10457 Best Sights in USA

Volcanic and glacial forces sculpted this formation of smooth, vertical basalt columns. For a bird's-eye view, take the short, steep trail to the top of a 60-foot cliff. To see the monument's second scenic wonder, Rainbow Falls, hike 2 miles past Devils Postpile. A branch of the San Joaquin River plunges more than 100 feet over a lava ledge here. When the water hits the pool below, sunlight turns the resulting mist into a spray of color. From mid-June to early September, day-use visitors must ride the shuttle bus from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area to the monument.

As you drive east from Gillette, the highways begin to rise into the forested slopes of the Black Hills. A detour north will take you to Devils Tower. Geologists attribute the butte's strange existence to ancient volcanic activity. Rock climbers say it's one of the best crack-climbing areas on the continent. The tower was a tourist magnet long before a spaceship landed here in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Teddy Roosevelt made it the nation's first national monument in 1906, and it has attracted a steadily increasing throng of visitors ever since—up to nearly half a million people a year.

When you visit, take some time to stop at the visitor center. Exhibits here explain the geology, history, and cultural significance of the monument, and a bookstore carries a wide selection of materials relating to the park. Park rangers can provide updated information on hiking and climbing conditions. A short and easy walking path circles the tower.

Works by some of the biggest names in modern art from the 1960s to today fill this former Nabisco printing plant on the bank of the Hudson River. Highlights include works by minimalist icons Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Robert Ryman, and Agnes Martin. Expansive spaces and luxuriant light make the nearly 300,000-square-foot building—on 34 acres with artistic landscaping—an experience in itself. If you don't know much about modern art, take the tour to gain some context. Be sure to stop by the on-site bookstore and café afterwards.

This is a must-stop photo op: indeed, countless photos of the gorgeous lake with its turquoise water have been taken from here over the decades.

This attraction is perfect for individuals and groups who like to play in a life-size sandbox—and use big toys to do it. In this case, the toys are heavy construction machinery: bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders, backhoes, mini-excavators, and skid-steer track loaders. Guests don hard hats and spend 90 minutes or more driving the equipment on a big dirt lot, moving around giant tires, digging holes, and more. You can even crush a car, in an Aggression Session, and you can request specific equipment. There are experiences for kids starting as young as age 2 (15 minutes), up to 2 1/2 hours for teen-agers. Or book a  group session, to give team-building a whole new meaning.

Established in 2001 on the site of a historic apple orchard on the lower slopes of the Rattlesnake Hills, this popular winery with a focus on sustainability specializes in both estate-grown Bordeaux- and Rhone-style varietals, from the supple and earthy Cabernet Franc to a French oak-aged Roussanne-Viognier blend. The handsome tasting room adjoins a gable-roofed terrace surrounded by colorful gardens. 

Visit imaginative lands, from Bayou Country to a galaxy far, far away in the Star Wars land. Try to spot Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Ride the Storybook Land Canal Boats, passing miniature replicas of animated Disney scenes from classics from Alice in Wonderland to Frozen. Beloved Disney characters appear for hugs, autographs, and photos throughout the day; times and places are posted on the Disneyland mobile app. Live shows, parades, strolling musicians, fireworks (on weekends and during the summer and holidays), and endless creative snack choices add to the magical atmosphere. You can also meet some of Disney's beloved characters during meals at the three Disney hotels (open to the public, but reservations are needed). Strollers, wheelchairs, and Electric Conveyance Vehicles are available to rent at the entrance gate. The park's popularity means there are crowds, especially during the holidays and summer months, so take advantage of the Disney's Lightning Lane and Single Ride line to spend less time waiting. Also be sure to make dining reservations at least three weeks before your visit to secure a table without a long wait. The park is expertly run, with perfectly maintained grounds and a helpful staff ("cast members").

This critically acclaimed standout among the state's fast-growing crop of artisan distilleries specializes in spirits crafted from local ingredients, including single-barrel bourbon produced with local corn and rye, and a crisp vodka made from Yakima Valley grapes and infused with rhubarb. Choose from sampler flights or try Distallarium's spirits mixed into a classic cocktail. The kitchen turns out some of the tastiest bar bites around—the lobster puffs and white cheddar nachos are highly addictive. 

