10457 Best Sights in USA

Sometimes dubbed the "Colonial Williamsburg of the Southwest," El Rancho de las Golondrinas ("Ranch of the Swallows") is a reconstruction of a small agricultural village with buildings from the 17th to 19th centuries. Travelers on El Camino Real would stop at the ranch before making the final leg of the journey north, a half-day ride from Santa Fe in horse-and-wagon time. By car, the ranch is only a 25-minute drive from the Plaza. It's also a 10-minute drive from where the Turquoise Trail (NM 14) intersects with Interstate 25, making it a fun stop—especially for kids—on your way to or from Albuquerque. Self-guided tours interpret the lives of locals in those bygone eras while farm animals roam through the barnyards on the 200-acre complex. During the ranch's many festivals—Spring & Fiber Fest, the Herb & Lavender Festival, Viva México, La Panza Llena New Mexico Food Fest, Santa Fe Wine Festival, the Renaissance Faire, and others—music, dance, food, and crafts are offered. In April, May, and October, the museum is open weekdays, by advance reservation only.

No Palm Beach mansion better represents the town's luminous legacy than the Spanish-style home built by Addison Mizner as his own residence in 1925. Mizner later sold El Solano to Harold Vanderbilt, and the property was long a favorite among socialites for parties and photo shoots. Vanderbilt held many a gala fundraiser here. Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, bought it less than a year before Lennon's death. It's still privately owned and not open to the public, but it's well worth a drive-by on any self-guided Palm Beach mansion tour.

No one seems to know the details of the story behind this little shrine, but everyone agrees a tragic love triangle was involved. A bronze plaque indicates only that it's dedicated to a sinner who is buried here on unconsecrated ground. The candles that line the cactus-shrouded spot attest to its continuing importance in local Catholic lore. People light candles and leave milagros ("miracles," or little icons used in prayers for healing) for loved ones. A modern-day miracle: the shrine's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places helped prevent a freeway from plowing through this section of the Barrio Historico.

South of Coyote Creek State Park on NM 434, you'll pass through tiny, insular El Turquillo. Here the highway widens as it opens into a broad sunny valley—to the east you'll spy the red-rock cliffs that form the face of Black Mesa, the land barrier between here and the eastern grasslands.

Headquarters of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF), this 19th-century Territorial-style house has a small exhibit on Santa Fe architecture and preservation, but the real draw is the small but stunning garden abundant with lavender, roses, and mid-19th-century trees. Relax on a wrought-iron bench and take in the fine views of the hills northeast of town. The HSFF is a wealth of information on Santa Fe's historic properties, offering a great brochure for self-guided walking tours. They also sponsor monthly Salon El Zaguán lectures and rotating exhibits. It is free to visit the garden but guided tours cost extra.

A 1910 Craftsman bungalow contains furniture, glass pieces, books, and other items related to the Roycroft movement and its founder, Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915). A writer and frequent lecturer, Hubbard died along with his wife aboard the Lusitania.

With steep canyon walls, a rushing creek, verdant pine forests, 10 picnic sites with multiple tables, and 12 miles of trails, this park attracts thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike. Rock climbers scale the sandstone walls, kayakers charge the rapids of South Boulder Creek (if stream flow allows), and anglers cast lines for brown and rainbow trout. The Streamside Trail parallels South Boulder Creek for ½ mile (wheelchair accessible for 300 feet). The 1-mile (one-way) Fowler Trail is wheelchair accessible, with interpretive signs and great views for climbers. For Continental Divide views, take the 3½-mile (round-trip) Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, which climbs 800 feet. Snowshoeing is popular here in winter. Mountain bikers crank on Rattlesnake Gulch Trail and the Walker Ranch Loop (accessed from the Crescent Meadows trailhead off Gross Dam Road). Hikers can climb the 3½-mile (one-way) Eldorado Canyon Trail to Crescent Meadows. The park is frequently at capacity on weekends and holidays, so weekday and evening visits are recommended.

Action-packed, with lots of slots and popular bar-top video poker, the best of the downtown casinos has good coffee-shop and food-court fare. Choose from more than 100 martinis at Roxy's Bar and Lounge. The kitschy Fountain of Fortune is worth checking out for its massive Florentine-inspired sculptures.

