10405 Best Sights in USA

Rotating displays tell the history of Rehoboth Beach via artifacts such as shipwreck finds, Civil War and other maps, vintage postcards, and even old-timey swimsuits. Special events might focus on gardening, fishing, musical performances, food history, and more.

This small but well-designed zoo won't tax your patience. There are plenty of shady places to sit, a well-stocked gift shop, a carousel, and a snack bar to rev you up when your energy flags. You can feed carrots to the zoo's friendly giraffes each morning at 10 (9:30 June--September, $3). At the African elephants habitat, you might view a training session (look for posted times at the entrance). If you're visiting in summer, go early in the day when the animals are active.

The clearly expressed, gleaming verticality that characterizes the modern skyscraper was first and most eloquently articulated in this trailblazing steel-frame tower, built by Burnham, Root, and Charles Atwood. Completed in 1895 and now home to the stylish Staypineapple Hotel, the building was a crumbling eyesore until the late 1990s, when the city initiated a major restoration. In the early and mid-1900s, it was a mixed-use office building. Al Capone's dentist reportedly worked out of what's now Room 809. Don't be misled when you go looking for this masterpiece—a block away, at State and Randolph streets, a dormitory for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago shamelessly mimics it. Once you've found the real thing, admire the mosaic floor and ironwork in the reconstructed elevator lobby. The building boasts early examples of the Chicago Window, which define the entire facade by adding a shimmer and glimmer to the surrounding white terra-cotta.

Among the many vineyards throughout the Rogue Valley, Rellik stands out both for producing well-balanced wines (including a quite tasty oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon) and for having a herd of curious friendly alpacas, which makes this a fun stop for the entire family. You can admire and even pet the alpacas, and sip wine while snacking on cheese and charcuterie in the tasting room or on the shaded patio. The vineyard is just over a mile up the road from historic downtown Jacksonville.

For 99 years (1894–1993) Dr. Edwin Crafts Remick and his father provided medical services to the Tamworth area and operated a family farm. These two houses now comprise a farm museum, with the second floor of the house kept as it was when Remick passed away, providing a glimpse into the life of a country doctor. The still-working farm features special activities, such as maple-syrup making, and has hiking trails and picnicking areas.

It's Remy's big night, and he's cooking to impress the food critic Anton Ego. To succeed, he needs the help of all his rat friends, including you! On this ride, the six-person cars, which are shaped like rats, begin by meandering through the oversized rooftops of Paris. Gusteau quickly takes you to his restaurant so you can assist Remy and Linguini with the cooking, all the while trying to avoid the gaze of Skinner, the head chef who has a terror of rats. Combined 3-D screens along with a giant kitchen create a 4-D effect so real it feels like you're really scurrying around. The trackless ride system furthers the notion of independence; often you and your fellow rats will hide in different places and then meet back up to help Remy. For people with disabilities: Wheelchairs can be loaded onto certain ride cars in a lane to the side of the boarding area. Those in ECVs will need to transfer to a standard wheelchair to use this feature or will need to walk to a wider car if they would prefer. The earlier the better for this attraction; lines can be long, and they don't tend to dissipate in the evening.

The 19th-century Carr Building contains the historical society's offices as well as a research library that, through old photos, maps, diaries, and letters, documents Troy's development from the 1800s through the following century. Next door is the Hart-Cluett House, an 1827 Federal town house with a white marble exterior and period furnishings; tours are available by reservation.

This tiny park has a viewing platform dominated by a monument to Captain Cook, whose explorations in 1778 led to the naming of Cook Inlet and many other geographic features in Alaska. Mt. Susitna, known as the Sleeping Lady, is the prominent low mountain to the northwest, and Mts. Spurr and Redoubt, active volcanoes, are just south of Mt. Susitna. Denali, Mt. Foraker, and other peaks of the Alaska Range are often visible from more than 100 miles away.

This beach and park were named after Cornelius Bradford Harvey, former Key West mayor and commissioner. Adjacent to Higgs Beach, it has half a dozen picnic areas across the street, dunes, a pier, and a wheelchair and bike path. Amenities: none. Best for: walking.

Serving as the port for the city of Seward, this 18-mile long fjord is the epic destination for kayakers from all over the world, as well as the entry point to Kenai Fjords National Park. Framed by snow-tip peaks, this scenic body of water is an exciting place for viewing birds and marine life in the summer months.

This tower has been an iconic fixture of the Dallas skyline since 1978. The lights on the giant ball at the top of the tower often dance at night. Visitors can visit the rotating restaurant and lounge or ride an elevator up 55 flights to an observation deck that affords views of Dallas and beyond.

