10457 Best Sights in USA

You can hit the trails on foot or atop a horse in this 533-acre estuarial park stretching more than a mile along both the Pacific Ocean and the Copalis River. A boardwalk crosses low dunes to the broad, flat beach. The Copalis Spit section of the park is a designated wildlife refuge for thousands of snowy plovers and other birdlife. Favorite activities include picnicking, bird-watching, mountain biking, fishing, clamming, kite flying, and beachcombing.

London-style gin got the ball rolling for Michael and Jenny Griffo’s industrial-park distillery, which also produces vodka, whiskey, brandy, liqueurs, and bottled cocktails. Michael, who handles the distilling, has a PhD in physics research, but the spirits satisfy as much for their creativity as the scientific rigor. Case in point: the single-malt whiskey Michael developed with the brewmaster at neighboring Lagunitas Brewing using barley mash from one of the latter's beers. A small bar near the entrance serves single tastes, flights, and cocktails. The barrel room and adjacent patio host live music and other events, often with food trucks.

While there are a couple of distilleries on the Marathon Village property, the casual yet sophisticated setting of Grinder's Switch Winery ought to please the wine lover in your group. Expect everyday favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, but their specialty is blends like their white table wine as well as fruited wines like Razzbury (raspberry) and Cou Rouge (strawberry). While you're there, pick up a curated local gift or craft in the winery's attached shop. If you're wondering where the wine is made, it comes from their vineyard in middle Tennessee.

In 1926, one giant ice mass broke apart to create the Salamander and Grinnell glaciers, which have been shrinking ever since. The 5½-mile trail to Grinnell Glacier, the park's most accessible, is marked by several spectacular viewpoints. You start at Swiftcurrent Lake's picnic area, climb a moraine to Lake Josephine, then climb to the Grinnell Glacier overlook. Halfway up, turn around to see the prairie land to the northeast. You can cut about 2 miles (each way) off the hike by taking scenic boat rides across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. From July to mid-September, a ranger-led hike departs from the Many Glacier Hotel boat dock on most mornings at 8:30. Difficult.

This little gem is worth a pull-over, if not a picnic at the roadside tables. A less-than-a-minute trek from the parking lot delivers you to the base of the delightful, 100-foot-plus falls. On a hot day, nothing feels better than dipping your feet in the cool water. An outhouse is on-site, but grills are not, and water is not available.

You can pick up food to go at nearby Zion Lodge or pack your own meal and take a short walk to this sheltered retreat shaded by tall oak trees. Amenities include drinking water, picnic tables, and restrooms, but there are no fire grates. You can access the Emerald Pools Trail from here.

Owned by the Catholic Church, the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, as it's officially known, displays more than 100 statues and shrines in 62 acres of woods that adjoin Rocky Butte Natural Area. The grotto was carved into the base of a 110-foot cliff, and has a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà. The real treat is found after ascending the cliff face via elevator, as you enter a wonderland of gardens, sculptures, and shrines, and a glass-walled cathedral with an awe-inspiring view of the Columbia River and the Cascades. There's a dazzling Christmas Festival of Lights (late November and December, $14), with 500,000 lights and more than 160 holiday concerts in the 500-seat chapel, and an indoor petting zoo. Daily masses are held here, too.

This level, 1-mile round-trip trail takes you from Zion Lodge to the lovely, tree-shaded Grotto picnic area, traveling much of the way parallel to the park road. Allow 20 minutes or less for this easy stroll through meadows and beneath a light tree canopy. From here, you can cross the footbridge over the Virgin River to connect with the Kayenta Trail, which leads south to the Emerald Pools trails or north to the West Rim Trail and eventually up to Angels Landing (for which a permit is required). Easy.

Guided two-hour walking tours of this carefully restored 80-acre country estate offer a fascinating and authentic look at how upper-class white people experienced plantation life in the mid-19th century. The tour focuses on the original home, built by the Wilcox family in 1860 and filled with a quirky collection of classic Hawaiiana. You can also see the workers' quarters, farm animals, orchards, and gardens that reflect the practical self-sufficient lifestyle of the island's earliest Western inhabitants. Tours of the homestead are conducted twice a day, three days a week. To protect the historic building and its furnishings, tours may be canceled on very wet days.  With a six-person limit per tour, reservations are essential.

