425 Best Sights in USA

Heading south from Nags Head, Pea Island's miles of undeveloped coastline kick off one of the East Coast's most scenic drives. The refuge consists of 5,834 acres of marsh on the Atlantic Flyway, plus 25,700 acres of refuge waters. To the delight of birders, more than 370 species have been sighted from its observation platforms and spotting scopes and by visitors who venture into the refuge. Pea Island is home to threatened peregrine falcons, piping plovers, and tundra swans, which winter here, and to 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. A visitor center has maps of trails that lead through the salt marsh and around ponds. On the west side of the highway are 13 miles of pristine beach.

Remember to bring bug spray if you go for a hike, especially in spring. Also, there's no tree coverage on trails, so plan peak-summer walks early and late in the day.

Jutting out into the Piscataqua River off the historic South End of the city, an easy walk over a short bridge from Strawbery Banke Museum and Prescott Park, this 27-acre island offers a welcoming patch of nature and maritime views. It's laced with shaded walking trails and has a huge kids' playground, a municipal swimming pool, and a boat ramp. You can also stroll across a narrow causeway to tiny Four Tree Island, which has picnic shelters, art installations, and benches, and even greater views of the river and passing ships.

The "City of Roses" moniker started here, at this park that harks back to another time. The city's oldest (1913) public rose garden (and the only sunken one) houses about 5,000 plantings of roses. The daunting task of deadheading all these flowers is covered in classes taught to volunteers. The bandstand is a historic landmark, and the last of its kind in the city. This 16-acre North Portland park also contains an ornate historic fountain, Italian villa–inspired community center, playground, wading pool, tennis and volleyball courts, and picnic tables.

The seasonal Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate and Winery, transforms the property into a 16th-century English village ruled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I. The lively action includes street performers, human chess matches, jousting and fencing tournaments, knighthood ceremonies, street performances, craft demonstrations, battling pirates, jesters, medieval food, and Shakespearean plays performed on outdoor stages. Fun for all ages, but definitely more A Kid in King Arthur's Court than Game of Thrones.

The refuge's 2,178-acre Petit Manan Point Division is a sanctuary of fields, forests, and rocky shorefront at the tip of Pigeon Hill Peninsula. In August, it's a popular spot for handpicking wild blueberries. Whatever the time of year, you can explore here—keeping an eye out for wildlife—on two trails. Mostly a loop, the 1.8-mile Hollingsworth Trail has a gorgeous shore stretch on Pigeon Hill Bay where it's easy to head off-path to clamber on the large granite ledges. Petit Manan Lighthouse—Maine’s second tallest, on one of five lighthouse islands belonging to the refuge—towers in the distance beyond a wide cove. Birch Point Trail (4.2 miles round-trip) crosses a blueberry field, then leads to salt marshes and mudflats on Dyer Bay, with side trails to a cove and rocky beach. Along the trail's logging roads, families and groups can walk together.

Sandwiched between Marginal Street and Boston Harbor, the gorgeous, 6½-acre waterfront Piers Park features a grassy, green retreat from urban life and sweeping views of downtown Boston to the southwest. It is so named because of its many long piers that jut into the inner harbor. For a bit of historical knowledge: it's also in close proximity to the site where naval architect Donald McKay built his reputedly fast clipper ships. Take a stroll down the promenade and let the kiddos enjoy the large playground.

At 317 feet, Pigeon Hill is the highest coastal point in Washington County, and it doesn't disappoint, rewarding hikers with panoramic views that stretch to Schoodic Peninsula, where Acadia National Park's mainland district is located; Petit Manan Lighthouse off the end of the narrow peninsula where this land rises; and island-splattered waters farther Down East. Hike up to the summit on the short historic trail, with some steep sections, that locals have used for generations. There are also longer, easier routes on the 1.8-mile interconnected trail system, which was created when this became a Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve. One trail traverses an old silver mine and another passes by a glacial erratic boulder. The 185-acre preserve's half-mile loop trail to Pigeon Hill Bay begins across the road from the parking area.

This park has not one but two playgrounds for little ones to explore. For older kids, there are ping-pong tables, plenty of green space, and a paved 1-mile walking trail around the park’s perimeter. There are also picnic tables, pavilions, and grills if the weather calls for barbecue.

In this 1,500-acre public park, you can tackle a grueling climb to the top of the namesake Pinnacle or take a short walk on the state's only certified Nature Forest Therapy Trail. Brochures at the parking area include a map and guided prompts to help you clear your mind as you experience the forest. 