Action, adventure, and horror are in abundance in this spine-tingling thrill ride that combines roller-coaster technology, pyrotechnics, and some super-scary skeletal warriors. The entrance is set up like the tomb of a pharaoh, which means you'll walk through winding catacombs in the near-dark, passing Egyptian artifacts and archaeological scenes before reaching your vehicle. After boarding the multipassenger coaster car and zipping into the heart of a haunted labyrinth, "dead" ahead, you're given the chance to sell your soul for safety and riches. Whether you take the deal or not, a guardian mummy thinks it's high time to send you hurtling through underground passageways, where you must escape a beetle-infested burial chamber, zip backward through fog, and then race full-tilt into the mummified mouth of Imhotep.

Take note: you feel the 1.5 g-forces when flying uphill, and much of the ride takes place in the dark, which adds to its unforgettable intensity. Needless to say, this isn't a good choice for expectant mothers or anyone with neck, back, or heart problems. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to a ride vehicle. By all means, use the available free lockers to stash loose items.

Just north of the city, Revere Beach, the oldest public beach in America, has faded somewhat since its glory days in the early 20th century when it was a Coney Island–type playground, but it still remains a good spot to people-watch and catch some rays. The sand and water are less than pristine, but on hot summer days the waterfront is still packed with colorful local characters and Bostonians looking for an easy city escape. Most of the beach's former amusements are gone, but you can still catch concerts at the bandstand in summer, especially during the annual International Sand Sculpting Festival in July. You can reach Revere on the T by taking the blue line to the Revere Beach or Wonderland stops. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

This museum in the historic district is a tribute to Willcox's most famous native son, cowboy singer Rex Allen. He starred in several rather average "singing cowboy" movies during the 1940s and '50s for Republic Pictures, but he's probably most famous as the friendly voice that narrated Walt Disney nature films of the 1960s. Check out the glittery suits the star wore on tour—they'd do Liberace proud.

A few hundred feet off the busy highway, surrounded by conifers and overlooked by vineyards, Rex Hill seems to exist in a world of its own. The winery opened in 1982, after owners Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen converted a former nut-drying facility. It produces first-class Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling from both estate-grown and purchased grapes. The tasting room has a massive fireplace, elegant antiques, and an absorbing collection of modern art, though summer visitors may prefer to enjoy their wine on the dog-friendly patio or out in the beautifully landscaped garden.

The front yard of this home, built by Camel cigarette founder R. J. Reynolds and his wife, Katharine Smith Reynolds, seems to extend to the horizon. It's the first of many moments of grandeur at the 1917 dwelling that's now an art museum filled with paintings, prints, and sculptures by Thomas Eakins, Frederic Church, and Georgia O'Keeffe. There's also a costume collection, as well as clothing and toys used by the Reynolds children. The home is adjacent to the 134-acre Reynolda Gardens that include flower fields, wooded trails, and a nursery. Next door is Reynolda Village, a collection of shops and restaurants that fill the estate's original outer buildings.

Anglican cleric and theologian John Wesley is remembered here. He arrived in Savannah in 1736 at the behest of General James Oglethorpe to minister to the newly established colony. During his short stay, the future founder of the Methodist Church preached and wrote the first English hymnal in the city. His monument in Reynolds Square is shaded by greenery and surrounded by park benches. The landmark Planters Inn, formerly the John Wesley Hotel, is also located on the square. Ironically, though it was named after a man of the cloth, it was considered the best brothel in town at the turn of the 20th century.

Centered on a two-story 1904 manor house constructed from Napa River stone, this tasting space amid Restoration Hardware's food, wine, art, and design compound is an excellent spot to learn about small-lot Napa and Sonoma wines. Collector-revered labels like Corison, Lail, Matthiasson, Mayacamas, and Spottswoode are represented, the wines in good weather poured by the glass, flight, or bottle in "outdoor living rooms" behind the stone structure. Oozing RH fabulousness, the Wine Vault can feel like a scene on a busy day, but the wines are the real deal.

