10405 Best Sights in USA

West of Highlands via U.S. 64 toward Franklin, the Cullasaja Gorge (cul-lah-say-jah) is a 7½-mile gorge passing the Cullasaja River, Lake Sequoyah, and several waterfalls, including Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls (which has a path to walk behind the waterfall), Quarry Falls, and the 200-foot Cullasaja Falls. The gorge and falls are in the Nantahala National Forest.

Rocks around waterfalls are slippery, and trying to cross the top of the falls is dangerous.

In the heart of Culver City is the Culver Hotel, built in 1924 and now preserved as a historic landmark. It will catch your eye with its old-world glory and lobby entrance, which has sweeping dark wood and a high ceiling. It's as seductive as the many classic film stars that took up residency here over the years, including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Clark Gable, Buster Keaton, Ronald Reagan, and cast members from The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind as they filmed in the nearby studio.

The Culver Studios are best known as the location where Gone with the Wind was filmed in addition to classics including Citizen Kane and the Desilu Productions TV hits of the '50s and '60s, including The Andy Griffith Show, Lassie, and Batman. Amazon Studios currently occupies the space and is further developing it. This studio currently does not offer tours to the public, but the view of historic buildings from the front gate is still Insta-worthy.

This park on the east bank of the Cumberland River at the foot of the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge was designed with kids and families in mind. Sandboxes, a playground, an obstacle course, a climbing wall, and trails (one designed to attract butterflies) are among the offerings for kids; there's also a picnic area and 1,200-seat amphitheater. You can also enjoy great views of the river with the Nashville skyline just beyond the bank.

Take a day trip on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, an 1880s steam locomotive that chugs through portions of Colorado's and northern New Mexico's rugged mountains that you can't reach via roads. It's the country's longest and highest steam-operated railroad. The company offers round-trip train routes, several bus-and-train combinations, one-way trips, and themed rides.

There are six area trails made from old roads and abandoned railroad lines that guide hikers past historic sites, like the First Baptist Church of Thurmond and mining camp ruins of the Brooklyn Coal Co. The 5.4-mile round-trip Stone Cliff Trail boasts scenic views and river access as you hike along the banks of the New River.

At the end of a gravel spur road, an easy ¾-mile trail runs through sagebrush around Pierce Cunningham's low-slung 1888 log-cabin homestead. Although you can look inside, the building has no furnishings or displays. Watch for badgers, coyotes, and Uinta ground squirrels in the area.

Located in the Catoctin Mountains, this state park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts: there's hiking, fishing, and a crystal clear man-made lake for swimming and boating. The showpiece for many is a 78-foot waterfall (hence the name, although some locals call it McAfee Falls)—the largest cascading waterfall in the state. The park also features an aviary, the historic Catoctin Iron Furnace, campgrounds, and activities such as maple syrup making, and a bird and reptile program for kids. Picnic tables and grills are available, and campsites/cabins can be rented from April through October.

This recreation area, part of the National Park Service, encompasses three reservoirs along 40 miles of the Gunnison River and can be accessed at the bottom of the East Portal Road. Blue Mesa, nearly 20 miles long, is the largest body of water in Colorado; Morrow Point and Crystal are fjordlike reservoirs set in the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison. All three reservoirs provide water-based recreational opportunities, including fishing, boating, and paddling, but only Blue Mesa offers boat ramps. Excellent fly-fishing can be found upstream (east) of Blue Mesa Reservoir along the Gunnison River. A variety of camping and hiking opportunities are also available. The Elk Creek Visitor Center on U.S. 50 is available year-round for trip-planning assistance. Camping at the Lake Fork Campground in the park provides a perfect middle ground between the North and South Rims of Black Canyon, ideal for seeing both sides over a weekend.

Frequent weekend festivals, including an annual celebration of seafood, take place at this scenic city park next to the Intracoastal Waterway. Sit on one of the piers and watch the yachts and fishing boats pass by. Put on your jogging shoes—the park is at the north end of a 6.3-mile waterfront biking-jogging-skating path. Tennis courts, a boat ramp, and a playground are here, along with the Maritime Museum. DivaDuck tours launch from this park.

