10457 Best Sights in USA

A cruise 20 miles up the river to Ingleside Vineyards leaves from Tappahannock. Rappahannock River Cruises enlists its ship Capt. Thomas to take passengers on the narrated day cruise. A buffet lunch is served at the winery for $13. Snacks are served on board, or you can bring your own. To reach the dock, take Highway 17 south from Tappahannock to Hoskins Creek. The cruise departs daily at 10, returning at 4:30. They also offer a cruise from Reedville to Tangier Island.

What ultimately amounts to a photo op (albeit a very intense one) begins with a guide offering the members of your group safety instructions prior to entering the paddock, where a life-size velociraptor resides. Once inside the paddock, the guide coaxes Blue (the dinosaur) into view, which sets the stage for souvenir photos. But with your back turned and a row of razor-sharp teeth directly behind you, the snapshots are usually framed with a look of fear. It can be a very interesting, and very intense, experience that easily frightens kids—and usually scares adults. If you can handle it, the souvenir picture might be worth the brief flash of fear.

Falconers Troy Morris and Ron Brown purchased this former Flintstones-themed attraction in 2019 and today offer raptor encounters, flight demonstrations, and educational programs, including falconry classes. Visitors can interact with the more than 50 birds here, walk through Bedrock City, and pose with concrete Flintstone characters. The property is still being renovated—it recently added a pizza and chicken joint, Fred's Diner—but it is definitely worth the $8 to stretch your legs and let the kids blow off steam.

The tiny storefront Raton Museum, inside the 1906 Coors Building (the beer manufacturer once used it as a warehouse), brims with artifacts of the coal camps, railroading, ranch life, and the Santa Fe Trail. The museum, which has a large and interesting photo collection, is a good first stop on a visit to the area. The docents enjoy explaining local history.

Southern California may have its "Hollywood" sign, but northeastern New Mexico has its RATON SIGN—and this neon-red beauty is completely accessible. From the north end of 3rd Street, head west on Moulton Avenue to Hill Street and follow signs along the twisting road to the parking area at Goat Hill. Here you can walk around the sign, take in 270-degree views of the countryside, or picnic while contemplating the history of Raton Pass—the original Santa Fe Trail ran up Goat Hill clear into Colorado.

The Ravalli County Museum, in the former courthouse, contains exhibits on natural history, fly-fishing, Native Americans, Lewis and Clark, and other subjects related to the region. During the Saturday Series (most Saturdays 2 pm, $5), speakers share local history and lore.

If you enjoy music under the stars, the outdoor concerts at Ravinia are a stellar treat. Ravinia Festival, a summer-long series of performances, is the hot-months' home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, but the festival also features popular jazz, chamber music, rock, pop, and dance acts. Pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chairs, and sit on the lawn, often for little more than the cost of a movie. Large screens are placed on the lawn at some concerts so you won't miss anything. Seats are also available in the pavilion for a significantly higher price. There are restaurants and snack bars on the park grounds, so if you forget your goodies you still won't go hungry. Concerts usually start at 7 or 8 pm; the park usually opens two to three hours ahead to let everyone score spots and get settled. Weekend-morning concerts are aimed at kids. They feature a "KidsLawn" with an interactive music experience, and on select dates an "instrument petting zoo," arts and crafts, and live performances. During the off-season, check out the Fall and Spring Series of indoor concerts at Bennett Gordon Hall.

This idyllic vineyard on rolling hills 20 miles west of Winston-Salem is an easy escape from city life. In its low-key country setting you can tour the vineyard and discover some of the state's most famous wines, including RayLen's Bordeaux-blend showstoppers Eagle’s Select and Category 5.

Raymer Hollow Trail winds over stream crossings through open forest flanking the Dry Prong of Buffalo Creek. At 1.5 miles from the Collie Ridge entry, Raymer Hollow backcountry campsite is accessed via a spur trail. Favored by horseback riders, hikers sometimes find Raymer Hollow Trail less suitable for those on foot. 6.2 miles. Moderate.

