10457 Best Sights in USA

Heading north from Kent toward Cornwall, you'll pass the entrance to 295-acre Kent Falls State Park, where you can walk across a covered bridge, hike a short way to one of the prettiest waterfalls in the state, and picnic in the green meadows at the base of the falls.

Among the area’s most popular attractions for families, the park offers a variety of activities for thrill seekers, including an alpine slide and a zip-line course that can accommodate two people per line (you can opt to go tandem with a guide, if you’re nervous). It also has go-karts, bumper cars and boats, miniature golf, and a giant harness trampoline. Horseback trail rides and canoeing tours are also offered. If you want to stay here, there's a campground and very basic, rustic cabins (you’ll need to bring your own sleeping bag).

Some of the best Kenwood wines—Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and a red blend—are made from Sonoma Mountain AVA grapes the winery farms on the author Jack London's old vineyard. Kenwood, established in 1970, is best known for these wines and its widely distributed Sauvignon Blanc. Since its purchase by France's Pernod Ricard, new to the brand are the top-of-the-line The Barn Chardonnay and The Barn Pinot Noir, whose labels depict the 1906 barn, still in use, erected by the property's original vintners. Tastings are by appointment, though last-minute weekday visits are usually possible.

On the banks of the Queen River, this circa-1886 mill still grinds cornmeal for johnnycakes the old-fashioned way, with enormous granite millstones quarried in Westerly. You can arrange group tours lasting up to 90 minutes, or wait until the weekend and request an individual tour. Special tour weekends in the summer and fall can be combined with kayaking---there's a rental shop on-site. Products may be purchased in the mill shop during business hours.

More of a friendly gesture than a town, this tiny outpost is the last bit of civilization before Kula Highway becomes a winding back road. A coffee tree pushes through the sunny deck at Grandma's Coffee House, the morning watering hole for Maui's paniolo (cowboys) who work at Ulupalakua or Kaupo Ranch. Keokea Gallery next door sells cool, quirky artwork. And two tiny stores—Fong's and Ching's—are testament to the Chinese immigrants who settled the area in the late 19th century.  The only restroom for miles is in the public park, and the view makes stretching your legs worth it.

A pavilion welcomes visitors to this 7-acre county beach park fronting the rugged shore in North Kohala. This is a popular local spot for picnics, fishing, and surfing. You're likely to spot some sea life from shore as well. It's a nice rest stop on your way to Pololu Valley. Enjoy the scenery, but don't try to swim here—the water is very rough. Be careful on the hairpin curve going down.

There's a peaceful beauty to the former fishing village of Keomuku. In 1898, this small community was chosen as the site for the headquarters of the Maunalei Sugar Company, which lasted just three years, closing in 1901, when the well water became too salty for use and financial pressures took their toll. The area was subsequently abandoned. 

Today, the only sign of habitation is the 1903 church, Ka Lanakila O Ka Malamalama, which has been restored by volunteers. Visitors often leave some small token, a shell or lei, here as an offering. To get here, turn right onto the dirt road at the eastern terminus of Highway 440. The church will be on your right, about 5 miles south and amid coconut trees.

The Hawaiian name for this stretch of beach, Keoneloa, means "long sand," but many refer to this beach fronting the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa as Shipwreck Beach. Both make sense. It is a long stretch of crescent beach punctuated by stunning sea cliffs on both ends, and, yes, a ship once wrecked here. With its rough onshore break, the waters off "Shippies" are best for bodyboarding and bodysurfing experts; however, the beach itself is plenty big for sunbathing, sandcastle building, Frisbee throwing, and other beach-related fun. The eastern edge of the beach is the start of an interpretive cliff and dune walk (complimentary) held by the hotel staff; check with the concierge for days and times, and keep an eye out for snoozing monk seals below. Parking is limited. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.

Picnic facilities dot the landscape of this county park, a memorial to Maui's cultural roots. Among the interesting displays are an early-Hawaiian hale (house), a New England-style saltbox, a Portuguese-style villa with gardens, and dwellings from other cultures, such as China and the Philippines.