An unpretentious cottage, Val-Kill was first a retreat and later the full-time residence for Eleanor Roosevelt. A biographical film, First Lady of the World, is shown at the site. The property encompasses 180 acres of trails and gardens. It's also the location of Val-Kill Industries, Eleanor's attempt to prevent farm workers from relocating to the city for employment; reproductions of early American furniture, pewter, and weavings were produced here.

This winery's owner envisioned his sleek hospitality space as "a country club" for experiencing wines by the glass or flight, with or without the charcuterie and cheese sold on-site (tapas on Friday and weekends). The tasting room and adjoining patio edge the 32-acre estate vineyard, which you can hike. Winemaker Scott Johnson's red blends and Cabernets stand out, as does the unconventional, canned, dry-hopped Viognier sparkler (Johnson also brews beer).

Meander through the terraced sculpture garden, past the babbling brook, several inspired birdhouses, and other delightful art objects to the studio of Elena Zang and Alan Hoffman, creators of minimalist functional pottery. Down the hill is the gallery space, where blond-wood floors and an infusion of light set off the contemporary art on the walls.

More than a million people each year visit Elephant Butte Lake State Park, whose 36,500-acre lake is New Mexico's largest. A world-class competition lake for bass fishing, it also offers catfish, pike, and crappie fishing year-round. Boaters come here in droves, and when the wind picks up so do the windsurfers. Special events include an April balloon festival and July drag-boat racing. The lake, known as Elephant Butte Reservoir, was created in 1916 by Elephant Butte Dam, a concrete structure 306 feet high and 1,674 feet long. The stretch of the Rio Grande below the dam is stocked with trout during colder months; these fish attract anglers as well as many species of waterfowl, including raptors. The lake level is dependent on the water conditions in the state, which fluctuate wildly, and it's worth noting that there are no trees around this lake—making the hot months a challenging time to camp. It's best to check the conditions before you plan a vacation around the lake.

The state park straddles Elephant Butte Lake and the Rio Grande east of I–25 for about 50 mi (from south of Fort Craig to just north of Truth or Consequences). To take a scenic drive from Truth or Consequences, head east on NM 51, turn north at NM 179 for about 2 mi, head southeast on NM 195, and take a loop drive of about 5 mi to Elephant Butte Dam. At the end of the dam turn north for overlooks of the lake and a view of the rocky elephant-shape island formation that inspired the name of the reservoir. To visit the Dam Site Recreation Area turn west on NM 177, where you'll find a terraced picnic area with striking views and tall shade trees. A private concessionaire operates a restaurant, lounge, marina, and cabins.

This art gallery and studio space in the Buchanan Arts District of North Nashville is irreverent, colorful, weird, and brilliant. The gallery presents both group and solo exhibitions in any style— even Garfield-themed or clown-themed styles. If you get the chance to attend a show here, you’ll notice a distinct house-party vibe, complete with box wine in the kitchen and bowls of chips. Recent shows have featured face painting and a pie bake-off.

This 2½-mile round-trip walk takes you across Santa Barbara to a point where you can view magnificent elephant seals from steep cliffs. Moderate.

The historic home and studio of sculptor Elisabet Ney is a lovely gem in the Hyde Park neighborhood that showcases Ney's life and work, with more than 70 sculptures on display. Ney's studio, where she produced sculptures of historic figures, like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, is set up as she would have had it, with sculpting tools, hat, teacup, and other items all in their proper places. The castle-like home is surrounded by native prairie grasses and more outdoor sculptures. Check their online events calendar for well-attended community events, family-friendly art classes, nature walks, and seasonal festivals.

This elaborate and thrilling park was a Denver family tradition long before its 1995 relocation from northwest Denver to its current home on the outskirts of downtown. The park's highlights include hair-raising roller coasters and thrill rides; for younger kids and squeamish parents there are also plenty of gentler attractions such as bumper cars and tea cups. Twister II, an update of the classic, wooden Mister Twister, is from the original Elitch Gardens, as is a 100-foot-high Ferris wheel that provides sensational views of downtown. A 10-acre water-adventure park is included in the standard entry fee. You can spend a whole day at either the water park or the main park. Over Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the park is open for holiday-themed events.

