10457 Best Sights in USA

Duck farming was a major industry on Long Island when a local farmer erected this massive and endearing 20-foot-tall duck-shape building in 1931. Today it serves as a tourism center and gift shop carrying T-shirts, mugs, and other souvenirs bearing the aquatic birds. Long Island's most recognized landmark, the Big Duck is on the National Register of Historic Places. Annual events at the Big Duck Ranch include the rubber duck race. A farming museum was new in the fall of 2014.

Named for Chief Big Foot of the Potowatomi tribe, this state park gets busy during summer season for its 100 campsites, 6.5 miles of color-coded hiking trails, kayak rentals, 40 acres of shaded picnic space, and free loans of volleyballs, horseshoes and fishing equipment for kids. Better yet, simply soak up the sun on the 1,900 feet of lakefront and 100-foot marked swimming areathat's not lifeguarded, so swim safely.

See where Sioux Chief Big Foot and his band traveled en route to the battle at Wounded Knee, December 29, 1890.

The visitor center overlooks meadows where one of the West's most tragic stories played out. In 1877 Nez Perce warriors in central Idaho killed some white settlers as retribution for earlier killings by whites. Knowing the U.S. Army would make no distinction between the guilty and the innocent, several hundred Nez Perce fled, beginning a 1,500-mile, five-month odyssey known as the Nez Perce Trail. The fugitives engaged 10 separate U.S. commands in 13 battles and skirmishes. One of the fiercest of these was at Big Hole, where both sides suffered losses. The Big Hole battlefield remains as it was when the battle unfolded; tepee poles erected by the park service mark the site of a Nez Perce village and serve as haunting reminders of what transpired here. Ranger-led programs take place daily in summer; group tours can be arranged with advance request. The park stays open for winter snowshoeing (the visitor center has a few pairs) and cross-country skiing (bring your own equipment) on a groomed trail through the battlefield's sites. The annual commemoration of the Battle of Big Hole takes place every August and includes ceremonies, traditional music, demonstrations, and cavalry exhibitions. It's one of 38 sites in four states that make up the Nez Perce National Historic Park ( 208/843–7001  www.nps.gov/nepe), which follows the historic Nez Perce Trail.

This a designated mountain-biking and hiking trail divided into two loops joined by a connector. The Big Hollow Trail North Loop runs 5.3 miles, with a 0.1-mile shortcut, along moderately easy ascents through rolling woodlands. The Big Hollow Trail South Loop, including the connector, runs 3.7 miles through more jumbled rocky terrain, partly along the blufftop over Green River. Horses are not permitted on this trail. Total 9.1 mi. Moderate. Note: There is no parking along Green River Ferry Road North or the Maple Springs Loop Road.

At this meticulously run family operation, artisanal honey is produced slowly and organically. They focus on three varietals: Lehua, Macadamia Nut, and Wilelaiki (Christmasberry). You can take a secured, screened tour of the bee hives, see how the queen lives and is cared for, and enjoy free samples of honey. Reservations are required for the tour, but you can peruse the museum and shop free of charge.

Set on the north shore of Big Lagoon, this well-maintained state park is known for a variety of natural wonders that include marshes, lakes, woods, and rivers. Take in the stunning surroundings from a three-story observation tower overlooking the beach. Bird-watching is a popular activity during migrations in the spring and fall. The 3.5-mile Sand Pine Loop is perfect for hikers of all abilities. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

A ¼-mile alpine loop, most of it wheelchair accessible, leads through wildflower meadows overlooking numerous vistas of the interior Olympic peaks to the south and a panorama of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north. Easy.

This large forested picnic area has lots of parking, as well as restrooms and plenty of picnic tables. It's set back from Skyline Drive and nestled in between Big Meadows Lodge and Big Meadows Campground. It's also steps from an amphitheater for seasonal ranger-led programs, as well as the trailhead for the waterfall hike to Lewis Falls. Pack a picnic lunch or stop in Big Meadows Wayside, an in-season food stop for sandwiches, salads and drinks. You'll also find restrooms and a small two-pump gas station at Big Meadows Wayside.

Until 2008, paleontologists dug for fossils at this site near the Conata Picnic Area. It was named for a large fossil with a pig-like appearance (it turned out to be a small, hornless rhinoceros). Wayside signs and exhibits, including a mural, provide context on the area and its fossils.

