10457 Best Sights in USA

A British cannonball is lodged in a corner of this 1713 former inn, tavern, and stagecoach stop that was also the home of the noted architect Cass Gilbert (1859–1934). Period furniture and Revolutionary War memorabilia fill the museum, where guides dressed in Colonial costumes conduct tours. The garden house, designed and built by Gilbert in 1915, overlooks a brick-walled garden with a reflecting pool and rose arbors. It's lovely in early summer.

If you need to chill out after the high-velocity Humunga Kowabunga, venture up to Keelhaul Falls, a laid-back trip down the left side of Mount Mayday. Just kick back and relax as your blue tube cruises down the 400-foot slide and into a pool. Although its winding path and scenic descent can be satisfying, thrill seekers might be disappointed. Nevertheless, this ride isn't appropriate for guests who are pregnant or who have heart, back, or neck problems.

Ride before or after Mayday Falls.

Eight acres of vineyards planted in 2004–5 are now bearing eight varieties of grapes, which owners Doug Hausler and his wife, Edwidge Denyszen, combine with grapes from other local vineyards to produce about 2,000 cases of wine annually. Taste wine while you browse Keels Creek Gallery, a spacious showroom featuring works by regional artists.

This is one of the premier spots on Kauai for sunset walks and the start of the state's longest beach. We don't recommend much water activity here without first talking to a lifeguard. The beach is exposed to open ocean and has an onshore break that can be hazardous any time of year. However, there are some excellent surf breaks for experienced surfers. If you'd like to run or stroll on a beach, this is the one—the hard-packed sand goes on for miles, all the way to Napali Coast, but you won't get past the Pacific Missile Range Facility and its access restrictions. Another bonus for this beach is its relatively dry weather year-round. If it's raining where you are, try Kekaha Beach Park. Toilets at the west MacArthur Park section are the portable kind. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

On the northernmost stretch of the park's coastline, this lovely beach fronts an absolutely beautiful bay with crystal-clear, deep aquamarine water. It's peaceful in summer, but the park's paved entrance, amenities, and parking lot make the beach very accessible and, as a result, often crowded. Fine white sand sits in stark contrast to old black lava flows, and there's little shade—bring umbrellas. Rocky shores on either side protect the beach from afternoon winds and offer some fabulous snorkeling spots. Gates open daily from 8 to 7. In winter, surf can get rough, and often the sand washes away. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

This boutique winery's guests discover why "wind to wine" is the Petaluma Gap AVA's slogan. The steady Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay breezes that mitigate the midday heat give the grapes thick "sailor's skin," heightening their tannins and flavor, says Ana Keller, whose parents began planting vineyards here in 1989 on former dairy fields. Tastings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah wines usually take place alfresco on a stone terrace shaded by umbrellas and flowering pear trees. On most days, a few dozen cars collected by winery founder Arturo Keller are on display.

A widely lauded example of public landscape architecture, this series of 18-foot-high stone waterfalls gushes across from the front entrance of the Keller Auditorium—a cool spot to dip your toes on a summer day. Each minute, 13,000 gallons of water fall and churn through the fountain's cascading platforms.

The ghost town of Kelly, 4 mi south of town, is reputed to be haunted, and during the Old Timers Reunion a 7K race finishes here (it begins in the village). During its boom time 3,000 people lived in the town. You cannot go into the mine, but you can get a permit to walk around and collect rocks at Tony's Rock Shop in Magdalena at 9th and Kelly (575/854–2401).

OK, we'll cut to the chase—the Kemah Boardwalk is a commercial, touristy development run by Landry's Restaurants (the folks who brought you Joe's Crab Shack and Saltgrass Steakhouse)—but most people love it. Just off I–45 between Houston and Galveston, this cluster of moderately priced restaurants, amusement-park rides, game arcades, and inns is set on a bustling ship channel. It's a family-oriented destination where you can catch a Gulf breeze, eat seafood, shop, or just watch the ships sail by. Kids can get up close to some of nature's most misunderstood creatures at Stingray Reef—they can even feed them. A 96-foot-tall wooden coaster called the Boardwalk Bullet was recently added to the mix. It reaches speeds of 51 mph—only five feet from the water's edge. Don't eat first!

Just southwest of adjacent Dunbar Beach, Kemil has good access to Dunes Ridge Trail and Indiana Dunes State Park. Amenities: parking (entrance pass required); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has an ever-growing permanent collection of 700 works in a broad range of media.

This primitive trail, one of the longest on the North Rim, travels 10 miles one-way (allow six hours each way) from the trailhead at 8,250 feet to Point Imperial at 8,803 feet. It crosses drainages and occasionally detours around fallen trees. The end of the road, at Point Imperial, brings the highest views from either rim. Note that there is no water along this trail. Difficult.

