10457 Best Sights in USA

The 19th century poet, playwright, and actor John Howard Payne so loved this circa-1720 saltbox home that, it is said, it became the inspiration for his now-famous lyrics for the song, "Home Sweet Home." Today guided tours lead you through a refined home decorated with English ceramics and American furniture and textiles. The museum is in a historic district within walking distance of 19th-century windmills, including the Old Hook Mill.

This elegant Federal-period mansion was once the home of Charles Carroll Jr., son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Deeded to Johns Hopkins University in 1902, the house served as faculty club and offices before being fully restored to its 1801 grandeur (it's one of the finest examples of the neoclassical architecture of the period).

Homolovi is a Hopi word meaning "place of the little hills." The pueblo sites here are thought to have been occupied between AD 1200 and 1425 and include 40 ceremonial kivas and two pueblos containing more than 1,000 rooms each. The Hopi believe their immediate ancestors inhabited this place, and they consider the site sacred. Many rooms have been excavated and recovered for protection. The Homolovi Visitor Center has a small museum with Hopi pottery and Ancestral Pueblo artifacts; it also hosts workshops on native art, ethnobotany, and traditional foods. Campsites with water and hookups are nearby.

Not technically a beach, this beautiful small bay is an underwater wonderland. Living in and among a wide stretch of lovely coral gardens, yellow tangs, coronet fish, triggerfish, eels, eagle rays, and even Hawaiian green sea turtles make daily appearances. Access is via a lava rock step. Due to its easy access, this spot has seen much overuse in recent years and can get very crowded. Only a few parking spots are available outside the bay as it's also an active fishing launch area. Please visit with the utmost respect to other users of the bay, including residents, canoe club members, fishermen, and others. Please do not stand on coral, use toxic sunscreen, or chase or herd dolphins ($500 fines for violators). Early is best for all conditions—there will be fewer humans and more fish.

If you're seeking an almost completely undeveloped beach that's still easily accessible by car, this is one of your best bets. Northwest of Clearwater, this large state park offers some of the best shell hunting you'll find, as well as thousands of feet of serene beachfront. If you head north along the park road, you find extensive hiking trails, along which you'll see an astonishing array of birds. You can also catch a ferry to Caladesi Island from here. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Sustainable farming is the big story at this family-run winery. When offered, the absorbing Eco-Tour and Tasting focuses on the Honig family's environmentally friendly farming and production methods, which include using biodiesel to fuel the tractors, monitoring water use in the vineyard and winery, and generating power with solar panels. Bluebirds, hawks, and owls patrol for insects, rodents, and other pests. Known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Honigs also make rosé of Cabernet and late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc. All tastings are by appointment; call ahead for last-minute availability.

This tiny but scenic white-sand-beach park is best known as the birthplace of boogie boarding. That's because boogie board inventor Tom Moray first tried his foam creation out right here in 1971. The Honl's nickname honors a family that once resided here, but its official name is Waiaha, which means "gathered waters." Lots of rocks limit easy access, but it's worth a stop for the history alone. Amenities: parking (no fee); picnic tables; showers; toilets. Best for: body boarding, swimming, sunbathing.

One of the most consistent places on the east side to catch a wave, Honolii is popular with the local surf crowd. The beach is a mix of black sand, coral, and sea glass, with plenty of rocks. A shady grassy area is great for picnics while you watch the surfers. Note that the presence of surfers is not an indication that an area is safe for swimmers; winter surf is very rough. A pond just to the north is good for swimming, but it's deep and there is a drop-off. There's limited parking on the narrow roadside. Walk down the stairs and veer left over the rocks. Amenities: lifeguards; toilets. Best for: surfing.

This Mediterranean Renaissance–style building was constructed in 1929 and serves as the center of government for the City and County of Honolulu. Stroll through the shady, open-ceiling lobby with exhibits of works by local artists. During the winter holiday season, the Hale (Hawaiian for "house") becomes the focal point for the annual Honolulu City Lights, a display of lighting and playful holiday scenes spread around the campus, including the famous, gigantic Shaka Santa and Tute Mele. The mayor's office keeps a calendar of upcoming events.

The world definitely has bigger and newer zoos, but this 42-acre facility features well-paved, walkable trails amid a lush garden with tropical flowers. To get a glimpse of the endangered nene, the Hawaii state bird, check out the zoo's Kipuka Nene Sanctuary. Other highlights include a Japanese Giant Salamander habitat and an ectotherm complex, which houses a Burmese python, elongated tortoises, and a giant African snail. Though many animals prefer to remain invisible—particularly the big cats—the monkeys and elephants appear to enjoy being seen and are a hoot to watch. It's best to get to the zoo when it opens because the animals are livelier in the cool of the morning. Children adore the petting zoo, where they can make friends with a llama or stand in the middle of a koi pond.