Gruet's Albuquerque location is a brick chalet-inspired building just off Interstate 25, which isn't the most picturesque setting. However, once inside the tasting room (or nestled into the garden seating area during warm months), you'll settle in to taste some of the nation's most acclaimed producers of sparkling wines. There's even a selection of caviar pairings. Famous in France since the 1950s, the Gruet (pronounced grew-ay) family began production here in 1984 (some of its vineyards—all in-state—are as close as Santa Ana Pueblo, and may be viewed along the highways, just north of Bernalillo). And while it's changed hands since, it still earns kudos for its méthode champenoise (which employs traditional Champagne-making methods), as well as for its Pinot Noirs, rosés, and Chardonnays. If visiting Santa Fe, enjoy some bubbly in the cozy tasting room inside downtown Hotel St. Francis.

This long, winding trail extends for some 100 miles through the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico and western Texas and can be hiked from Carlsbad Caverns through to the Guadalupe Mountains. Within Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the most interesting portion runs for about 12 miles one-way from the western side of Walnut Canyon Desert Drive to the park's western boundary with Lincoln National Forest. If you hike all 12 miles and back, an overnight stay in the backcountry is strongly recommended. The hike may be long, but for serious hikers the up-close-and-personal views into Rattlesnake and Slaughter canyons are more than worth it—not to mention the serenity of being miles away from civilization. Note that the roughly 9-mile section of this trail from the visitor center to the junction with the Slaughter Canyon Trail is closed until the severe damage sustained during the major flood of summer 2022 is repaired; check the park website for updates. Difficult.

South of Georgetown, the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway treats you to marvelous views of the Mt. Evans Wilderness Area. Along the way—while negotiating some tight curves, especially as you head down to Grant—you'll get close views of Mt. Evans as well as Grays and Torrey's Peaks—two Fourteeners. It takes about 40 minutes to cross the 22-mile fully paved road.

Named for the nitrogen-rich bat droppings (guano) that were mined from a cave across the canyon, Guano Point boasts the most spectacular landscapes at the West Rim. You'll have to make a short hike from the shuttle drop-off to get to the no-longer-functioning aerial tramway at the point, but once there, you'll be rewarded with nearly 360-degree views of the canyon and the river below. Guano Point Cafe serves BBQ and curried vegetables.

The Roman Catholic cathedral often has standing-room only on Saturday afternoon, as visitors pray for luck—and sometimes drop casino chips into the collection cups during the tourist-friendly mass. According to tradition, a priest known as the \"chip monk\" periodically collects the chips and takes them to the respective casinos to cash them in. There are daily masses, with four on Sundays.

Changing exhibitions at this fine-arts museum and cultural center focus on regional artists, and the museum offers an array of childrens programs and educational programs for all ages. The John Drew Theater presents several stage productions a year, and also hosts concerts, film festivals, lectures, and readings.

The best place to start exploring Everglades National Park's watery western side is at this visitor center just south of Everglades City (5 miles south of U.S./Highway 41/Tamiami Trail), where rangers can give you the park lowdown and provide you with informational brochures and backcountry permits. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center serves as the gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extends to Flamingo and Florida Bay and are accessible only by boat in this region. Naturalist-led boat trips are handled by Everglades Florida Adventures of Guest Services, Inc., the concessioner that also rents canoes and kayaks.

Unspoiled beaches, the Gulf’s largest fishing pier, and an 18-hole golf course provide recreational opportunities on 6,150 seaside and lakeside acres. Hiking trails, a 900-acre fishing lake, tennis courts, a large pool, and an interactive nature center supply more fun. Camp or rent a cabin—or rent a well-appointed cottage that's far from rustic and right in the park.

This park is a winner with kids thanks to things like alligator and otter exhibits; educational chats and shows featuring dolphins, sharks, and birds; and a tropical garden. The stingray-petting pool and the shark-feeding and scuba demonstrations are big crowd pleasers, and the old favorites—performing sea lions, otters, and bottlenose dolphins—still hold their own. For an additional fee, you can participate in the interactiveTrainer for a Day program or one of the swim-with-the-dolphins experiences. Gulf World is also home to the Gulf World Marine Institute, dedicated to sea turtle and marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and release.

A beloved local attraction since 1955, this marine adventure park is home to dolphins, otters, penguins, alligators, harbor seals, and sharks. In addition to a range of exhibits, there are daily dolphin and sea lion shows, penguin and otter chats, and premium animal encounters including a VIP Trainer Experience and interactive swims or feedings. The Gulfarium is also home to the C.A.R.E. Center, which rescues and rehabilitates injured sea turtles and, when possible, releases them back into the wild.