The name of Lone Peak, the mountain that looms over the isolated community beneath Big Sky, is a good way to describe one of the most remote ski resorts in the country. Here you can ski a true wilderness. With nearly 6,000 skiable acres, it's the second-largest ski resort in the United States. Yellowstone National Park is visible from the upper-mountain ski runs, as are 11 mountain ranges in three states. The park's West Entrance is about 50 miles away, along a route frequented by elk, moose, and bison (use caution when driving U.S. 191).

Conceived in the 1970s by national TV newscaster Chet Huntley, the resort area is the solitary node of civilization in otherwise undeveloped country between Bozeman and West Yellowstone. Getting here invariably means a flight to Bozeman and about an hour's drive to the resort through Gallatin Canyon, a narrow gorge of rock walls, forest, and the frothing Gallatin River.

This is not to suggest that Big Sky is primitive. Indeed, being just a few decades old and growing rapidly, the resort is quite modern in its design and amenities. You won't find crowds among all this rugged nature, but you will discover that all the perks of a major summer and ski vacation spot are readily available in Big Sky's three distinct villages. One is in the Gallatin Canyon area along the Gallatin River and U.S. 191. Another, Meadow Village, radiates from the 18-hole Big Sky Golf Course. The third enclave, 9 miles west of U.S. 191, is the full-service ski resort itself, overlooking rugged wilderness areas and Yellowstone National Park.

Major real-estate developments around Big Sky have started to impinge upon the resort-in-the-wild atmosphere with exclusive developments such as Spanish Peaks and the gated Yellowstone Club. Still, outdoor pleasures abound. In addition to skiing, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, zip-lining, and other activities, Big Sky hosts many festivals, musical events, races, and tournaments.

A popular summertime spot, Montana's biggest water park has 10 waterslides and a giant whirlpool, as well as a miniature golf course, arcade games, bumper cars, a carousel, a climbing tower, barbecue grills, a picnic area, and food service.

The second-highest point in the Big Snowies is Big Snowy, also called Old Baldy. Just 41 feet shorter than Greathouse Peak, the 8,640-foot-high mountain makes an enjoyable climb. A designated path, Maynard Ridge Trail, follows an old jeep road almost to the summit. The peak is a barren plateau, often windy, with a small rocky outcropping marking the highest point.

At the head of one of the purest cold-water springs in the world is the Big Springs Trout Hatchery. The state's largest cold-water production station nurtures several species of trout and kokanee salmon. The show tank, where you can view oddities such as albino rainbow trout and perhaps even fish weighing a monstrous 15 pounds, is a popular attraction, but the hatchery grounds are a sight in and of themselves and a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic under giant willow and cottonwood trees. You can see the place where Big Spring Creek spurts from the earth, and the native wildlife—including white-tailed deer, beavers, wood ducks, and belted kingfishers—make frequent appearances.

Some trees still stand at this site at the edge of a sequoia grove logged in the 1800s. Near the park's entrance, the area is paved and next to the road, and overhead structures protect tables from sun and inclement  weather. It's the only picnic area in either park that is plowed in the wintertime. Toilets, grills, and drinking water are available, and the area is entirely accessible.

From 1883 until 1890, logging operations (there was even a mill) were conducted in this area. The 2-mile loop, whose unmarked beginning is a few yards west of the Big Stump entrance, passes by many enormous stumps. Easy.

Don a hard hat and take a guided tour through an underground gold mine, get some free gold ore samples, explore the mining museum, and do a little gold panning yourself at this authentic-looking facility built into a hillside along Battle Creek.

This overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway offers fine views of the eastern side of the Smokies, and in May and June the roadsides bloom with rosebay rhododendron.

To the left of the White Oak Trail in the east of the park's backcountry lies something very uncommon—a small area of forest that has never once been cut for timber. This is The Big Woods, one of only two areas of true Old Growth forest remaining in Kentucky. White Oak Trail is not connected to the rest of the backcountry trail network, but the trip along Ugly Creek Road may be worth a chance to see forest that has never seen a saw or an axe since the world began.

There is only a handful of tables here and no water or restrooms, but the incredible view makes it a lovely spot to have lunch.

