A striking eight-story-high obelisk perched on a coastal California cliff.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

Massive prehistoric mammals used these stones as oversized scratching posts.

Nursery with extensive collection of flesh-eating plants operated by the author of "The Savage Garden."

This California family's ancestral melon is sold only here.

The haunting ruins of Jack London's dream house.

Napa's oldest building is now a Mexican restaurant.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

The oldest Naval chapel in the United States is home to an incredible collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows.

The timepiece that exonerated a labor radical accused of a parade bombing that killed ten people.

The remains of a deserted steamboat sit rusting beside an old ferry pier and an abandoned train platform.

A historic hotel in an old California railroad town with a rowdy reputation.

Where the polar bear watches over everything, and every drink is a double.

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

The black lab that was voted mayor of a California town is forever remembered by a life-size statue.

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

Neither Spanish settlers nor anyone since has been able to tell who built these strange California rock walls.

A plaque outside the San Jose airport commemorates the insect's arrival to the West Coast.

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

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

Anyone can control this glittery light installation with just a phone call.

It took years to decode its mysterious messages.

This restaurant's marvelous musical machines include a self-playing violin.

An ominous concrete cube cuts a dystopian silhouette atop this California mountain.