The peacefulness here belies the history of the area. In 1790, King Kamehameha the Great from the Island of Hawaii waged a successful bloody battle against Kahekili, the son of Maui's chief. An earlier battle at the site had pitted Kahekili against an older Hawaii Island chief, Kalaniopuu. Kahekili prevailed, but the carnage was so great that the nearby stream became known as Wailuku (Water of Destruction), and the place where fallen warriors choked the stream's flow was called Kepaniwai (Damming of the Waters).

A 4.2-mile round-trip woodland trail named for Horace Kephart, a writer and early promoter of the park, wanders beside a stream to the remains of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Close by, the trail takes a moderate slope to Mt. Kephart, gaining more than 900 feet in elevation. Moderate.

The Kaluakoi Hotel is closed, but you can still access its ½-mile ivory-sand beach, which is contrasted by turquoise ocean, black lava outcroppings, and magenta bougainvillea blossoms. When the sea is perfectly calm, lava ridges in the water make good snorkeling spots. With any surf at all, however, the water around these rocky places churns and foams, wiping out visibility and making it difficult to avoid being slammed into the jagged rocks. Stick to the northern part of the beach to avoid as many of the rocks as possible. If the surf is too high for snorkeling, head up the path to the bench and take it all in. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; walking.

Sitting at the highest point in Kerr County and overlooking the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Kerrville Hills Winery was the first winery established in Kerrville in 2008. Built on the footprint of a Kerrville homestead, the tasting room features the building's original double-sided fireplace, winery-facing windows, and unique rustic warehouse decor. Award-winning winemaker John Rivenburgh has a passion for growing high-quality, sustainable Texas grapes, and has gained acclaim for his full-bodied reds like Tannat, Tempranillo, and the Sagrantino. After a wine tasting, grab a glass of your favorite selection as you watch the sun set behind the hills.

Typhoon Lagoon's play area for young children has slides, mini rapids, faux sand castles, squirting whales and seals, bouncing barrels, waterfalls, and sprinklers. The bubbling sand ponds, where youngsters can sit in what seems like an enormous whirlpool bath, are favorites, as is the tiny-scale tube ride. Kids can have spray battles using small water cannons, and families can camp beneath lots of shady lean-tos. For people with disabilities: Accessible for people using water-appropriate wheelchairs.

Parents can take turns watching the kiddies here and riding the thrill slides.

Most visitors to Misty Fjords arrive on day trips via floatplane from Ketchikan or onboard catamarans. Taquan Air ( www.taquanair.com), Island Wings ( www.islandwings.com), and Allen Marine ( www.allenmarinetours.com) are among the top local providers in each category; the bureau can provide a full list.

Straddling the U.S.–Canadian border at the northern juncture of Namakan and Rainy lakes and accessible only by boat, the falls mark the hub of civilization in the park. Construction of dams to control the water flow between the lakes began in 1910, and this led to the area becoming a lodging spot for lumberjacks and fishermen. Today, Kettle Falls is home to the park's only hotel and restaurant.

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail encompasses nine wineries. Recommended: Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Heron Hill, and Ravines Cellars in Hammondsport; Hunt Country Vineyards in Branchport; and Rooster Hill in Penn Yan. Wineries are more or less evenly distributed along the outer edges of the lake.

Several attractions share the same grounds here. The most prominent is the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Occupying the Coast Guard's former garage building, the Keweenaw History Museum documents the region's evolution from a lumber town to a major leader in the mining industry, and exhibits include a mix of photographs and artifacts. Two other museums are on-site and also maintained by the Keweenaw County Historical Society: the Maritime Museum and the Commercial Fishing Museum.

Pet a nurse shark and explore the fascinating underwater realm of the Keys without getting wet at this historic aquarium. Hundreds of tropical fish and enormous sea creatures live here—all locals. A touch tank enables you to handle starfish, sea cucumbers, horseshoe and hermit crabs, and even horse and queen conchs—living totems of the Conch Republic. Built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration as the world's first open-air aquarium, most of the building has been enclosed for all-weather viewing. Guided tours, included in the admission price, feature shark feedings. Tickets are cheaper when booked online.

This air-conditioned refuge for butterflies, birds, and humans gladdens the soul with hundreds of colorful wings—more than 45 species of butterflies alone—in a lovely glass-encased bubble. Waterfalls, artistic benches, paved pathways, birds, and lush, flowering vegetation elevate this above most butterfly attractions. The gift shop and gallery are worth a visit on their own.

