10405 Best Sights in USA

Due to the groups of harbor seals that have claimed it as their own, this shallow cove, protected by a seawall, is closed to the public for the winter pupping season, December 15 through May 15. People may access its calm, protected waters the other seven months of the year, however, and the beach's small waves make it an ideal place for children to splash and play. Adults will appreciate the view. Because of its location at the tip of La Jolla Peninsula, you can actually look east to get unmatched panoramic views of the coastline and ocean. The area just outside the pool is popular with scuba divers, who explore the offshore reef when the surf is calm. Although you may not be able to go down on the beach during the winter months, it's still worth a peek. It's fun to watch the seals and their pups from above. Limited free parking is available along Coast Boulevard. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; walking.

This hands-on center in Sugar Sand Park has interactive displays designed to enhance 5- to 12-year-olds' understanding of everyday physical sciences. Outside is a reconstructed Science Playground and a classic carousel and tot lot. Day camps are run during school breaks and are open to visitors.

A hidden gem just north of downtown, this garden is a magical place for children and their families. Connect with nature and explore this whimsical world featuring more than 2 acres of gardens, old trees, and imaginative outdoor play structures. The center also regularly presents kid-friendly events—story times, nature walks, arts-and-crafts workshops, and gardening programs—and has a costume room and cottage where children can play dress up.

The state’s largest children’s museum, a two-story brick building, has been keeping kids 12 and under entertained (and educated) since the mid-1990s. Kids love the Bone Dig, Lego Zone, Little Falls Parkour, and Kim’s Crafty Corner (call ahead to make sure Kim is in) where they get to make souvenirs to take home. Parents love the museum’s coffee shop which also sells snacks.

Modeled after an Italian villa, this stately winery provides both an atmosphere and a level of quality on par with vineyards in more lauded wine regions. Created by NASCAR driver and team owner Richard Childress, the winery offers more than 30 varieties, including its popular Reserve Chardonnay and Signature Meritage. Within its opulent 35,000-square-foot building, visitors can witness wine making firsthand or have lunch at the Bistro, which overlooks the vineyards.

This park on Chilkat Inlet has beautiful and accessible viewing of both the Davidson and Rainbow glaciers. The Seduction Point Trail, about 7 miles one way, takes hikers to the very tip of the peninsula upon which Haines sits.

This Wawona-area trail runs 4 miles one-way to the top of the falls, then leads into the backcountry, connecting with other trails. This is one of the park's most inspiring and secluded—albeit strenuous—hikes. Past the tumbling cascade, and up through forests, you'll emerge before a panorama at the top. Difficult.

This was once the Confederacy's largest and best-equipped hospital. Chimborazo opened in 1861 and treated more than 76,000 Confederate soldiers between 1862 and 1865. This site—once more than 40 acres—now contains a National Park Service visitor center and a small medical museum that tells the story of the patients, hospital, caregivers, and physicians through uniforms, documents, and other artifacts.

Even in a landscape of spires, cliffs, and knobs, this deep-red landform, 3 miles west of the visitor center, is unmistakable.

About 16 miles west of Pagosa Springs, Route 151 heads south to Chimney Rock National Monument. Twin spires of rock loom over the ruins of more than 100 homes and ceremonial buildings built about 1,000 years ago on a high mesa. The area offers self-guided walking tours of the two trails affording access to the archaeological sites. The Great House Pueblo Trail is short, but steep and exposed, so bring plenty of water. The Mesa Village Trail loop is paved and mostly level.

From any of the three overlooks grouped together on Newfound Gap Road, you'll have a good view of the Chimney Tops—twin peaks that cap 2,000-foot-high cliffs. Sadly, you'll also see dozens of dead fir and spruce trees, victims of the invasive woolly adelgids.

Since the Naval Air Warfare Station is now closed to the public, this museum—opened in 2018—gives an alternative glimpse into the history, technology, and weaponry at China Lake. More than 20 exhibits display missiles, aircraft, rockets, and other full-spectrum weapons. There is no charge to visit the gift shop and exterior fighter jets.

