Places steampersephone Wants to Go

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

A masterpiece in Golden Gate Park by virtue of the artist’s debt.

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

Discover for yourself what Herb Caen referred to as "the best kept secret in the Bay Area."

Once the gateway to the utopian dream-village of a Civil War embalmer.

California's oldest existing theater building hosted an impressive cast of celebrities, including hosting Mark Twain's first lecture.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

An extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.

San Francisco Bay's ghost town.

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

A watering hole where the options for seating include a bar, patio, or subterranean cave.

Travelers exchange letters with woodland creatures at this mini post office.

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.

Spiral labyrinth hidden in the hills above Oakland, CA.

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

A ruined hotel with an unlucky history and an eerie present.

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

The old Niles Canyon Aqueduct in the San Francisco Bay Area is a bemusing and secret trail through nature for wayward travelers.

A Roman-inspired temple once controlled half of San Francisco's waters.