10457 Best Sights in USA

Gold mining was an early mainstay of the Mat-Su Valley's economy. You can tour the long-dormant Independence Mine on the Hatcher Pass Road, a loop that in summer connects the Parks Highway just north of Willow to the Glenn Highway near Palmer. The stunningly scenic drive travels past forested streams and alpine meadows and winds high above the tree line. The road to Independence Mine from the Palmer side is paved; the section between the mine and Willow is gravel. In the 1940s the mine employed as many as 200 workers. Today it is a 271-acre state park that has good cross-country skiing in winter. Only the wooden buildings remain; one of them, the red-roof manager's house, is now used as a visitor center.

Independence Square is located within the larger Independence Park. On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read in public here. You can imagine the impact the reading had on the colonists. There are several buildings you can visit within this square, including Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, and the Museum of the American Philosophical Society in Philosophical Hall.

This section of U.S. 191 climbs north from the Price and Helper vicinity, cresting at Indian Creek Pass at an elevation of 9,100 feet. It then begins a long descent into the Uinta Basin area, ending at Duchesne. The winding, 43-mile route takes you through canyons, over plateaus, and into the heart of the geology and natural beauty that define this part of Utah. Take it slow and watch for fallen rocks and rockslides, which often litter the road. There are plenty of scenic viewpoints along the way. Expect at least one hour of driving.

The view from here is of rock formations that draw thousands of climbers to the park each year. This isolated area is reached via Twentynine Palms Highway and Indian Cove Road. You'll find a campground, picnic area, and an easy nature trail in the area.

Look for lizards and roadrunners along this ½-mile loop that follows a desert wash. A walk along this well-signed trail reveals signs of Native American habitation, animals, and flora such as desert willow and yucca. Easy.

The caverns are a tranquil change of pace from theme-park action, offering guided walking tours of ancient limestone caves and their formations. Historians believe that Native Americans used the caves as shelter from harsh weather. The temperature inside is naturally at 52°F year-round, so bring a sweater. The caverns are not handicap accessible, and strollers are not allowed. There's a gift shop with gemstones and souvenirs, a petting barnyard, and a picnic area.

Idaho Springs presently prospers from the hot springs here at Indian Hot Springs Resort. Around the springs, known to the Ute natives as the "healing waters of the Great Spirit," are geothermal caves that were used by tribes as a neutral meeting site. The hot springs, a translucent dome–covered mineral-water swimming pool, mud baths, and geothermal caves are the primary draws for the resort. You don't need to be an overnight guest to soak in the mineral-rich waters; day rates start at $23 for the geothermal cave baths (depending on type of bath and day of week), $25.50 for outdoor Jacuzzi baths, and $19 for the pool. The plain but comfortable spa offers massages and facials.

Mystery surrounds 10-acre Indian Key, on the ocean side of the Matecumbe islands. It was a base for 19th-century shipwreck salvagers until an 1840 attack by Native Americans wiped out the settlement. Dr. Henry Perrine, a noted botanist, was killed in the raid. Today, his plants grow in the town's ruins. Most people kayak or canoe to the park or take a boat from Robbie's Marina to snorkel or explore nature trails and the town ruins.

When Korczak Ziolkowski agreed to carve Crazy Horse at the invitation of a Lakota elder, he determined that he wouldn't stop with the mountain. He wanted an educational institution to sit at the base of the mountain, complete with a center showcasing examples of Native American culture and heritage. The construction in 1972 of the Indian Museum of North America, built from wood and from stone blasted from the mountain, was the initial step in that direction. The permanent collection of paintings, clothing, photographs, and artifacts represents many of the continent's tribes. There is also a space for temporary exhibits that often showcase works by modern Native American artists.

