This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.

A popular winter vacation destination for migrating monarch butterflies.

Large metal sculptures spread throughout an open landscape.

The largest drain hole in the world.

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

This lighthouse has been guiding shipping into the Golden Gate since before the American Civil War.

Depicting scenes of everyday life - and specific individuals - in Great Depression era San Francisco.

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

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.

A garden oasis filled with flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

A museum dedicated to the decorative arts from the 16th through 19th centuries.

A surreal, interdimensional shopping center and portal to another universe by Meow Wolf.

These markers are used to determine the ground stability of the Strip.

One of the world's tallest Ferris wheels takes visitors high above Las Vegas in a spinning party room.

An ode to the friendship between four Pacific Rim countries.

A statue based on a tragic Japanese nursery rhyme, commemorating San Diego's sisterhood with Yokohama.

This nondescript tunnel has been featured in a number of iconic movies, from “Roger Rabbit” to “Back to the Future.”

While exploring the desert, you can stop by the home of a fictional heretic from a parallel universe.