Limestone caves with spectacular showcase chambers.

One of the oldest Mexican restaurants in the United States air-dries its trademark beef in a dangling outdoor cage.

What is the Thing?

An old saloon in the West filled with history, and according to some, a few dozen ghosts.

This open-pit mine is now an abandoned symbol of Bisbee's copper-mining heritage.

Formerly the world's largest, this Willy Wonka-esque contraption runs 24/7.

Fans have made a utility pole near where the 90s musician was shot into an ersatz memorial.

Brightly colored 30-foot-tall totems light up the desert sky just outside Las Vegas.

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

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

Housed in a memorial lighthouse, this museum relays the history of surfing, beginning with the antics of royal Hawaiian teenagers.

The first high-tech company in the valley that actually worked with silicon devices.

At night, this glittering musical tunnel draws skaters and photographers.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

No one knows how many bodies are in this vault in a Chicago public park.

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

Haunting and beautiful trees, doomed to die.

Enormous crabs, bioluminescent jellies, and other amazing creatures from the ocean’s depths—some of which are in an aquarium for the first time ever.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

Steinbeck's old stomping grounds, immortalized in Cannery Row.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco's first World's Fair, dedicated to the wonders of California.

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