Smaller than San Francisco's Chinatown, this neighborhood near Union Station still represents a slice of East Asian life. Sidewalks are usually jammed with tourists, locals, and residents hustling from shop to shop picking up goods, spices, and trinkets from small shops and mini-plazas that line the street. Although some longtime establishments have closed in recent years, the area still pulses with its founding culture. During Chinese New Year, giant dragons snake down the street. And, of course, there are the many restaurants and quick-bite cafés specializing in Chinese feasts. In recent years, a slew of hip eateries like Howlin' Ray's and Majordomo have injected the area with vibrancy.

An influx of local artists has added a spark to the neighborhood by taking up empty spaces and opening galleries along Chung King Road, a faded pedestrian passage behind the West Plaza shopping center between Hill and Yale. Also look for galleries along a little side street called Gin Ling Way on the east side of Broadway. Chinatown has its main action on North Broadway. There are several garages available for parking here that range from $15 to $25 per day.

Conceptualized by the late Sabrina Soong, a Chinese-American architect/artist and Philadelphia resident, the 40-foot-tall, 88-ton “China Gate” has welcomed visitors to historic Chinatown since its introduction in 1984. Designed in a manner reminiscent of China’s Qing dynasty, it features materials and cultural flourishes fabricated by artisans from Philadelphia’s sister city of Tianjin, China. The Chinese characters emblazoned on the “Friendship Arch” translate simply to “Philadelphia Chinatown,” a paean to the neighborhood’s historic importance and resilience.

Two foo lions ward off evil for those who pass through the massive, traditional paifang gate that signals your entrance to Chinatown. It was donated to the Asian residents of Boston by Taiwan, in the early 1980s. You'll likely see red lanterns hanging from it; they signify good luck. The main square around the gate acts as a gathering place for the neighborhood's residents, who meet to socialize or play games. The gate is situated at Beach Street, and it also marks the end of the Greenway.

This large square is punctuated by animal sculptures, each representing one of the 12 symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Below the sculptures is a plaque explaining the personalities of those born during each year.

Virginia's Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge occupies the southern third of Assateague Island, directly off Chincoteague Island. (The northern two-thirds, part of Maryland, comprise the Assateague Island National Seashore.) Created in 1943 as a resting and breeding area for the imperiled greater snow goose as well as other birds, this refuge's location makes it a prime place for birding. It also protects native and migratory non-avian wildlife, including the Delmarva fox squirrel, which inhabits its interior pine forests. A 3.2-mile self-guided wildlife loop is a great introduction to the refuge. Bike or walk it; it's open to vehicles only between 3 pm and dusk.

The famed Chincoteague ponies occupy a section of the refuge isolated from the public, but they may still be seen in the distance from a number of spots. Swimming, surf fishing, picnicking, and bicycling are all available on the island.

Near the north entrance, this small spot has tables and restrooms.

Because it's in El Pueblo Plaza, you might assume that this museum features Mexican American art, but it's actually the last surviving structure of L.A.'s original Chinatown. Three floors of exhibits reveal the different cultures that have called this area home, as well as how the original residents paved the way for what is now a vibrant and varied Chinatown. Rotating exhibits feature the work of Chinese American artists.

Chiefly a place for the community to gather for calligraphy and tai chi workshops, the center operates a gallery with interesting temporary exhibits by Chinese and Chinese American artists. Excellent political, historical, and food-focused private walking tours of Chinatown depart from the gallery.

Highway 410, the highway to Yakima, follows the eastern edge of the park to Chinook Pass, where it climbs the steep 5,432-foot pass via a series of switchbacks. At its top, take in broad views of Rainier and the east slope of the Cascades. The pass usually closes for the winter in November and reopens by late May. During that time, it's not possible to drive a loop around the park.

 Anchoring this square is Daniel Chester French's imposing bronze statue of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of both the city of Savannah and the state of Georgia. The bus-stop scenes of Forrest Gump were filmed on the northern end of the square. The historic Savannah Theatre, on the corner of Bull and McDonough Streets, claims to be the oldest continuously operated theater site in North America and offers a variety of family-friendly shows.

