A rough granite monument marks the spot where Europeans first caught sight of the San Francisco Bay.

A 1920s speakeasy that had rum runners racing up and down the shores of California.

A four paneled, brightly multicolored mosaic adorns the side of this popular grocery store.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

This lighthouse has been guiding shipping into the Golden Gate since before the American Civil War.

Internationally-recognized arts center housed in a century-old former military barracks.

Ride on a fully-restored Nike nuclear-tipped missile elevator from the Cold War.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

A grove of "candelabra redwoods" deep in California's Lost Coast.

Monumental sculptures of Patrick Amiot, constructed from debris, detritus, and determination.

Eccentric sculptures made from repurposed materials peppers this former farm.

Shoes and revealing shirts are not allowed inside this giant Vietnamese Christ.

Witnesses claim the Virgin Mary statue outside the church once mysteriously shed a single tear.

The capital of Cambodia is named after the hill on which this ancient temple complex stands.

The largest mosque in Cambodia was built to unite the country's Muslim community but soon sparked division and controversy instead.

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

Playable, historic pinball machines fill this Alameda museum.

A monument stands at one of the starting lines of the Trans-Canada Highway, formerly the longest uninterrupted highway in the world.

The remains of Canada's earliest Chinese pioneers are interred along this picturesque point.

This rusted car found in Petrified Forest National Park's Route 66 exhibit may be the most photographed abandoned car in the country.

A quirky roadside sign was the subject of a years-long legal standoff over highway right-of-way clearances. 

Dozens of whimsical bear statues "hibernate" here during the winter months.

For a taste of Vietnamese gastropub culture, look no further than this convivial seafood joint that stays open till midnight.

This Ottoman bridge is a rare covered bridge with shops, and considers itself the only bazaar bridge in the world.