All the world's a stage to Jean-Charles Boisset, Raymond's charismatic owner—even his vineyards, where his five-act Theater of Nature includes a series of gardens and displays explaining biodynamic agriculture. The theatrics continue indoors in the disco-dazzling Crystal Cellar tasting room (chandeliers and other accoutrements by Baccarat), along with several additional spaces, some sedate and others expressive. The lush wines include Cabernet Sauvignons and numerous Bordeaux-style red blends.  The Winemaker for a Day blending seminars here are entertaining.

Three generations of the Townsend family, renowned merchants and ship traders, lived in this colonial saltbox structure dating from the American Revolution. Sally Townsend was responsible for alerting her father to the fact that a certain Benedict Arnold was going to betray his country. Many of the original family furnishings are in the house, and there are rotating exhibits of Civil War memorabilia and holiday decorations. The house-museum reveals much about Oyster Bay from the time of the Revolution through the town's affluent Victorian period.

The owners of Villicana Winery in west Paso Robles launched the first local distillery in 2011, aiming to repurpose the saignée (free-run juice) that's typically tossed out during the wine-making process. They ferment and distill the high-quality juices into premium spirits, thus reclaiming about 70 acres of premium wine grapes. Taste vodkas (including kumquat and cucumber versions), gin, whiskeys, bourbons, and limoncello in the tiny barrel-room tasting space or outdoors under the oaks.

A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, George Read built this 22-room, 14,000-square-foot, Federal-style home in 1801. Period furniture, gilded fanlights, silver doorknobs, carved woodwork, and relief plasterwork decorate the interior. Lovely formal gardens surround the residence.

Some ex–movie folks started Red Car, naming it after Los Angeles's old streetcars and producing wines out of Southern California before moving to West County. Coastal cool-climate wines are the specialty. The Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, among the best, come from grapes grown in the far-coastal Fort Ross–Seaview AVA. Also look for the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, rosé of Pinot, and Heaven & Earth Pinot Noir. The tasting room's hip country-casual decor pairs well with the rock playlist and the hosts' low-key approach.

Encompassing the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau desert zones, this pristine 62,000-acre tract of red rock wilderness begins just north of St. George and was established in 2009 to protect the habitat of the desert tortoise. However, countless other flora and fauna—including Gila monsters and chuckwallas—thrive in this unique transition zone that can be accessed through miles of designated hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback-riding trails. Start by visiting the contemporary visitor center (open weekdays only) in downtown St. George, where you can view live animals and interactive exhibits and staff can recommend hikes and other ways to visit. You can pick up trail maps there or download detailed PDF maps from the reserve website. The trail sections closest to town include City Creek and Paradise Canyon. Although it adjoins the reserve and is part of the same ecosystem, popular Snow Canyon State Park is administered separately.

Changing exhibits highlight Native American culture and art; the permanent collection has 10,000 contemporary and historical pieces. The gift shop sells locally made Lakota crafts and fine or decorative works of art.

Red Clover Ale in Brandon's tiny town center is run by a crew of brothers-in-law. The family trio focuses on creative ales alongside skilled representations of the classics, like their pitch-perfect pilsners and stouts. Their ongoing IPA series is as special as the birds they're named after, like American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat. Excellent pop-up food vendors are occasionally found on-site—otherwise, a corkboard near the entrance is covered in local takeout menus for perusing to one's liking.

The frontierish quarters of the Red Dog have housed an infamous Juneau watering hole since 1890. Nearly every conceivable surface in this two-story bar is cluttered with graffiti, business cards, and memorabilia, including a pistol that reputedly belonged to Wyatt Earp, who failed to reclaim the piece after checking it in at the U.S. Marshall's office on June 27, 1900. The saloon's food menu includes halibut, reindeer sausage, potato skins, burgers, and locally brewed beers. A little atmospheric sawdust covers the floor, and musicians pump out ragtime piano tunes when cruise ships are docked.

Take in gorgeous views of nearby mountains and the surrounding desert from the center's large windows and shaded outdoor terrace. A spacious gallery is filled with educational exhibits, and a lifelike display simulates the flora and fauna of the region. A 15-minute slide show, Voices of the Desert, provides a poetic, Native American perspective on the Saguaro. Park rangers and volunteers hand out maps and suggest hikes to suit your interests. The bookstore sells books, trinkets, a few local items like honey and prickly pear jellies, and reusable water bottles that you can fill at water stations outside.