Learn about the fierce Chiricahua Apaches and the fearless leaders Cochise and Geronimo at this research center, located in downtown Willcox. Other interesting tidbits about the area can be found in displays featuring the U.S. Cavalry, a nice collection of rocks and minerals, and relics of the famed Butterfield Overland Stage Route. One oddity the museum points out is that the memoirs of Civil War general Orlando Willcox, for whom the town was named, don't even mention a visit to Arizona.

This forested 1.9-mile round-trip romp that begins at 5,400-foot elevation affords sweeping views of the lower desert and distant volcanic mountains. The loop intersects with a few longer trails but offers a good sense of the basin if you have only an hour or so. The trail is closed due to construction until mid-2027. Easy–moderate, elevation gain 300 feet.

The small but informative center is one of the better equipped, with interactive exhibits and a bookstore. An adjacent general store has camping supplies and basic groceries. There are nods to the wild, with natural resource and geology exhibits, a map of bear and mountain lion sightings, and a larger-than-life representation of a mountain lion. The center sponsors educational activities here and at the nearby Chisos Basin Amphitheater.

The ghost town of Chloride, Arizona's oldest silver-mining camp, takes its name from a type of silver ore mined here. During its heyday from 1900 to 1920, some 60 mines operated in the area: silver, gold, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and even turquoise were mined in the rugged terrain. Around 300 folks live in and around Chloride today; there's a restaurant, historic inn, saloon, convenience store, RV park, and a smattering of old buildings.

Western artist Roy Purcell painted the large murals on the rocks on the eastern edge of town—10 feet high and almost 30 feet across, they depict a goddess figure, intertwined snakes, and Eastern and Native American symbols. To reach the murals, follow signs from the eastern end of Highway 125 along the unpaved road—it's a slow, twisting drive best attempted with four-wheel-drive vehicles. Outdoors enthusiasts can take advantage of the miles of hiking trails and explore the mineral-rich hills with excellent rockhounding opportunities.

Mock gunfights in the streets mark high noon on the first and second Saturdays of the month. In October, the entire town turns out for Old Miner's Day—the biggest event of the year, featuring a parade, bazaar, bake sale, and family-friendly contests (St. Patrick's Day is also a big to-do here).

The marked turnoff on Highway 125 for Chloride is about 12 miles north of Kingman on U.S. 93.

Give wide berth to abandoned mine entrances and shafts, which are often unstable and can cave in without warning.

Experts believe there are more than 200,000 abandoned mines in Arizona, many in the rich mineral regions such as the one surrounding Chloride.

NM 52 leads about 40 miles west from I–25, near Truth or Consequences, to Winston and Chloride, two fascinating mining towns just east of the Gila National Forest. Prospectors searching for silver in the nearby ore-rich mountains founded the towns in the late 1800s; abandoned saloons and false-front buildings, and pioneer relics still remain. Though the communities are designated ghost towns, the moniker is belied by the 50 or so residents currently living in each place, and Chloride has several businesses in operation.

This 1,700-square-foot display of Lancaster County in miniature has 22 model trains, mainly O-gauge, with 150 animated figures in scenes such as an Amish barn raising, a three-ring circus, and a blazing house fire with fire engines. Periodically, the overhead lights dim and the scene turns to night, with streetlights and locomotive headlights glowing in the darkness.

The Anglicans of the Church of England built a wooden church on this site in 1697. When they outgrew it, they erected a new church, the most sumptuous in the colonies, probably designed by Dr. John Kearsley and modeled on the work of famed English architect Sir Christopher Wren. The symmetrical, classical facade with arched windows, completed in 1754, is a fine example of Georgian architecture; the church is one of the city's treasures. The congregation included 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence. The bells and the soaring 196-foot steeple, the tallest in the colonies, were financed by lotteries run by Benjamin Franklin. Brass plaques mark the pews of George and Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Betsy Ross, and others. Two blocks west of the church is Christ Church Burial Ground. Guided tours are available throughout the day.