The 1875 lighthouse was built from nearly 1 million bricks, which remain unpainted on the exterior. Except in high winds or thunderstorms, or during winter when the lighthouse is closed, you can climb 220 steps to the top of the northernmost lighthouse on the Outer Banks, taking in the view toward Virginia and south to Nags Head.

An affectionate play on the name of the nearby Murray Hill neighborhood to the north, Curry Hill is a roughly three-block area with a large concentration of Indian restaurants. There are dozens of eateries peppered (or is it spiced?) around Lexington Avenue between 26th and 28th Streets, with many regional cuisines represented, including a number of South Indian dosa spots. Check out Kalustyan's ( 123 Lexington Ave.), the long-standing Indian spice-and-grocery market, too.

A couple of schoolteachers from Indiana founded Camp Curry in 1899 as a low-cost option for staying in the valley, which it remains today. Curry Village's 400-plus lodging options, many of them tent cabins, are spread over a large chunk of the valley's southeastern side. This is a very family-friendly place, but it's more functional than attractive.

The lobby of the Curtis Publishing Company building has a great treasure: a 16-by-50-foot glass mosaic mural, The Dream Garden, based on a Maxfield Parrish painting. It was executed by the Louis C. Tiffany Studios in 1916. The work's 260 colors and 100,000 pieces of opalescent hand-fired glass laced with gold leaf make it perhaps the finest Tiffany mural in the world. The beautiful mural was also designated a "historic object" by the Philadelphia Historical Commission after its owner, the estate of a local art patron, put it up for sale for $9 million in 1998; the designation, the first in the city's history, stopped the sale and the mural remains in public view, under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Graduates of this tuition-free school for outstanding students include Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, and Anna Moffo. The school occupies four former private homes and Lenfest Hall for student housing and practice rooms; the main building is in the mansion that belonged to banker George W. Childs Drexel. Built in 1893 by the distinguished Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns, it's notable for Romanesque and Renaissance architectural details. Free student and faculty concerts are given from October through May, usually on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.

Built in 1840 for merchant and developer Don Alonzo Cushman, this string of redbrick beauties between 9th and 10th Avenues represents some of the country's best examples of Greek Revival row houses. Original details include small wreath-encircled attic windows, deeply recessed doorways with brownstone frames, and striking iron balustrades and fences. Note the pineapples, a traditional symbol of welcome, on top of the black iron newels in front of No. 416.

Taking advantage of some of the darkest night skies on Long Island, this observatory is a prime viewing spot for astronomy buffs and star-deprived urbanites. Atop the barnlike structure is a motorized dome with a telescope you can use to track the heavenly view. Clear skies are the best for observing; avoid coming during a full or almost-full moon.

The name of these expansive federal lands is misleading: it should really be "Custer National Forests." Composed of dozens of discrete tracts dotting the landscape from Red Lodge (60 miles southwest of Billings, near Yellowstone National Park) all the way into South Dakota, Custer National Forest is one of the most ecologically diverse tract of federally managed lands. The units in southeast Montana are called the Ekalaka Hills, and like their nearby neighbors in South Dakota, these pine-covered bluffs and mesas are often referred to as "an island of green in a sea of prairie," for good reason. Visible from miles away, the tiny forested ridges appear like mountains in the middle of the grassy plains. Drive any of the four-wheeler roads off U.S. 212 between Ashland and Broadus and climb to a timbered ridge. Get out and hike to a vista, where you can breathe the scent of sagebrush from what appears to be a great height but is only a couple of hundred feet above the prevailing landscape. Deer, turkey, and elk inhabit the woods, and herds of pronghorn (the fastest land mammal in North America) roam the plains. Many species of raptors are known to nest here, too. The area is undeveloped and offers few services.

This 71,000-acre park is considered the crown jewel of South Dakota’s state park system. Elk, antelope, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, wild turkey, prairie dogs, and the second-largest (behind Yellowstone National Park) publicly owned herd of bison in the world roam this pristine landscape. Scenic drives roll past fingerlike granite spires and panoramic views (try the Needles Highway). Take the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road to see prairies teeming with animals and some of the beautiful backdrops for countless Western films. Accommodations here are outstanding, too, with numerous campgrounds and a resort network that includes five amenities-filled lodges and seven well-appointed vacation cabins.

The park is open year-round, but some amenities are closed over winter.

Henry Packer Dering, the port's first U.S. custom master, lived in this beautifully appointed 1789 Federal home that doubled as custom house and now serves as a museum. Historical documents and period furnishings are on display.

