10451 Best Sights in USA

Part of the Santa Catalina range, Mount Lemmon—named for Sara Lemmon, the first woman to reach the peak of this mountain, in 1881—is the southernmost ski slope in the continental United States, but you don't have to be a skier to enjoy the area: in summer, it's a popular place for picnicking, and there are 150 miles of marked and well-maintained trails for hiking. The mountain's 9,157-foot elevation brings relief from summer heat (temperatures are typically 25 degrees lower than in Tucson).

Mount Lemmon Highway twists for 28 miles up the mountainside; driving time from midtown is about an hour. Every 1,000-foot climb in elevation is equivalent, in terms of climate, to traveling 300 miles north: you'll move from typical Sonoran Desert plants in the foothills to vegetation similar to that found in southern Canada at the top. Rock formations along the way look as though they were carefully balanced against each other by sculptors from another planet.

Even if you don't make it to the top of the mountain, you'll find stunning views of Tucson at Windy Point, about halfway up. Look for a road on your left between the Windy Point and San Pedro lookouts; it leads to Rose Canyon lake, a lovely reservoir.

Just before you reach the ski area, you'll pass through the tiny alpine-style village of Summerhaven, which has a lodge and some casual restaurants, most notably a branch of Beyond Bread, where you can dine in or take your sandwich to a choice picnic spot. Marshall Gulch, a popular hiking trail, is just a little further down the road.

There are no gas stations on Mount Lemmon Highway, so gas up before you leave town and check the road conditions in winter.

To reach the highway, take Tanque Verde Road to Catalina Highway, which becomes Mount Lemmon Highway.

Follow Mount Lemmon Highway to its end and you're at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley. Skiing and snowboarding here depend on natural conditions; there's no artificial snow, so call ahead. There are 21 runs, ranging from beginner to advanced. Lift tickets cost $69 for an all-day pass and $59 for a half-day pass starting at 12:30 pm. Equipment rentals and instruction are available.

Off-season you can take a ride on the chairlift ($15), which whisks you to the top of the slope—some 9,100 feet above sea level. Many ride the lift, then hike on one of several trails that crisscross the summit. The Iron Door Restaurant, across the road, serves sandwiches, soups, and homemade pies, which you can enjoy with gorgeous views.

At the University of Arizona's research observatory on Mount Lemmon, visitors can plumb the night sky on the highest mountain in the area using the largest public-viewing telescope in the Southwest. A five-hour stargazing program is offered nightly (weather permitting), and includes an interactive astronomy presentation, telescope viewing, and a light dinner.

Francis Scott Key—who penned "The Star Spangled Banner"—Barbara Fritchie, and the state's first governor, Thomas Johnson, rest in this cemetery, which dates to the 1850s. Tidy rows of graves (some inscribed to unknown children), pay tribute to Union and Confederate troops who perished in the battles of Antietam and Monocacy.

One of the original Temecula Valley wineries, opened in 1969, Mount Palomar introduced Sangiovese, a varietal that has proven perfectly suited to the region's soil and climate. New owners have transformed the homey winery into a grand Mediterranean villa with acres of gardens and trees, turning it into an award-winning wedding and event venue. The Sangiovese is worth a try, as are the Solera Cream Sherry (ask how it's made) and the popular Cloudburst, an inky red blend with Petit Verdot and Tannat. The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday for lunch and dinner and there's live music Friday through Sunday from 1--4 pm.

For many Vermont kids, this is their first hike, thanks to the relatively easy, gently rising, paved road that snakes around the sides to the top, where fabulous views of the lake and landscape await. If less inclined to walk, feel free to drive.

This beautiful nature preserve near southeast Eugene includes extensive all-weather trails, educational programs for all ages, and facilities for special events. Its visitor center holds workshops and features native amphibian and reptile terraria; microscopes for exploring tiny seeds, bugs, feathers, and snakeskins; "touch me" exhibits; reference books; and a working viewable beehive.

With an observation tower, paved nature trails, and boardwalks extending over the marshes, this 943-acre park offers a day full of family fun. You can rent bicycles and pedal boats, set the kids loose in the playground, or pay an extra fee for entrance to the small Splash Island water park (open daily June through mid-August and weekends in May and mid-August through Labor Day).

Between the park entrance and the Avenue of Flags, the Mount Rushmore Information Center has a small exhibit of photographs detailing the carving of the presidents' faces. The information desk is staffed by rangers who can answer questions about the area. Here you can rent an audio device for a self-guided tour, and a nearly identical building across from the information center houses restrooms and vending machines.

La Jolla's highest spot can be reached by taking Nautilus Street to La Jolla Scenic Drive South, and then turning left. Proceed a few blocks to the park, where parking is plentiful and the views are astounding, unless the day is hazy. Marking the iconic coastal peak are granite plaques and a cross commemorating veterans since 1954. The top of the mountain is an excellent vantage point from which to get a sense of San Diego's geography: looking down from here you can see the coast from the county's northern border to the south far beyond Downtown.