Designed by the noted architecture firm McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1904, Rhode Island's beautiful capitol building boasts the world's fourth-largest self-supported marble dome. The gilded Independent Man statue that tops the dome was struck by lightning at least 27 times before lightning rods were installed in 1975. Inside, visitors can see a full-length portrait of George Washington by Rhode Islander Gilbert Stuart, who also painted the portrait of Washington that appears on the $1 bill. On display in the Governor's State Room are the military accoutrements of Nathanael Greene, a Quaker who served as George Washington's second-in-command during the Revolutionary War. The State Library, on the north side of the building, has moon rocks and the state flag carried on board Apollo 11's first lunar landing mission in 1969 among its displays. The centerpiece of the State House's Royal Charter Museum is Rhode Island's original 1663 Colonial Charter granted by King Charles II—the first charter signed by a monarch that guaranteed religious liberty. Guided tours lasting 50 minutes are offered at 10 am and 1 pm on weekdays, excluding holidays. You can also follow a self-guided tour.

On Point Defiance Park's Five Mile Drive, the garden is a 22-acre expanse of more than 10,000 plants—some 700 species, including azaleas, blue poppies, and magnolias—that bloom in succession. It's one of the finest rhododendron collections in the world.

At 1,612 feet, this is the highest single fall in North America. It's also the first waterfall to dry up in summer; the rainwater and melted snow that create the slender fall evaporate quickly at this height. Look just west of El Capitan for the best view of the fall from the base of Bridalveil Fall.

A graceful market and meeting building in the heart of Georgetown, topped by an 1842 clock and tower, has been converted into a unique museum, with maps, tools, and dioramas that outline the history of rice in Georgetown. At the museum's Prevost Gallery next door is the Brown's Ferry river freighter, the oldest American-built water-going vessel in existence. The museum gift shop has local pine needle baskets, African dolls, and art (including baskets made from whole cloves), as well as South Carolina rice and honey.

Across the street from Hermann Park is top-ranked Rice University, where 3,000 undergraduates from all over the country (and the world) live in an Oxford-inspired Residential College System. The campus is filled with live oaks, Mediterranean-style architecture, and some extremely hefty squirrels. It's a quiet place to escape from the city, and there are many wonderful places to picnic. Rice also houses the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, named for George H. W. Bush's secretary of state. The Rice Owls play football at Rice Stadium, where in 1962 President John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Moon Speech," in which he reaffirmed his earlier call to Congress and the nation that the United States would put a man on the moon in that decade. The 3-mi-long gravel path rings the campus; it's a popular place to walk or jog; massive trees shade most of the route.

A beautifully restored 1916 courthouse in downtown is the permanent home of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County's collection of artifacts and records dating back before the town's start—a highlight is furniture and decorative objects from Mizner Industries (a real treat since many of his mansions are not open to the public).

Noted architect Frank Gehry designed Bard's extraordinary Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Brushed-stainless-steel panels, draped like massive ribbons over the roof and sides of the 108,000-square-foot performing-arts center, reflect the light and colors of the sky as well as the hilly surroundings. Tours are given Monday through Friday at 2 most of the year. Call ahead to make sure the theater is open and tours are available.

Curious about how the wealthy built their urban palaces during America's Gilded Age? Steps away from the Magnificent Mile, the former Samuel Mayo Nickerson mansion has lavish interiors with 19th-century furniture and objets d'art, including pieces by Louis Comfort Tiffany and George Schastey, along with rotating exhibitions related to art, architecture, and design.

Named for late mayor Richard J. Daley, this boldly plain high-rise is the headquarters of the Cook County court system, but it's best known as the site of a sculpture by Picasso. Simply dubbed the Picasso, this monumental piece provoked an outcry when it was installed in 1967; baffled Chicagoans tried to determine whether it represented a woman or an Afghan hound. In the end, they gave up guessing and simply embraced it as a unique symbol of the city. The building itself was constructed in 1965 of Cor-Ten steel, which weathers naturally to an attractive bronze. In summer, its plaza is the site of concerts, political rallies, and a Thursday farmers' market. In December, Christkindlmarket (a traditional German market selling food and gifts) takes over the area.

History buffs will want to make a trip to the city of Yorba Linda (8 miles northeast of Anaheim, 37 miles southeast of Downtown L.A.) to learn more about President Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. The library is an archival space, housing millions of photographs, documents, and artifacts related to Nixon's life starting in 1913. Now a National Historic Landmark, the museum sheds light to Nixon's early life in Yorba Linda, his early political career, and his tumultuous presidency. There are displays about the Watergate scandal and his resignation in 1974, as well as his role in foreign policy with China and the Soviet Union.

Built in 1640, Sparrow House is Plymouth's oldest structure. One of several historic houses in town that are open to visitors, it allows guests to take a peek into rooms furnished in the spartan style of the Pilgrims' era. In the adjoining 1720 section of the building is an art gallery, which supports the museum and has been in operation since the 1930s.