10457 Best Sights in USA

You can get an inkling of what the Four Corners area was like during the trading-post days at the Farmington Museum, in a modern sandstone building whose stonework is fashioned to echo that found at Aztec and Chaco ruins, and that also houses the Farmington visitor center. Landscaped grounds behind the building extend down to the Animas River—an ideal spot for a picnic. The museum presents art, science, Native American, and regional history exhibits throughout the year (the "Geovator," goofy as it is, simulates a trip deep into the subsurface stratigraphy of limestone, sandstone, and shale that yields oil and natural gas wealth for the region). Occasionally a traveling exhibit will require an entrance fee; otherwise, admission is free. There's a summertime evening music series on the terrace; call for dates and performers.

At an elevation of 10,120 feet, this lookout affords a panoramic view of the Colorado River near its origin and the Grand Ditch, a water diversion project dating from 1890 that's still in use today. You can also see the once-volcanic peaks of Never Summer Range along the park's western boundary.

An elaborate revamp of the long-standing Gallery shopping complex, the Fashion District consists of more than 800,000 square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations. Big-name retailers include Primark, Eddie Bauer, H&M, Levi’s, and Nike. There’s a state-of-the-art AMC movie theater, the large-scale City Winery, as well as smaller, more affordable dining options, and Round1, a multi-entertainment facility that has bowling, billiards, karaoke, and more than 250 arcade games.

For fans of the film franchise, the chance to join the crew on a hair-raising car chase is the appeal of this virtual reality attraction. Two preshows lead to a ride vehicle that travels down the highway in a bumper-to-bumper, side-by-side, combination race and gunfight (including helicopter gunships) complete with adrenaline-inducing rocking-and-rolling movements.

For people with disabilities: Guests in wheelchairs must be able to transfer to the ride vehicle. Waiting in line here can be fun: cars from the film are displayed in the queue area, and a game on the Universal Orlando app tests your knowledge of Fast & Furious trivia and lets you take a quiz to determine which vehicle suits your personality.

When music legend Fats Domino passed away in 2017, a city-wide second-line parade culminated at his former home in the Lower Ninth Ward: a black-and-yellow shotgun house emblazoned with the letters "F D", a bright reminder of the artist's dedication to the neighborhood. Blocks from where he was raised, Domino built this two-house compound in 1960, at the height of his musical career, and kept it as his homebase throughout decades on tour. While he spent his later years across the river in Harvey, Louisiana, it was in this house where Fats endured Katrina, and was later rescued by the Coast Guard (and visited by President G.W. Bush) after losing almost everything he owned. It remains an important neighborhood landmark.

The young novelist William Faulkner lived and wrote his first book, Soldiers' Pay, here in the 1920s. He later returned to his native Oxford, Mississippi, where his explorations of southern consciousness earned him the Nobel Prize for literature. The house is not open for tours, but the ground-floor apartment Faulkner inhabited is now a bookstore, Faulkner House Books, which specializes in local and southern writers. The house is also home to the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society literary group, which hosts an annual literary festival celebrating the writer's birthday.

Completed in 2015, East Village's first public park sits atop the Rose Canyon Fault system, an earthquake fault line that's still active today. Nevertheless, most of the shaking visitors feel is from children's pounding footsteps as they run around the 1.3-acre grassy area, complete with a playground, dog run area, and "Fault Whisper," two large stainless steel sculptures built as visual and audio aids for seismic activity. 

An architect's spirited redesign of an 1876 Victorian—brooding exterior and heavy ground-floor hues contrasting with bright, open, and airy upstairs spaces—mimics the dark-and-light themes of Germany's Faust legend. Up a terraced hill from Highway 29, Faust Haus serves as a showcase for estate Coombsville AVA wines like The Pact (as in Faust's pact with the devil), a balanced, fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon critics love for its complexity. Tastings, some including wine-friendly food, unfold inside the house or on exterior terraces, one of which looks east to Howell Mountain.

Established in 2012 by the Palm Springs Art Museum, the 4-acre desert garden, open from sunrise to sunset, holds 14 cutting-edge works by contemporary sculptors, including Donald Judd, Betty Gold, Yehiel Shemi, Felipe Castañeda, Jesús Bautista Moroles, and Dan Namingha.

