The stately birthplace of California's statehood.

This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape.

A tree grown from astronaut seeds which were exposed to cosmic rays.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

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

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

This wooden statue commemorates a man who spent nearly 40 years waving hello to the people of Laguna Beach.

60 feet of towering steel balances gracefully.

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

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

The blinking light atop the iconic landmark has been sending secret messages for decades.

A grove of "candelabra redwoods" deep in California's Lost Coast.

This massive redwood tree has a drive-thru tunnel carved out of its trunk.

A massive sea stack famous for its appearance in The Goonies.

Ride a mechanical corn dog at the alleged birthplace of America's favorite deep-fried wiener.

Two massive rock outcroppings on the Oregon coastline.

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.

The eerie remnants of an ancient forest were hidden under the sand for centuries.

This coastal rock formation resembles a churning cauldron at high tide.

On the Oregon coast is a natural hole that seems to be draining the sea.

A sculpture of a salmon swimming through a brick building.

10,000 flowered plants bloom in the City of Roses.

A startling waterfall, not far from a roadside viewpoint.

The longest continuous lava tube in the continental U.S. offers 2.5 miles of dark explorations for the adventurous.