10450 Best Sights in USA

Beginning in Deadwood and running the length of the Black Hills, the Mickelson Trail incorporates more than 100 converted railroad bridges, four tunnels, and 15 trailheads along its 109-mile-long course. Although the grade is seldom steep, parts of the trail are strenuous. A $4 day pass or $15 annual pass are available at self-service stations along the trail, some state park offices, and from the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. A portion of the trail is open for snowmobiling in winter.

Displaying artifacts from numerous tribes, including the Crow and the Sioux, this is among the country's best museums devoted to Native American culture. Artwork and other exhibited items trace back to early tribes but also cover contemporary lifestyles. A program of special exhibitions have included toys made by Native American through the 1960s and the history of moccasins. In Ceremonial Hall, hundreds of flags represent many of the country's 549 recognized tribes. An aboriginal encampment features walking paths and the sounds of water and wind.

Peer into the life of the Victorian elite during a 45-minute tour of the 18-room mansion built in 1879 for Emlen Physick, a nonpracticing physician (courtesy of a family inheritance) who lived with his mother and maiden aunt. The mansion's timber-outline exterior is in Stick Style, avant-garde for its day. Guides point out original furnishings and discuss period customs and clothing. Most tours can be combined with trolley rides through Cape May's Historic District and, on Fridays, tours have a family focus. Take time for afternoon tea or a light lunch at the Twining's Tearoom, in the estate's carriage house. Entrance to the adjacent Carriage House Gallery is included in the tour price.

Founded in 1800, this college was conceived as a more godly alternative to the worldly University of Vermont, though it has no religious affiliation today. The postmodern architecture of the Mahaney Arts Center, which offers music, theater, and dance performances throughout the year, stands in provocative contrast to the early-19th-century stone buildings in the middle of town.

Newport occupies a relatively small corner of southwestern Aquidneck Island, and a good number of 'Newport' attractions are actually located in neighboring Middletown. Second Beach and Third Beach, for example, are in Middletown, as is the Norman Bird Sanctuary, Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, and Flo's Clam Shack. It's also well worth the short drive north from Newport to explore Middletown's Newport Vineyards (which also has a restaurant and brewery), the Revolutionary-era Prescott Farm, and the 100-acre Sweet Berry Farm, which has pick-your-own fruit in season and live music in the summer.

If you can't win the jackpot at the casino, try winning your sweetheart a teddy bear instead. Here you can play, from a selection of 200, the latest up-to-date video games and old-time midway games like the dime toss, milk can, bushel basket, Skee-Ball, and Pop-A-Shot. Cash is no longer accepted for the games; load up a Midway Playcard and play away—or turn the kids loose. Beginning at 1:30 pm daily, acrobats, high-wire walkers, jugglers, and trapeze artists perform free shows on the circus stage.

Called "Hell's Half Acre" by writer Rudyard Kipling, Midway Geyser Basin contains the breathtaking Grand Prismatic Spring and is an even more interesting stop than Lower Geyser Basin. Boardwalks wind their way to the Excelsior Geyser, which deposits 4,000 gallons of vivid blue water per minute into the Firehole River.

The Hoover Dam now has sightseer competition from the spectacular bridge that was built to bypass it. The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (named for the popular Nevada governor and the Arizona football star who was killed in Afghanistan) is the western hemisphere's longest single-span concrete arch bridge. It runs 1,905 feet long, and towers nearly 900 feet above the river and 280 feet above Hoover Dam. You don't see much by driving over it—scarcely anything from a regular car—but walking it is quite a thrill. A pedestrian walkway is well separated from the driving lanes, the access path to the bridge has informational signage, and ramps offer an alternative to the steps. There are restrooms in the parking lot (labeled "Memorial Bridge Plaza"), where it can be hard to find a parking space on weekends. (If you can't get a spot, drive a few yards past the parking lot entrance and turn left into the lot for a trailhead on the other side of the road.) Bring water and sunscreen for the walk, and be prepared for broiling summer temperatures; there is no shade. Remember to take Exit 2 if you want to go to the dam instead of the bypass bridge, or you will have to drive across it and turn back to visit the dam.

Nathan Levy, a Colonial merchant whose ship, the Myrtilla, brought the Liberty Bell to America, helped found this Jewish congregation in 1740, making it the oldest in Philadelphia and the second oldest in the United States. The original synagogue was at 3rd and Cherry streets; the congregation's current space, where it has been since 1976, is in the Sephardic style (following Spanish and Portuguese Jewish ritual). The synagogue's Spruce Street Cemetery (about eight blocks away, beyond Old City) dates from 1740 and is the oldest surviving Jewish site in Philadelphia. It was the burial ground for the Spanish-Portuguese Jewish community. Guided tours of the synagogue and the cemetery are available by appointment.

For quality wine and an enjoyable wine-tasting experience, Milagro leads the long list of wineries in Ramona. Overseeing production is Hugo D'Acosta, who trained in Bordeaux and is considered one of Mexico's preeminent winemakers. The classy tasting room is tucked inside a copse of ancient oak trees, surrounded by vineyards, fruit trees, and local animals. Their highly rated wines are Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, and Sangiovese.

The museum is a nondescript modern building, so no period charm, but the interior more than makes up for it. Permanent exhibits document maritime industries past and present: shipbuilding, sardine canning, weir fishing, and lobstering. Each year there is a new exhibit as well as a gallery that showcases local artists. On the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in season, there's a free talk or program; check the website for details.

This cemetery is one of more than 80 cemeteries found throughout the park, reminders of the people of the early 20th-century communities that once called these Kentucky hills home. Many of these cemeteries are still visited by the descendants of those buried in them, people who still live and work in the communities surrounding the park.

