Places Michael Barera Wants to Go

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

A promotional sun clock on the site of San Francisco's great raceway.

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.

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

A modern mechanical planetary system, part of a 10,000 year clock.

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

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

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.

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

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

This Texas windmill field celebrates the power and majesty of the very winds that blow.

This historic Civil War church has survived over a century of racial turmoil but still stands as a reminder of the town's roots.

Park filled with machinery that drove the southern agriculture and oil industries forward.

A World War II officers' club features Old West murals painted by German POWs.

A time-capsule monument reminding future generations of the importance of efficient and effective use of natural resources.

This quirky outpost and gallery inside a former church is an unexpected trove of handcrafted art.

This old abandoned sign flickers to announce a motel that isn't even there.

A little stop along the Texas highway where Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean stayed while shooting the 1955 film "Giant."

A small "palace" and museum made of, and devoted entirely, to salt.

This memorial marks the devastating day that Texas City was destroyed in a daisy chain of exploding ships.

This water tower slanted at an uncomfortable angle off the old Route 66 was an ingenious marketing ploy.