You can learn almost as much about a town's history through its cemetery as through its historic houses. Key West's celebrated 20-acre burial place may leave you wanting more, with headstone epitaphs such as "I told you I was sick" and, for a wayward husband, "Now I know where he's sleeping at night." Among the interesting plots are a memorial to the sailors killed in the sinking of the battleship USS Maine, carved angels and lambs marking graves of children, and grand aboveground crypts that put to shame many of the town's dwellings for the living. There are separate plots for Catholics, Jews, and refugees from Cuba. You're free to walk around the cemetery on your own, but the best way to see it is on a 90-minute tour given by the staff and volunteers of the Historic Florida Keys Foundation. Tours leave from the main gate, and reservations are required.

For over 65 years, the Key West Garden Club has maintained lush gardens among the arches and ruins of this redbrick Civil War–era fort. You can see the impressive collection of native and tropical plants while meandering past fountains, sculptures, and a picture-perfect gazebo on a self-guided tour. The garden hosts art, orchid, and flower shows February through April, and volunteers lead private garden tours one weekend in March.

Check out the pretty palm garden next to the Key West Library, just off Duval Street. This leafy, outdoor reading area, with shaded benches, is the perfect place to escape the frenzy and crowds of Old Town. There's free Internet access in the library, too.

For the best view in town, climb the 88 steps to the top of this 1847 lighthouse. The 92-foot structure has a Fresnel lens, which was installed in the 1860s at a cost of $1 million. The keeper lived in the adjacent 1887 clapboard house, which now exhibits vintage photographs, ship models, nautical charts, and artifacts from all along Key West's reefs. A kids' room is stocked with books and toys.

Much of Key West's history, early prosperity, and interesting architecture come from ships that ran aground on its coral reef. Artifacts from the circa-1856 Isaac Allerton, which yielded $150,000 worth of wreckage, comprise the museum portion of this multifaceted attraction. Actors and films add a bit of Disneyesque drama. The final highlight is climbing to the top of the 65-foot lookout tower, a reproduction of the 20 or so towers used by Key West wreckers during the town's salvaging heyday.

Established in 1935, this unique habitat is the only frost-free botanical garden in the continental United States. You won't see fancy topiaries and exotic plants, but you will see an ecosystem that is unique to this area and the Caribbean. Paved walkways take you past butterfly gardens, mangroves, Cuban palms, and ponds where you can spy turtles and fish. There are herons, ibis, and other birds here, too. It's a natural slice of Keys paradise that offers a nice respite from sidewalks and shops.

You can fish, boat, swim, and camp at Keyhole State Park. Bird-watching is a favorite activity here, as up to 225 species can be seen on the grounds. The park is 45 miles east of Gillette and 20 miles south of Devils Tower.

Unusually, you need to knock to gain admission to this toy museum (it's open regularly only on Thursdays and Fridays, but you can visit other times by appointment). Once inside, there are oodles of antique toys—from cars and trains to dolls and teddy bears—and banks. It's a quiet place, obviously the beloved compilation of a dedicated collector, namely Frank Kidd. There are some more recent die-cast items, but the toys range mostly from 1869 to 1939; be aware that these older toys can be shockingly racist as was customary during that time period and would never be produced today. Keep in mind that younger kids may not find the museum atmosphere especially kid-friendly; it's better suited to older kids and vintage-toy enthusiasts.

Established in 1925, this is America's original and oldest children's amusement park. The Herschell-Spillman Carousel's 36 jumping horses have been revolving since it opened in 1925. A Ferris wheel, a small rollercoaster, and many other rides will keep your kids busy for hours. You can get popcorn, pizza, and more at the snack bar.

Originally established in 1925, Kiddie Park is located on the grounds of the San Antonio Zoo but can still be called America's oldest children's amusement park. It has a separate entrance next to the zoo's entrance. Although modern updates have occurred though the years, Kiddie Park preserves its 1920s style that made the park so popular for generations, like its old-fashioned Ferris wheel and the popular hand-carved Herschell-Spillman Carousel. Children ages 1–12 can enjoy all the rides, which are designed for children with no weight or height restrictions. Adults can ride free with their child on the carousel.