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At an elevation of 6,000 feet, Craggy Gardens has some of the Blue Ridge Parkway's most colorful displays of rhododendrons, usually blooming in June. You can also hike trails and picnic here. Craggy Pinnacle trail offers stunning 360-degree views.
The primary commercial center for Prince of Wales is Craig, on the island's western shore. This town of 1,000 retains a hard-edged aura fast disappearing in the many Inside Passage towns where tourism now holds sway. Although sightseeing attractions are slim, the town exudes a frontier spirit, and its small-boat harbors buzz with activity.
This strikingly designed 22,000-square-foot contemporary building contains interactive and interpretive exhibits dedicated to themes of preservation, mountaineering, and local wildlife. There's also a massive raised relief map of the park so you can get your bearings and see the park from a bird's-eye view. Don't forget to check out the theater, where you can catch a complimentary screening of a 24-minute film titled Grand Teton National Park: Life on the Edge, or the newer film, Animal Trails: Rediscovering Grand Teton Migrations.
In 1902 Frank Crail picked this spot for the headquarters of his 960-acre homestead and cattle ranch. Now the historic Crail Ranch makes a pleasant picnic spot in the midst of Big Sky's Meadow Village area. Free guided tours take place on specific dates throughout the summer (June to August, reservations are required); check the website for available dates and to book a spot. To get here, drive west on Big Sky Spur Road, make a right on Little Coyote, go past the chapel, and make a left onto Spotted Elk Road in Meadow Village.
Learn about the cranberry cultivation that's taken place since the early 1900s in coastal Washington by taking a self-guided walking tour through the museum's bogs (open daily), and then check out the museum with its historical photos and advertisements and antique harvesting and processing equipment. Enjoy a dish of cranberry ice cream and pick up some cranberry products to take home.
The Cranbrook Art Museum has major exhibitions of contemporary art and a collection that includes works by Eliel and Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames.
This relaxing oasis in northern Key Biscayne offers renowned tennis facilities, a great golf course, a family amusement center, and 2 miles of beach dotted with palm trees. The park is divided by Key Biscayne's main road, with tennis and golf on the bay side, the beaches on the ocean side. Families really enjoy the beaches here—the sand is soft, there are no riptides, there's a great view of the Atlantic, and parking is both inexpensive and plentiful. Nevertheless, on weekends be prepared for a long hike from your car to the beach. There are bathrooms, outdoor showers, plenty of picnic tables, and concession stands. Kiteboard rentals and lessons are offered from the northern-end water-sports concessions, as are kayak rentals. Ecotours and nature trails showcase the myriad ecosystems of Key Biscayne, including mangroves, coastal hammock, and seagrass beds. Bird-watching is great at the southern end of the park. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.
Nestled in the Appalachian foothills, Crane Creek features scenic ponds and 200-year-old oak trees. The family-owned and operated winery regularly produces more than 13 regional artisanal wines based on the 11 grape varieties it grows. The most popular choices are Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, and Norton. The winery has expanded in recent years and now offers tastings in both their new Stone House Tasting Room and at the Farmhouse Market located in a historic farmhouse just down the lane. Live music is regularly offered on the weekends.
Tucked away from the highway behind a stand of trees, Crane Point is part of a 63-acre tract that contains the last-known undisturbed thatch-palm hammock. The facility includes the Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys, which has displays about local wildlife, a seashell exhibit, and a marine-life display that makes you feel like you're at the bottom of the sea. Kids love the replica 17th-century galleon; the pirate dress-up room; and the re-created Cracker House filled with insects, sea-turtle exhibits, and children's activities. On the 1-mile loop trail, visit the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Center and the remnants of a Bahamian village, site of the restored George Adderly House. It is the oldest surviving example of Bahamian tabby (a concrete-like material created from sand and seashells) construction outside Key West. A boardwalk crosses wetlands, rivers, and mangroves before ending at Adderly Village. From November to Easter, docent-led tours are available. Bring good walking shoes and bug repellent.
Jackson County's natural history and collections of the Roxy Ann Gem and Mineral Society are on display at this impressive 12,000-square-foot museum in Central Point. Fossils, petrified wood, scrimshaw, fluorescent rocks, thunder eggs, and precious minerals from throughout Oregon and elsewhere in the West are included, plus works of glass by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
Completed in 1809 this is a glimpse into middle-class life of the early 19th century. The two-story cottage, furnished with period pieces, sits in a little yard surrounded by a picket fence.
