The Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco): More tomato red than golden, the famous bridge remains a stunning visual for the San Francisco skyline. It's also an excellent expanse to walk.

The Painted Ladies (San Francisco): The so-called Painted Ladies are the city's ornately decorated Victorian homes. Check out the beauties around Alamo Square. Most of the extant 14,000 structures date from the second half of the 19th century.

The Carson House (Eureka): This house is a flamboyant Victorian -- and one of the state's most photographed Queen Anne-style structures. It was built in 1885. Today, it's the headquarters of a men's club.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo (Carmel): The second mission founded in California in 1770 by Father Junípero Serra is perhaps the most beautiful. Its stone church and tower dome have been restored, and a garden of poppies adjoins the church. Sights include an early kitchen and the founding father's sleeping quarters.

The Theme Building (Los Angeles): The Jetsons-style "Theme Building," which once loomed over LAX, still holds court in the center of the airport and signals your arrival. Enjoy the view of arriving and departing jets from the building's observation deck or its groovy Star Trek-ish Encounter LAX restaurant and bar, whose purple neon lights flood the area after dark.

Balboa Park (San Diego): These Spanish-revival style buildings along El Prado were built as temporary structures for the Panama-California Exposition (1915-16). Set amidst the beautifully landscaped terrain of mesas and canyons that comprise one of the country's finest city parks, the ornately decorated and imposing facades create a romantic fantasia abounding with Mediterranean flourishes. The buildings also house many of San Diego's museums.

Hotel del Coronado (Coronado): The "Hotel Del" stands in all its Victorian red-tiled glory on some of the loveliest stretch of beach in Southern California. Built in 1888, it's one of the largest remaining wooden structures in the world. Even if you're not staying, stop by to take a tour of the splendidly restored interiors, elegant grounds, and fascinating mini-museum of the hotel's spirited history. On your way to Coronado, you can't miss the soaring Coronado Bay Bridge, an architectural landmark in its own right.