A big draw for kids, this stellar spot has four huge saltwater tanks brimming with sea life, from coral to stingrays to spiny lobsters, and touch tanks, plus a sea turtle rehabilitation center. Nocturnal walks in spring and early summer, when staffers lead a quest to find nesting female turtles coming ashore to lay eggs, are popular; so are the hatchling releases in August and September. (Call to purchase tickets in advance, as there are very limited spaces.) This is one of only a handful of centers that offer this. There is also a nature trail and butterfly garden, a ¼-mile boardwalk, and a 40-foot observation tower, where you're likely to see brown pelicans and osprey.

A consistent presence since 1988, The Gun Store puts you on the range with a machine gun of your choice. When you walk in, you're greeted with a wall full of weapons, including still-functional weapons from history. Pick your era: hose the target a steady diet of lead Cagney-style with a Thompson. World War II buffs might go for an MP40 Schmeisser. Have a flair for the international? Grab an Uzi or Sten. They've got handguns, rifles, and shotguns, too. The guns are real, but some of the packages offer fanciful paper targets of space aliens. Save the next-door Tiki di Amore for after, as a sign out front warns intoxicated persons away.

The Bundschu family has owned much of this 320-acre property since 1858. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and red blends from estate grapes are the specialty—the Bordeaux-style Mountain Cuvée contains each vintage's best fruit. Guests seeking a quick introduction can stand at the bar inside an 1870 stone winery still used for production, sampling wines that might also include a Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, or rosé. More leisurely seated tastings take place in a courtyard with views of vineyards and a pond.   Book a seasonal cave tour or Pinzgauer vehicle vineyard excursion for a more comprehensive experience.

Anyone interested in the region's history shouldn't miss the Pioneer Museum. The complex spreads across six acres and includes an extensive collection of vehicles, from Model Ts to 1960s sedans. There are also two old schoolhouses; an impressive display of arrowheads; mining exhibits; and a train, complete with coal tender, caboose, and boxcar. Admission is cash only.

Arlo Guthrie fans will want to make a pilgrimage to this Interfaith church used as a community gathering space and sometimes concert venue. The church, where Guthrie's famous song “The Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” began and where the movie “Alice’s Restaurant” was filmed, hosts weekly "Hootenannies," community lunches and small concerts. 

Displays at the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum, which moved into the former Griggs Printing building in 2022, include murals, artifacts, dioramas, and military exhibits that explore the lives of Plains Indians and Havre's early settlers and ranchers. The museum arranges tours of Fort Assinniboine and the Wahkpa Chu'gn Archaeological Site, a major buffalo jump.

Established in 1850, the homestead of Henry N. Greenwell served as cattle ranch, sheep station, store, post office, and family home all in one. Now, all that remains is the 1875 stone structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It houses a fascinating museum with exhibits on ranching and coffee farming. It's also headquarters for the Kona Historical Society, which archives and preserves the history of the Kona district. An interesting aside: today, direct descendants of Henry Greenwell operate a popular South Kona grocery store, ChoiceMart, bringing their ancestors' legacy full circle.

A small display of photographs on the bottom floor of this elaborate, gray 1886 Queen Anne house makes clear that despite its lofty stature and striking, round third-story tower, the 11,500-square-foot house was modest compared with some of the giants that fell victim to the 1906 earthquake and fire. San Francisco Heritage, a foundation to preserve San Francisco's architectural history, operates the home, whose carefully kept rooms provide a glimpse into late-19th-century life through period furniture, authentic details (like the antique dishes in the kitchen built-in), and photos of the Haas family, who occupied the house for three generations until 1972. You can download free maps of two nearby walking tours highlighting the neighborhood's historic architecture on the house's website.  You can admire hundreds of gorgeous San Francisco Victorians from the outside, but this is the only one that's open to the public, and it's worth a visit.

One of the oldest wineries in the state, Habersham Vineyards & Winery started producing in 1983. Stop by the winery's tasting room and gift shop to try one of its signature wines, including Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and popular blends Scarlett, Signet, and Cherokee Rose.

At this store, both a shop and museum dedicated to Mother Road memorabilia, you can pose for pictures with vintage cars, kitschy signs, ancient gas pumps, and highway memorabilia while sipping a bottle of sarsaparilla.