10405 Best Sights in USA

American crocodiles, mangrove cuckoos, white-crowned pigeons, mahogany mistletoe, wild cotton, and 100 other rare critters and plants inhabit these 2,400 acres, between Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the waters of Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is also a user-friendly place to explore the largest remaining stand of the vast West Indian tropical hardwood hammock and mangrove wetland that once covered most of the Keys.

Located in the center of the town square, this museum has coins, tools, and several large nuggets on display. Built in 1836, this former courthouse is one of the oldest public buildings in the state. If you look closely at the bricks that form the building's foundation, you'll notice a sprinkling of gold dust in their formation. Along with two floors of exhibits, the museum features a high-definition film titled America's First Gold Rush. Arrive an hour before closing to be sure and catch the film.

The landmark lobby of this Art Deco tower contains an illuminated 12-foot vintage globe that revolves beneath a black-glass dome. Around it, spreading across the floor like a giant compass and literally positioning New York at the center of the world, bronze lines indicate mileage to various international destinations. Movie fans might recognize the building as the offices of the fictional newspaper The Daily Planet in the original Superman movie. Photos from the film's shooting are shown, along with a large clock displaying time zones around the world. On the wall behind the globe, you can check out meteorological gauges, which read New York City's weather—especially fun on a windy day when the meters are whipping about. The Daily News hasn't called this building home since 1995; only the lobby is open to the public (but that's enough). The globe was last updated in 1967, so part of the fun here is seeing how our maps have changed; note Manchuria and East and West Germany.

Trevor Noah may have moved on, but Comedy Central continues to host free tapings of The Daily Show from Monday through Thursday. Reservations can be made online only, with tickets released gradually for future shows, so check the website often to RSVP for your preferred date. Only the person whose name is on the reservation can check in, and all attendees must be at least 18. The big caveat is that a reservation doesn’t guarantee entry, so get in line early. Check the website for more details.

A 3,058-acre conservation area and historic ranch site is laced with more than 25 miles of multipurpose trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The 2.4-mile Boulder Loop affords sweeping views of Escondido, and the 2.5-mile Ranch House Loop passes two small ponds, the 1928 Daley family ranch house, and the site of the original log cabin. Private cars are prohibited on the ranch, but there's free parking just outside the entrance. From the main trailhead, you can access Dixon Lake, a popular fishing and camping spot. Free naturalist-guided hikes are offered on a regular basis; call for schedule. Leashed dogs permitted.

Got the need for speed? Then race right over to this new Dallara facility, just a third of a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and five miles from downtown Indy. Not only can you get a peek into the factory of this racing master, but you can even get behind the wheel of a street-legal two-seater IndyCar for a firsthand spin ($20, for visitors 16 and older) or get a virtual sense of the thrill in the track simulator.

This multipurpose center offers performance spaces for the Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Texas Ballet Theater, and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico. The complex consists of an opera house, an indoor theater, and an open-air theater. A 10-acre, on-site park is designed to tie the spaces together and attract the public to the site regardless of performance schedules.

Renowned architect I. M. Pei is responsible for the striking inverted-pyramid design of City Hall. The modern structure is set on a seven-acre plaza that features reflecting pools and a stunning bronze Henry Moore sculpture.

Housed in a series of white limestone galleries built off a central barrel vault, this museum remains one of the city's greatest cultural institutions. The permanent collection covers a lot of territory, from the arts of Africa, Asia, and ancient Greece to a painting collection with works by artists as diverse as esteemed colonial painter John Singleton Copley and contemporary German painter Gerhard Richter (part of a strong and growing contemporary collection). A popular draw at the museum is an installation that re-creates rooms in the Mediterranean villa belonging to Texas swells Wendy and Emery Reves. The Center for Creative Connections, designed for families, allows patrons to interact with art and artists.

The word "aquarium" doesn't fully describe everything to experience at this privately owned Downtown attraction. Sure, there are fish, octopus, anemones, eels, and jellyfish. But there are also penguins in an outdoor exhibit; a rain forest with monkeys, manatees, toucans, crocodiles, turtles, and more, all surrounded by native plants; and an eight-story Mayan exhibit that features a walk-through shark aquarium, flamingos, a jaguar, and an ocelot. The West End DART light-rail station is just a few blocks away.