One of the country's more beautifully designed public spaces, Mount Vernon Place is a prime spot for relaxing. It was established when John Eager Howard donated the highest point in Baltimore as a site for a memorial to George Washington. With the monument as its center, the square is composed of four parks, each a block in length, that are arranged around Mount Vernon Place (which goes east–west) and Washington Place (north–south). Benches near the monument are great for watching water calmly trickle from the fountains. The sculptures in the parks deserve a close look; of special note is a bronze lion by Antoine-Louis Barye in the middle of West Mount Vernon Place. Northeast of the monument is Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, a striking example of Victorian Gothic architecture. It was built in the mid-1850s on the site of Francis Scott Key's home and place of death. Free concerts are held in the park monthly in the summertime. Take a moment to admire the brownstones along the north side of East Mount Vernon Place. They're excellent examples of the luxurious mansions built by 19th-century residents of Baltimore's most prestigious neighborhood.

Gospel-music fans are drawn to the home of the state's largest Black congregation. The church's first gatherings began in 1889; back then its prayer meetings were held in homes and in a store. The church, which was recently designated an official Seattle landmark, was incorporated in 1903, and after a number of moves, settled in its current simple but sturdy brick building. Eighteen stained-glass windows, each with an original design that honors a key Black figure, glow within the sanctuary. Beneath the bell tower, James Washington's sculpture The Oracle of Truth, a gray boulder carved with the image of a lamb, is dedicated to children struggling to find truth.

This coffee producer offers hourly "bean-to-cup" tours, including a tasting and access to the processing plant, which shows dry milling, sizing, coloring, sorting, and roasting. For $10, take the lava tube/nature walk in the cloud forest ecosystem. There's a small retail store where you can purchase coffee and souvenirs. Remember that afternoon rains are common at this elevation, so bring an umbrella and sturdy shoes.

Traveling up and over West Mountain from Prospect Avenue to Whittington Avenue, this wooded trail is 1.5 miles one-way. Street parking is available on either end. For a longer hike, combine this route with the West Mountain and Canyon trails to make a loop around the summit before heading back down the same way you came up. If you end your hike on Whittington Avenue, you can refill your water bottle and quench your thirst at the cold-water filling station just west of the trailhead. Moderate–Difficult.

Just past Rhodes Cabin on the right side of the visitor center, this short and easy trail (0.3 mile) through pinyon pine and juniper trees is marked with signs describing the plants. The path passes the original entrance to Lehman Caves and loops back to the visitor center. It’s a great way to spend a half hour or so while you wait for your cave tour to start. Easy.

You can reach this picnic area at mile 13 by private vehicle, but parking can be hard to find during busy times, so consider taking the park shuttle. In addition to multiple picnic tables, there are bathroom facilities, and on clear days, you can glimpse the mountain. The Savage River Alpine Trail is next to the picnic area. This spot can get windy, so be prepared. From fall through spring, access is dependent on road conditions.

The oldest public green space in the county is, unbelievably, across the road from the West Palm Beach airport; but the planes are the last thing you notice while walking around and relaxing amid the nearly 14 acres of tropical trees, rain-forest flora, and butterfly and water gardens. The gift shop contains a selection of rare gardening books on tropical climes. Frequent plant sales are held here, and numerous plant societies with international ties hold meetings open to the public in the auditorium. Experts in tropical edible and ornamental plants are on staff.

In the northwest corner of the park, this 24-mile mountain road begins in Wilkeson and heads up the Rainier foothills to Mowich Lake, traversing beautiful mountain meadows along the way. Mowich Lake is a pleasant spot for a picnic. The road is open mid-July to mid-October.

This 1.2-mile beach on the southern side of Lubec Neck has dramatic tides that produce excellent clamming conditions, and you'll often see clammers out on the expansive tidal flats at low tide. The shoreline is a hot spot for birds (migratory, nesting, and wintering)—and birders. A boardwalk leads through a heady mess of fragrant rugosa rose bushes to the shore. From the beach, you can see Lubec Channel Light, one of only three “spark plug” lighthouses in Maine, in these relatively shallow waters. Part of a 48-acre Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve, the beach is at the edge of Lubec town center. There is parking.

A cemetery might not strike you as a first choice for a visit, but this one is an absolute pleasure, filled with artwork and gorgeous landscaping. Opened in 1831, it was the country's first garden cemetery, and its bucolic landscape boasts peaceful ponds, statues (including a giant sphinx), breathtaking mausoleums, and a panorama of Boston and Cambridge from Washington Tower. More than 90,000 people have been buried here—among them Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mary Baker Eddy, Winslow Homer, Amy Lowell, Isabella Stewart Gardner, and architect Charles Bulfinch. The grave of engineer Buckminster Fuller bears an engraved geodesic dome.