Back in the early 1970s, Division Street (aka "Southeast Division") was earmarked for condemnation as part of a proposed—and thankfully never built—freeway that would have connected Downtown to Mt. Hood. For many years, this street sat forlornly, just a long stretch of modest buildings and empty lots. These days, Southeast Division—no longer threatened with condemnation—is one of the hottest restaurant rows on the West Coast, and sleek three- and four-story contemporary condos and apartments are popping up like dandelions. If culinary tourism is your thing, head to the 10 blocks of Southeast Division from about 26th to 39th Avenues. The main draw here is mostly food-and-drink related, and you'll also find a growing number of noteworthy restaurants and bars extending all the way to 12th Avenue to the west, and 50th Avenue to the east. You may hear some locals refer to the western end of the neighborhood as "Division/Clinton" referring to Clinton Street, a block south of Division, which has a clutch of great eateries and beautiful early- to mid-20th-century bungalows and houses, mostly from 27th to 20th Avenues.

In-demand winemaker Joe Dobbes provides custom wine-making services to many Oregon wineries too small to have their own winery or winemaker and also makes several lines of his own wines, ranging from his everyday "Wine By Joe" label to the premium Dobbes Family Estate label featuring great Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc. In addition to a few single-vineyard Pinot Noir bottlings, Dobbes focuses on blends from multiple vineyards to provide consistent, balanced, and interesting wines. Flights and wine by the glass are available in the tasting room, and unlike many wineries in the region, walk-ins are welcome.

Restaurants, art galleries, clothing boutiques, and other shops—both trendy and touristy—line this bustling square and nearby streets and alleys. Walk onto the swing bridge to admire the tidal Kennebunk River; cross to the other side and you are in the Lower Village of neighboring Kennebunk.

Home of the Dodgers since 1962, Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest baseball stadium still in use and has had quite the history in baseball, including Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965 and Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run. It's also been the venue for some of the biggest performers in the world, including the Beatles, Madonna, and Beyoncé. The stadium can be tough to get into on game day, so consider getting dropped off in the park and walking up. Alternately, you can arrive early to stock up on snacks and beverages before you catch a few of Shohei Ohtani's homers. If you have the opportunity to take in a Friday night game, make sure to stick around for the fireworks show that follows—if you’re patient, you can even wait in line and watch it from the field.

More than three million visitors a year walk through the gates of Dollywood, Tennessee's most popular attraction. The 150-acre theme park includes roller coasters, thrill rides, a steam locomotive, and live concerts at the Back Porch Theater. A $37-million expansion, Wildwood Grove, includes two new coasters: Dragonflier, a suspended family coaster, and Big Bear Mountain, which debuted in 2023 as the park's longest coaster. There are also craft displays, lots of mountain music, and a replica of Dolly's "Tennessee Mountain Home."

Wheelchairs and electric convenience vehicles are available to rent—reserve online 48 hours in advance.

This nonprofit focuses on marine mammal conservation, and you can help it by participating in one of the educational offerings. One popular option is the Connect to Protect, an immersive water program that begins with an educational briefing, after which you enter the deep-water lagoon to interact with the dolphins. Prefer to stay mostly dry? Opt for the tour of the facility or the general admission, which provides unlimited viewing of the dolphin lagoons, trainer talks, and educational exhibits.

A visit to this majestic château is an opulent way to enjoy the Carneros District—especially in fine weather, when the vineyard views are spectacular. The château was modeled after an 18th-century French mansion owned by the Taittinger family. Carved into the hillside beneath the winery, the cellars produce sparkling wines reminiscent of those made by Taittinger, using only Los Carneros AVA grapes. Enjoy flights of sparkling wines or Pinot Noirs with cheese and charcuterie plates, caviar, or smoked salmon. Tastings are by appointment.