Go back in time as you motor along the 100-year-old road that was once the only way to cross the gorge on one- and two-way roads, including hairpin turns. Stop to revel in cascades at Wolf Creek Falls and Marr Branch Falls, or to watch paddlers disembark from rafts under the dramatic steel span bridge. Allow at least 40 minutes for the scenic drive with many eye-catching bridge views.

There are 12 trails in this area that provide a solid overview of the national park, offering scenic views of the New River Gorge Bridge and deep dives into the once-booming Kaymoor Mines. From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, a 0.2-mile round-trip stroll on the Canyon Rim Boardwalk affords scenic views of the bridge and across the gorge. The easy 3.2-mile round-trip Long Point Trail rewards with a rocky bridge overlook, while the 3.2-mile Endless Wall Trail loop hike meanders along the cliff edge, rewarding with views from Diamond Point. The strenuous 2-mile round-trip Kaymoor Miners Trail descends a forested trail, past a flowing waterfall, then down 821 steps to remains of coke ovens and coal processing plants.

Knowledgeable experts offer insight on some of the more exotic birds found around Animal Kingdom. Expect to see macaws, parrots, vultures, and, occasionally, an American bald eagle. This show is a great option for the afternoon, as it only fills up during the busiest of times. Those not wanting a bird flying over their heads should sit in the bleachers in the back. 

This center is spread over three separate buildings: the Everett McKinley Dirksen Building; the John C. Kluczynski Building ( 230 S. Dearborn), which includes the Loop's post office; and the Metcalfe Building ( 77 W. Jackson). Designed in 1959, but not completed until 1974, the severe constellation of buildings around a sweeping plaza was Mies van der Rohe's first mixed-use urban project. Fans of the International Style will groove on this pocket of pure modernism, while others can take comfort in the presence of the Marquette Building, which marks the north side of the site. In contrast to this dark ensemble are the great red arches of Alexander Calder's Flamingo.

It's a museum now, but this Federal Hall is monumental as the \"birthplace of American Government.\" George Washington was sworn in here as the first president of the United States, in 1789—you can even view the bible Washington used to swear his oath (on the first floor). The museum covers 400 years of New York City's history, with a focus on the life and times of what is now the city's Financial District. You can spot the building easily—it was modeled on the Parthenon, and a 12½-foot-tall statue of George Washington stands proudly on its (south-facing) stately steps.

If you want to snap a photo of the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill Park is the place to do it. On the south side of the harbor, the park was named in 1788 to commemorate Maryland's ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Until the early 1900s, a signal tower atop Federal Hill displayed the "house" flags of local shipping companies, notifying them of the arrival of their vessels. Some of the oldest homes in Baltimore surround the park, and its summit provides an excellent view of the Inner Harbor and the downtown skyline. The park is also a favorite spot for watching holiday fireworks.

With its imposing mix of sandstone, limestone, and ironwork, the Federal Reserve looks the way a bank ought to: strong and impregnable. The gold ingots in the subterranean vaults here are worth roughly $350 billion—reputedly a third of the world's gold reserves. Tours of the building's museum and gold vault are open only to school groups as of this writing, but check the website for updates.

FedEx Forum is the home of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis Men's Basketball.

Beside a small beach, this modest but nicely designed sea-life center has a perfect location right along the Port Angeles waterfront near the ferry terminal. Murals of historic Port Angeles scenes decorate the outside; inside are plenty of touch tanks where kids can say hello to sea creatures.

The nearly 200-acre Mass Audubon preserve, 3 miles outside Edgartown toward Vineyard Haven, has 4 miles of hiking trails traversing marshland, fields, woods, seashore, and fresh and saltwater ponds. Naturalist-led events include hikes, stargazing, wildlife walks, and kayaking tours.

This visitor center is a great starting point for exploring this revitalized waterfront neighborhood. Be sure to take awalking tour brochure from the gift shop. Tours depart from here on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (May–October) and focus on topics such as ghosts, the War of 1812, maritime history, immigration, slavery, and Frederick Douglass's tenure in Fells Point. One wall showcases a small exhibit outlining the history of Fells Point and its founding family.

Located 10 miles north of Sautatuck, the Felt Mansion is a peek into how the wealthy lived along the Midwest's Riviera in the 1920s and '30s. The 12,000-square-foot home was built between 1925 and 1928 on Shore Acres Farm as the Felt family's summer home. It remained in the family until 1949. After that, the home became a seminary for young men and was later used by the State of Michigan for office space. Massive restoration efforts have returned the Georgian mansion and elaborate gardens to their full glory, as they were during the late 1920s. In addition to self-guided tours, guided tours are available upon request.