In spring, local nature lovers and bird-watchers come out of the woodwork to see the warbler migrations, the glorious blossoms, and blooming trees, while later in the year nature shows off its autumnal range of glorious color. Brochures, maps, and audio tours are at the entrance, and the cemetery is a five-minute drive from the heart of Harvard Square.

Visitors fill the warm mountaintop lodges at Mt. Aurora from 9 pm to 3 am on winter nights. Images from an aurora webcam are shown on a large-screen TV. The admission fee includes hot drinks.

Spend enough time around the Smokies and you'll see pictures of an octagonal stone building atop a mountain. This is the fire lookout atop Mt. Cammerer, and it's open to the public if you're willing to walk the 11.1-mile round trip (and 3,000 feet of elevation gain) up the Low Gap Trail from Cosby Campground. The effort is worth it for panoramic 360-degree views of the eastern half of the park. Adding to the wonder, the summit is on a windblown ridge, creating an otherworldly habitat of trees that only grow head high. For the truly adventurous, the Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail lets you turn the hike into a 16.2-mile loop. Difficult  

Beautiful and truly eye-opening, this botanical garden built around the country home of Pamela and Lammot du Pont Copeland focuses on an important garden trend: the use of native plants—species that have occurred in a region for thousands of years without human intervention—to support local wildlife and biodiversity. The forward-thinking Copelands added a wildflower garden in the 1940s, eventually expanding their use of native plants to 68 acres including formal gardens, trial gardens for native varieties, and naturalistic woodland areas. Mt. Cuba opened fully as a public garden in 2013. Some nonnative plants (like lilacs and tulips) remain, but native plants are the stars. Spring is a good time for wildflowers, such as Mt. Cuba's famous trilliums; the Ponds area blazes with color in fall. There's a visitor center in the former Copeland home, and a Welcome Walk is a great introduction to the gardens and how (and why) to use native plants. The garden now is about 1,000 acres, much of that natural land crisscrossed by 2½ miles of trails. 

Despite the name, this landmark is more a hill than a peak. Still, it's a steep 15-minute climb up the John Muir Trail from town to the top. The observation platform there provides views of waterways and islands whose names—among them Zarembo, Vank, and Woronkofski—recall the area's Russian history. The trail is named for naturalist John Muir, who, in 1879, made his way up the trail and built a campfire. Locals didn't realize there was anybody up on Mt. Dewey and the light from the fire caused a commotion below. Access the trail, which passes through a second-growth forest, on 3rd Street behind the high school.

The massive, snowcapped peak watching over Leadville is Mt. Elbert. At 14,433 feet it's the highest mountain in Colorado and the tallest peak in the entire Rocky Mountain Range, second in height in the contiguous 48 states only to California's 14,495-foot Mt. Whitney.

The centerpiece of this 10,327-acre reservation south of Williamstown is Mt. Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,491 feet, and the fictional location of Pottermore's North American school of magic, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reservation has facilities for cycling, fishing, horseback riding, camping, and snowmobiling. Many treks—including a portion of the Appalachian Trail—start from the parking lot at the summit in Adams, an 8-mile drive from the mountain's base.

An offshoot from some of the park entrance's tamer trails, this rugged route best suited to experienced hikers comprises native plants, rocks, and roots. Footing can be challenging on the steep portions and the switchbacks. It gains 1,700 feet in 2.5 miles and takes about four hours round-trip, with outstanding views of the Nenana River and the Alaska Range, including the upper slopes of Denali. You are permitted to hike the ridge, but it's not maintained and can be dangerous. From the top hikers can take in the view of the park entrance and area to the south. It's often cold and windy at the summit, so wear appropriate clothing. Difficult.

Scenic passenger excursions along a small rail line established in 1906 offer a picturesque and relaxing way to survey Mt. Hood and the Hood River Valley. Chug alongside the Hood River through vast fruit orchards before climbing up steep forested canyons, glimpsing Mt. Hood along the way. There are several trip options: a four-hour excursion (serves light concessions), dinner, brunch, and several themed trips, like murder mysteries and Old West robberies, and a family-favorite holiday-inspired Train to Christmas Town runs throughout much of November and December. In summer, the railroad offers 2½-hour railbiking excursions, during which participants pedal along the tracks on tandem railbikes.

In addition to producing increasingly acclaimed wine—with particularly impressive Pinot Gris, dry Riesling, Zinfandel (which is seldom bottled in these parts), Pinot Noir, Barbera, and Tempranillo—this winery adjacent to the long-running Fruit Company (fruit and gift baskets) has a beautiful, contemporary tasting room with gorgeous Mt. Hood views from inside and the expansive patio.