10405 Best Sights in USA

Many ideas were proposed to develop this 52-acre site near the Reflecting Pool and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Winding paths along tree groves and a 1-acre island on the lake pay tribute to the signers of the Declaration of Independence, with all of their 56 signatures carved into a low stone wall. This spot is charming in the fall, with vibrant red colors, and it's a quieter part of the Mall for picnics. You can get hot dogs, potato chips, candy bars, and soft drinks at the circular snack bar just west of the lake.

An extensive boardwalk leads you deep into the reeds and rushes of this lush, wildlife-filled tidal marshland. In winter the boardwalk is a prime lookout spot for bald eagles. Tromp through the 280-acre sanctuary's bluffs and woodlands, or visit the educational center, where a 500-gallon aquarium offers an up-close look at fish, crabs, and other resident wildlife. Note: parking is quite limited.

Housed in an aluminum-sheathed trapezoid, this non-collecting institution hosts traveling avant-garde art shows. Previous exhibitions have included "Design Life Now: National Design Triennial," showcasing the experimental projects, emerging ideas, major buildings, and new media that were at the center of contemporary culture from 2003–06; firms represented in the show included Apple and Nike. The museum also throws "Steel Lounge," an evening get-together of music, drinks, and mingling masses, on the final Friday of every month.

This 3,100-mile corridor, which extends from Montana's Canadian border to the southern edge of New Mexico, enters Rocky Mountain National Park in two places, at trailheads only about 4 miles apart and located on either side of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road, at the park's southwestern end. Within the park, it covers about 30 miles of spectacular montane and subalpine terrain and follows the existing Green Mountain, Tonahutu Creek, North Inlet, and East Shore Trails. Moderate.

For a break from the beach, or as a pleasant way to spend a cool or cloudy day, take a 15-mile day trip inland to the historic town of Conway. A huge source for lumber in the 1870s, the town is now an eclectic hub for art studios and the arts (take a glassblowing class at Conway Glass!), antiques stores, and a growing number of foodie hot spots, including the celebrated Rivertown Bistro. Conway's Riverwalk, along the Waccamaw River, offers a peaceful respite for walkers, joggers, and bikers. If you're charmed and want to stay the night, the elegant Cypress Inn is a luxurious respite worlds away from the busy attractions of the Grand Strand.

Departing from historic North Conway Station, the railroad operates various trips aboard vintage trains. The Notch Train to Crawford Depot or to Fabyan Station travels through rugged territory yielding wonderful views, which are best enjoyed from the premium-class Upper Dome cars. The shorter Conway Valley Train offers glimpses of Mt. Washington during a 55-minute round-trip journey to Conway or a 1¾-hour excursion to Bartlett. The 1874 station displays lanterns, old tickets and timetables, and other artifacts. Reserve early during foliage season. Some rides include box lunches or full dinners.

Take this 1-mile, wheelchair-accessible, looped path around Cook's Meadow to see and learn the basics about Yosemite Valley's past, present, and future. A trail guide (available at a kiosk just outside the entrance) explains how to tell oaks, cedars, and pines apart; how fires help keep the forest floor healthy; and how pollution poses significant challenges to the park's inhabitants. Easy.

The restored 2-acre complex includes a house dating from the 1820s, a gift shop, bakery, and a large garden enclosed by a high adobe wall. The mostly Victorian-era antiques and memorabilia that fill the house provide a glimpse into the life of a prosperous sea merchant's family. The museum is open weekends for self-guided tours; docents are available to answer questions. If the house is closed, you can still pick up walking-tour maps and stroll the grounds.

Water cascades through this rest area's namesake canyon on the outskirts of the Rangeley area. On hot days, folks cool off in the swimming holes and soak up the sun on the smooth, striated rocks. There are picnic tables, bathrooms, paths, and a bridge. The geological formation is along the Swift River, a popular gold panning destination. Across the road from the rest area, seasonal Coos Canyon Rock and Gift ( www.cooscanyonrockandgift.com) sells and rents gold panning equipment and provides free prospecting demonstrations. The shop also sells ice cream, snacks, gifts, and souvenirs. Visitors often combine a stop at Coos Canyon with one at Height of Land overlook 11½ miles north of here and also right aside Route 17.  

A must-visit for fans of the early '80s TV sitcom The Dukes of Hazzard, Cooter's offers a plethora of collectibles and Duke Boys ephemera. After seven seasons portraying the amiable mechanic Cooter on the show, Ben Jones served four years as a U.S. congressman representing Georgia's 4th District. After retiring from public service, Jones opened this museum and gift shop filled with memorabilia, props, and autographed items from the show. Some are for sale and others are too rare for Jones to part with, but they all tell the story of the fictional Hazzard County. Visitors can even get a photo in the General Lee for an added cost.

