10451 Best Sights in USA

A large collection of surfing memorabilia, going back to the earliest days of the sport, is on display here, along with old black-and-white photos, vintage boards, apparel, and accessories.

This center, just outside Julian, is one of the few places in North America where you can get an up-close view of the gray wolves that once roamed much of the continent. The center participates in breeding programs and houses several captive packs, including some rare Mexican grays, a subspecies of the North American gray wolf that came within seven individuals of extinction in the 1970s. The animals are kept secluded from public view in 3-acre pens, but some may be seen by visitors during conservation and behavioral enrichment tours, by advanced reservation only. The dirt road here is rough, so it's best to have a high-clearance vehicle.

French-born vintner Jean-Charles Boisset's love affair with Napa Valley history climaxed in 2024 with the debut of a glossy high-ceilinged showcase for his hand-distilled small-batch bourbons, ryes, gin, and brandies. The spirits and the burnt-orange The First Millionaire's Saloon, inside a restored Pullman railcar, acknowledge the legacy of town founder Sam Brannan, who established a distillery here in 1860, eight years before his railroad arrived. In 2023, Boisset launched Casa Obsidiana Tequila with the Beckmann Gonzalez family of Mexico (Jose Cuervo). The joint-venture's premium tequilas age in French oak barrels previously used to make wine. Distilling towers and other equipment provide the backdrop, but all the spirits are made elsewhere.

This sleek gallery specializes in contemporary sculpture and paintings from both local and internationally renowned artists, including Pablo Atchugarry, Eva Hild, Teresa Cole, Key-Sook Geum, Adrian Deckbar, and Sibylle Peretti.

One of Temecula's oldest wineries is centered on a stunning steel-and-glass cube with vineyard views all around. Callaway made its reputation with Chardonnay, but these days is also known for Roussanne, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The winery's Meritage Restaurant specializes in tapas, salads, and sandwiches.

Located at the southernmost point of Bahia Honda State Park, this public beach is a calm and pleasant spot for sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling. It’s shallow enough for little ones to wade in, and the sand is velvety soft and clean (as opposed to some of the rockier beaches in Key West). There are public restrooms and showers nearby. Camping sites are available, but they tend to book up, so reservations are recommended in high season. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Bridging two vibrant neighborhoods—the Warehouse Arts District to the south and the Grand Central District to the north—Calusa Commons is home to three favorite local outfits. Pick up everything from the latest bestsellers to titles by Florida authors at the charming Tombolo Books. Or grab a cup of coffee from Black Crow Coffee Co. or a cold-pressed juice from Squeeze Juice Works next door. Special events are held throughout the year in the shared brick courtyard.

Affiliated with the University of Florida's natural history museum in Gainesville, this 0.7-mile interpretive walkway explores the site of an ancient Calusa village—more than 1,500 years old—with excellent signage, two intact shell mounds you can climb, the remains of a complex canal system, and ongoing archaeological research. Check the website for special tours and lecture events.

Get a look at Florida's native animals and habitats. Boardwalks and trails lead through subtropical wetlands, a birds-of-prey aviary, and a screened-in butterfly house. There are snake, alligator, butterfly, and other live-animal demonstrations several times daily. Museum exhibits include an Exotic Species room and the Insectarium. The domed, state-of-the-art, 90-seat planetarium hosts astronomy shows daily and special laser shows.

Located right next to Enchanted Forest, this amusement complex offers go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, and an arcade. A Pizza Hut is on-site. Attractions cost a ticket or more each, and each ticket is $5.

In the center of Raleigh's Warehouse District, the Contemporary Art Museum hosts a rotating display of art exhibitions and cultural events. The glass-enclosed, folded-roof design nods to the neighborhood's train depot and industrial loading docks, welcoming visitors to its intimate galleries. First Fridays stay open late for a local vendor market.

