quiet California golf course.

A popular winter vacation destination for migrating monarch butterflies.

Abandoned anti-ballistic missile base.

The last orange grove of the San Fernando Valley is owned and protected by CSU Northridge.

A Cold War site complete with rusty structures, hiking trails, and beautiful views.

The exterior of this home was used for the hit television show, The Brady Bunch.

Secret US military film studio in the Hollywood Hills.

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

Although he donated over 3,000 acres to Los Angles, Griffith's life was marred by controversy.

One of Hollywood’s favorite government buildings.

This simple highway curve has become a comedic pilgrimage site.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.

Located within a historic park, the beacon is the oldest standing structure in Miami.