This fish hatchery operated by the state's Department of Wildlife Resources produces more than 400,000 brown, rainbow, and native brook trout each year for release in local streams. You can see the fish up close in more than 50 large tanks called raceways. There's also a visitor center with information about the life cycle of trout and an educational nature trail. The Davidson River, which runs by the hatchery, is popular for fly-fishing.

This aptly-named beach is a perfect spot to find some quiet among the energy of the city. Dip your feet in the refreshing water, skip some rocks across Elliot Bay, and take a seat on the fallen driftwood, where you can enjoy a snack and the sights of ferries and sailboats passing by.

The scent of fir and spruce trees mingle with the ocean’s salty tang at this secluded seasonal picnic spot on the quiet western side of Mount Desert Island. A handful of picnic tables, including the park's only covered ones, are set close to a stairway leading down to the shore alongside Pretty Marsh Harbor.

"Come for the Primus, stay for the wines" is the unspoken motto of this winery the funk-metal band Primus's bassist and lead vocalist, Les Claypool, founded (as Claypool Cellars) with his wife, Chaney. The weiner stand out back and the 21st-century hippie-casual tasting room—a former boat-repair shack with an unpainted-wood interior and catchy Craigslist-castoff furnishings—are two signs this isn't an aren't-we-fabulous vanity project. So, too, are the cool-climate Pinot Noirs from Sonoma Coast grapes. Made by Ross Cobb, a local master of the genre, these wines would earn serious consideration no matter who fronted them.  On Fridays and weekends, frivolity reigns at Wines and Weiners, the latter Niman Ranch gourmet hot dogs.

Spanning the length of Beaufort's waterfront, just across Taylor's Creek, this 2,315-acre reserve consists of islands and marshes that serve as a seasonal home to more than 200 bird species and the permanent home to a small herd of wild horses. There's a short nature trail on Carrot Island, or walk the beach on Sand Dollar Island. Access is via boat or kayak.

On the south shore of Rangeley Lake, this 869-acre park has superb lakeside scenery, with Saddleback Mountain anchoring the distant view across the water from the swimming beach. Here, where the shore coves in a bit, are picnic tables and restrooms. Just under a mile and running through this day use area, the longer of the park's two trails follows the lake from the boat launch (trailer accessible) to the campground and playground. A ¾-mile inland trail passes through woods and can be linked with the entrance road for a longer hike. In the off-season, visitors can park outside the park gate and walk in.

All the world's a stage to Jean-Charles Boisset, Raymond's charismatic owner—even his vineyards, where his five-act Theater of Nature includes a series of gardens and displays explaining biodynamic agriculture. The theatrics continue indoors in the disco-dazzling Crystal Cellar tasting room (chandeliers and other accoutrements by Baccarat), along with several additional spaces, some sedate and others expressive. The lush wines include Cabernet Sauvignons and numerous Bordeaux-style red blends.  The Winemaker for a Day blending seminars here are entertaining.

The owners of Villicana Winery in west Paso Robles launched the first local distillery in 2011, aiming to repurpose the saignée (free-run juice) that's typically tossed out during the wine-making process. They ferment and distill the high-quality juices into premium spirits, thus reclaiming about 70 acres of premium wine grapes. Taste vodkas (including kumquat and cucumber versions), gin, whiskeys, bourbons, and limoncello in the tiny barrel-room tasting space or outdoors under the oaks.

A few hundred feet off the busy highway, surrounded by conifers and overlooked by vineyards, Rex Hill seems to exist in a world of its own. The winery opened in 1982, after owners Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen converted a former nut-drying facility. It produces first-class Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling from both estate-grown and purchased grapes. The tasting room has a massive fireplace, elegant antiques, and an absorbing collection of modern art, though summer visitors may prefer to enjoy their wine on the dog-friendly patio or out in the beautifully landscaped garden.

The spacious greenery of Richland Park is situated opposite several of Charlotte Avenue’s walkable independent shops and eateries. Covered picnic tables and a small playground share an easily accessible parking lot with a quaint public library branch and tennis courts. The Richland Park Farmer's Market operates every Saturday morning beside the playground.

Local ingredients take the spotlight at this family-owned brewery, with sprawling indoor and patio spaces and even bigger list of seasonal creations (like blueberry sour ales and Marzen-style lagers) and year-round beers like Ishmael, a malty and sweet ale. There's also wine and kombuchas on offer.