The Fort Worth Zoo is a huge draw in the area, but the Dallas Zoo shouldn't be overlooked. The Wilds of Africa section re-creates the habitats of animals such as African penguins, chimpanzees, saddle-billed storks, and okapi (zebralike cousin to the giraffe). When it's not too hot or too cold, you can ride a monorail (for a fee) through the Africa exhibit to gain a treetop perspective and to learn more about the animals. Zoo North, the older section of the zoo, includes some exhibits that haven't been changed in decades. But other sections are modern and interactive, especially the tiger habitat and the children's zoo. A fabulous aviary allows children to feed birds, some of which will perch on your hand or shoulder. There's also a petting zoo, pony rides, giant fish tank, playground, and stream for jumping and splashing in. The DART red line stops just outside the zoo's entrance.

At this hydroelectric dam 50 miles east of the Bonneville Dam, you can tour a visitor center, which is located on the Oregon side of the river at Seufert Park, with surprisingly even-handed exhibits presenting differing perspectives on the Columbia River dams, with input from farmers, utility companies, environmentalists, and indigenous tribes. There's also a live feed of salmon and sturgeon scaling the fish ladder.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is the main attraction for many who travel the Dalton, but the views from the drive are otherworldly, especially in the areas around Atigun Pass. Thousands of 18-wheelers drive the formerly private highway each year, but since 1994 they've shared it with sightseers, anglers, and other travelers. That doesn't mean the Dalton is an easy drive, however. The road is narrow, often winding, and has several steep grades, and you can encounter snowfall every month of the year. Sections may be heavily potholed, and the road's coarse gravel is easily kicked up into headlights and windshields by fast-moving trucks. If you drive the Dalton in your own car, make sure you have windshield-replacement insurance, because it's highly likely you'll need to make a repair when you return. There's mostly no cell service along the Dalton, few visitor facilities, and almost nowhere to get help if something goes wrong. With tow-truck charges of up to $5 per mile both coming and going, a vehicle breakdown can cost hundreds of dollars even before repairs. Before setting out, make sure everything in your car is working properly, and know how to change tires. Public access ends at Deadhorse, just shy of the Arctic coast. This town exists mainly to service the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. The only lodging options are down-at-the-heels motels and camps that cater to truck drivers and other workers, or wilderness campgrounds.

One of the most isolated roads in the country, the Dalton Highway (Alaska Route 11) consists mostly of loose-packed dirt and gravel that can put wear and tear on your vehicle, as well as your spine. It can also take you on a magical road trip with sublime views and remarkable experiences. If heading up the 400-plus-mile "haul road" toward the Arctic Ocean, start 80 miles north of Fairbanks at a tiny town called Livengood (population: a baker's dozen, more or less), and then keep heading north.

The Dalton was built to support construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the oil fields on the North Slope, so the pipeline and tinges of industrialization parallel the road—and spellbinding beauty spreads out beyond it. The drive will take you through boreal forest, the Brooks Range, the Arctic foothills, the coastal plain tundra, and finally, a few miles short of the Arctic Ocean, to a town called Deadhorse, a place named exactly how it feels.

There's much to see along the way, yet many reasons to miss the show. The drive can be treacherous, with hazards ranging from speeding 18-wheelers to fog, snow, rain, potholes, and steep grades, with only a few services along the way. Plan ahead (spare tires, provisions, etc.), and take your time.

Since 2005, copper king Marcus Daly's 24,000-square-foot, 56-room Daly Mansion, with 25 bedrooms, 15 baths, and five Italian marble fireplaces, has been meticulously restored to preserve its history and elegance. The showplace of Hamilton, this Georgian Revival–style house is open to the public, and tours are available by reservation. There's also a printed walking guide available to the extensive grounds, as well as an audio tour. A number of events and festivities are held at the mansion during the summer.

A narrow stretch of fine sand and rocks makes this little beach great for walking, light swimming, kayaking, and scuba diving rather than large gatherings. Clustered boulders create cozy spots for couples and picnickers, and because of the limited parking available along the PCH and the short hike necessary to reach the beach, it's rarely crowded. Originally owned by the star of the Bonanza TV series, the beach was donated to the state after Dan Blocker (who played Hoss) died in 1972. Locals still know this as Corral Beach. From the parking lot, walk a short distance up PCH in either direction to access the beach. Amenities: lifeguards; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming; walking.

This is the best spot to board a whale watching or fishing boat for a tour of the harbor and beyond. Catalina Express leaves from this harbor on boat ferry rides to Catalina Island. The marina docks private boats and yachts, and has a variety of shops, restaurants, water sports, and bike rentals. Annual family friendly events include the Tall Ships Festival, Holiday Boat Parade, and the Festival of Whales.

