10450 Best Sights in USA

At Collier-Seminole State Park, opportunities to try biking, birding, hiking, camping, and canoeing in Everglades territory are plentiful. This makes the 7,000-plus-acre park a prime introduction to the elusive mangrove swampland. The campground sites come complete with electricity, water, a grill, and a picnic table. Leashed pets are allowed. Alternatively, there are "primitive" campsites accessible by foot or canoe. Of historical interest, a Seminole War blockhouse has been recreated to hold the interpretative center, and one of the "walking dredges"—a towering black machine invented to carve the Tamiami Trail out of the muck—stands silent on the grounds. Kayaks and canoes can be launched into the Blackwater River here. Bring your own, or rent a canoe from the park. The Friends of Collier-Seminole State Park organization offers guided canoe trips from December to March; reservations are recommended.

The largest developed picnic area in the park, Collins Creek has 182 picnic tables. Collins Creek, which runs near the picnic area, is a small stream with above-average trout fishing (license required). The site has restrooms with flush toilets, potable water, and a 70-seat pavilion for groups that can be reserved in advance for $32.

The elegant park west of the Pacific Union Club and east of Grace Cathedral occupies the site of a mansion owned by railroad baron Collis P. Huntington. He died in 1900, the mansion was destroyed in the 1906 fire, and in 1915 his widow—by then married to Huntington's nephew—donated the land to the city. The Huntingtons' neighbors, the Crockers, once owned the Fountain of the Tortoises, based on the original in Rome's Piazza Mattei.  The benches around the fountain offer a welcome break after climbing Nob Hill.

Built in 1859, this house's stylistic influence was due to the two-story galleries of its dining room wing, which had railings made of cast iron. The fence features a pattern of morning glories and cornstalks and is the most famous work of cast iron in the Garden District. Colonel Robert Short, a cotton merchant from Kentucky, purchased the fence for his wife, who was homesick for her native Iowa. The house was occupied by Union governor Michael Hahn and by governor Nathaniel Banks during the Civil War, but after the war ended, it was returned to Colonel Short.

The town of Dorchester boomed during the 18th century before being abandoned at the onset of the Revolutionary War. All that remains of this once-substantial trading hub are the oyster tabby walls of Fort Dorchester and the brick belltower of St. George's Anglican Church. The Ashley River runs through the woods, and trails offer peaceful places to sit and watch the blackwater river flow by.

Stroll the shaded pathways and read some of the old tombstone inscriptions in this park, the final resting place for Savannahians who died between 1750 and 1853. Many of those interred here succumbed during the yellow fever epidemic in 1820. Notice the dramatic entrance gate on the corner of Abercorn and Oglethorpe Streets. Local legend tells that when Sherman's troops set up camp here, they moved some headstones around and altered inscriptions for their own amusement, which partially explains the headstones mounted against the far wall. This spooky spot is a regular stop for ghost tours---though this burial ground only covers a block, there are more than 9,000 people buried here, some beneath the sidewalk and the street.

As you walk the gently sloping, waterfront meadow where Colonial Pemaquid was established by English colonists around 1620 (the same time as the Pilgrims were stepping ashore on Plymouth Rock), be sure to read signs describing the buildings that once stood here. Evidence that's been unearthed suggests there were some 40 structures—including houses, a forge, a tavern, a jail, and a customs house—set along a grid of dirt lanes. A replica of a fisherman's small cottage gives an idea of how the settlers lived. Nearby is a 1908 reproduction of a large stone tower, part of Fort William Henry, built in 1692 to protect the little community. Unfortunately, unlike Plymouth, Pemaquid was abandoned in the early 1700s. A small museum containing a diorama of the village and some 75,000 artifacts is open seasonally.

This 2-acre living-history museum with costumed re-enactors provides a vivid sense of life in St. Augustine from the 16th through the 18th centuries. The De Mesa–Sanchez House dates from the 1740s; though built on original foundations, other buildings—including a soldier's home, print shop, blacksmith's shop, and gunsmith—are replicas. Climb the 35-foot watchtower for a panoramic city view, dig for replica artifacts, create a leather medallion, take part in a musket drill, or watch a 16th-century ship being built. Tours start daily at 10:30, noon, 1:30, and 3. The complex also includes three restaurants: the Taberna del Caballo, St. Augustine Seafood Company, and Bull & Crown.