The reputation of this winery whose name means "friends" in French rests on its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs. Copain occupies an enviable slope in Northern Sonoma County—one that begs guests to sit, sip, and take in the Russian River Valley view—but for years most of its wines derived from grapes grown in hillside vineyards near the coast in Monterey and Mendocino counties. Since the winery's purchase by Jackson Family Wines, fruit from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast has joined the mix.

The 0.3-mile hike to these Wild Basin Area falls is a good option for families, as the terrain is relatively flat (there's only a 15-foot elevation gain). Easy.

Two modern structures dominate Copley Square—200 Clarendon (still referred to by its former name, the Hancock) off the southeast corner and the even more assertive Copley Place skyscraper on the southwest. An upscale, glass-and-brass urban mall built between 1980 and 1984, Copley Place includes two major hotels: the high-rise Westin and the Marriott Copley Place. Dozens of high-end designer shops, restaurants, and offices are attractively grouped on several levels, surrounding bright, open, indoor spaces.

Every April thousands find a glimpse of Copley Square the most wonderful sight in the world: this is where the runners of the Boston Marathon end their 26.2-mile race. The civic space is defined by three monumental older buildings. One is the stately, bowfront, 1912 Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel, which faces the square on St. James Avenue and serves as a dignified foil to its companions, two of the most important works of architecture in the United States: Trinity Church—Henry Hobson Richardson's masterwork of 1877—and the Boston Public Library, by McKim, Mead & White. The 200 Clarendon (Hancock) Tower looms in the background. To honor the runners who stagger over the marathon's finish line, bronze statues of the Tortoise and the Hare engaged in their mythical race were cast by Nancy Schön, who also did the much-loved Make Way for Ducklings group in the Public Garden. From May through October, a popular farmers' market draws crowds.

An ancient and melancholy air hovers like a fine mist over this Colonial-era burial ground. The North End graveyard incorporates four cemeteries established between 1660 and 1819. Near the Charter Street gate is the tomb of the Mather family, the dynasty of church divines (Cotton and Increase were the most famous sons) who held sway in Boston during the heyday of the old theocracy. Also buried here is Robert Newman, who crept into the steeple of Old North Church to hang the lanterns warning of the British attack the night of Paul Revere's ride. Look for the tombstone of Captain Daniel Malcolm; it's pockmarked with musket-ball fire from British soldiers, who used the stones for target practice. Across the street is 44 Hull (Boston's historic Skinny House), the city's narrowest house, measuring at just a mere 10 feet wide, which fetched a selling price of $1.5 million in 2021. This is Freedom Trail stop 14.

Situated in the community of Copper Center near the town of Glennallen and 87 miles south of Slana (gateway for the Nabesna Road) and 52 miles north of Chitina (gateway for the McCarthy Road), the main visitor center is an excellent place to learn about the park's geography and natural and cultural history. The complex includes an exhibit hall, a theater and amphitheater, and the Ahtna Cultural Center, with displays on the region's Native peoples. It also has a bookstore that sells crafts as well as a good selection of titles by local authors, restrooms, a picnic shelter, and tables. It's open daily from 9 to 5 between May and September (exact opening and closing dates vary).

William Clark, one of Butte's richest copper barons, built the Copper King Mansion between 1884 and 1888. Tours of the house take in the hand-carved oak paneling, nine original fireplaces, antiques, a lavish ballroom, and frescoes. The house doubles as a B&B.

Built a century ago and still in operation, the Copper Queen Hotel has hosted some famous people over the years; General John "Black Jack" Pershing, John Wayne, Theodore Roosevelt, and mining executives from all over the world made this their home away from home. Though the restaurant fare is basic, the outdoor bar area is a great spot for enjoying a margarita and people-watching. The hotel also allegedly hosts three resident ghosts; the journal at the front desk contains descriptions of guests' encounters.

For a lesson in mining history, take a tour led by Bisbee's retired copper miners, who are wont to embellish their spiel with tales from their mining days. The 60-minute tours (you can't enter the mine at any other time) go into the shaft via a small open train, like those the miners rode when the mine was active. Before you climb aboard, you're outfitted in miner's garb—a safety vest and a hard hat with a light that runs off a battery pack. You'll travel thousands of feet into the mine, up a grade of 30 feet (not down, as many visitors expect). The mine is less than ½ mile to the east of the Lavender Pit, across AZ 80 from downtown at the Brewery Gulch interchange. Reservations are suggested; close-toed shoes are required.