In the town of Brookneal is the final home of Revolutionary War patriot Patrick Henry, whose "Give me liberty or give me death" speech inspired a generation. The 1770s house has been reconstructed on its original site and contains numerous furnishings owned by the Henry family. Henry's grave is also on the property.

Located in a converted rest area, this small museum is packed with Native American artifacts found in the area and items early settlers left behind; you can also tour a collection of historic cabins and buildings. Usually, a docent or the owner himself is there to give a guided tour. Bring cash; the museum is free but relies on donations to keep going.

The ocean with its namesake reef that you can wade up to is just one draw: a fishing zone on the Intracoastal Waterway across the street, a 9-hole golf course next door, and the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Education Center at the northern end of the park can easily make a day at the beach into so much more. But if pure old-fashioned fun in the sun is your focus, there are tons of picnic tables and grills and two separate playgrounds. Pack snorkels and explore the reef at high tide, when fish are most abundant. Swimmers, be warned: once lifeguards leave at 5, anglers flock to the shores and stay well past dark. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

A geological feast for the eyes with its layers of pink, white, red, and brown rock, this remote canyon is also a region of fascinating biological diversity—the ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, the Mojave Desert, and the Basin Range all converge here. Native American known as the Kawaiisu lived here some 20,000 years ago. Later, Mojave Indians roamed the land for centuries.

From 1863 to 1893, the gold rush lured miners, eventually leading to an infrastructure comprised of a stagecoach station, the Ricardo settlement, and the Red Rock Railroad. You can still see remains of gold and ash mining operations in the park, and more than 150 movies such as Silverado and Jurassic Park have been shot here. For a quiet nature trail a little off the beaten path try the 0.75-mile loop at Red Cliffs Natural Preserve about about ⅓ of a mile off Highway 14, across from the entrance to the Ricardo Campground.

Families can check out a youth backpack filled with tools for learning about both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. A guide for naturalists, a three-ring binder of activities, hand lens magnifier, and binoculars are just some of the loaner items. Backpacks can be returned to either Arches or Island in the Sky visitor center. Use of the backpack is free.

In the undeveloped and remote Centennial Valley, this almost-50,000-acre refuge shelters moose, deer, and antelope, but is primarily a sanctuary for 230 species of birds, including trumpeter swans. Once threatened with extinction, these elegant birds have survived thanks to refuge protection; today they build their nests and winter here among the 16,500 acres of lakes and marshes.

In spring, summer, and early fall, wildflowers add brilliance to the landscape of Red Rock Park, which has two popular hiking trails (the 3-mi Pyramid Rock Trail, connecting to the 3½-mi Church Rock Trail, hits an elevation of almost 8,000 feet, and has knockout views of the surrounding red-sandstone formation), campgrounds, and a museum. The Red Rock Museum contains well-mounted exhibits of jewelry, pottery, rugs, architecture, and tools of the Anasazi, Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo, as well as native plantings.

Two miles west of Sedona via AZ 89A is the turnoff for this 286-acre state park, a less crowded alternative to Slide Rock State Park, though without the possibility of swimming. The 5 miles of interconnected trails are well marked and provide beautiful red rock vistas. There are daily naturalist-led walks and bird-watching excursions on Wednesday and Saturday.

Home to James Hammond, who is credited with being first to declare that "cotton is king," this wood-frame house remained in the family until 1975. The 13,000-square-foot mansion (which now sits on 369 acres) remains just as it was, down to the 19th-century books on the carved shelves. Exhibits in and around the former slave quarters contain photograph and textile exhibits that help visitors to understand the lives of the enslaved families that lived here and the atrocities they suffered. Once you've toured the house, be sure to explore the grounds on the 1-mile trail.

Though the Independence area is more known for hops than vineyards, Red Gate produces a wide variety of wines, from Pinots to Syrah, Tempranillo, and even port-style dessert wines. The small, pub-like tasting room has some of the most reasonably priced flights in the area and live music events throughout the year.