10457 Best Sights in USA

Built in 1792 by Zephaniah Kingsley, a landowner who produced Sea Island cotton, citrus, sugarcane, and corn with the aid of about 60 slaves, this is the oldest remaining cotton plantation in the state. Take a self-guided tour of a barn and 23 tabby (a concretelike mixture of sand and crushed shells) slave houses to learn about the lives of the people who labored here. Weekend open-house hours are available, yet limited from 10 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm to protect the structure.

This narrow 6-mile path offers the easiest trail access to the most remote parts of the park. The trail spurs off of the Weston Lake Loop and parallels Cedar Creek before jutting south, and then turns to rejoin the creek at the South Cedar Creek Canoe Landing. This trail is not a loop, so either drop a car for a shuttle or plan an out-and-back hike. Moderate.

There are few better places in New Mexico to soak in wide-open prairie vistas, clear skies, and fresh air than in the 230,000-acre Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands. One section of the grasslands is near Clayton and spreads east into Oklahoma and Texas. Another prominent one is about 80 mi west of Clayton, closer to Springer, south of U.S. 56. In the section near Clayton, if you look carefully, you can see ruts made by the wagons that crossed on the Old Santa Fe Trail. The land was drought-stricken during the Dust Bowl of the 1920s and '30s, when homesteaders abandoned their farms. After that, the government purchased the land and rehabilitated it to demonstrate that it could be returned to the tall grassland native to the region.

For an enjoyable loop drive through the grasslands, head east out of Clayton on U.S. 56; at NM 406 head north to just past Seneca, to where NM 406 makes a sharp turn to the east. Take the county gravel road west 3 mi and north 1 mi, noting the interpretive sign about the Santa Fe Trail. Continue a little farther north to the green gate that leads to the trail (following the limestone markers), where you can see ancient wagon ruts. Except for the occasional house or windmill, the view from the trail is not much different from what the pioneers saw.

Costumed reenactments at Kit Carson Museum demonstrate 19th-century life on what was then the Maxwell Land Grant, but is now part of the incredible Philmont Ranch. Exhibits include a working horno (oven), blacksmith shop, and the Maxwell Trading Post—stocked as it might have been during Santa Fe Trail days. Period crafts are also demonstrated, and free tours are given.

This centrally located town park is a good place to rest or get active. Landscaped with mature trees and lilacs that bloom in the springtime, it has facilities for baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and a .75-mile track towards the east of the park as well as trails throughout for walking and jogging. The perfect site for summer concerts and outdoor family films and other events, the 19-acre park also holds the Kit Carson Cemetery, the final resting place for many famous (and infamous) Taos characters including Kit Carson, Padre Martinez, and Mabel Dodge Luhan.

After much discussion back in the late 1950s, tribal leaders of the Tohono O'odham nation agreed to share a small section of their 4,400-square-mile reservation with the National Science Foundation to house sophisticated research telescopes. Currently, Kitt Peak Observatory houses two dozen active research telescopes, the largest number in one place. The visitor center has hands-on astronomy activities and exhibits, information about the telescopes, and hour-long guided tours ($20 per person) daily. Complimentary brochures enable you to take self-guided tours of the grounds, and there are picnic areas and walking trails outside. The observatory also offers an outstanding nightly program, recommended for ages eight and older ($75 per person); reservations are necessary. Some snacks and drinks are sold here, which is good to know, because there are no restaurants (or gas stations, for that matter) within 20 miles of Kitt Peak.

The six galleries in this excellent regional history museum set inside the opulent Victorian Cadwell Building showcase one of the state's better pioneer artifact collections, ranging from Native American basketry to early-20th-century carriages. There's also an impressive collection of historic photos.

The anthropology, history, geology, and wildlife of the Klamath Basin are explained at this extensive museum set inside the city's historic armory building, with special attention given to the hardships faced by early white settlers. Also part of the museum's domain are the Baldwin Hotel Museum, which is also downtown, and the Fort Klamath Museum and 8-acre frontier-era military garrison that you reach by driving 35 miles north on Highway 62.

A half-dozen miles from Craig is the Tlingit village of Klawock, with a sawmill, cannery, hatchery, and the island's only airport. The town is best known for its striking totem poles in Totem Park. Several of these colorful poles were moved here in the 1930s; others are more recent carvings. You can watch carvers restoring old totems at the carving shed, across the road from the grocery store.

Along the bay you'll find the Catholic church St. John by the Sea, with stained-glass windows picturing Native Alaskans.

Klawock is also home to the Klawock River Hatchery, one of the state's most effective hatcheries. Though the facility isn't open to the public, visitors can watch the coho and sockeye salmon in the river (but keep an eye out for bears).

