10457 Best Sights in USA

Perched on an 80-foot promontory at the southern entrance to Rockland harbor, this white-brick tower built in 1852 provides broad views of Penobscot Bay. When volunteers are available, visitors may climb the tower to the small, glass-enclosed space at the top that houses the Fresnel lens, installed in 1856. In the 1930s, a light keeper's springer spaniel learned to pull the rope to ring the fog bell, and is said to have thereby saved vessels entering the harbor in poor visibility. A stone near the bell marks the dog's grave. In the small museum and gift shop, you can pick up a copy of a children's book that tells the story. The American Lighthouse Foundation is headquartered in the keeper's house.

If you're fascinated by machines that move on wheels or wings, don't miss this impressive museum. You'll find more than 150 restored vintage automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, and planes, as well as many related artifacts. The best part about this collection is that most of the vehicles are in operating condition, which means you may see them rolling along or flying overhead.

The view from this spot at the end of the North Unit drive looks over the unit's westerly badlands and the Little Missouri River, where it takes a sharp turn east. This is the place to come for stargazing.

View displays, models, and pictures of sailboats. Some boats were built in Oxford, site of one of the first Chesapeake regattas (1860). Check out the full-scale racing boat by the door. Other artifacts include the lamp from a lighthouse on nearby Benoni Point, a sailmaker's bench, and an oyster-shucking stall. Docents elaborate on the exhibits, which set the context for a walking tour of nearby blocks.

Begun in 1683, the ferry may be the oldest privately owned ferry in continuous operation in the United States. It crosses the Tred Avon River between Bellevue, 7 miles south of St. Michaels (via Routes 33 and 329), and Oxford in seven to 10 minutes.

This park preserves 20th-century farm life on a site where the Piscataway Native Americans once lived and was also once part of the Underground Railroad. Children can feed chickens, milk cows, and take a wagon ride. There's a fine view of Washington over the Potomac River. Throughout the year, the National Park Service offers programs such as sheep shearing in May, cider making in September, and "Talking Turkey," when kids can learn about and feed domestic and wild turkeys in November.

Fans of The Wizard of Oz love getting up close with Dorothy, Toto, and all the other beloved characters assembled here in sculpture form. Author L. Frank Baum lived in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. The park also has a flowery Emerald City Garden and play lot for pint-size visitors.

The Garden Home at Moss Mountain is an 1840s farmstead that was the location for taping of P. Allen Smith's syndicated- and public-television shows, plus his regular appearances on NBC's Today Show and The Weather Channel. Four-hour tours, by group reservation only, include the Smith home, his extensive gardens and heritage livestock operations, plus a meal followed by free time in the gift shop, and photo opportunities and book signings when Mr. Smith is in residence. Visitors from outside Little Rock who register for P. Allen Smith's events are sometimes eligible for hotel discounts. Ask for details when you make reservations.

Seven miles east of Staunton, the P. Buckley Moss Museum is a free full-scale gallery of paintings and drawings by one of the Valley's most recognized artists. Moss, who moved to Waynesboro in 1964, was inspired by the quiet dignity and simplicity of the "plain people"—those in the Mennonite communities of the Shenandoah Valley—and has made these neighbors her subject matter. Don't miss the large-scale dollhouse built into a staircase. Her studio, a converted barn about 2 miles from the museum, opens a few times a year to the public.

This relatively flat, paved walking and biking path parallels and occasionally crosses the Virgin River and offers a great way to take in some of Zion Canyon's most impressive vistas while using a wheelchair or stroller, spending time with your pooch (leashed dogs are welcome), or simply enjoying a relaxing ramble or bike ride. Starting at South Campground, ½ mile north of the South Entrance, the walk proceeds north along the river to the beginning of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and is 3.5 miles round-trip. Along the way you'll take in great views of The Watchman, The Sentinel, the East and West Temples, and Towers of the Virgin. Keep an eye out for bicycles zipping by. Easy.

For expansive views of the River of Grass and a chance to glimpse Everglades wildlife, walk the short Pa-hay-okee Overlook Trail, which ends at a covered observation tower. Take your time here, look around, and tune into the silence of this immense landscape. It's really something.

Built in 1895 and remodeled in 1976, this Downtown Victorian theater—which presents top musical and theatrical entertainment—is on the National Register of Historic Places. Of special note is its giant Austrian-crystal chandelier.