The smaller (at 244 acres) and generally less crowded of the island's two state parks, this peaceful tract of coniferous woodland includes nearly 7,000 feet of rugged, rocky shoreline that you can easily access via two meandering park roads. About 3 miles of fairly easy trails lace the park, and a well-maintained 1-mile trek connects with nearby Cama Beach Historical State Park. Picnic shelters, campsites (including a few rustic cabins), a boat launch, and scenic swimming, fishing, and crabbing spots look south across Saratoga Passage toward Whidbey Island. On clear days you can spy the snowy summit of Mt. Rainier.

This state park is small—only 180 acres—and only open in the daytime, but its location can't be beat. It's on the shores of Lake Powell, the area's largest coastal dune lake and a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or fish (you'll need a license). The park was also once a retreat for employees of Avondale Textile Mills, and the lodge and some of the original cabins have been restored and are used as venues for weddings and meetings. The bucolic surroundings are good for bird-watching, but the main draw may be the beautiful, powdery beach. It's a ½-mile hike down to the sands, but this means you're almost guaranteed to find peace. Amenities: parking. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Remember when you were content with just a swing set and monkey bars? Well, such playground standards have been replaced by theme play areas like this. Though the prehistoric camp is primarily for kids, some adults join in, racing along footpaths through the forests, slithering down slides, clambering over swinging bridges and across streams, scrambling up net climbs and rock formations, and exploring mysterious caves full of faux lava. Watch for the dinosaur footprints: when you jump on them, a dinosaur roars somewhere (and different footprints have different roars). Also look out for the watery crossfire nearby—or join in the shooting yourself. For people with disabilities: Much of this attraction is wheelchair accessible (its upper levels probably aren't). Great anytime.

Surrounded by groves of whispering yellow-bellied ponderosa pines, larch, fir, and cedars and miles of streamside forest trails, this small, peaceful resort community of about 250 full-time residents (plus a few stray cats and dogs) is part of a designated conservation area. The area's beauty and natural resources are the big draw: the spring-fed Metolius River prominently glides through the community. In the early 1900s Sherman County wheat farmers escaped the dry summer heat by migrating here to fish and rest in the cool river environment, making Camp Sherman one of the first destination resorts in central Oregon. As legend has it, to help guide fellow farmers to the spot, devotees nailed a shoebox top with the name "Camp Sherman" to a tree at a fork in the road. Several original buildings still stand from the early days, including some cabins, a schoolhouse, and a tiny railroad chapel. Get the latest local info at the Camp Sherman Store & Fly Shop, built in 1918.

Named for Carlos Campbell, a conservationist who was instrumental in helping to establish the park, this overlook provides a beautiful view up a valley to Bull Head Peak and, farther up, to Balsam Point. An exhibit at the overlook explains the different types of forests within the park.

These buses serve permitted backpackers and those staying in campgrounds along the road. Seats in the back of the bus are removed for gear storage and there is room for two bikes (the bike spaces must be reserved ahead of time). While there is no formal narration, bus drivers aren't likely to let you miss anything important. The $40 pass includes transportation anywhere down the road as far as Wonder Lake for the length of the backpacker's stay; kids under 16 are free. Tell the driver ahead of time where you'd like to get out.

In summer, park rangers give free slide-show presentations, usually at Colter Bay.

This attraction uses 12 surrounding screens to give you a 360-degree view of Canada's majestic landscape. The narrators break the nation down province by province, sharing knowledge, along with the breathtaking views, about this distinguished country. There are a couple of downsides here: it's a standing-only theater, strollers aren't permitted, and toddlers and small children can't see unless they're held aloft. For people with disabilities: Wheelchair and ECV accessible; reflective captioning and equipped for assisted-listening and audio-description devices.

