10450 Best Sights in USA

There are more than 150 mineral springs of varying temperatures in the Steamboat Springs area, including this one, in the middle of town. Old Town Hot Springs gets its waters from the all-natural Heart Spring. The modern facility has a lap pool, relaxation pool, climbing wall, and health club. Two waterslides are open noon to 6 pm in summer and 4 to 8 pm in winter; they require an additional $7 fee. The inflatable playground called The Wibit is open Friday to Sunday from noon to 6 pm between June and September, and also requires an additional $7 fee.

This 22-block historic district contains a vibrant mix of restored 19th-century brick buildings interspersed with contemporary architecture. Chain stores have muscled in, but there are still some homegrown shops, plenty of tempting cafés and restaurants, and a bustling beer scene. In recent years, a vibrant Asian food scene has popped up in the vicinity as well. In the evening and on weekends, the streets are packed with people. Old Town's main action takes place on Colorado Boulevard between Pasadena Avenue and Arroyo Parkway.

Known as "the West's Most Western Town," this area has rustic storefronts and wooden sidewalks alongside some of the best dining and window-shopping in town. It can be exceptionally touristy in some areas, but it's also the closest you'll come to the "Old West" as it was 80 years ago. High-quality jewelry and Mexican imports are sold alongside kitschy souvenirs.

A National Historic District, Fort Collins's Old Town was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street USA, and Old Town Square is a bustling pedestrian zone with sculptures, fountains, a fire pit, and historic buildings that house shops, galleries, bars, and, of course, breweries. Restaurants and cafés here have plenty of shaded outdoor seating. Musicians perform during the summer on a stage, and in the winter, the square is home to Santa's Workshop and an ice-skating rink.

For a bit of old-fashioned fun, head to Old Town Temecula, where turn-of-the-20th-century-style storefronts and boardwalks extend for 12 blocks. Along with dozens of restaurants and boutiques, there are antiques stores, tasting rooms, hip brewpubs, a performing arts center and jazz club, and art galleries.

A short drive west of downtown near the Stampede Park rodeo grounds, you can tour this living history museum that comprises about two-dozen historic buildings from Wyoming's frontier days—including a saloon and a blacksmith's shop—many of them housing photos and pioneer and Native American artifacts. The complex is situated on Cody's original townsite, and a small original cemetery serves as resting place for some of the region's famous mountain men, including Liver Eatin' Johnson, and about 100 horse-drawn vehicles are on display.

Seven miles southwest of Cambridge stands this tiny church that was built around 1675. In the churchyard are the graves of four governors of Maryland and several members of the distinguished political and clerical Carroll family. Services are still held here every Sunday at 11. Extensively altered in the 1800s, the church has been restored to its 17th-century appearance.

The Ursulines were the first of many orders of religious women who came to New Orleans and founded schools, orphanages, and asylums, and ministered to the needs of the poor. The original tract of land for a convent, school, and gardens covered several French Quarter blocks. The current structure, which replaced the original convent, was completed in 1752 and is now the oldest French-colonial building in the Mississippi Valley, having survived the disastrous 18th-century fires that destroyed the rest of the Quarter. St. Mary's Church, adjoining the convent, was added in 1845. Now an archive for the archdiocese, the convent was used by the Ursulines for 90 years. The Ursuline Academy, a girls' school founded in 1727, is now Uptown on State Street, where a newer convent and chapel were built. The academy is the oldest girls' school in the country. The Old Ursuline Convent is open to the public Thursday through Monday, with guided tours at 10 am, 11 am, and 1 pm.

The historic center of Mount Pleasant, this neighborhood is distinguished by white picket fences, storybook cottages, traditional homes with wide porches, tiny churches, and lavish waterfront homes. It's a lovely area for a stroll or bike ride, and Pitt Street offers a couple of locally loved eateries and boutiques. Head south along Pitt Street to the Otis M. Pickett Bridge and Park, popular for picnicking, fishing, and sunset views.

is one of the few former Long Island estates still intact, and today the grounds and 1906 Gold Coast mansion built by financier-sportsman John S. Phipps are open to the public. The mansion showcases the home's original furniture and the family's art and belongings; the beautiful 160-acre property includes formal gardens, fountains, woodlands, and lakes.