Rotating exhibits include bronzes, paintings, and works in other mediums by Montana and other American artists.

To learn about this 120,000-acre national park wilderness that was established in 1966 following the creation of Yellowtail Dam, visit the South District's Cal Taggart Visitor Center in Lovell, Wyoming, where you can view geological and historical exhibits on the area, as well as a film about the canyon. Two shorter movies, one on the Pryor Mountain wild horses and the other about Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark (east of Lovell), are shown on request, and there's a small gift and bookshop. The park's South District is reached by heading north on Route 37 east of Lovell and encompasses Horseshoe Bend Marina, Devil Canyon Overlook, 12 hiking trails (in both Wyoming and southern Montana), four historic ranches that you can tour on your own, and three campgrounds. The park's North District is 120 miles north, in Fort Smith, Montana. Note that part of the park near Lovell is adjacent to Yellowtail Wildlife Management Area at the southern end of Bighorn Lake. More than 155 species of birds—including white pelicans, pheasants, bald eagles, and great blue herons—inhabit the 19,202-acre refuge, as do numerous other animal species, including red fox, mule deer, and cottontail rabbits.

Focusing on Native American and early homestead settlement, the 35-acre Bighorn County Historical Museum and Visitor Information Center complex comprises 24 historic buildings that have been relocated to the site. The buildings are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and interpretive exhibits in the museum explore the region's Native American and pioneer history. Friendly staff and volunteers help bring life to the museum.

Big Horn is an access point to the 1.1-million-acre area, which has lush grasslands, alpine meadows, rugged mountaintops, canyons, and deserts. There are numerous hiking trails and camping spots for use in the summer, and it's a popular snowmobiling area in the winter.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has some lofty goals, and across the street from Seattle Center you can witness their plans in action. Exhibits are thought-provoking and interactive, inviting you to offer up your own solutions to complex global problems like poverty and climate change. Fight disease, design a media campaign, and take part in a featured project to make a difference during your visit.

This homage to the father of bluegrass, the late Bill Monroe, is 5 miles north of Nashville in Bean Blossom. It contains a walkway of Hollywood-style stars dedicated to bluegrass-music artists, and there are also relics linked to Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Bluegrass mania really gets into gear in May during a weeklong John Hartford Memorial Festival and climaxes in mid-June for the annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, the oldest continuously running bluegrass festival in the world, celebrating its 48th year in 2014. Another festival takes place in September.

Present-day Pioneer Square is actually one story higher than it used to be. After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, Seattle's planners regraded the neighborhood's streets, which had been built on filled-in tide lands and regularly flooded. The result? There is now an intricate and expansive array of subterranean passageways and basements beneath Pioneer Square, and Bill Speidel's Underground Tour is the only way to explore them. Speidel was an irreverent historian, PR man, and former Seattle Times reporter who took it upon himself to preserve historic Seattle, and this 75-minute tour is packed with his sardonic wit and playful humor. It's very informative, too—if you're interested in the general history of the city or salty anecdotes about Seattle's early denizens, you'll appreciate it that much more. Younger kids will almost certainly be bored, as there's not much to see at the specific sites, which are more used as launching points for the stories (some of the tour is above ground, as well). Comfortable shoes, a love for quirky historical yarns, and an appreciation of bad puns are musts. Several tours are offered daily, and schedules change month to month: call or visit the website for a full list of tour times.

This 6,055-acre desert oasis contains the largest surviving cottonwood-willow woodland in the region. The refuge is a favorite byway of neotropical migratory birds such as the flashy vermilion flycatcher and the brilliant summer tanager.

Founded by Frederick H. Billings in 1871, this is one of the oldest operating dairy farms in the country. In addition to watching the herds of Jersey cows, horses, and other farm animals at work and play, you can tour the restored 1890 farmhouse, and in the adjacent barns learn about 19th-century farming and domestic life. The biggest takeaway, however, is a renewed belief in sustainable agriculture and stewardship of the land. Pick up some raw-milk cheddar while you're here.

The renowned honky-tonk has been a cattle barn, airplane factory, and department store. It's now home to live music, eating, drinking, shopping, playing, and live bull riding. Daytime's probably the best time to visit if you've got children in tow; nighttime is much rowdier.