An elaborate gift from Claus Spreckels is now a piece of San Francisco history.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

A speck of nature and art in one of San Francisco’s most notorious neighborhoods.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

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

An iconic location along the Los Angeles River where countless movie scenes are filmed.

This opulent hotel has been visited by Spider-Man, Charlie's Angels, and the Ghostbusters.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

Locals dubbed it the "Owl Building" because of its bird-like appearance.

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

A trading post in the North Pole where children send letters.

North America's first frozen mummified remains of an ice age steppe bison, the 36,000 year-old mummy named "Blue Babe."

This public square capitalized on a single Eagles reference to bring some life back to an Arizona town.

Legends surround this jagged rock formation in the New Mexico desert.

The bad-ass ride of a soul legend, housed in one of the world's few soul museums.

An abandoned quicksilver mining town surrounded by the Big Bend parks.

The second largest roadrunner in the world stands 11 feet tall in his West Texas town.

This mosaic dedicated to John Lennon was tended for years by a Beatles super-fan.

The Grand Canyon of Texas.

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

A Prada store in the West Texas desert that is never open for business.

Explore the largest pure gypsum deposit in the world, and go dune sledding while you're at it.

This abandoned Navy base was transformed into an off-grid alternative living community for thousands of people.