A plaque marks the site directly below the mid-air detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

This shrine, built to protect against destructive waves, is home to two monumental lion heads.

With statues of Nelson Mandela and Harvey Milk this monument has been called the Mount Rushmore of California.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

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

A modest reminder of treacherous waters at the Golden Gate.

The newsstand that never closes its doors—well, almost never.

The Flatiron Building's storied West Coast cousin is a lot more into religion.

Part of Seattle’s Ravenna Creek Drop project, these capsules preserve seeds of plants that predated the city.

Seattle’s Whimsical Mural Master.

Now housed in a museum, this giant pink elephant stood in downtown Seattle for more than 60 years.

One of the only cooperatively owned bars in the nation wears its eclectic history on its walls.

Though strikingly beautiful, Seattle's other railway station is now largely forgotten.

Amid the bustle of the Pike Place Market is a poem by famed Japanese poet Narihira.

Founded in 1961, this comic shop is said to be the oldest in the world.

A midcentury ranch house hides a literal treasure trove of unique rocks and minerals.

This humble star-gazing center touts itself as the "Birthplace of American Astronomy."

This indoor-outdoor Portland market is an ode to the lesser-known corners of Latin America’s varied foodscape.

The world's smallest park was dedicated in 1948 as the only colony for leprechauns west of Ireland.

Home of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose.

The wooden airship was the largest flying boat ever built.

A patch of Philippines forest devoted to saving the lives of an emotionally sensitive species of googly-eyed primates.

Bohol's unusually shaped hills turn brown in the summer months.