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We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
A roadside operation with a deli serving up breakfast burritos, panini on freshly made local bread, and good coffee, Sonoma's Best earns its moniker with its well-curated adjoining wineshop. The shop's knowledgeable staff members provide an excellent introduction to Sonoma County wines. Four cottages behind the store are available for overnight stays.
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum documents and celebrates southern culinary heritage, so its gift shop, of course, carries some of the best cookbooks from the south. It also has food-related and New Orleans–centric gifts, cooking utensils, and vintage and modern cocktail tools and manuals.
The Spice House draws rave reviews from local home cooks and glossy national food mags alike for its head-spinning range of top-quality spices sourced from around the globe. At the brand’s Old Town outpost, an aromatic storefront with a modern apothecary vibe, you can shop for edible reminders of your Chicago sojourn in the form of spice blends created to capture the essence of the city’s neighborhoods.
Housewares, candles, and other quirky furnishings line the shelves at this tiny Arts District boutique. The shop opened in the beginning of 2024 and immediately became beloved among locals for its "Planty Hour" promotion, during which customers are encouraged to buy pots for plants (or plants for pots) and combine the duos as part of a social event. The shop also is famous for selling paper maché iterations of taxidermied heads.
Ann and Paul Breeden’s Spring Woods Gallery, nestled between their home and a large shade garden for visitors, is illuminated by a tall arched window. Local farm animals appear often in her colorful, playful oil paintings. His strikingly realistic acrylic paintings capture the intensity of the Maine Coast. Both originals and fine art prints and cards featuring their works are sold, as are their son's decorative and practical ironworks and their daughters' pottery, paintings, prints, and cards. Folks are welcome to come just for the acclaimed tranquil garden, with benches, sculpture, and a delightful children's playhouse. Off U.S. 1 in Sullivan, the gallery is open off-season by appointment.
The 72-acre, four-block-by-four-block commercial and residential complex centered on Rosemary Avenue has been revamped from CityPlace into The Square, with $550 million in upgrades to the pedestrian walkways, plus new retail, dining and public art installations. The mixed-use neighborhood attracts people of all ages to restaurants, a 20-screen AMC theater, live music at Copper Blues, the Harriet Himmel Theater, and the Improv Comedy Club. In the courtyard, Berlin-based artist Jeppe Hein has created a whimsical water pavilion, and live bands perform on weekends. The dining, shopping, and entertainment are all family-friendly; at night, however, a lively crowd likes to hit the outdoor bars. Among The Square's stores are such popular national retailers as H&M, Tommy Bahama, and Restoration Hardware.
If you want to get a true sense of Pacific Northwest style, this men's and women's clothing shop embodies it all, from casual plaid button-down shirts to wood-framed sunglasses. They make a point of sourcing top-quality goods from local and regional makers.
The electric purple facade on the corner greets visitors as they enter on Bull Street from Victory Drive, signifying you've found the funkiest, artsiest neighborhood in Savannah. Inside, you'll find all manner of craft supplies, paints, canvases, markers, fabric swatches, tools, books, local art for sale, and fabulous treasures you never knew you needed.
Open year-round and seven days a week, this 75-acre market is the place to go for locally grown fruits and vegetables, flowers and plants, and North Carolina crafts. There are also a few restaurants serving country cooking for breakfast and lunch, and Calabash-style fried seafood.
Between Cabrillo Boulevard and Sola Street, State Street is a shopper's paradise. Chic malls, quirky storefronts, antiques emporia, elegant boutiques, and funky thrift shops abound. Numerous community activities take place at
Find pop-star paraphernalia, graphic T-shirts, magazines, trinkets, snacks, and Mexican blankets in this wild shop set up in a converted 1949 Richfield gas station. Between the giant man statue, retro cars, and back patio, there's enough eye candy to warrant a stop even if you're not in the market for souvenirs.
Parquet flooring and art deco display cases give this multilevel store an understated but chic atmosphere that perfectly matches the clothing aesthetic. The women's wear collection, done mostly in gauzy, muted colors, is on the top floor, while menswear, sportswear, Adidas by Stella McCartney, and adorable children's clothes are on the lower level. In keeping with McCartney's vegetarianism, fur and leather are verboten.
Painter Steve Adams has transformed Helper's historic JCPenney building into a glorious showcase for his impressionist takes on nature scenes from all over the world. He shares the space with painter Tim Morse, whose depictions of the Southwest are graphic and vibrant. Most days you can see at least one of them working in this huge studio and gallery. Lofty ceilings with a stuffed elk and motorcycles on display make this a memorable spot to peruse.
