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

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

This lonesome Monterey cypress has survived centuries of wind, salt, and at least one attempt at arson.

Fake rail crossings mark the site of an influential doctor's demise.

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

An archive and museum with a mind-boggling collection of Shakespeare-related objects.

Here, visitors can swing with the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

San Francisco's oldest operating hotel, with a Victorian atmosphere and a "haunted" fourth floor.

One of the smallest parks in San Francisco honors the legacy of the "Mother of Civil Rights in California."

Chevron maintains one “Standard” brand station per state so it doesn’t lose the trademark.

Gold Rush ship-turned-hotel buried underneath San Francisco's financial district.

The largest whiskey stash on the West Coast survived the 1906 fires--but not without heroic effort.

The oldest alley in San Francisco is paved with a reminder of the city's original shoreline.

An art supply shop holds the secrets of this quiet neighborhood's raucous Barbary Coast past.

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.

This contorting sculpture is the tallest in San Francisco.

The historic building's ornate stained glass fixture has survived the devastating 1906 earthquake, ensuing fires, and multiple redevelopment attempts.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

A pair of mutilated bronze octopuses slump at the base of the monument honoring California's admission to the U.S.