There's an exceptionally good gift shop. On weekends, the Art on the Zoo Fence, on Monsarrat Avenue on the Diamond Head side outside the zoo, has affordable artwork by local contemporary artists. Metered parking is available along the makai (ocean) side of the park and in the lot next to the zoo. Parking is free at the lot across the street (at the Waikiki Shell), but it can fill up early. TheBus makes stops here along the way to and from Ala Moana Center and Sea Life Park (Routes 8 and 22).

This attraction comes stamped with the postscript "Turtle and Whale," which simply means that when you reach the top you'll find two tubes (the other being the "Ika Moana" of Honu Ika Moana). It's similar to other rides where you slip into an inner tube and then ride through a slick channel, but the difference here is that you join three others in a four-person raft. Although the speed isn't as fast as single-rider attractions, the sensations are just as enjoyable as the raft sloshes and sweeps around huge walls and rounded corners, into tubes and then out again, before flopping into the final pool. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairways and exit the splash pool without assistance or with help from members of their party.

Part of the joy of visiting this organic U-pick lavender farm that harvests some 75 varieties of the plant is the beautiful drive up the hill from the village of Odell. Stroll through the fields of lavender, relax in a chair taking in mesmerizing views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, or peruse the huge selection of lavender products in the gift shop—everything from lip balms and shampoo to infused teas and dried lavender bouquets. The season for picking fresh lavender yourself is June–September, but you can visit the shop Friday–Sunday the rest of the year.

The recreational anchor of Hood River's modern waterfront district has been opened in phases, starting in 2010, and includes a sheltered sandy cove with a children's play area, picnic tables, a swimming beach, a launch ramp for windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding, and access to a walking trail that connects with Waucoma Basin Marina to the west (a great spot to watch the sunset over the Gorge) and Nichols Boat Basin to the east. Festivals and concerts take place here and elsewhere on the park grounds throughout the year, and a number of hip eateries and bars line the waterfront's main commercial drag, Portway Avenue.

The 2½-mile road to this secluded little gem feels like you're venturing off the beaten path, through an area rich in history. Remnants of an old steamship pier testify to its former role as a thriving port town, complete with (now gone) post office, church, and stores. A favorite of writer Robert Louis Stevenson, Hookena suffered virtual abandonment after tsunami, earthquakes, and the decline of steamship travel. Today, though much quieter, it's still an active Hawaiian fishing village, beloved by residents and tended to by a county-community partnership. The beach has a soft mix of dark brown and gray sand and is backed by steep emerald embankments and a dramatic sloping pali (cliff) that make for picturesque tropical vistas. The bay is usually calm, tranquil, and clear with small surf. The park caretakers oversee beach concessions, camping permits, and security. You can rent equipment, beach chairs, and umbrellas. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The headquarters of the History Cambridge historical society, this Georgian mansion was built in 1685 and is one of the oldest houses in New England. It has been remodeled at least six times while still maintaining much of the original structure. The downstairs is elegantly, although sparsely, appointed with period books, portraits, and wallpaper. An upstairs bedroom has been furnished with period antiques, some belonging to the original residents. Check the website for special events including public art installations, and to see a virtual tour of the house.

Rice grew in the taro fields of Hanalei Valley for almost 80 years—beginning in the 1880s and ending in the early 1960s—and today this history is embodied in the Haraguchi family, whose ancestors threshed, hulled, polished, separated, graded, and bagged rice in their 3,500-square-foot rice mill. It was demolished once by fire and twice by hurricanes, and damaged by flooding in 2018 and 2021. Rebuilt to the standards of the National Register of Historic Places, the mill—with neighboring taro fields—is typically open for tours on a limited schedule mainly due to endangered-bird nesting areas. At the time of writing, tours were not available, but check the website or Instagram (@HanaleiTaro) for updates. The family still farms taro on the onetime rice paddies and also operates the Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. kiosk in Hanalei Town; see  hanaleitaro.com. All proceeds from the historic rice mill go to nonprofit education programs.

Themed (fall foliage, Christmas, and Easter) hour-long train rides make the 10-mile journey between Adams and North Adams in restored historic cars. All trains depart from (and return to) Adams Station.