Completed in 1892 for beer baron Captain Frederick Pabst, this is one of Milwaukee's treasured landmarks. The 37-room Flemish Renaissance–style mansion, designed by the architectural firm Ferry & Clas, has a tan pressed-brick exterior with carved-stone and terra-cotta ornamentation. Inside, no surface is left undecorated. Walls are swathed in elaborately textured and painted coverings, every window has multiple swags and shades, and stained-glass windows bear sayings (in German) exhorting servants to work hard. In the adjacent gift shop, pick up the ultimate Milwaukee souvenir: an amber glass beer stein Christmas tree ornament with glittery foam.

This leading contemporary art gallery—with affiliated outposts in Chelsea, London, and other international locations—focuses on such modern and contemporary artists as Kiki Smith, Garry Winogrand, and David Byrne.

When you've had your fill of the city's beaches and waters, take a stroll in downtown Santa Cruz, especially on Pacific Avenue between Laurel and Water streets. Vintage boutiques and mountain-sports stores, sushi bars, and Mexican restaurants, day spas, and nightclubs keep the main drag and the surrounding streets hopping from midmorning until late evening.

Between Copalis Beach and the village of Moclips, this is a lovely spot for walking, surf-perch fishing, and razor-clam digging. There's also excellent fishing for sea-run cutthroat trout in the Moclips River—but be careful not to trespass onto the Quinault Reservation north of the river. The 17-acre park has developed tent and RV sites, as well as a few primitive beachfront campsites. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

This beach, known for attracting a young college-age crowd and surfers, runs from the northern end of Mission Beach to Crystal Pier. The scene here is lively on weekends, with nearby restaurants, beach bars, and nightclubs providing a party atmosphere. In PB (as the locals call it) Sunday is known as "Sunday Funday," and pub crawls can last all day, although drinking is no longer allowed on the beach. The mood changes just north of the pier at North Pacific Beach, which attracts families and surfers. Although not quite pillowy, the sand at both beaches is nice and soft, which makes for great sunbathing and sandcastle building.

Kelp and flies can be a problem on this stretch, so choose your spot wisely.

Parking at Pacific Beach can also be a challenge. A few coveted free angle parking spaces are available along the boardwalk, but you'll most likely have to look for spots in the surrounding neighborhood. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers, toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing; swimming.

You can hike a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, which extends from Mexico to Canada and winds through the park for 33 miles. For this prime backcountry experience, catch the trail off Highway 138 about a mile east of the North Entrance, where it heads south and then toward the west rim of the lake and circles it for about 6 miles, then descends down Dutton Creek to the Mazama Village area. You'll need a detailed map for this hike; check online or with the PCT association. Difficult.

The expanded Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, opened in 2021, has as its centerpiece the USS Bowfin, which launched one year to the day after the Pearl Harbor attack and which claimed to have sunk 44 enemy ships during World War II. Like the Arizona Memorial, the so-called Pearl Harbor Avenger commemorates the lost, but the mood here is lighter. Perhaps it's the childlike scale of the boat, a metal tube just 16 feet in diameter and packed with ladders, hatches, and other obstacles, like the naval version of a jungle gym.

Compartments aboard the vessel are fitted out as though "Sparky" is away from the radio room just for a moment and "Cooky" might be back to his pots and pans any minute. Among the intriguing artifacts is an oversize, vintage dive suit known as JAKE that is now in the gift shop window. A guided audio tour is included with admission to this privately operated museum. A snack bar is also on-site.

For safety reasons, children under four are not allowed aboard the submarine, though they can visit the museum. You can also purchase shuttle tickets to access the USS Oklahoma Memorial at the Bowfin's ticket counter, though you'll probably want to include that stop with a visit to the USS Missouri or the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, both of which are on Ford Island along with the sunken Oklahoma submarine.

The museum, a good source for the latest information about monarch butterflies, has permanent exhibitions about the butterflies, birds of Monterey County, biodiversity, and plants. There's a native plant garden, and a display documents life in Pacific Grove's 19th-century Chinese fishing village.

One of only a handful of fiber arts museums in the country is housed throughout three floors of the Queen Anne–style Gaches Mansion, which rises grandly over La Conner's downtown. Exhibits change throughout the year and feature both contemporary and historic quilts, wall hangings, and other textiles, most of them created in the Pacific Northwest. The lovingly restored mansion itself makes for an interesting tour, and there's a well-curated museum shop.

