Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

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

A remote crossroads honoring a fallen talent.

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

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

A dentist's hated concrete colossi are now beloved icons of the community.

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

Seven ceramic sculptures are scattered around this California college campus.

The only parking meter in the entire town, it is surrounded by 100 free spaces.

For almost 100 years, this site of peace and spirituality has existed on the California coast.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

A ruined hotel with an unlucky history and an eerie present.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

Visible below the waves are memorials to the city's Gold Rush dead.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

The neighborhood church casts a breast-shaped shadow that locals have come to call the “two o’clock titty.”

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.

Prone to disastrous fires, the city of San Francisco has the Guardian, a fireboat gifted by residents, to watch over them from the bay.