Accessed via the Oakridge Trail, this spur loops 5.4 miles to the Congaree River from the Oakridge Trail (10.1 miles round-trip from the Visitor Center); 1.6 miles of the trail parallel the river. Parts of this forest were logged in the 20th century, creating thicker undergrowth than is found in other parts of the park. Be prepared for muddy and overgrown sections. You're likely to have the River Trail to yourself. Difficult.

Though considerably smaller than the Mississippi, the Cumberland River has been as important to Nashville as the Mississippi has been to Memphis. This welcoming green enclave on its banks has an expansive view of the river and Nissan Stadium, where the Tennessee Titans play. The park serves as a popular venue for free summer concerts, block parties, and the annual New Year's Eve and 4th of July celebrations (Nashville boasts the largest fireworks display in the South). It's also home to Fort Nashborough Interpretive Center, which was home to the city's first European settlers in the later 1700s.

Where the Broad and Saluda Rivers form the Congaree River is the site of the city's original waterworks and hydroelectric plant. Interpretive markers describe the area's plant and animal life and tell the history of the buildings. A 2½-mile paved trail weaves between the river and the canal and is filled with runners and walkers.

In recent years, Robert Hall Winery—known for its Bordeaux-based reds, Rhone-based reds and whites, and sparkling wines— has become a regional leader in sustainable and regenerative viticulture at its 130-acre estate. The pet-friendly, kid-friendly property has an on-site kitchen with a seasonal menu, and you can taste wine (from $25) and sign up online in advance for various tours, including the Sustainability Tour and Tasting ($75), Cavern Tour and Barrel Tasting ($75), and Paired Culinary Experience ($75).

Redwoods and cedars tower over the downtown garden patio of this under-the-radar producer of Bordeaux-varietal wines. Alison Doran, whose first wine-making gig was as a harvest intern in the 1970s for André Tchelistcheff, the premier California winemaker of his era, extracts rich flavors from grapes grown in Romeo's half-century-old southern Calistoga vineyard. The Napa Valley Cabernet is a bargain for the quality; the Malbec and Petit Verdot are also strong suits, as are the Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Verdot rosé. Musicians perform on summer weekends, when pizza parties also take place.

Down East’s rock- and fir-bound shores give way to the 274-acre park's half-mile crescent-shaped sand and pebble beach: one with any sand is a rarity in the region, and expansive ocean views enhance this one's beauty. Just beyond the beach you’ll find a freshwater pond that’s ideal for swimming and kayaking—rent flatwater kayaks here—and stocked for fishing. The park has changing areas (no showers), picnic area with grills, and a playground. Several miles of trails traverse woods, apple orchards, and blueberry fields. The trailhead is just before the park entrance at Roque Bluffs Community Church. There is parking (fee).

Get a feel for "lifestyles of the rich and famous" at Rowes Wharf, where a six-story arched rotunda frames gorgeous views of Boston Harbor complete with megayachts and a water-set gazebo. Well-heeled patrons stay and dine at Boston Harbor Hotel and its upscale restaurants. During summer months, stop by any weekday night for free live music performances or film screenings, hosted by the hotel.

A short drive down a country lane leads to this winery whose founder, Nils Venge, made history as the first U.S. winemaker to earn a 100-point score from the critic Robert Parker. The wine that earned this distinction was a Cabernet Sauvignon for nearby Groth. These days, Venge makes two Cabs for his own label, along with Pinot Blanc, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Malbec, and several others guests sample by appointment at vineyard's-edge picnic tables. Saddleback's presentation is decidedly retro compared to its tonier Oakville neighbors, but the stories, wines, and mountain views east and west cast a memorable spell.

There's an unusual historic landmark on the Sausalito Ferry Pier—a drinking fountain inscribed "Have a drink on Sally" in remembrance of Sally Stanford, the former San Francisco brothel madam who became Sausalito's mayor in the 1970s. Sassy Sally would have appreciated the fountain's eccentric attachment: a knee-level basin with the inscription "Have a drink on Leland," in memory of her beloved dog.

At this serene 20-acre park near Roche Harbor, you can stroll along five winding trails to view more than 150 colorful—and in many cases, large-scale—sculptures spread amid freshwater and saltwater wetlands, open woods, blossoming fields, and rugged terrain. The park is also a haven for birds; more than 120 species nest and breed here. It's a great spot for picnicking, and dogs are welcome.