When the French winery magnate Robert Drouhin ("the Sebastiani of France") planted a vineyard and built a winery in the Red Hills of Dundee back in 1987, he set local oenophiles abuzz. His daughter Veronique is now the winemaker and produces silky and elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ninety acres of the 225-acre estate has been planted on a hillside to take advantage of the natural coolness of the earth and to establish a gravity-flow winery.

Watch a slice of Old Havana come to life in Miami's Little Havana. At Domino Park, officially known as Máximo Gómez Park, guayabera-clad seniors bask in the sun and play dominoes while onlookers share neighborhood gossip and political opinions.  There is a little office at the park with a window where you can get information on Little Havana; the office also stores the dominoes for the older gents who play regularly, but it's BYOD (bring your own dominoes) for everyone else.

The team at this prominent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer prizes viticulture—selecting vineyards with superior soils and microclimates, planting compatible clones, and farming organically with rigor—over wine-making wizardry. Tasting areas that include a contemporary white board-and-batten structure and a pavilion with a conical multicolor glass canopy afford hilltop views of Los Carneros, San Pablo Bay, and beyond. Appointments (last-minute unlikely) are required to taste these wines hailed for their "power yet elegance.” The nearly five dozen large-scale museum-quality contemporary sculptures placed amid the vines, including works by Ai Weiwei, Louise Bourgeois, Keith Haring, and Anselm Kiefer, add a touch of high culture to a visit here.

Award-winning reds and whites (and a sparkling rosé) can be sampled at this winery near the main junction in Sonoita. They serve tasty pizzas, baked in their brick oven out back, and also rent a couple of comfortable suites to stay in after your tasting tour.

When they opened in 2016, Dovetail was just the second lager-focused brewery to open in Chicago (following the now sadly closed Metropolitan Brewing). Working from a small taproom in North Center, they quickly developed a reputation for well-crafted European-style beers like their creamy hefeweizen and smoky rauchbier. It didn’t take long for them to stretch into other types of lager like the roasty Czech dark or a hearty dunkelweizen. Their brewery tours are reliably among the best in the city: tourgoers get to sample different types of water to learn how the chemistry of H₂0 can affect the overall taste of a beer, then see the brewhouse which uses a century-old tank originally built for Germany’s Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan to help create their intricately crafted beers. You’ll also get to see the barrelhouse and coolship, where their spontaneously fermented wild beers age and take on even more complex flavors.

The late-19th- and early-20th-century commercial structures of the Downtown Boulder Historic District once housed mercantile stores and saloons, but today the stores here cater to modern tastes, with fair-trade coffees and Tibetan prayer flags. The period architecture—including Queen Anne, Italianate, and Romanesque styles in stone or brick—has been preserved.

The exciting Downtown Disney District is a walking promenade filled with international dining, shopping, and entertainment that connects the resort's hotels and theme parks. More than a dozen establishments include the popular Asian restaurant Din Tai Fung, specializing in Taiwanese soup dumplings, and Parkside Market with four new food and drink venues including Seoul Sister, Sip & Sonder, and GG's Chicken Shop. Go upstairs to Vista Parkside Market for cocktails and elevated bites overlooking Downtown Disney's entertainment stage. Michelin star chef Carlos Gaytán opened three Mexican-inspired eateries: the open-air Centrico patio dining and bar; the upscale multisensory Paseo; and Mexican street food Tiendita. Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill. Be sure to try their signature seasonal beignets that can be dipped, drizzled, and sprinkled. Enjoy a cold beer at Ballast Point Brewery and a gourmet burger at Black Tap Craft Burgers. Save room for sweet treats at Salt and Straw for gourmet ice cream flavors such as honey lavender and oat milk and cookies, and Sprinkles for decadent frosted cupcakes.

Disney merchandise, souvenirs, and artwork are showcased at the brightly lit World of Disney store and new D Lander shop. Avengers Reserve is for Marvel fans, and The Wonderful World of Sweets is a kaleidoscope of colors, smells and tasty treats. At the LEGO Store there are bigger-than-life LEGO creations, hands-on demonstrations, and space to play with the latest LEGO creations.