Dedicated to the 19 Pueblo tribes in New Mexico, the multilevel semicircular layout of this museum was inspired by Pueblo Bonito, an astounding prehistoric ruin in Chaco Canyon, in northwestern New Mexico. Start by visiting their permanent exhibit space We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story, which interprets the Pueblo people's legacy through carried-down traditions and remarkable pieces from their renowned holdings of fine Native American pottery, textiles, baskets, and other masterworks. Changing exhibits may feature close-ups of a particular artist, such as the colorful and gorgeously composed copper-plate prints of Santa Clara Pueblo painter Helen Hardin. Mural tours celebrating 20 large-scale painted works by Pueblo artists on display here are offered on Wednesday and Friday at 11 am and 1 pm. Ceremonial dances are performed year-round on weekends; artisans (with their handcrafted wares available for purchase) are on site Tuesday through Sunday, and there are often arts-and-crafts demonstrations as well. The museum gift shop provides a fine overview of current Pueblo arts. The menu at its Indian Pueblo Kitchen restaurant, an appealing spot (complete with a shaded patio) for breakfast or lunch, is tastily influenced by Indigenous food traditions. Note that the museum lies a bit northeast of Old Town—a five-minute drive away in the Los Duranes neighborhood.

When entering this Gulf Coast town, the road narrows to two lanes and is lined with upscale residential condos instead of busy hotels. There are quite a few beach access points, though your best bet is a landscaped facility offering ample parking, nearby food and drink, and an occasional event. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

A popular place where since 1976 Alaskans have had their game processed, Indian Valley Meats has a shop that sells smoked salmon and reindeer, along with buffalo sausage made on the premises. The folks here will smoke, can, and package any fish you've caught, and they'll arrange for shipping.

This solemn smattering of structures, accessed by a short loop trail behind the Yosemite Museum, offers a look at what Native American life might have been like in the 1870s. One interpretive sign points out that the Miwok people referred to the 19th-century newcomers as "Yohemite" or "Yohometuk," which have been translated as meaning "some of them are killers." 

After driving through the hot desert, you'll surely appreciate a cold one at Indian Wells Brewing Company, where master brewer Rick Lovett lovingly crafts his Lobotomy Bock, Amnesia I.P.A., and Lunatic Lemonade, among others. If you have the kids along, grab a six-pack of his specialty root beer and soda pop available in more than 100 flavors.

The park's main visitor center, also known as the Dorothy Buell Visitor Center, is open daily (8 am to 6 pm in summer and 8:30 am to 4:30 pm the rest of the year). It has displays, an activity room, a bookstore, art exhibits, and video presentations.

Before you head inside, take note of the outside of this White River State Park museum, made from materials all native to the state and embedded with sculptural icons that represent Indiana's 92 counties. Exhibits inside reveal the Hoosier State from its geological formation to its Native American heritage as well as its inclusion as the 19th state to its economic ups and downs in the 20th century. The museum also houses a working re-creation of Indy's historic L.S. Ayers tearoom and an IMAX theater.

With nearly 473,000 square feet of fun-filled interactive exhibits, there's no doubt this attraction is one of the best children's museums in the country. Adults gawk with wide-eyed wonder at the Dale Chihuly "Fireworks of Glass" sculpture that dangles down through the five-story atrium, while kids go gaga over pretty much everything else. Highlights include "Dinosphere," where visitors get a look at Baby Louie, who gained fame on the cover of National Geographic as the only known articulated dinosaur embryo. "ScienceWorks" gets kids thinking about nature, buildings and the efforts that connect them together; plus, it features a popular climbing wall. The whimsical fifth-level antique carousel runs all day long and rides are only $1 for nonmembers. Museum parking is free.

This 8-mile trail was seven years in the making and serves as both community connector and recreational haven. Traversing through six major Indy neighborhoods—some of them super-hip, some of them not so much—it passes institutions of art, culture and education. Besides offering cyclists and pedestrians a safe, dedicated and well-maintained trail, it also encouraged new residential and commercial building projects along the way.

More than 125 years ago, this impressive art and cultural institution got its start with an exhibit of 453 works by 137 artists in a downtown Indianapolis hotel. It has since evolved into a collection more than 54,000 works, representing all genres, eras and continents. Known for its outstanding examples of watercolors by J.M.W. Turner, the museum also showcases a broad range of contemporary pieces and a recently reopened African collection of more than 300 objects. Another highlight is the outdoor 100 Acres sculpture park. On the second and fourth Saturday of each month, the museum offers themed tours geared toward younger visitors.

