The first North American landing spot for James Cook on his third voyage of discovery in the Pacific.

Oregon's unexpected high desert, displaying layers of time in a colorful show.

These natural hot springs form four-tiered soaking pools with temperatures ranging from 85 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

The world's last remaining store of its kind.

The longest continuous lava tube in Oregon.

A rugged lava field dotted with molds of the ancient pines that were growing when the volcano erupted.

Atop an active stratovolcano, two lakes separated by a narrow strip of land.

This mountaintop beacon is only lit three times a year but shines like some kind of all-seeing eye.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

San Francisco's urban bison herd has persisted in the face of extinction, development, and disease.

Part mural and part sculpture, this work of art sits in the middle of the Promenade, as if swimming in a river of asphalt towards the ocean.

A famous alternative culture epicenter and where Joplin serenaded young hippies.

When California condors were hovering on the brink of extinction, this recovery program was charged with helping the birds thrive again.

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

I Street Bridge is the heaviest swinging center bridge in the United States.

The California capital city once stood 10 feet lower than it does today.

The second-largest giant sequoia in the world.

The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.

A tribute to the disposable cups that were once manufactured here, this 68-foot-tall statue would be difficult to throw away.

The "world's biggest dinosaur" once housed a creationist museum in its abdomen.

At the western edge of Palm Springs, a rugged desert canyon trail leads to a waterfall at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains.

A bust of the entertainer and politician sits in an alcove at the Palm Springs Airport.