Nine historic 18th- and 19th-century buildings, clustered on York Street and along Lindsay Road and the York River, highlight York's rich history, which dates from the early Colonial period. Start your visit at the museum's visitor center in the Remick Barn at the corner of U.S. 1A and Lindsay Road. The Old Gaol (established 1656) was once the prison for the Province of Maine; step inside for a look inside its dungeons, cells, and jailer's quarters. The Perkins House Museum, which once housed ferrymen and sea captains, reflects the style of its last occupants, the Perkins Family, who made it their summer home in 1898.

Also called the DeVargas Street House, this adobe dwelling is said to be the oldest in the United States—a sign on the exterior puts the date at 1646. Some say it's much older, but historians currently can verify only that it dates back to the mid-1700s. Inside the tiny museum, a small gift shop features Harvey House jewelry, kachinas, paintings, pottery, and more.

You don't have to whisper anymore to find moonshine in Gatlinburg—you can visit the state's first legal moonshine distillery. Take a tour to see the painstaking production process, then let the spirit of recipes 200 years old trickle down your throat as you sample these magical mountain elixirs made with local corn. Just down the street, the "Barrelhouse" tasting room shows off their white oak barrel-aged whiskey.

Tucked away in North Miami Beach, this urban park is a ready-made family getaway. Nature lovers will find it easy to embrace the 1,128 acres of subtropical beauty along Biscayne Bay. Swim in the calm bay waters and bicycle, canoe, kayak, and bask among egrets, manatees, bald eagles, and fiddler crabs. Dozens of picnic tables, along with 10 covered pavilions, dot the stunning natural habitat, which was restored with red mangroves to revitalize the ecosystem and draw endangered birds, like the roseate spoonbill. There's a playground for tots, a mangrove island accessible only by boat, 15 miles of mountain-bike trails, a half-mile exercise track, concessions, and outdoor showers. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; sunrise; sunset; walking.

The museum of the Yates County Historical Society is in an 1852 house that was the residence of the Olivers, a well-known local family of physicians. Guided tours lead you through the Victorian rooms and historical exhibits. Revolving exhibits may cover period furniture, costumes and textiles, carpentry and blacksmithing tools, American Indian artifacts, paintings and photographs, and decorative arts.

More an offshore snorkel and stand-up paddling spot than a beach, Olowalu is also a great place to watch for turtles and whales in season. The beach is literally a pullover from the road, which can make for some unwelcome noise if you're looking for quiet. The entrance can be rocky (reef shoes help), but if you've got your snorkel gear it's a 200-yard swim to an extensive and diverse reef. Shoreline visibility can vary depending on the swell and time of day; late morning is best. Except for during a south swell, the waters are usually calm. You can find this rocky surf break ½ mile north of mile marker 14. Snorkeling here is along pathways that wind among coral heads. Note: this is a local hangout and can be unfriendly at times. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling.

Get your dinner to go and watch the sun go down behind Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains at this lovely waterfront park. The Olympic Beach fishing pier attracts anglers all year and public art dots the landscape. In summer, a beach ranger station (open weekends noon–5) is a great place to pick up local info; kids like exploring the marine touch tank.

Eventually, 140 miles of nonmotorized trail will lead from Port Townsend west to the Pacific Coast. As of this writing, 90 miles of the paved trail are complete and available for use by hikers, bikers, equestrians, and disabled users. The trail has been conceived as the northern portion of a route that will eventually encircle the entire Olympic Peninsula.

The towers of the 70- and 90-meter ski jumps here are stark and exposed and seem out of place, but the view from the top of the taller tower is dramatic. A glass-encased elevator takes you 26 stories to the top, where you get a bird's-eye view of the lay of the land and the High Peaks around Lake Placid. You also get a stomach-gripping view of what the jumpers see while preparing to take flight. During most of the year you may also opt to ride a chairlift up to the elevator. In summer, freestyle skiers practice twirls and somersaults into a 750,000 gallon pool.

This modern, well-organized facility, staffed by park rangers, provides everything: maps, trail brochures, campground advice, weather forecasts, listings of wildlife sightings, educational programs and exhibits, information on road and trail closures, and a gift shop.

The Olympic Sports Complex has 31 mi of groomed cross-country-skiing trails. Full-day trail passes are $18; lessons and rentals are available. You may also rent snowshoes here. From late June to early October, mountain bikers take over the trails (it's $10 for mountain biking).