Native, folk, fine, and decorative American art is displayed in a brick neoclassical mansion that dates from the 1930s. Paintings of landscapes and everyday scenes enlighten you on what this country was like in the 19th century. Sculptor John H. I. Browere's (1792–1834) bronze busts were made from life masks, so they truly depict such luminaries as Thomas Jefferson and Dolley and James Madison. Furniture, portraits, other artifacts shed light on James Fenimore Cooper and his family. Traveling exhibits are eclectic: one that explored the history of high-heeled shoes was held concurrently with another that had paintings of America's Western frontier. Photography and modern works by contemporary artists have been showcased, and so have Norman Rockwell illustrations. There's also an ever-changing roster of lectures, specialty tours, and book signings. The café, open during museum hours, serves tasty salads, soups, and other light fare.

Just outside of Saugatuck in Fennville, this is one of Michigan's best wineries. Tastings are free, as are the vineyard views. Educational wine-tasting tours last just under two hours. In winter and spring the tours include time in the wine cellar, while autumn means a trip to the vineyard. Check the winery's website when planning your visit—you may be able to take in one of the events hosted here. These range from a casual chili cook-off to winemaker's dinners, and cooking classes are also occasionally offered.

Reuben Fenton, governor of New York from 1865 to 1869, had this brick Italianate mansion built in 1863. It contains Victorian period rooms (some quite ornate) and exhibits showcasing the history of Chautauqua Lake, the life and career of Lucille Ball, and Jamestown's Swedish and Italian communities. Also of interest are the archival and genealogical library and the Civil War exhibits.

With its elegant dark-wood paneling and floors, curved staircases, and a theatrical stage in the parlor, it's easy to envision how this 1907 mansion along Pasadena's Millionaire's Row once served as a gathering place for the city's elite (it also housed the Finnish consulate until 1965). Most rooms on the ground and second floors are still fitted with original furniture; you can peek into these roped-off spaces to get a sense of what life was like more than a century ago. The mansion, which has been used in many films, is part of the two-acre Pasadena Museum of History complex, which also includes the adjacent Finnish Folk Art Museum, the Curtin House, the Estate Garden, and the History Center with its galleries, which host rotating exhibits dedicated to the art and culture of Pasadena.

Though it's really not much to look at, visitors enjoy this longtime attraction, perhaps because of the serene boat ride up and down the Wailua River that allows you to see it. The grotto is a yawning lava tube swathed in lush fishtail ferns 3 miles up the river. Though it was significantly damaged after Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and again after heavy rains in 2006, the greenery has completely recovered. The Smith's Kauai tour group is the only legal way to see the grotto. You can access the entrance with a kayak, but if boats are there, you may not be allowed to land.

Heading to Odessa Lake from the north involves a steep hike, but on most days you'll encounter fewer other hikers than if you had begun the trip at Bear Lake. Along the way, you'll come to the Arch Rocks; the Pool, an eroded formation in the Big Thompson River; two waterfalls; and Fern Lake (3.8 miles from your starting point). Less than a mile farther, Odessa Lake itself lies at the foot of Tourmaline Gorge, below the craggy summits of Gabletop Mountain, Little Matterhorn, Knobtop Mountain, and Notchtop Mountain. For a full day of spectacular scenery, continue past Odessa to Bear Lake (9 miles total), where you can pick up the shuttle back to the Fern Lake Trailhead. Moderate.

The museum, a learning and activity center with connections to the county school system, sits in the 65-acre Fernbank Forest and focuses on ecology, geology, and space exploration. In addition to the exhibit hall, there's a planetarium as well as an observatory, which is open Thursday and Friday night from 9 to 10, weather permitting.

The town of Ferndale, best known for its colorful Victorian architecture, much of it Stick-Eastlake style, is worth the 20-mile drive south from Eureka or north from the Avenue of the Giants. Many Main Street shops carry a self-guided tour map highlighting the most interesting historic buildings. Gift shops and ice-cream stores comprise a fair share of the businesses here, but Ferndale remains a fully functioning small town, and descendants of the Portuguese and Scandinavian dairy farmers who settled here continue to raise dairy cows in the surrounding pastures. If it's open, pop into the two storefronts of the Blacksmith Shop ( 455 and 491 Main St.  707/786–4216  www.ferndaleblacksmith.com), which celebrates the survival of the traditional blacksmithing arts in the area.