This is the logical first stop at Colonial Williamsburg. Here you can park free; buy tickets; see a 35-minute introductory movie, Williamsburg—the Story of a Patriot; and pick up This Week, which has a list of regular events and special programs and a map of the historic area. Tickets are also sold at the Lumber House in the historic area, though you'll get a better price if you buy in advance from the Historic Williamsburg website.

The chief landmark along Atlantic Avenue since 1926 is this sunny Mediterranean-revival-style building, which is a member of the National Trust's Historic Hotels of America. Stay a night here or simply walk through the lobby to the parking lot where original garages still stand—relics of the days when hotel guests would arrive via chauffeured cars and stay there the whole season. The bar is a locals' gathering spot.

Just outside Golden is the Colorado Railroad Museum, a must-visit for any train lover. More than 100 vintage locomotives and cars are displayed outside the museum. Inside the replica-1880 masonry depot are historical photos and memorabilia of Puffing Billy (the nickname for steam trains), along with an astounding model train set that steams through a miniature-scale version of Golden. In the Roundhouse you can witness a train's restoration in progress, and in winter, the popular tale of The Polar Express is theatrically performed.

Whether you're staying in Grand Lake or merely stopping on your way to another destination, the 80-mile (one way) Colorado River Headwaters Scenic and Historic Byway between Grand Lake and State Bridge is worth a side trip. The route takes you along the Colorado River, past hot springs, ranches, and reservoirs, through wide spaces with views of mountains, along deep canyons, and through a seemingly incongruous sage-covered desert. Along the turnouts within Gore Canyon, you can get a good look at the roaring Colorado River and train tracks below. Stop by the viewing platform at the Gore Canyon Whitewater Park at Pumphouse to see paddlers and boarders playing in the waves.

Now located in Bullhead City Community Park, the Colorado River Museum displays the rich past of the tristate region where Nevada, Arizona, and California converge. Earnest volunteers guide you through the haphazard array of artifacts from the Mojave tribe and the gold rush era in nearby Oatman. There are also exhibits on the building of Davis Dam, 18th-century explorer Father Francisco Garcés, and the experimental use of camels in the area by a pre–Civil War U.S. Army.

On the other side of the river from Fort Yuma, the Civil War–period quartermaster depot resupplied army posts to the north and east and served as a distribution point for steamboat freight headed overland to Arizona forts. The 1853 home of riverboat captain G. A. Johnson is the depot's earliest building and the centerpiece of this park. The residence also served as a weather bureau and home for customs agents, among other functions, and the self-guided tour through the house provides a complete history. Also on display are antique surreys and more "modern" modes of transportation like a 1931 Model A Ford pickup. You can visit a re-creation of the Commanding Officer's Quarters, complete with period furnishings. A popular Italian restaurant, Autentico Sapore, is also here.

This walk to the ghost town of Lulu City on the west side of the park is excellent for looking for the bighorn sheep, elk, and moose that reside in the area. Part of the former stagecoach route that went from Granby to Walden, the 3.7-mile trail parallels the infant Colorado River to the meadow where Lulu City once stood. The elevation gain is 350 feet. Moderate.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame traces the development of skiing and snowboarding throughout the world, with an emphasis on Colorado's contributions. Six galleries include old skis and tows, Olympic displays, ski and snowboard history, and an exhibit on the 10th Mountain Division, an army division that trained nearby during World War II.

This regional museum has a fine permanent collection of modern art and excellent rotating exhibits. Some highlight the cultural contributions of regional artists; others focus on famous artists such as the glassmaker Dale Chihuly and American pop artist Andy Warhol. Enjoy the view of Pikes Peak and the mountains from the patio in the summer.