The meticulously restored Elizabeth Cady Stanton House is where one of American feminism's most important leaders shaped social reform as she raised seven children. Stanton's feminist colleague, Susan B. Anthony of Rochester, was a guest in the house. A tour helps you to understand Stanton's charisma and power. The house, a mile east of the Declaration Park and visitor center (across the canal), is open early March through mid-December, with tours daily at 11:15 and 2:15 and more frequently in summer.

Although its neighbors Inglenook and Beaulieu are far older, this winery claims a slice of Rutherford history: guests enter the verdant courtyard tasting area via the town’s 1872 redbrick former post office. Geographical and varietal diversity is a primary goal, with grapes from Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino going into reds that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Viognier often stands out among the several whites.

These lush gardens are a 10-acre re-creation of 16th-century English gardens, established as an elaborate memorial to the first English colonists. Walk through the brick and wrought-iron entrance to see antique statuary, wildflowers, rose gardens, a 400-year-old giant oak tree, and a sunken garden—something will be in bloom almost any time you visit. The gatehouse, designed in the style of a 16th-century orangery, serves as a reception center and gift and plant shop. There's also a butterfly garden and a kids' pirate-themed play area. Dogs (one per person) are permitted for an additional $3.

Founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, this established winery covers 600 acres on four separate vineyard sites. The tasting room is set in the beautiful rolling hills at the foot of the coast range overlooking the vines. The focus is on Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. Be sure to also try the limited bottling of their Pinot Noir Rosé if they're pouring it.

You don't have to be a camper to use this well-developed picnic spot, with more than 70 tables, fire grates (some of them heightened to accommodate people with disabilities), and restrooms. Some of the tables are on the prairie; others sit amid the pines.

About 6 mi south of the town of North East, this park juts into the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay to its west, with the Elk River flowing along its eastern flank. You can drive almost the length of the peninsula and then walk about a mile through pleasant woodlands to the cliffs on its tip. There you can find the sparkling-white Turkey Point Lighthouse, albeit no longer in use. The 270-plus-degree view from Turkey Point is stunning. Campsites are available here, as are some charming 1950s-era wooden cabins that are admirably well maintained. Elk Neck is a prime location for picnicking as well as for fishing and swimming off sandy beaches.

In addition to many elk, this spot has a campground, a nature trail, and a ranger station.

This scenic 106-mile loop winds from Baker City through the Elkhorn Range of the Blue Mountains. Only white-bark pine can survive on the range's sharp ridges and peaks, which top 8,000 feet; spruce, larch, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine thrive on the lower slopes. The route is well marked; start in Baker City on Highway 7, head west to Sumpter, turn onto County Road 24 toward Granite, turn north on Forest Road 73 and take that over Granite Pass and eventually by Anthony Lakes ski area to Haines, and then return to Baker City along U.S. 30.

This remote unit of the park is composed of the 218 acres of ranchland where Theodore Roosevelt ran cattle on the open range. Today there are no buildings, but foundation blocks outline the original structures.

Visitors who have two to three days in the park or are diehard “Rooseveltians” should make this trek, and then only when it hasn’t been raining because most of the route is on unpaved roads; check with visitor center staff about road conditions.

This area truly encapsulates the spirit of why this is called Roosevelt National Park.

The reserve's 1,700 acres of tidal flats and salt marshes form a complex environment that supports some 300 species of birds. A walk along the meandering waterways and wetlands can reveal hawks, white-tailed kites, owls, herons, and egrets. Also living or visiting here are sea otters, sharks, rays, and many other animals.

This 1-mile loop is good for families, especially if you're camping at Elkmont. It passes by many of the remaining buildings in the Elkmont Historic District. Pick up a self-guided brochure at the start of the trail. Easy.

Families enjoy this secluded 600-foot sandy beach and park on the southwestern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Ellacoya, with views of the Sandwich and Ossipee mountains, has a shallow beach that's safe for small children, sheltered picnic tables, and a small campground. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming.

Ellicott City was the B&O Railroad's first stop. The Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station, built in 1831, is the oldest surviving railroad terminal in America. Museum exhibits focus on the history of the railroad and on its role in the Civil War.