The old-vine Zinfandels of this winery named for the bricks used to construct Lodi buildings of days past score well in competitions for their smooth tannins and complex flavors. Like the Cabernet Sauvignon, they're reasonably priced considering the quality. Lighter offerings include sparkling wines, Albariño, and the Vorgänger white blend. If the weather's good, taste outside and enjoy garden and vineyard views. Request a Reserve Flight ($20) to sample top-of-the-line reds.

A tiny yet delightful free museum illustrating Seattle's role in the 1897-98 Gold Rush in the Klondike region, this gem is located inside a historic redbrick building with wooden floors and soaring ceilings. Walls are lined with photos of gold miners, explorers, and the hopeful families who followed them. Interactive components include ranger talks and gold-panning demonstrations.

Housed in the former White Pass & Yukon Route Depot, this wonderful museum contains exhibits, photos, and artifacts from the White Pass and Chilkoot Trails. It's a must-see for anyone planning on taking a White Pass train ride, driving the nearby Klondike Highway, or hiking the Chilkoot Trail. Films, ranger talks, and walking tours are offered.

Stop here not so much for the cabin itself, but as an excuse to ogle the scenery. George Knapp, a Santa Barbara businessman, stored gear in this small wooden structure when he commissioned fishing trips into the canyon in the 1920s.

Perfect for a sunset stroll, this easy 2-mile (round-trip) walk around the north rim of the park leads to an overlook of the Montezuma Valley. If you stop at all the flora identification points that the trail pamphlet suggests, the hike takes about 1½ to 2 hours. The patches of asphalt you spot along the way are leftovers from old Knife Edge Road, built in 1914 as the main entryway into the park. Easy.

A 60-mile drive north of Bismarck, this site makes for an excellent day trip for anyone interested in Native American culture. The monument preserves depressions formed by the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes' circular earth-and-timber lodges. The museum and interpretive center display pottery shards, other artifacts, and a full-scale furnished replica of an earth lodge. There are also a few hiking trails that originate at the monument; the 1.5-mile Village Trail passes through what remains of two different villages.

Pivotal accomplishments in engineering history occurred at the nation's last functioning water-powered foundry and machine shop, established in 1873 and these days run by volunteers. Namesake Samuel Knight's innovations included a revolutionary system for casting iron and the one-piece Knight Water Wheel for generating power. You can tour on the second Saturday of the month or on workdays (usually Wednesday). Plaques and outdoor exhibits accessible at all hours convey some of this facility's fascinating story.

Two businessmen brothers own this winery that produces collector-quality Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon on a secluded Knights Valley AVA estate. All the wine production on this site, whose elevation varies from 300 to 900 feet, takes place underground in an ingeniously designed cave. Most visits begin with a UTV side-by-side property tour, passing by dry-farmed, head-trained Chardonnay vines more than three decades old and several Cabernet and other Bordeaux-grape blocks. Although in Sonoma County, the winery bears a Calistoga address; if using GPS, make sure to enter the correct coordinates.

This lively amusement park is fun for all ages. Once a 160-acre boysenberry farm, it's now an entertainment complex with close to 40 rides, dozens of restaurants and shops, arcade games, live shows, and a brick-by-brick replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Take a step back into the 1880s while walking through Knott's Old West Ghost Town. Ride on a horse-drawn stagecoach or board a steam engine to start your journey into the park; just keep your valuables close to you, as bandits might enter your train car and put on quite a humorous show. Camp Snoopy has 15 kid-friendly attractions. There are awesome thrill rides including the exhilarating steel coaster Pony Express that goes from zero to 35 mph in less than three seconds.

Be sure to get a slice of boysenberry pie, as well as boysenberry soft-serve ice cream, jam, juice—you name it. There's even a Boysenberry Food Festival once a year. In the fall, part of the park is turned into Knott's Scary Farm, a popular activity for teens and adults. FastLane wristbands give you quicker access to the most popular rides. Purchase tickets online for a savings on single tickets, dining bundle and purchase four or more single day tickets for an even better discount.

Fun fact: In 1934, Cordelia Knott began serving chicken dinners on her wedding china to supplement her family's income. The dinners and her boysenberry pies proved more profitable than her husband Walter's berry farm, so the two moved first into the restaurant business and then into the entertainment business.

Knott’s Soak City Waterpark is directly across from Knott's Berry Farm on 15 acres offering speed tubes, family rafting, a lazy river, and body slides. Pacific Spin is an oversize waterslide that drops riders 75 feet into a catch pool. There’s also a children’s pool, a 750,000-gallon wave pool, and a fun house. Soak City’s season runs mid-May through September and is a separate admission ticket.