Accessible off Main Street in Schererville, Indiana, this segment of the park preserves 1,547 acres at the intersection of tallgrass prairies, marshland, and oak savanna, making for notably diverse plant life (more than 350 species in all). A 0.7-mile network of easy trails explore the prairie, marsh, and savanna. There are no fees or facilities.

It’s hard to miss Stanford’s iconic building named for the 31st president of the United States and class of 1895 alum, Herbert Hoover. At 285 feet tall, it’s the closest thing the Peninsula has to a skyscraper. The domed red-tiled roof with a Belgian carillon underneath it can be seen for miles. For most weeks of the year, visitors can take the elevator up to the top for a panoramic view from San Francisco to the bay and East Bay Hills and to the Santa Cruz Mountains.

In 1885 Dr. Henry Minthorn invited his orphan nephew Herbert "Bertie" Hoover to come west and join the Minthorn family in Newberg. Built in 1881, the restored frame house, the oldest and most significant of Newberg's original structures, still has many of its original furnishings, including the president's boyhood bed and dresser. Hoover maintained his connection to Newberg, and visited several times after his presidency.

The coast has a small but impressive roster of craft breweries, and the best of them is this IPA specialist. The charming taproom and its front patio offer flights and full pours of the beers produced in-house. Beyond the hoppy beers, the brewery also serves a range of styles, from tropical-fruit sours to vanilla-coffee stouts.

The surviving redbrick buildings of the former Hope Webbing Company's textile mill now hold artists' studios, galleries (including the workshop of talented handbag designer Kent Stetson), shops, an escape room, the Met music venue, an improv theater, and the marvelously retro BreakTime Bowl and Bar duckpin bowling alley, a popular event venue. 

Here you can stop for the night, learn about the people and their communities, and eat authentic Hopi cuisine. The small but informative museum provides insights about tribal culture. A gift shop sells works by local Hopi artisans at reasonable prices, and a modest picnic area on the west side of the building is a pleasant spot for lunch with a view of the San Francisco Peaks.

If the towering arcade at the entrance to the center appears familiar, it's probably because it resembles the project that architect Wallace K. Harrison completed just after designing it: New York City's Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. The complex includes a 900-seat theater for concerts and film screenings, a 480-seat theater for plays, and a black-box theater for new plays. This is the home of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra and several other performance groups.

This 35-acre vineyard overlooking Lake Waramaug produces more than 14 varieties of wine—from sparkling to dessert. A weathered red barn houses a gift shop and a tasting room, where knowledgeable staff explain the various wines and wine-making techniques. A wine bar in the hayloft, with views of the lake, serves a fine cheese and pâté board. There's also a picnic area.

This winery produces more than 13 different wines, from sparkling to dessert. Tastings are available, and a wine bar in the hayloft with views of the lake serves a fine cheese-and-pâté board.

The childhood home of artist Edward Hopper now serves as an arts center and exhibition space. The famed painter owned the Federal-style house, which was built in 1858 by his grandfather, until his death in 1967. A group of Nyack citizens saved the structure from ruin in 1971. Jazz concerts are held in the backyard on Thursday evenings in July. Look for free street parking one block north.

Built in 1735, this National Historic Landmark overlooks the North Santee River and is surrounded by moss-draped live oaks, magnolias, and tree-size camellias. The mansion has a fine Georgian staircase and hand-carved lighted-candle moldings. In addition to house tours, daily programs focused on the lives of the enslaved people who worked here and the Gullah culture of their descendents are available, and sweetgrass basket-weaving workshops are held on Thursday. The River Oak Cottage Tea Room on-site serves a full menu of Southern treats.

This remote region of the park is accessible by dirt road, and only in good weather. Park at the lip of the canyon and hike 7 miles round-trip to the Great Gallery, considered by some to be the most significant rock-art panel in North America. Ghostly life-size figures in the Barrier Canyon style populate the amazing panel. The hike is moderately strenuous, with a 780-foot descent. Allow at least six hours for the trip and take a gallon of water per person. There's no camping allowed in the canyon, although you can camp on top near the parking lot. Difficult.

Call Hans Flat Ranger Station before heading out because rain can make the access road a muddy mess. Also, make sure to use a map as GPS can be unreliable here.

This gallery carries sought-after Lowcountry paintings and still lifes by 13 artists, including paintings of coastal life and architecture by Mark Kelvin Horton and the moss-draped live oak trees of Clive R. Tyler.