Maintained by the Cutchogue–New Suffolk Historical Council, this village green is lined by several restored and furnished historic buildings relocated from around the area. The 1649 Old House is one of the oldest frame houses in the country. Also here are the 1840 Old School House and the 1890 Red Barn, both filled with period furnishings. To see the interiors, you must take the tour, which lasts one hour and sets out from the Carriage House, next to the parking area. The Old Burying Ground, located one mile east of the Village Green on Route 25A, contains many artfully carved stones dating back to the 1717.

Cutwater is best known for its more than 20 flavors of canned cocktails, including a Lime Margarita, Vodka Mule, and Rum Mint Mojito. Their tasting room and kitchen in Miramar is a full-service restaurant and bar with mixed drinks, neat pours, and tasting flights. 

A hilly patchwork of vines fans out from this Los Carneros winery's contemporary glass-walled tasting room and spacious patio—on a sunny day, Cuvaison (pronounced "coo-vay-SAHN") is among the Napa Valley's most appealing spots to sip wine. The longtime winemaker, Steven Rogstad, describes his cool-climate Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, and Pinot Noirs as "vineyard driven," but his mastery of technique elevates them further. Some tastings take place at two pond’s-edge open-air pavilions. Call ahead for same-day visits.   Sparkling house Domaine Carneros is across the street.

The 33,000-acre recreation area, and the only national park in Ohio, sprawls along 22 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron. You can take part in fishing, biking, camping, winter sports, horseback riding, and more. The 19.5-mile-long Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail follows the canal's historic route and takes about 10 hours to hike. The trail is open 24 hours, allowing visitors the chance to explore after dark. There are five visitor facilities within the park that offer information, exhibits, and knowledgeable park rangers.

This easy walk takes you along a 2-mile-long white sand beach on San Miguel. The eastern section is occasionally cut off by high tides. An access permit is required. Easy.

Moved to the Atlanta History Center from a building in Grant Park (named for a New England–born Confederate colonel, not the U.S. president), the 49-foot-tall circular painting depicts the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, during which 90% of the city was destroyed. A team of expert European panorama artists completed the painting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1887; it was donated to the city of Atlanta in 1898. A brief overview is followed by a 12-minute film, then visitors can get a closer look at the foreground figures on the ground level of the exhibit and learn more about landmarks and how the 10,000-pound scene was created through displays and interactive touchscreens.

This expansive and still-used cemetery was founded by the Fireman's Charitable and Benevolent Association in 1840 to honor the city's volunteer firemen and their families. Over time, as the cemetery expanded, leading architects and craftsmen were called upon to design and build tombs commemorating the lives of many of New Orleans's most prominent citizens. Crafted in marble, granite, and cast iron, tombs at Cypress Grove are among the nation's leading examples of memorial architecture, including entrance pylons and lodges resembling Egyptian ceremonial architecture. Of particular note is the Chinese Soon On Tong Association's tomb, which features a grate in front so that visitors can burn prayers written on paper in it. Admission is free and visitors are encouraged to explore on their own, although outside companies do offer tours.

Because the current can be quite strong, this charming, mile-long sandy cove is better for sunbathing than for swimming or water sports. Still, it's one of the island's most popular beaches. It's a perfect spot to watch the spectacular Maui sunsets, and there are picnic tables and grills. Part of the beach runs along the front of the Ritz-Carlton—a good place to grab a cocktail and enjoy the view. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; walking.

This park, which shares 6 miles of shoreline with Emerald Bay State Park, takes its name from Duane LeRoy Bliss, a 19th-century lumber magnate who once owned nearly 75% of Tahoe's lakefront. Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss parks cover 1,830 acres, 744 of which the Bliss family donated to the state. At the north end of Bliss is Rubicon Point, which overlooks one of the lake's deepest spots.

Short trails lead to an old lighthouse and the 250,000-pound Balancing Rock, perched atop a fist of granite. The 4.5-mile Rubicon Trail—a premier Tahoe hike—leads to Vikingsholm (part of Emerald Bay State Park), providing stunning views along the way. Two white-sand beaches front some of Tahoe's warmest water. When the Bliss roads close for the winter, park in the visitor center lot and hike 1 mile to the Rubicon trailhead.