Lights, camera, horses. With razzle-dazzle that rivals a Las Vegas show, albeit on a smaller scale, the elaborately decorated horses and equally decked-out trainers entertain with impressive choreography, music and plenty of pizzazz in the year-round 300-seat theater. A light show and exotic bird show are also part of the deal. Dinner shows are available, too.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and operated by the historical society, the Daniel Harrison House is named for Dayton's first settler and is the oldest house in the town. It's also called Fort Harrison, a nod to its fortified stone and frontier style. Costumed interpreters discuss how the furnishings—beds with ropes as slats and hand-quilted comforters—were made. Artifacts on display come from recent excavations undertaken adjacent to the house.

This bright garden is known for its painterly display of colors. There's a perennial garden, wildflower meadow, Canal Garden, an orchid conservatory, and other themed areas.

One of the area's first hand-hewn-log homesteads, built in 1886, is now the Darby Pioneer Memorial Museum, a repository for pioneer artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia. There is even a photograph of the building, constructed near the mouth of Tin Cup Creek, in its original setting, before it was moved into town.

The Ride of Steel will have your heart racing faster than the 70 mph this roller coaster reaches. It's one of six coasters at this theme park, which has more than 100 rides in all. The Viper coaster turns you upside down five times. The water park has the Big Kahuna—a more than 700-foot-long, twisting tube ride—the Grizzly Run rapids, a log flume, a wave pool, and various twisted chutes and slides. The complex includes a 20,000-seat concert amphitheater, eateries, a hotel, and a mammoth campground with 1,200 sites.

The centerpiece of this 1,850-acre park is 12-acre Harlow Lake, which has a sandy beach. Hiking, bridle, and cross-country skiing trails vein the grounds, which are hilly and wooded and include a 158-site campground (open daily from June through September and on weekends the rest of the year) with showers and a comfort station. Fishing, picnicking, snowmobiling, and ice-skating are among the other activities you might pursue here. Some hunting is allowed in season.

The visitor center at Darioush is unlike any other in the valley: 16 freestanding, sand-color columns loom in front of a travertine building whose exuberant architecture recalls the ancient Persian capital Persepolis. Exceptional hospitality and well-balanced wines from southern Napa Valley grapes are the winery's hallmarks. The signature Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and other bottlings combine grapes grown high on Mt. Veeder with valley-floor fruit, the former providing tannins and structure, the latter mellower, savory notes. Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Shiraz, and the Duel Cab-Shiraz blend are among other possible pours here. All visits are by appointment, best made at least a day or two ahead.

This rocky 1½-mile hike guides visitors parallel to a flowing stream all the way to the tumbling cascades of Dark Hollow Falls, a 70-foot waterfall that's among the most popular sights in the park. It's all uphill on the return, so plan accordingly. Hiking time is under two hours. No pets allowed on this trail. Moderate.

A few miles north of Florence, you'll find this interesting example of the rich plant life found in the marshy terrain near the coast. It's also a surefire kid pleaser. A short paved nature trail leads through clumps of insect-catching cobra lilies, so named because they look like spotted cobras ready to strike. This 18-acre park is most interesting in May, when the lilies are in bloom.

Austin bleeds burnt orange, and nowhere is that more evident than at a UT football game at Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, on the campus of the University of Texas. Originally constructed in 1924, this massive stadium—it can hold over a whopping 100,000 fans—has been the official home of the Longhorns from the very start. Score tickets to a fall game or join one of the hundreds of tailgate parties and locally sponsored fan-centric events at or around the stadium.

The poet Robert Frost spent part of a brooding freshman semester at this Ivy League school before giving up college altogether, but the school counts politician Nelson Rockefeller, actor Mindy Kaling, TV producer Shonda Rhimes, and author Theodor ("Dr.") Seuss Geisel among its many illustrious grads. The buildings clustered around the picturesque green, which is lovely for strolling, include the Baker Memorial Library, which houses such literary treasures as 17th-century editions of William Shakespeare's works. The library is also well known for Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco's 3,000-square-foot murals that depict the story of civilization in the Americas. Free campus tours are available.

The Darwin D. Martin House, part of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex in Buffalo's Parkside East Historic District, is considered one of the finest examples of a Wright prairie-style structure. The estate was commissioned in 1902 by Darwin Martin, a wealthy Buffalo businessman who would become one of Wright's most loyal patrons. The first Wright house on the property was the George Barton House (at 118 Summit Avenue), built in 1903 for Martin's sister and brother-in-law. The final touches were applied to Martin's own house in 1907. The estate also includes the Gardener's Cottage (285 Woodward Avenue). At this writing, the complex is undergoing a multiyear restoration. Restored in the first phases of the work were the pergola, conservatory, and carriage house. The final phase is a restoration of the house interiors, which will likely continue through 2010. The site remains open for tours during restoration.