This woodland trail leads to one of the more than 80 cemeteries that remain within Mammoth Cave National Park. Horses and hiking only. 0.3 mi. Easy.

Mill Branch is rocky and steep in places, in others smooth and steady, and there are stream crossings. The trail descends along drainage toward the Dry Prong of Buffalo Creek, then climbs up Collie Ridge to join Collie Ridge Trail 2.5 miles south of Lincoln Trailhead. Horses and hiking only. 3 mi. Moderate.

This 2½-hour 3.8-mile round-trip hike takes you to where East Sulphur and Bumpass creeks merge to create the park's highest waterfall. You can continue past the falls for 2.5 miles to Crumbaugh Lake, and another 1.3 miles past Cold Boiling Lake to Kings Creek Picnic Area. Moderate.

Sharing the mountaintop with the star is the Mill Mountain Zoo. Asian animals are center stage here, including a rare Siberian tiger, snow leopards, and red pandas. Ride the Zoo Choo train on the weekends, weather permitting.

The lumber yard, once a vital center of the region's logging industry, is now a vibrant micro-village of craftsfolk, food artisans, textile makers, and lifestyle designers, and their boutiques and restaurants. You'll even find a chocolate art studio where custom-designed chocolates and truffles may look almost too good to eat. The preserved brick-red historic structures are hard to miss along Miller Avenue, and with plenty of parking in the area, plus picnic tables and outdoor space, it's well worth a visit.

In 1826, when Millard Fillmore was just a young lawyer, he built this simple house. The man who was to become the 13th U.S. president lived here for only four years. A National Historic Landmark, the house has been restored and refurnished to reflect life in the early 19th century.

At this 130-acre winery and vineyard you may savor a chardonnay or cabernet franc against a backdrop of spectacular views. An upstairs loft is open on weekends and offers seasonal art exhibits with regional artists and a selection of the vineyard's reds and whites.

No matter how the Brewers are doing, fans still flock here to enjoy one of the best baseball experiences in the country. A fan-shaped retractable roof keeps everyone comfortable rain or shine (or freezing April temperatures), and there isn't a bad seat in the four-level, 42,000-capacity house. Watch Bernie Brewer slide out of his dugout above the left-field bleachers after homeruns, and don't miss the famous Klement's Racing Sausages before the seventh inning.

The Million Dollar Theater opened in 1918 as part of Sid Grauman's famed chain of movie theaters. This Spanish baroque–style venue had the special feature of having its own organ. Film stars such as Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, and a young Judy Garland frequently made appearances. In the '40s, the venue swung with jazz and big band performers including Billie Holiday. The theater is open for special events and is worth a stop if you're walking past to inspect the lavish exterior with entertainment figures carved into the molding.

From this popular spot, you can admire the Keyboard of the Winds, a jagged ridge connecting Pagoda and Longs Peaks that looks like the top of a spiny reptile's back. The 5.6-mile hike gains 750 feet in elevation as it takes you past Alberta Falls and Glacier Falls en route to the shimmering lake at the mouth of Glacier Gorge. Moderate.

Formed from Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park and Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park, the park encompasses 1,200 scenic acres along the Hudson River, about 5 miles south of Rhinebeck. The grounds include close to 9 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback-riding trails; a marina; nature center; public golf course; and the Staatsburg State Historic Site. Camping is an option; there are tent sites and 10 cabins available for rent between May and October. Atlantic Kayak offers short kayaking tours on the Hudson. Eagles can sometimes be spotted from the nature center.

In one of the most architecturally striking Amoskeag Mills buildings, state-of-the-art exhibits depict the region's history from when Native Americans lived here and fished the Merrimack River to when the machines of Amoskeag Mills wove cloth. The museum also offers lectures and walking tours, and has a child-oriented Discovery Gallery. There's a very good book and gift shop, too.

The widow Amélie Miltenberger built this row of three picturesque brick town houses in the 1830s for her three sons. Her daughter Alice Heine became famous for wedding Prince Albert of Monaco. Although the marriage ended childless and in divorce, Princess Alice was a sensation in New Orleans.

This former private house serves as the most elegant public library in New Orleans. Built in 1907, the Italianate Beaux-Arts mansion was once the home of the silent-movie star Marguerite Clark. The Latter family bought it and donated it to the city as a library in 1948 in memory of their son, who was killed in World War II. An extensive renovation restored the home to its former grandeur.

Inside this enormous park are more than 3,000 wild animals and birds—including several endangered species—plus educational programs, narrated tram tours, and miniature-train rides. Japanese snow monkeys occupy their own island, and the grizzly bears are reliably entertaining. The hands-on children's area focuses on dairy animals (this is Wisconsin, after all), but there are many other critters to pet and hold.

It's not hard to believe this newspaper press was the largest in North America when it began operations in 2003. At 400 feet long and eight stories high, the $110-million press can print up to 85,000 newspapers an hour. Watch papers zip through the press and travel by conveyer belt across the ceiling, glimpse 10-foot vats of color and black ink, and marvel at the robots that push giant reels of paper between stations. The tour is especially popular with school groups and Scout troops.

Near the Business District, the building is an impressive example of the neo-Renaissance style; it was built between 1893 and 1898 by the architectural firm Ferry & Clas.

This indoor market's vendors offer items as exotic as Bulgarian seasonings and as down-home as Wisconsin-made apple butter. Take in the bustling atmosphere as you sip coffee in the balcony dining area and plot your plan of attack. The market hosts cooking demonstrations throughout the year in its model kitchen, and there's a seasonal outdoor market. The market is located on the edge of the Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.