Located in a canal-era building that once served passengers waiting to pass through Canal Lock 38, the center houses a variety of exhibits that illustrate life along the Ohio and Erie Canal in Cuyahoga Valley. You can read the diary of a teenage canal worker, listen to a free African American recount his experiences as a canal boat captain, and try on the daily attire of boatmen and captains who worked along the canal. You’ll meet volunteers and rangers and have the opportunity to explore interactive maps, games, and an on-site bookstore. Lock demonstrations are conducted seasonally and on weekends.

At 170 feet wide, Canal Street is often called the widest street (as opposed to avenue or boulevard) in the United States, and it's certainly one of the liveliest—particularly during Carnival parades. It was once slated for conversion into a canal linking the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain; plans changed, but the name remains. In the early 1800s, after the Louisiana Purchase, the French Creoles residing in the French Quarter segregated themselves from the Americans who settled upriver. What is now Canal Street—specifically the central median running down Canal Street—was neutral ground between them. Today, animosities between these two groups are history, but the term "neutral ground" has survived as the name for all medians throughout the city.

Some of the grand buildings that once lined Canal Street remain, many of them former department stores that now serve as hotels, restaurants, or souvenir shops. The Werlein Building ( No. 605), once a multilevel music store, is now the Palace Café restaurant. The former home of Maison Blanche ( No. 921), once the most elegant of downtown department stores, is now a Ritz-Carlton hotel. One building still serving its original purpose is Adler's ( No. 722), the city's most elite jewelry and gift store. For the most part, these buildings have been faithfully restored, so you can still appreciate the grandeur that once reigned on this fabled strip.

The 1.25-mile Canal Walk meanders through downtown Richmond along the Haxall Canal, the James River, and the Kanawha Canal, and can be enjoyed on foot or by boat. Along the way, look for history exhibits such as the Flood Wall Gallery, bronze medallions, and other exhibits placed on Brown's Island and Canal Walk by the Richmond Historical Riverfront Foundation. Many sights intersect with Canal Walk, including the Richmond National Battlefield Park Civil War Visitor Center, and 5th, 7th, Virginia, 14th, 15th, and 17th streets meet the water along it.

The James River–Kanawha Canal was proposed by George Washington to bring ships around the falls of the James River, and to connect Richmond to major trade routes. Brown's Island, once the location of an ammunition factory during the Civil War, hosts festivals and concerts in warmer months.

The Canandaigua Wine Trail includes just five wineries, in Fairport, Canandaigua, and Naples, and two wine centers in Canandaigua.

When John Steinbeck published the novel Cannery Row in 1945, he immortalized a place of rough-edged working people. The waterfront street, edging a mile of gorgeous coastline, once was crowded with sardine canneries processing, at their peak, nearly 200,000 tons of the smelly silver fish a year. During the mid-1940s, however, the sardines disappeared from the bay, causing the canneries to close. Through the years the old tin-roof canneries have been converted into restaurants, art galleries, and malls with shops selling T-shirts, fudge, and plastic sea otters. Recent tourist development along the row has been more tasteful, however, and includes stylish inns and hotels, wine tasting rooms, and upscale specialty shops.

The 500-acre estate of former Chicago Tribune editor and publisher Robert McCormick (1880–1955) has multiple attractions. For starters, there's the First Division Museum, an impressive military history museum that has interactive, immersive exhibits. The sweeping landscape also incorporates formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails, and its own 27-hole public golf course with a separate 9-hole course for kids.

Home to Arizona's only mountain coaster, this adventure park attracts thrill seekers year-round to tube on fresh snow in the winter and mountain tube on specially designed tracks in the summer. The open-air coaster twists, turns, and corkscrews through the pines as you control its speed up to 27 miles per hour.

One of Rangely's most compelling sights is the superb Fremont petroglyphs—carved between AD 600 and 1300—in Douglas Creek canyon, south of town along Route 139. This stretch is known as the Canyon Pintado National Historic District, and the examples of rock art are among the best-preserved in the West; half the fun is clambering up the rocks to find them. A brochure listing the sights is available at the Rangely Chamber of Commerce.