A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

Sports history, made in the Arroyo Seco.

The oldest U.S. Government building in California, and it's State Historic Landmark #1.

This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

The original place where water met land in the City by the Bay is outlined in brass.

This conservation area is also home to many of the region's desert tortoises.

These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

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

Elephant seals and sea lions have turned the abandoned buildings on this island into their endangered love shack.

An alley covered with 20 years of bubble gum.

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

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

The decor of this Hollywood movie palace just barely predated the opening of King Tut's tomb.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

This quirky UFO-shaped curiosity is often mistaken for the airport’s control tower.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

This giant spider sculpture made from the iconic car is one giant visual pun.

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

Finally the worlds of UFO enthusiasts and beef jerky lovers have come together in this roadside shop.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

Two rocks in a perpetual kiss and one of "the most romantic spot in America."