Carlton's former train depot is now the tasting room for Ken Wright Cellars and his warm-climate label, Tyrus Evan. The winery specializes in single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, each subtly different from the next depending on the soil types and grape clones. The wines are poured side by side, giving you an opportunity to go back and forth to compare them. The Tyrus Evan wines are quite different from the Ken Wright Pinots: they are warm-climate varieties like Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, and red Bordeaux blends, from grapes Wright buys from vineyards in eastern Washington and southern Oregon.

The Kenai Fjords explode with glaciers, temperate rain forests, and wildlife. The marine mammals you'll likely see on a cruise or kayak trip through the fjords include Dall's porpoises, sea lions, otters, seals, dolphins, and whales (orca, humpback, gray, minke, sei, and fin). In the air, on the water, and populating the many islands and outcroppings along the way are almost 200 species of birds that call this region home, including falcons, eagles, and puffins.

Located in Seward's small-boat harbor, the park's main visitor center is open daily June to mid-September. It contains a small shop, issues marine tour tickets, and offers free viewings of a short two-minute film narrated from the perspective of a wilderness kayaker, a marine ecologist, and a Sugpiaq family whose ancestors hailed from the region.

The refuge's nearly 2 million acres include a portion of the Harding Icefield as well as two large and scenic lakes, Skilak and Tustumena. This is the area's premier moose habitat, and the waterways are great for canoeing and kayaking. The refuge maintains two visitor centers. The main center, in Soldotna, has wildlife dioramas, free films and information, and a bookstore and gift shop. There's also a seasonal "contact" center at Mile 58 of the Sterling Highway, open from mid-June to mid-August. Wildlife is plentiful even by Alaskan standards. Although caribou seldom appear near the road, Dall sheep and mountain goats live on the peaks near Cooper Landing, and black and brown bears, wolves, coyotes, lynx, beavers, and lots of birds reside here, along with many moose.

The refuge's canoe trail system runs through the Swan Lake and Swanson River areas. Covering more than 140 miles on 100 lakes and the Swanson River, this route escapes the notice of most visitors and residents. It's a shame because this series of lakes linked by overland portages offers fantastic access to the remote backcountry, well away from what passes for civilization in the subarctic. The fishing improves exponentially with distance from the road system.

Kendall Lake Shelter has 10 picnic tables (two are wheelchair-accessible), an outdoor grill, bathrooms, and a water fountain. The rustic shelter, designed by Akron architect Albert Good, is beautifully set at the base of a hill that fronts the man-made Virginia Kendall Lake, and surrounded by rolling hills. The lake and the shelter were both built in 1933 by men working with FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, established during the Great Depression to help alleviate nationwide unemployment. The layout was carefully conceived so that it blended with the natural landscape.

Exotic water lilies, lotuses, hyacinths, and other water-loving plants thrive in this 8-acre sanctuary of quiet ponds, protected wetlands, and marshy flats, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens' wetland animals include turtles, frogs, beavers, spring azure butterflies, and dozens of species of birds, which may be seen along the 1½-miles of walking trails. Watch out for the Lotus and Water Lily Festival in July.  Visit in July for the peak lily bloom; 9 am is the best time to see early morning blossoms.

There's a tiny, child-friendly museum in the visitor center. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash. The nearest Metro stop is a 10-minute walk away, but there is ample free parking. Exit gates are locked promptly at 4.

Named Kenmore by a later owner, this house was built in 1775 on a 1,300-acre plantation owned by Colonel Fielding Lewis, a patriot and merchant, and brother-in-law of George Washington. Lewis sacrificed his fortune to operate a gun factory and otherwise supply General Washington's forces during the Revolutionary War. As a result, his debts forced his widow to sell the home following his death. The outstanding plaster moldings in the ceilings and over the fireplace in the dining room are even more ornate than those at Mount Vernon. It's believed that the artisan responsible for them worked frequently in both homes, though his name is unknown, possibly because he was an indentured servant. A multiyear renovation returned the grand house to its original state. It is interesting to note that the walls vary in thickness: 36 inches in the basement, 24 inches on the ground floor, and 18 inches upstairs. Guided 45-minute architectural tours of the home are conducted by docents; the subterranean Crowningshield Museum on the grounds displays Kenmore's collection of fine Virginia-made furniture and family portraits, as well as changing exhibits on Fredericksburg life.