Clear, close views of Maui and Lanai across the Pailolo Channel dominate One Alii Beach Park ("one" is pronounced "o-nay," not "won"), the only well-maintained beach park on the island's south-central shore. Molokai folks gather here for family reunions and community celebrations; the park's tightly trimmed expanse of lawn could almost accommodate the entire island's population. Swimming within the reef is perfectly safe, but don't expect to catch any waves. It is appropriate only for Native Hawaiians to fish in the nearby One Alii pond. Amenities: playground, showers; toilets. Best for: parties; swimming.

Dr. Seuss put elephants in trees and green eggs and ham on trains, so it doesn't seem far-fetched that his fish can circle "squirting posts" to a Jamaican beat. After a rather lengthy wait for what will seem like a very short experience, you climb into your fish, and, as it spins around a center pole, you (or your child) control its up-and-down motion. The key is to follow the lyrics of the special song—if you go down when the song tells you to go up, you might be drenched courtesy of the aforementioned squirting post. Then again, if the guests ahead of you miss their cue, the water's still spraying—and will likely splash you, too. Mighty silly, mighty fun. For people with disabilities: Modified mounts let guests using wheelchairs ride without having to transfer to a ride vehicle. Consider skipping it on your first visit. Otherwise, come early or late.

There are several thrills involved in visiting One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, not the least of which are the spectacular views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. If you time your visit around dusk, you'll get daytime views as well as sunset and sparkling evening lights. The observatory occupies the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors of One WTC, and the experience includes an exhilarating trip up in the world's fastest elevators, during which a journey through history is projected on the elevator walls. After you step out at the top, there's also a two-minute video of time-lapse images of Lower Manhattan. The ground floor has exhibits and personal stories about the building of the tower. Admission prices rise for \"priority\" entrance and other combo tickets (best bought online with timed entry); the box office, security checkpoint, and observatory entrance are on the West Street side of the tower. With some reservations, you can purchase prix-fixe dining or bar packages for ONE Dine restaurant on the 101st floor, which include observatory tickets.

Shallow, rock-wall-enclosed tide pools and an adjacent grassy picnic area make this park a favorite among Hilo families with small children. The protected pools are great places to look for Hawaiian marine life like crabs and opihi (limpets). There isn't much white sand, but access to the water is easy. The water is usually rough beyond the line of large boulders protecting the inner tide pools, so be careful if the surf is high. This beach gets crowded on weekends. Amenities: lifeguards (weekends, holidays, and summer only); parking (no fee); restrooms; showers. Best for: swimming.

Near the park's southeastern boundary, the Kobuk River makes a wide bend that creates a long, narrow peninsula. Locals call it Paatitaaq, or Onion Portage, for the wild onions that grow along the banks here. Twice a year, the western Arctic caribou herd crosses the tundra and down the slopes into the Kobuk River on their migration across the Brooks Range. The area also has an archaeological site with artifacts, campsites, and house ruins and is an Archeological District National Historic Landmark. There's easy access by boat from Ambler, and by air taxi.

The showcase of the Charlotte neighborhood, the restored park recalls its days as the "Coney Island of the North." The 1905 Dentzel Carousel ($1) has three rows of animals—pigs, giant rabbits, and giraffes as well as horses—and is one of only about six such Dentzel menagerie carousels still operating in the country. Free concerts are held on Wednesday nights in summer. To get here, take Lake Avenue all the way north until you reach Lake Ontario.

A less crowded alternative to Mammoth Cave, Onyx Cave has a variety of beautiful formations, including delicate crystalline draperies and rimstone pools. Stalactites, stalagmites, and other formations, including a 40-foot column, are highlights of this wet cave. There's a Native American burial ground, where the remains date from 680 BC. It also has a small gift shop on-site that sells rocks and fossils—you can even buy a bag of earth and pan for your own stones. Tours last 30 minutes.

The mighty Wailua River produces many dramatic waterfalls, and Opaekaa (pronounced "oh-pie-kah-ah") is one of the best, plunging hundreds of feet to the pool below. It can be easily viewed from a scenic overlook with ample parking. Opaekaa means "rolling shrimp," which refers to the tasty native crustaceans that were once so abundant they could be seen tumbling in the falls. Do not attempt to hike down to the pool. Just before reaching the parking area for the waterfall, turn left into a scenic pullout for great views of the Wailua River and its march through the valley to the sea.