This 35-mile-wide wetlands complex east of Cordova, a crucial habitat for millions of migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway, is one of North America's most spectacular vistas. The delta's nearly 700,000 acres are thick with marshes, forests, streams, lakes, and ponds. Numerous terrestrial mammals, including moose, wolves, lynx, mink, and beavers, live here, and the Copper River salmon runs are world-famous. When the red and king salmon hit the river in spring, there's a frantic rush to net the tasty fish and rush them off to markets and restaurants all over the country. The delta is connected by the Million Dollar Bridge, an impressive feat of engineering notable for its latticework.

The Forest Service had built an imposing viewing pavilion across the Copper River from Childs Glacier—famous for the spectacle of its calving icebergs and tidal waves—but in 2011, a natural change in the river's flow compromised Bridge 339 at Mile 36, and then several years later it washed out at Mile 44. With every new administration, there are talks of reconstructing the bridge and road, but due to continued budgetary constraints and the hefty price tag of repair, it is unlikely road access will be recreated any time in the near future. The only way to see the glacier now is to book a private helicopter or plane tour or float the 140 miles or so from Chitina. The rules for these float trips are continually changing, but while you're in town, it's worth investigating if there are any motorboat outfitters currently permitted to give rides upriver to the glacier. This difficulty of getting to Childs Glacier has only slightly deterred visitors, as travelers from all over the world still come just to see the awe-inspiring glacier; though in recent years, it has ceased to calve with much frequency due to the receding of the ice and the lowering of river waters.

The Copper Village Museum and Art Center houses displays on the area's history along with local artwork. The center also hosts musical performances and special events.

In the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, but just a few miles south of Nags Head, Coquina is considered by locals to be one of the loveliest beaches in the Outer Banks. The wide-beam ribs of the 1921 shipwreck Laura Barnes rest in the dunes here. Hurricanes have scattered the remains and covered them with sand, making them difficult, if not impossible, to discern. Amenities: lifeguards (late May–early September); parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming.

Singles and families flock to Coquina Beach, a wide swath of sand at the southern end of Anna Maria Island. Beach walkers love this stretch since it's Anna Maria's longest beach. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Appreciated for its sleek, glass-walled tasting room and landscaped courtyard as well as for producing complex, eclectic wines, COR is one of several excellent Lyle wineries. The Cabernet Franc is one of the best in the state, but don't overlook the distinctive Merlot-Malbec and co-fermented Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer blends.

Driven by unrequited love, Latvian immigrant Ed Leedskalnin (1887–1951) fashioned this attraction along Dixie Highway in the early 1900s out of massive slabs of coral rock, a feat he likened to building the pyramids. You can learn how he populated this fantasy world on his property with an imaginary wife and three children, studied astronomy, and created a simple home and elaborate courtyard without formal engineering education and with mostly handmade tools. Highlights of this National Register of Historic Places site, originally named Rock Gate, include a working sundial, a banquet table shaped like Florida, and other quirky coral sculptures. Fun fact: Billy Idol wrote, recorded, and shot the video for his song “Sweet Sixteen” on the grounds of Coral Castle as a tribute to Ed. Candidly, among locals, it's known as a tourist trap.

This sweeping, 3,730-acre expanse of pink sand about 20 miles west of Kanab is the result of eroding sandstone. Funneled through a notch in the rock, wind picks up speed and carries grains of sand into the area—the undulating formations can reach heights of 100 feet and move as much as 50 feet per year. It's a giant playground for dune buggies, ATVs, and dirt bikes. If you just want a quick scamper through the dunes, park in one of the small roadside lots; there's no fee collected at these areas, and they're farther away from where vehicles zoom through the sand and so tend to be quieter.  Children love to play in the sand, but check the surface temperature; it can get very hot.

Downtown Trinidad, called the Corazón de Trinidad, is a National Historic District, mixing historic original brick-paved streets and architecture with modern concerts, restaurants, shops, and festivals. Residents and officials recently launched a bit of a revival here with big plans for the creative district.

The Corcoran School, a prestigious art school since 1878, is now in partnership with George Washington University. Throughout the year, the school features events and performances by the students and other artists. The iconic, beautifully restored Beaux Arts Flagg Building, which started life as the historic Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1890, shuttered its doors in 2014. Don't miss the first-floor Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, which showcases temporary exhibits by renowned artists. Check the website for events like Friday @5, featuring live music and popular amongst young D.C. professionals.

Located in the Cordova Center, the Cordova Historical Museum documents early explorers to the area, Alaska Native culture, the Kennicott Mine and Copper River and Northwestern Railway era, and the growth of the commercial fishing industry. Additionally, the museum often features touring exhibits by Alaskan and (occasionally) non-Alaskan artists. The gift shop sells local postcards, Cordova and Alaska gifts, and regional history books.