Two blocks north of Fenway Park is Kenmore Square, where shops, restaurants, and the city's emblematic sign advertising Citgo gasoline can be found. The red, white, and blue neon sign from 1965 is so thoroughly identified with the area that historic preservationists fought, successfully, to save it. The old Kenmore Square punk clubs have given way to a block-long development of pricey stores and restaurants, as well as brick sidewalks, gaslight-style street lamps, and tree plantings. In the shadow of Fenway Park between Brookline and Ipswich is Lansdowne Street, a nightlife magnet for the trendy, who have their pick of dance clubs and pregame bars. The urban campus of Boston University begins farther west on Commonwealth Avenue, in blocks thick with dorms, shops, and restaurants.

Kennebunk Beach has three distinct stretches, one after another, along Beach Avenue, which is lined with cottages and old Victorians. The southernmost Mother's Beach is popular with families. Rock outcroppings lessen the waves, and a playground and tidal pools keep kids busy. This is followed by the stony Middle Beach. The most northerly, and the closest to downtown Kennebunkport, is Gooch's Beach, the main swimming beach. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

For an unusual experience, visit this 650-acre grasslands habitat that is home to several rare and endangered species and managed, in part, with controlled burns (an interpretive, mile-long loop trail explains the benefits of burning). Locals call it Blueberry Plains, and a good portion of the area is abloom with the hues of ripening wild blueberries in late July; after August 1, you are welcome to pick and eat all the berries you can find. The area is maintained in a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The Ahtnu and Upper Tanana Athabascan peoples who inhabited the Copper River Region for thousands of years used and traded copper found in the region. These ore deposits were noted by European surveyors in the late 1800s, and, by the early 1900s, prospectors began staking claims in the mountains above Kennicott Glacier. The Kennecott Copper Corporation soon built a mine, a railway (now the McCarthy Road), and a self-contained company town and camp for about 300 workers, replete with company store, skate rink, school, tennis court, and dairy.

In just 24 years, from 1911 to 1935, the company processed nearly $200 million of copper. By 1938, however, the copper ore was depleted, and the company ceased operations, leaving behind equipment, facilities, and debris. Today, the abandoned mine is one of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve's main attractions, and restoration works have been an ongoing effort for almost two decades. The best way to see the mine is on a tour with one of the area operators, though only St. Elias Alpine Guides is authorized to take you into some of the restored buildings.

While exploring the area, it's hard not to notice the different spellings of the mine and the glacier, which was named after Robert Kennicott, a geologist who surveyed the area in 1899. Believed to have been caused by a clerical error, the discrepancy can be confusing, unless you look at it as a way to differentiate the man-made landmarks from the natural ones.

On weekends much of the year and some major holidays, docents conduct guided 90-minute surface tours of one of the gold-rush era's most prolific, and one of the world's deepest, mines. Exhibits inside the remaining buildings illustrate how gold flakes were melted for shipment to San Francisco and how "skips" were used to lower miners and materials into the mile-long shaft and carry ore to the surface.

A moving part of any visit to Arlington National Cemetery is a visit to the graves of John F. Kennedy and other members of his family. President Kennedy is buried under an eternal flame near two of his children, who died in infancy, and his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis; his is the most-visited grave site in the country. The graves are a moderate walk west of the visitor center. Across from them is a low wall engraved with quotations from Kennedy's inaugural address. Nearby, marked by two simple white crosses, are the graves of his brothers Robert Kennedy and Edward "Ted" Kennedy, as well as a headstone marking the grave of eldest brother Joseph Kennedy.

Proximity to the Mason-Dixon Line helped make Kennett Square particularly active in the Underground Railroad: slavery was legal in nearby Delaware, so Pennsylvania was the first free state encountered by many escaping enslavement. Among the area's abolitionists were Quakers and members of the local African American community. The Kennett Underground Railroad Center, based in one room in the Kennett Heritage Center, preserves this history, offering a two-hour guided bus tour of related sites on one Sunday a month most of the year. The tours are family-friendly and stop at historic houses, Quaker meetinghouses, and documented Underground Railroad sites. The Kennett Heritage Center ( kennettheritagecenter.org), located downtown in a 1901 house, presents town history with modern, information-packed panels and also has some photographs and artifacts. The focus is on the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, the Underground Railroad, and agricultural history. 

One of America's oldest amusement parks and a National Historic Landmark, contains water rides and several roller coasters—including three wooden coasters dating from the 1920s. The park is 10 mi southeast of Downtown.

The site of a former dairy, the brewery now produces some of the more compelling beers in the state, from IPAs made with their farm-grown hops, to lagers, smooth wheat ales, and farmhouse ales with an eye-opening array of flavors found in wildly collected yeasts. Few places in the country offer a closer connection between the farm, nature, and the beverage in your hand. An on-site tasting room allows for samples and drinks at the farm, with bottles, cans, and growlers to-go. There's no food, so bring your own snacks for the visit.