Entering is complimentary, however all visitors must pass through a security checkpoint and metal detectors before entering.

While working at the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, pharmacist Dr. Charles Alderton was experimenting with some chemicals and accidentally invented the soft drink he later called Dr Pepper. The drugstore is gone, but the original bottling plant remains open as a museum. Interesting exhibits and films offer a look at some early promotional materials as well as the manufacturing process. Much of the second floor is devoted to promotional materials tracing its history. After a look through the museum, most travelers make their last stop the re-creation of the Old Corner Drug Store fountain for an ice-cream soda or (what else?) a Dr Pepper.

On the east end of the island are 9 miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes—the longest beachfront of any Florida state park. On the Gulf side, there's plenty of room to spread out and make a day of it sunning, swimming, picnicking, and watching shorebirds dart about as you walk at the waterline. Sandy coves, salt marshes, oak forests, and pines provide shelter for many birds, including bald eagles and ospreys on the bay side. Pavilions throughout the park offer spotless restrooms and plentiful parking. Boaters are welcome, as are campers, but the sites fill up quickly, so you'll need to reserve one in advance. Amenities: parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

Formerly known as John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, this 310-acre park was renamed in the 1970s in honor of the duo who led efforts to desegregate the area's beaches. Native sea grapes, gumbo-limbo trees, and other native plants offer shade. Nature trails and a marina are large draws; canoeing on Whiskey Creek is also popular. The beaches are excellent, but beware of mosquitoes in summer. Amenities: ample trails; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; sunrise; water sports.

This unique outdoor entertainment and arts venue is spread across 64 fun-filled acres, with plenty to do, no matter your interests. You’ll find sculptures and murals scattered throughout the property as well as the world’s most extreme miniature golf course, pickleball courts (and tournaments), a beer garden, and stages for live music and films.

A good destination for families, Driessen Beach Park has a playground, clean shower and restrooms, and a charming path to the beach that’s part boardwalk, part sandy path, part beach matting. It's often peppered with people flying kites, making it colorful and fun. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); parking (metered); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

If you make time to visit one Austin hotel, even though you're not staying there, make it The Driskill. This delightful grande dame—which many say is haunted—is a Romanesque-style monument located right in the heart of Sixth Street. It features gorgeous two-story porches with Romanesque Revival columns surrounding both arched entrances and a Texas-sized lobby and mezzanine. A café, bakery, and bar, which offers free live music seven nights a week, are all open to the public. Over the years, countless legislators and powerful politicians have held court within the hotel's limestone walls, and some are believed to have never left. Hence, the popular guided ghost tours that stop daily at this historical property.

An impressive array of Native American petroglyphs and pictographs adorn the 200-foot-high cliffs in Dry Fork Canyon, making the 22-mile round-trip drive from Vernal well worth your time. Two trails leading to the rock art are on McConkie Ranch, a privately owned property that asks only for a $5 per vehicle donation and respect for the site. Make sure to bring sturdy shoes because both short paths have steep and rough spots. If you call the ranch's number, Jean McConkie McKenzie, who was born and still lives here, will show you her collection of arrowheads and antiques. Her mother, Sadie, first opened the rock art to the public in 1930.

This park, 70 miles off the shores of Key West, consists of seven small islands. Most people spend their time on Garden Key, touring the 19th-century Fort Jefferson, the largest brick building in the Western Hemisphere, then heading out to snorkel on the protected reef. The brick fort acts like a gigantic, almost 16-acre reef. Around its moat walls, coral grows and schools of snapper, grouper, and wrasse hang out.

Serious snorkelers and divers head out farther offshore to epic formations, including Palmata Patch, one of the few surviving concentrations of elkhorn coral in the Keys. Day-trippers congregate on the sandy beach to relax in the sun and enjoy picnics. Overnight tent campers have use of restroom facilities and achieve a total getaway from noise, lights, and civilization in general.

The park has signposted a self-guided tour that takes about 45 minutes. You should budget more time if you're into photography because the scenic shots are hard to pass up. Ranger-guided tours are also available at certain times. Check in at the visitor center for a schedule.