One of Crayola's five "experiences" in the country is a 70,000-square-foot haven of color at the Florida Mall. The two-floor center contains an overwhelming 27 interactive stations, including painting and modeling stations, where tykes can create animals out of clay and melted crayons. Don’t miss the younger set’s favorite: You Design, a virtual studio for coloring and digitally accessorizing a car or fashioning a wardrobe and then seeing the design projected on a large screen. Also be sure to check out the Crayon Factory, where live demonstrations show crayon creation—from wax to wrapper. Purchase tickets online and save $3.
The small but well-organized Crazy Mountain Museum houses exhibits on Big Timber's history and people, as well as the Crazy Mountains. Highlights include the famous Cremer Rodeo, sheep and wool exhibits, a collection of chaps and cattle brands, and a room dedicated to pioneers that includes artifacts dating from the late 1890s. An early-20th-century schoolhouse and a Norwegian stabbur, or storehouse, also stand on the grounds.
Thousands of migrating ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes stop here in spring as they head north to nesting grounds, and in late summer as they head south before the cold hits. It's amazing to watch them gather in huge flocks, with constant takeoffs and landings. This is also a great place to view songbirds and moose. Five miles of nature trails, open year-round, lead through fields, forest, and wetlands. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, Creamer's Dairy was the northernmost dairy in North America from 1910 to 1966. Volunteer naturalists host regular walks on the trails throughout summer.
Lake history and local farming take center stage at this 1899 barn-style building where butter bound for New York City was produced. Exhibits here also feature the prickly, cone-shape teasel—a plant used in mills to "tease" the nap of wool. Skaneateles was a teasel-growing center until the 1950s, when synthetic fabrics replaced much of the demand for wool.
Joyous creativity pervades the workshops of this art-education center and gallery for developmentally disabled adults. Several dozen adults work at the center each day—guided by a staff of working artists—painting, working in the darkroom, producing videos, and crafting prints, textiles, and ceramics. Drop by to see the artists at work and pick up a unique San Francisco masterpiece. The art produced here is striking, and some of it is for sale.
Occupying the original Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Depot, the museum paints a vivid portrait of the town's rough-and-tumble early days. It also includes World War I and World War II exhibits.
This museum is housed in rooms that modern miners blasted out of solid rock to commemorate the lives of 1880s-era miners and trace the history of mining in the area. In summer, there are guided tours at 10 and 3 daily, but before 2:15 pm you can also take a self-guided audio tour. Reservations are recommended.
This was once Ketchikan's red-light district. During Prohibition, Creek Street was home to numerous speakeasies, and in the early 1900s more than 30 houses of prostitution operated here. Today the small, colorful houses, built on stilts over the creek waters, have been restored as interesting shops. When the fish are running, the Creek Street footbridge makes a stellar viewing platform for salmon and trout, as well as the sea lions and other animals that eat them.
Lined with summer homes, this sandy strand is busy in the summer, but the beach and the water are surprisingly clean, considering all the traffic. The swimming's good, and beachgoers can also explore tidal pools and look for seals on the sea rocks nearby. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming.
Just off scenic Route 77, this ½-mile-long, half-moon-shape swatch of sand has some of the warmest ocean currents in the state, making it a favorite for swimming. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.
The scenery here includes views of the ocean and, in the distance, Crescent City and its working harbor. In balmy weather this is a fine spot for a picnic. You may spot migrating gray whales between November and April.
This spectacular stretch of sand at Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park's northern end has a grassy picnic area with tables, firepits, and restrooms, and there's a stunning overlook just to the south.
Rub shoulders with New Orleans chefs as they rush to pick up fresh vegetables, fish, and meat before their restaurants open every Tuesday. The market caters to both home cooks and professionals who embrace the concept of showcasing local and seasonal ingredients. Visitors can indulge in tasty treats like homemade popsicles, fresh-squeezed juice, and hot-from-the-oven bread, as well as sample the local produce. Check the online calendar for fun events, like lunch preparations by a featured chef or a music performance.
The headquarters of RSNP is the main information stop if you're approaching from the north. Located downtown, the center also has a gift shop and picnic area.
A mile or so past Moro Rock, this comparatively remote picnic area has meadow views and is close to a lovely hiking trail. Tables are under the giant sequoias, off the parking area. There are restrooms. Fires are not allowed.
A sea of ferns signals your arrival at what John Muir called the "gem of the Sierra." A 1-mile trail loops around meadow to Tharp's Log, a cabin built from a fire-hollowed sequoia. From there you can embark on a 60-mile trek to Mt. Whitney, if you're prepared and have the time. Brilliant wildflowers bloom here in midsummer. Easy.