Forget cages. The Indianapolis Zoo is all about biomes, providing its 3,000 animals living habitats that simulate the real thing. Here, you'll find temperate and tropical forests with red pandas, white-handed gibbons, otters, Alaskan brown bears, and American bald eagles. In the desert biome, look out for the rare Jamaican iguana, the meerkats and the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana. Across the plains you'll see kudu, zebra, ostriches, lions and baboons. The brand-new Flights of Fancy exhibit gives winged beauties the spotlight, showcasing hundreds of exotic and local birds. A zoo favorite is the Marine Mammals exhibit, which boasts the world's only underwater dolphin viewing dome. This, plus the zoo's meticulous landscaping of its White River Gardens won the zoo the country's first triple accreditation as zoological park, aquarium and botanical garden.

A half-mile west of U.S. 101, head south from Highway 246 on Industrial Way to explore a hip and happening collection of food and drink destinations. Top stops include Industrial Eats (a craft butcher shop and restaurant), Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, and the Buscador Winery tasting room.

This popular gallery displays Jirby's whimsical, brightly colored landscape paintings. Her work is bold and colorful, and largely dedicated to her favorite subject: the Taos landscape. She was born in Kiruna, Sweden (north of the Arctic Circle), and it was there she learned to paint, influenced by Swedish artists who had studied with Impressionists. Be sure to stroll through the lovely sculpture garden.

One of the joys of hiking here is arriving in South Addison, a fishing hamlet on a remote neck west of Jonesport. The wide harbor views in this sleepy spot make you feel like you've discovered the real Maine. More magical moments of discovery await at this 145-acre Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve, which has a 3.4-mile trail network that winds through the woods before hitting the coast at Carrying Place Cove and Wahoa Bay. The trailhead is at South Addison Community of Christ Church parking lot; hikers are allowed to park at the back of the church.

Located near the Washington Birthplace Monument about 40 minutes east of Fredericksburg, this vineyard is one of Virginia's oldest and largest wineries, and has won the prestigious Virginia Governor's Cup more times than any other winery. It produces one of the few sparkling wines from Virginia. There are also white wines (viognier, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, and chardonnay) and reds (sangiovese, cabernet franc, and sauvignon) as well as specially produced labels. The vineyards cover about 65 acres of gently rolling countryside whose climate and sandy loam soil is similar to that of Bordeaux, France. The winery has a tasting bar, a gift shop with grape-related gifts, a large outdoor patio with umbrella tables and a fountain, and a large indoor room for group tastings. There are also two cabins for overnight stays.

A runt compared to today's tall buildings, this sparkling 19-story high-rise from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was a trailblazer when it was built in the late 1950s. It was the first skyscraper erected with external supports (allowing for wide-open, unobstructed floors within), the first to employ steel pilings (driven 85 feet down to bedrock), the first in the Loop to be fully air-conditioned, and the first to feature underground parking.

"The winemaker is in," reads a driveway sign when owner Kathleen Inman, who crafts her winery's Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other Russian River Valley wines, is present. Her restrained, balanced, exceedingly food-friendly output also includes rosé of Pinot Noir, sparkling wines, and Pinot Gris. Inman’s zeal to recycle is evident everywhere, most conspicuously in the tasting room, where redwood reclaimed from an on-site barn was incorporated into the design, and crushed wine-bottle glass was fashioned into the bar. Tastings, some held on an outdoor patio, are by appointment. Book a "Meet the Maker" session to learn directly from the source about her farming, fermenting, and aging methods.

At the intersection of Cambridge and Hampshire streets, Inman Square has a great cluster of restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops. This place is just plain cool. Sadly, there's no T service to Inman, but you can get here from Harvard Square or Central Square on foot.

This Mesozoic-era karst cavern 24 miles north of Austin was discovered in 1963 and opened to the public three years later. Visitors enter from a 1¼-mile hiking path. Tours vary in length from just a little more than an hour to nearly four hours, the latter not suitable for kids under 13. The temperature is a year-round 72°. Sometimes there are $1 coupons on the website.