Opened in 1927 and still run by the same family, this vast book emporium—home to 2 million volumes, or "18 Miles of Books"—is a symbol of a bygone era, a mecca for serious bibliophiles, and a local institution. The stock includes new and secondhand books, foreign-language titles, and thousands of collector's items—some of which are found in the third-floor rare-book room. The basement has discounted, sometimes barely touched review copies of new books organized by author. If you're looking for souvenirs, there's lots of New York–centric literature as well as T-shirts and totes. Check the store's events calendar for live readings.
Located on the bayfront in downtown Hilo, this beautifully decorated candy boutique is a blast from the past, featuring an amazing array of nostalgic candies, artisan chocolates, and wooden barrels overflowing with saltwater taffy and other delights.
While not completely hidden away, it's not terribly easy to stumble upon The Superette, a collection of high-end, niche retailers all centered around an open-air courtyard. Options include jewelry at Brave Daughters, yoga-inspired sportswear at Alo, personalized fragrances at Le Labo, and jeans at Injeanius. There are a few fast-casual places to eat, too, so you can spend a few hours shopping and snacking.
For luxurious handcrafted blankets, throws, pillows, wraps, and scarves, look no further. All products are made in Maine using natural, heirloom-quality yarns. The expert craftsmanship explains the hefty price tag.
For folks drawn to the unique warmth and hand-crafted look of decorative tiles, Syzygy Tileworks is a must-stop. The founders of Syzygy create their own art tiles inspired by the famed Moravian tile works in Doylestown, Pennsylvania; the results are a refreshing complement to traditional Southwestern styles.
Tacoma's increasingly vibrant maker culture is showcased at its highly popular night markets, which take place at Foss Waterway Seaport. As many as 80 artists and makers sell their wares at gatherings that run from 5 until 10 pm on Saturday nights and feature music and a slew of food and drinks vendors. The night markets are typically followed the next day by a Sunday brunch market from 11 am to 4 pm.
Located in a historic building in quiet Hanapepe Town, this is the only bookstore on Kauai, with some 25,000 titles and a resident cat. On Friday Art Nights, authors sign their books out front while live music and food trucks entertain meandering crowds. New, used, rare, and out-of-print books are sold here, as well as vinyl records, comics, vintage video games, and two exclusive sticker lines.
For more than 30 years, this fine handcrafts gallery on the northeast corner of Bent Street has featured exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces by a gifted stable of artists. Here you can find textiles, rugs, wall hangings, fine jewelry, paintings, sculptures, decorative and functional ceramics, and Zuni carvings.
A must for all bibliophiles, the Tattered Cover may be the best bookstore in the United States, not only for the near-endless selection (more than 400,000 books on two floors at the Colfax Avenue location and 300,000 in a location in McGregor Square near Coors Field, along with much smaller versions of the stores at Union Station, Denver International Airport, and three suburban locales), but also for the incomparably refined atmosphere. Treat yourself to the overstuffed armchairs, reading nooks, and afternoon readings and lectures, and stop by the café for an espresso drink and bakery treat at the Capitol Hill site in the renovated historic Lowenstein Theater.
A haven for runners, walkers, and swimmers, Team Nashville is stocked to the brim with shoes and other performance gear. This neighborhood store has been operating for more than 40 years and is known for its exceptionally friendly staff who are committed to helping customers find the best fit.
The buyers for this large, independently owned world-market store comb the planet for colorful and unusual examples of folk art from more than 40 countries. African trade beads and baskets, Nepalese jewelry, Turkish textiles, and lots of Mexican items (including milagros, postcards, and cheap souvenirs and gifts) are just a few of the goodies stashed away in this delightful place.
A one-stop shop for all things Western, here you can find anything from fringed suede jackets and scalloped leather belts to roper boots, spurs, saddles, and even a replica firearm.
Through a window in the gallery at Thames Glass, you can watch artist Matthew Buechner and his team working the forge and making blown-glass gifts. Sign up for a lesson to make an ornament, paperweight, or vase out of molten glass.
A quintessential stop on any Northampton visit—and not just because the market's centrally located garage is your best bet for convenient parking—Thornes contains an eclectic lineup of shops ranging from Glimpse of Tibet for Tibetan handicrafts to Herrell's Ice Cream and Fire Type Chocolates for sweets. Also here are Booklink Booksellers, Cedar Chest, a yoga studio, a chair-massage parlor, and clothing and jewelry stores.
