10405 Best Sights in USA

Two of the most peaceful hours you'll spend outdoors in Chattanooga will be aboard this 70-passenger hydro-assisted catamaran that glides past the foot of Lookout Mountain and into the heart of the 26-mile Tennessee River Gorge, known affectionately as "Tennessee's Grand Canyon." Listen as a Tennessee Aquarium naturalist explains the geological and cultural history of the area, highlighting the delicate balance of human expansion into the environment shared with native flora and fauna. Angled seating inside the vessel allows you to relax in climate-controlled comfort as you view the remarkable scenery through the boat's expansive windows.

Take this flat and easy, 1¾-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail through stands of huge old-growth firs and cedars toward the Skagit River. Easy.

North of downtown, the River Market has some of the city's most distinctive ethnic restaurants and markets. In the summer months, a Saturday- and Sunday-morning farmers' market draws thousands.

Stretching 35 miles around the River Mountains, this multiuse paved trail is perfect for hiking, biking, running, jogging, and horseback riding. For a stretch, the trail parallels the shores of Lake Mead, and it connects with a historic spur that leads from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to a parking lot just north of Hoover Dam. The route runs through Boulder City, Henderson, and Lake Las Vegas. You can rent bikes at All Mountain Cyclery ( www.allmountaincyclery.com) in Boulder City. The most popular trailheads are at the Alan Bible Visitor Center inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Bootleg Canyon Park, at the north end of Yucca Street in Boulder City. But you can also reach the trail from the eastern end of Equestrian Drive and from the Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino, both in Henderson.

North of the Merchandise Mart and south of Chicago Avenue, between Orleans and Dearborn, is a concentration of art galleries carrying just about every kind of work imaginable. Virtually every building on Superior Street between Wells and Orleans houses at least one gallery, and visitors are welcome to stop in. Free tours leave from Addington Gallery at 704 N. Wells on the second Saturday of the month at 11 am; galleries also coordinate their exhibitions to showcase new works typically on "First Fridays" (check the Chicago Gallery News for dates). Although many artists have left this high-rent district for the less expensive, more industrial West Town, there is still a lot to see here, just a 10-minute walk from Michigan Avenue.

The lakeside spa, on 240 hilly acres near the intersection of U.S. 101 and Highway 46 East, is a great place to relax after wine tasting or festival-going. Soak in a private indoor or outdoor hot tub fed by natural mineral springs, or indulge in a massage or facial.

When you're done gawking, head to the neighborhood's top spot, Houston's first, to grab a coffee or some lunch, catch a movie, or pick up a new outfit.

The contributions of African Americans in Louisiana's rural Mississippi River communities come to light through exhibits that explore the slave trade, African American cuisine, the Underground Railroad, free people of color, Reconstruction, the rural roots of jazz, and more. Guided tours are available by appointment. The museum also hosts events, including a food and live music session on the third Thursday of each month.

Descending past Historic Entrance, this trail follows the drainage toward Green River, hugging the forested hillside, where seasonal wildflowers bloom. Arriving in the river bottom, the trail curves left to a viewing platform above River Styx Spring, where the subterranean waterway emerges from its long, dark journey to join the Green River. 0.4 mile. Moderate.

Accessed via the Oakridge Trail, this spur loops 5.4 miles to the Congaree River from the Oakridge Trail (10.1 miles round-trip from the Visitor Center); 1.6 miles of the trail parallel the river. Parts of this forest were logged in the 20th century, creating thicker undergrowth than is found in other parts of the park. Be prepared for muddy and overgrown sections. You're likely to have the River Trail to yourself. Difficult.

Cruise the Milwaukee River on the 45-seat Brew City Queen or the 20-seat Milwaukee Maiden; you can also rent a private pontoon. Nightly sunset cruises include drinks and snacks, while weekend brewery tours let you sample beers at three Milwaukee microbreweries.

Though considerably smaller than the Mississippi, the Cumberland River has been as important to Nashville as the Mississippi has been to Memphis. This welcoming green enclave on its banks has an expansive view of the river and Nissan Stadium, where the Tennessee Titans play. The park serves as a popular venue for free summer concerts, block parties, and the annual New Year's Eve and 4th of July celebrations (Nashville boasts the largest fireworks display in the South). It's also home to Fort Nashborough Interpretive Center, which was home to the city's first European settlers in the later 1700s.

Where the Broad and Saluda Rivers form the Congaree River is the site of the city's original waterworks and hydroelectric plant. Interpretive markers describe the area's plant and animal life and tell the history of the buildings. A 2½-mile paved trail weaves between the river and the canal and is filled with runners and walkers.

The heart of Missoula is the Clark Fork River, which cuts through Hellgate Canyon between Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo, and then flows by the university and through downtown. A 6-mile-long riverside trail (as well as the connecting 2½-mile Kim Williams Trail) makes for pleasant walks, with plenty of picnic spots and benches along the way. Look down from Higgin's Bridge and watch the surfers, kayakers, and paddleboarders on Brennan's Wave. Take note: the powerful currents of the Clark Fork are dangerous—they've taken many lives over the years.

