10457 Best Sights in USA

Though all of this luxury wine resort's dining, lodging, winery, and other components won't be completed for a few years, a pleasant tasting room here serves wines made from French, Spanish, and Italian varietals. The selections range from Vermentino, Albariño, and other light whites to reds like Syrah and Primitivo. Winemaker dinners take place in the village, which also presents live music on some weekend nights.

You'll find three traditional styles of European wine reflecting French Cabernet Sauvignon; Spanish Tempranillo; and Italian Pinot Grigio. You can walk through lush gardens, grab a table under the pergola, and enjoy live music every Sunday 2:30–5:30 pm.

Held each evening at 9 pm from May through October in Watchman Campground Amphitheater, these 45-minute ranger-led talks cover geology, biology, and history. You might learn about coyote calls, the night sky, the secret life of bats, or observing nature with all your senses. Slide shows and audience participation are often part of the proceedings.

Gather around to hear tales about Yellowstone's fascinating history, with hour-long programs on topics ranging from the return of the bison to 19th-century photographers. Every major area hosts programs during the summer; check visitor centers or campground bulletin boards for updates. Winter programs are held at Mammoth and Old Faithful.

Built in 1717 by John Brush, a gunsmith, and later owned by Thomas Everard, who was twice mayor of Williamsburg, this wood-frame house contains remarkable, ornate carving work. It is open only for special-focus tours and temporary exhibits, and vignettes on slaves' lives are held here in summer.

Many episodes of Animal Planet's Gator Boys were filmed here, making this wetland "park" an extremely popular tourist attraction. Take an hour-long airboat tour, snap a selfie with a python, and catch alligators wrestling in the pit.

The airboats tend to be supersize, and the overall experience can feel commercialized.

Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose, the largest plane ever built and constructed entirely of wood, is on permanent display, but if you can take your eyes off the giant you will also see more than 45 historic planes and replicas from the early years of flight and World War II, as well as the postwar and modern eras. Across the parking lot from the aviation museum is the space museum with artifacts that include a German V-2 rocket and a Titan missile, complete with silo and launch control room.

Built in the 1850s, this 48-room Italianate mansion was the home of the 19th-century diplomat and collector John Work Garrett, whose father was president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (the Garrett family continued to live here until the 1950s). Garrett bequeathed the house, its contents (an exquisite collection of books, paintings, and porcelain), and 26 acres of grounds to Johns Hopkins University. He required that the estate remain open to "lovers of music, art, and beautiful things." A tour of the mansion is a fascinating look at the luxury that surrounded a rich American family at the turn of the 20th century.

Jackson Pollock and Andrew Wyeth works are part of the collection of more than 8,000 objects at the Everson, which was designed by architect I.M. Pei. Kids have their own gallery.

During the Civil War, a handsome Greek revival hotel was transformed into a Confederate-receiving hospital for wounded and dying soldiers. In addition to weapons, uniforms, and the personal effects of Union and Confederate soldiers, the museum displays the often crude medical equipment used for amputations, tooth extractions, and bloodletting. One room re-creates a hospital ward; an estimated 70,000 soldiers were treated here between 1862 and 1865. The museum hosts an annual ghost walk every October.

Since 1891, this 37,500-square-foot brick Queen Anne–style structure, made entirely from materials from the Tar Heel State, with elaborate gingerbread trim and manicured lawns, has been the home of the state's governors. Encompassing an entire city block, the brick-walled gardens explode with color during the spring. Reservations for tours must be made at least two weeks in advance.

More than two dozen murals in the Central Valley city of Exeter's cute-as-a-button downtown make it worth a quick detour if you're traveling on Route 198. Several of the murals, which depict the area's agricultural and social history, are quite good. All adorn buildings within a few blocks of the intersection of Pine and E streets. If you're hungry, the Wildflower Cafe, at 121 South E Street, serves inventive salads and sandwiches. Shortly after entering Exeter, head west on Pine Street (it's just before the water tower) to reach downtown.

One of the few accessible valley glaciers in the state, Exit is the only destination in the park accessible by car, although it's becoming harder each year to get a good look at the glacier, as it continues to recede dramatically. Named for being a mountaineering expedition's exit from the first recorded successful crossing of the Harding Icefield in 1968, this glacier is the park's most popular destination. Be sure to read signage, as glacier trails can be closed for repairs due to the rapidly changing ice conditions.

Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the center includes a bookstore, exhibits of topographical maps, stories of explorers and adventurers, and geological and glaciological artifacts. The center is ADA compatible and has rangers on staff to answer questions and guide short tours of the immediate area.

There are more than 700 animals representing 45 species here, and those wild animals—from goats and deer, to buffalo and zebras—will eat right out of your hand when you take a safari tour of this 137-acre wildlife park. When you purchase your ticket, be sure to buy the pellets so you have something to give the animals. If you are interested in an overnight stay, inquire about renting a cabin with access to an outdoor grill, a playscape for kids, and a swimming pool.