When the sun's out and you're sipping wine while viewing whales or other sea creatures swimming offshore, this bluff-top winery's outdoor tasting spaces feel mystical and magical, but the site's equally beguiling on brooding stormy days. The engaging owner-winemaker, Sally Ottoson, makes whites that include Viognier and Semillon. Charbono, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and a Zinfandel, Barbera, Charbono, and Petite Sirah blend count among the reds. Walk-ins are welcome.

A small but informative museum in a vintage First Hawaiian Bank building designed by noted Hawaii-raised architect C. W. Dickey provides tsunami education and scientific information. It may seem odd that downtown Hilo businesses tend to be far from the scenic bayfront, but the 1946 tsunami alone killed 158 people in Hilo. Visitors can peruse the history of these devastating disasters, with accounts taken from tsunami survivors from Hawaii and worldwide. Exhibits include a wave machine and interactive tsunami warning center simulation as well as films and pictographs detailing tsunamis in Japan, Alaska, and Indonesia. A safety-wall exhibit demonstrates how to be prepared and what steps to take during an evacuation.

The former home of silver baron James Clair Flood cost a whopping $1.5 million in 1886, when even a stylish Victorian like the Haas-Lilienthal House cost less than $20,000. All that cash did buy some structural stability—the Flood residence (to be precise, its shell) was the only Nob Hill mansion to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire. The Pacific-Union Club, a bastion of the wealthy and powerful, purchased the house in 1907 and commissioned Willis Polk to redesign it; the architect added the semicircular wings and third floor. The ornate fence design dates from the mansion's construction. It is now a members-only private social club.

In this relaxing 6.5-acre park, there's a stone-and-bronze fountain designed by local sculptor Hoss Haley and the Zebulon Vance Monument honoring a controversial North Carolina governor (he owned slaves). Princeton elms, London plane trees, black gum trees, and hornbeam trees provide shade. At the eastern edge, in Roger McGuire Green, is Splasheville, a large fountain (open daily 9–9 mid-April to early fall), where in warm weather you'll see hundreds of kids, and even some adults, playing in the water. There's also a stage lined with colorful tiles by local ceramist Kathy Triplett, a grassy amphitheater, and a veterans monument. The park is often the site of demonstrations for gay pride, women's rights, and other causes.

A former sausage packing plant, this building with the asymmetrical slanted roof and the changing sculpture installation on the front lawn is now home to tiny contemporary galleries—including those from the COOP Curatorial Collective and Watkins College of Art (the WAG)—and artist studios. This is a popular stop during the neighborhood’s monthly WEHO Art Crawl on the first Saturday of every month.

Perfect for groups, this candle shop and creator space offers hour-long classes by appointment where guests can select the vessel and scent to make their own custom candles. Since these creations take three hours to cool, you can arrange to have them shipped, wait on them at the fully-stocked bar, or explore the neighborhood and come back later. There's another location in The Gulch that offers more of a "pop in and pour" experience.

Nashville's luxe Paddywax candles have become a national household staple with unique scent collections based on classic authors, national parks, and gourmand treats. Visitors to this brick-and-mortar outpost will not only be able to shop their established favorites, but they can also experience the fun of candle making with self-guided workshops or even grab an at-home kit for a DIY fix.

About 16 miles east of Naalehu, beyond Punaluu Beach Park, Highway 11 passes directly by this sleepy little town, once a thriving sugar-plantation town and still inhabited by retired cane workers and their descendants. You'll miss it if you blink. There is a Longs Pharmacy, a gas station, a small supermarket, a hospital, a bank, and a post office, but not much else in terms of sightseeing.

Founded to serve the sugar plantation community, this little town is reminiscent of the Wild West, with its wooden boardwalks and vintage buildings. Secondhand stores, tie-dye/hemp clothing boutiques, smoke shops, and art and antiques galleries add to the "trippy" experience. In 2014, lava flows from Kilauea almost intruded into the town, destroying a couple of farmers' sheds as residents braced for the worst when plumes billowed in the near distance and flows glowed after dark. Then it all stopped within 500 yards of Pahoa Village Road, again ensuring the town's status as a survivor—until 2018, when Pahoa became command central for disaster assistance, Hawaii County Civil Defense, and reporters covering the nearby destructive eruption of Kilauea. Today Pahoa's funky main street—with buildings dating from 1910—boasts a handful of excellent, local-style eateries. To get here, turn southeast onto Highway 130 at Keaau, drive 11 miles and follow signs to the Village. (Traffic on Highway 130 can back up during rush hour.)