Looking for something other than colonial history? This museum was created to tell the herstory of Black girls through personal objects used and cherished in everyday life. Established in 2015, the unique museum embraces the value of intimate spaces and the experiences of Black girls and their home life, with the aim to also be a research facility, exhibition space, gathering place, and think tank. The space hosts special exhibitions, and currently only Saturday tours are available via online reservation.

This limestone grotto 20 miles southeast of Tucson is the largest dry cavern in the world. Guides discuss the fascinating crystal formations and relate the many romantic tales surrounding the cave, including the legend that an enormous sum of money stolen in a stagecoach robbery is hidden here.

Forty-five-minute cave tours begin every hour on the hour and require a ½-mile walk and a climb of 363 steps. The park includes a ranch area with horseback rides through saguaro forests offered October–May (from $40), a gemstone-sluicing area, a petting zoo, a gift shop, and a café. You can also picnic, hike, and mountain-bike in the surrounding 2,400-acre wilderness park; campsites ($10) are on a first-come first-served basis.

At this useful center near the shore of Jackson Lake, a small display shows off items from the park's collection of Native American artifacts. (Hundreds more are being conserved and stored for future displays.) In summer, rangers lead daily hikes from here. Nightly ranger talks on various topics are also offered.

A convention of delegates met here in 1849 to draft the first state constitution. The stone building, which has served as a school, a courthouse, and the county seat, is a city-run museum furnished as it was during the constitutional convention. The extensive grounds outside the hall surround the Old Monterey Jail.

The building that houses the museum and the offices of the Columbia County Historical Society was a Masonic temple and dates from 1916. You can trace your roots with the help of staff and extensive genealogical archives, peruse period postcards, and see fine examples of period furniture.

A visit to Columbia Glacier, which flows from the surrounding Chugach Mountains, should definitely be on your Valdez agenda. Its deep aquamarine face is 5 miles across, and it calves icebergs with resounding cannonades. This glacier is one of the largest and most readily accessible of Alaska's coastal glaciers. The state ferry travels past its face, and scheduled tours of the glaciers and the rest of the sound are available by boat and aircraft from Valdez, Cordova, and Whittier.

Exhibits and artwork at this expansive, contemporary museum just off Interstate 84 as you approach The Dalles from the west highlight the geological history of the Columbia Gorge, back 40 million years when volcanoes, landslides, and floods carved out the area. History exhibits focus on 10,000 years of Native American life and exploration of the region by white settlers, from Lewis and Clark to the early-20th-century engineers who developed the Historic Columbia River Highway. The paved, multi-use Dalles Riverfront Trail connects the museum to downtown and the Dalles Dam, 10 miles upriver.

A petroglyph whose eyes seem to look straight at you, "She Who Watches" or "Tsagaglalal" is the logo for this museum. Sitting among the dramatic basaltic cliffs on the north bank of the Columbia River Gorge, the museum explores the life of the Gorge: its history, Native culture, architecture, legends, and much more. Younger guests enjoy the the 37-foot-high fish wheel, a device like a mill wheel equipped with baskets for catching fish, from the 19th century. Historians appreciate studying the water route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There's also an eye-opening exhibit that examines current environmental impacts on the area.

A great number of birds are attracted to this reserve: hawks, falcons, golden eagles, ducks, sandhill cranes, herons, American avocets, black-necked stilts, and yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds. The refuge is also home to beavers, muskrats, badgers, and coyotes.

Dioramas of Long Beach towns illustrate the history of southwestern Washington, and other displays cover Native Americans; the influx of traders, missionaries, and pioneers; and the contemporary workers of the fishing, agriculture, and forest industries. The original Ilwaco Freight Depot and a Pullman car from the Clamshell Railroad highlight rail history. Also on display is a 26-foot surf boat used by the Klipsan Beach Lifesaving Service Station.

Adjacent to the Columbia River, this is one of Washington's great parks. Its 4½-mile-long riverfront has boat ramps, a golf course, picnic areas, playgrounds (including an aquatic one), train ride, skate park, and family fishing pond. In summer, hydroplane races are held here.

This shaded picnic area near the sequoias is relatively level. Tables, restrooms, drinking water, and grills are available.