This imaginatively executed science museum—its driving concept is "Ideas You Can Touch"—is right across from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. ¡Explora! bills itself as an all-ages attraction (and enthralled adults abound), but there's no question that many of the innovative hands-on exhibits such as a high-wire bicycle and a kinetic sculpture display are geared to children. They offer big fun in addition to big science (and a good dose of art as well). While its colorful Bucky dome is immediately noticeable from the street, ¡Explora! also features a playground, theater, and a freestanding staircase that appears to "float" between floors.

The best view at Port Canaveral is no longer from the top of a cruise ship. In fact, the view from atop this towering seven-story structure makes the cruise ships look—well, not so massive after all. The tower, a short walk from the cruise port, is equal parts museum and scenic overlook. From the seventh-floor deck you can see the cruise port, the Atlantic Ocean, the Banana River, and even the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Displays on others floors highlight everything from space flight to surfing and marine life to maritime history. Don't miss the interactive exhibits, including a virtual ship's bridge that lets you pilot a boat through the Canaveral Channel and into the Atlantic. A theater shows a 20-minute film on the history of Brevard County, and a small café sells refreshments and baked goods. The ground floor houses a visitor information center.

Rotating exhibits and interactive permanent displays—which include Waterways to the Future and Montana Outdoors—are the main attractions at Helena's beloved children's science museum.

Originally developed in 1872 as an agricultural park, this 160-acre park has a lovely sunken rose garden and three museums—the California African American Museum, the California Science Center, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County—as well as an IMAX theater. There's also Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where Olympic festivities were held in 1932 and 1984 and where USC games are now played. The newest addition to the park is the Banc of California Stadium, a 22,000-seat arena that's home to the LAFC soccer club. Good news for commuters: the Metro Expo Line, which connects the Westside to Downtown Los Angeles, has a stop at Exposition Park.

Note that the park and neighborhood are sketchy at night.

When David Lett planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley in 1965, he was setting in motion a series of events that caused Willamette Valley Pinot Noir to be recognized as among the best in the world. Affectionately known as Papa Pinot, Lett, along with several other pioneering winemakers, nurtured the Oregon wine industry to what it is today. Today, David's son Jason Lett is now the winemaker and vineyard manager, and continues to make Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay that reflect the gentle touch that has always characterized Eyrie wines. In recent years, many small wineries have sprung up in the neighborhood around this historic winery.

The city's system of vintage electric trolleys, the F-line, gives the cable cars a run for their money as a beloved mode of transportation. The beautifully restored streetcars—some dating from the 19th century—run from the Castro District down Market Street to the Embarcadero, then north to Fisherman's Wharf. Each car is unique, restored to the colors of its city of origin, from Cincinnati and Philadelphia to Mexico City and Minneapolis. Pay with a Clipper card or purchase tickets on board; exact change is required.

At 9,049 acres, F. D. Roosevelt is the largest state park in Georgia. Named for the president who considered this area his second home, it's rich in both history and natural beauty. Several park amenities were built by FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, including multiple cottages and the Liberty Bell Swimming Pool fed by local cool springs. The park contains more than 40 miles of trails, including the popular 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail. Dowdell’s Knob, an overlook along the trail, was one of the president's favorite spots to picnic; there's even a statue there to commemorate him. Within the park are also two lakes, 115 modern campsites, and backcountry and pioneer campgrounds.

Open year-round, with 23 sites and a restroom, Fabbri is beyond Otter Point via the one-way section of Park Loop Road and also accessible from Otter Cliff Road.

In the early 1900s, 4th Street, today's Fabric Row, was teeming with pushcarts selling calico, notions, and trimming. It was known as \"der Ferder,\" or \"the Fourth\" in Yiddish. Today, several century-old fabric stores still stand, like stalwart Fleishman Fabrics and Supplies, but many of the storefronts are home to locals selling wares from European-label shoes to fair-trade coffee.

A nonprofit arts organization runs this center and store dedicated to creating new work in fabric and other materials, working with emerging and nationally and internationally recognized artists.

Film buffs shouldn't leave Lincoln Park without visiting this nonprofit movie theater, which presents an eclectic selection of films from around the world. Each year, Facets also hosts the Chicago International Children's Film Festival: one of the only Academy Award–qualifying children’s film festivals in the world, it showcases the best in culturally diverse, value-affirming new cinema for kids.

A network of iron crosswalks and steep stone stairways connects Bay Street to Factors Walk below. The congested area of multistory buildings was originally the center of commerce for cotton brokers (also called factors), who walked between and above the lower cotton warehouses. Ramps lead down to River Street. This area is paved in cobblestones and features steep, historic stone staircases, so wear comfortable shoes and step carefully.

You'll find boutiques, antiques, restaurants, a guitar shop, and a theater in this airy brick complex of late 1920s-era buildings. Once home to a stoveworks, it's now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.