This classic roadside shop has a large selection of Alaska handicrafts as well as a mounted wildlife display and a yard full of spruce-burl sculptures that photographers find hard to resist. Burls are actually caused by parasites in the living tree, and they create beautiful patterns in the wood. There's a wide selection of handmade local art, such as beadwork and carvings. Don't forget to scoop up one of about a dozen ice cream flavors at the spruce-burl counter.

A true Revolutionary War hero, General Henry Knox was responsible for bringing key artillery equipment from Fort Ticonderoga to General Washington in Boston to end the siege of 1776. He also commanded troops at Brandywine, Valley Forge, and Yorktown. Following the war, Knox settled in Thomaston (where he is buried) and built a fine mansion called Montpelier beside the St. George River. Unfortunately, his descendants allowed it to fall into severe disrepair, and it was torn down. In 1931, a carefully researched replica was built nearby, and it is this grand white building that sits on a rise at the eastern end of town today. Tour guides tell the story of General Knox while leading you through the elegant interiors.

Designed by renowned museum architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, the four-level concrete-and-steel building is faced in Tennessee pink marble. It devotes ample space to regional artists and includes four exhibition galleries, an exploratory gallery for children, a great hall, an auditorium, a museum store, and an outdoor sculpture garden.

The towering, steaming volcano commands attention from every part of the park. But even that doesn't compare to the experience waiting inside the volcano. The ride is based on the concept that a body remains at rest until acted upon by another force. You step onto a seemingly solid floor that supports your body weight; the "other force" is gravity, when the door disappears. That's when the reaction is your body falling through the void and into a 70-degree, 12-story drop—a dizzying descent that rockets you right into the splashdown pool. Rinse and repeat. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairways and exit the splash pool unassisted or with help from members of their party. This ride accepts only the Express PLUS Pass.

Follow pathways adorned by Mt. Fuji trees at this lovely hillside pocket park. The trees and a 200-year-old stone lantern were donated by Seattle's sister city of Kobe, Japan. Despite being so close to I–5, the terrace is a peaceful place to stroll and enjoy views of the city, the water, and, if you're lucky, Mt. Rainier; a few benches line the gravel paths. The herb gardens you see are part of the Danny Woo Community Gardens, tended to by neighborhood residents. Across the street from the park is the historic Panama Hotel, featured in the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Artifacts from the days of Japanese internment are on display, including a window on the floor showing a basement storage space containing a time capsule of unclaimed belongings.

The Kobuk Valley provides a glimpse into what the thousand-mile-wide grassland of Beringia, the land connecting Asia and North America during the last ice age, looked like. The Kobuk River bisects the national park, with dunes to the south and broad wetlands leading to the Baird Mountains to the north. Running hundreds of miles from the Endicott Mountains to Kotzebue Sound, the generally wide river has been used for transportation for thousands of years. It also sustains a big population of sheefish, a large predatory whitefish in the salmon family that spawns in the river's upper reaches every fall. A portion of the vast Western Arctic caribou herd uses the Kobuk Valley as a winter range, and the boreal forest reaches its northernmost limits here.

South of the Kobuk River, the Great Kobuk (the largest active, high-altitude dune field on Earth), Little Kobuk, and Hunt River Sand Dunes—stabilized by small trees, shrubs, and the lichen that's typical of the tundra—cover much of the southern Kobuk Valley. They formed when glaciers slowly pulverized mountain rock into sand that washed into the valley during the last ice age. Of note, a flowering herb called the Kobuk locoweed is only found on the slopes of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Most outfitters and air taxis that operate in the Arctic will take visitors to the sand dunes.

Get an impressive view into the 60-room Kodak House and its several small kivas from here. The house, closed to the public, was named for a Swedish researcher who absentmindedly left his Kodak camera behind here in 1891.

Formerly the Baranov Museum, this spot has been designed to collect, educate about, and inform on the many diverse perspectives and stories of Kodiak's rich past—from the 7,500 years of Alutiiq history to the role of the region in World War II. The museum’s permanent and temporary exhibits are housed in an old building first commissioned in the 1800s by Alexander Baranov, the chief manager for the fur-trading Russian-American Company. This building is considered the oldest building in the state that is not an Alaska Native structure.

Indispensable for those exploring the wildlife refuge, this center a block from the downtown ferry dock is an interesting stop on its own. Wander through exhibits about the refuge's flora and fauna, attend an interpretive talk, and marvel at the complete 36-foot hanging skeleton of a male gray whale on the second floor.