Just south of downtown, the city's redeveloped historic waterfront along the Christina draws locals and visitors to its restaurants, sights, and the popular 1½-mile blue-and-white-signed Riverwalk promenade. Businesses and housing have also sprung up in this neighborhood. By the Riverwalk's northeastern end is Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park ( Rosa Parks Dr.), a recreational area that has a statue of abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett helping enslaved people as they fled to freedom along the Underground Railroad in the state. The Hare Pavilion at the foot of Old West Street hosts events; nearby, away from the river, is Delaware Contemporary ( 200 S. Madison St.), a museum presenting contemporary art exhibits. Also along the Riverwalk, the Delaware Children's Museum ( 550 Justison St.) has interactive exhibits aimed mostly at children ages 8 and under; Riverwalk Mini Golf operates seasonally right nearby. A regional visitor center ( Closed Mon.–Wed.) is at 920 Justison Street, Suite 5. There's parking at a Beech Street lot, at attractions, and on Justison Street. 

One of the oldest stock-car racing tracks in the country and the only NASCAR track in the New York Metropolitan area, Riverhead Raceway also hosts monster truck rallies, school bus demolition derbies, and hosts special events including amusement rides and fireworks. Bring ear plugs if you don't like loud noises.

Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan designed this museum that houses a significant collection of works by Robert Williams, Takashi Murakami, Shag, Käthe Kollwitz, James Gurney, Marc Chagall, Millard Sheets, Shepard Fairey, Corita Kent, and Don O’Neill. In 2022, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture joined the museum to showcase Chicano art in the form of paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by artists including Patssi Valdez, Sandy Rodriguez, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, and Gilbert “Magú” Luján.

with its immense colony of Gunnison's prairie dogs and family activities most weekends, anchors the east end of the city's lovely and revivifying River Corridor. A 3¼-mi walkway and bike path meanders along the Animas River; hidden, yet right in the center of town, it passes through Animas and Berg parks and ends just behind the Scott Avenue hotel strip on the west. The corridor contains 5½ additional mi of side trails for walkers, runners, cyclists, and wildlife- and bird-watchers, as well as a man-made, 300-yard-long white-water course. Join them at the center Tuesday mornings at 8 for guided bird-watching walks.

This 2.2-mile round-trip hike that's also sometimes referred to as the Gateway to The Narrows Trail shadows the Virgin River. In spring, wildflowers bloom on the opposite canyon wall in lovely hanging gardens. The trail, which begins at the end of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, is one of the park's most visited, so be prepared for crowds. The Riverside Walk is paved and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, though some wheelchair users may need assistance. Round-trip it takes about 90 minutes. At the end, The Narrows Trail—which is much more challenging—begins. Easy.

Lakeview Drive was originally proposed as a way for local communities to reach their family cemeteries, after being displaced from their homes for the Fontana Dam project in the 1940s. An environmental issue halted the construction of Lakeview Drive, earning it its nickname as the “Road to Nowhere.” Today, the road begins at the park's entrance from Fontana Road in Bryson City, and ends at a tunnel six miles into the park. The drive is quite scenic, with an overlook of Fontana Lake and a few trailheads along the way. A network of hiking trails (including a 3.2-mile loop) begin at the tunnel.  It's surprisingly dark and eerie in the tunnel, especially if you're there alone. If you end a loop hike at the tunnel and don't want to walk through it, there's a bypass trail.

You can obtain wilderness permits, maps, and information about the backcountry at this station, where bear canisters, a must for campers, can be rented or purchased. When the station is closed (typically October–mid-May), complete a self-service permit form.

Known as the "Enchanted Highway," this self-guided 30-mile driving tour east of Dickinson features seven giant metal sculptures designed by a local artist, including a 51-foot Teddy Roosevelt. Massive sculptures include a deer crossing, grasshopper family, pheasants on the prairie, a 150-foot-long gaggle of geese, and a tin family with a 45-foot father, 44-foot mother, and 23-foot son.

This multifunctional attraction sits on the waterfront in Manteo. Costumed interpreters conduct tours of the 69-foot ship Elizabeth II, a representation of a 16th-century vessel, but you can also help them set the sails, plot a course, and swab the decks. The 25-acre park is home to the interactive Adventure Museum, representing 400 years of local history. There's also a re-created 16th-century settlement site, a Native American exhibit, a fossil pit, arts-and-crafts exhibitions, boardwalk trails along the marsh, and seasonal plays and concerts at the impressive outdoor stage fronting Shallowbag Bay.

Roaring Fork was settled by Europeans beginning in the 1830s. At its height, around the turn of the 20th century, there were about two dozen families in the area. Most lived a hardscrabble existence, trying to scrape out a living from the rough mountain land. The Noah "Bud" Ogle Self-Guided Nature Trail, on Orchard Road just before entering the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, offers a walking tour of a farmstead and the surrounding forest. Highlights include a log cabin, barn, streamside mill, and a wooden flume system designed to bring water to the farm. Among the historic structures on the Motor Nature Trail are the Jim Bales Cabin, the Ephraim Bales Cabin, and the Alfred Reagan House, one of the more "upscale" residences at Roaring Fork.

The 6-mile Roaring Fork offers a dramatic counterpoint to Cades Cove Loop Road, which meanders through a wide-open valley. Roaring Fork closes in, with the forest sometimes literally just inches from your fender. This one-way paved road is so narrow in places that RVs, trailers, and buses are not permitted. The trail starts just beyond the Noah "Bud" Ogle Farmstead and the Rainbow Falls trailhead. Pick up a Roaring Fork Auto Tour booklet at the information shelter. Numbered markers along the route are keyed to 16 stops highlighted in the booklet. A favorite sight is the old Alfred Reagan House, which is painted in the original blue, yellow, and cream, "all three colors that Sears and Roebuck had," according to a story attributed to Mr. Reagan. There are several good hiking trails starting along the road, including the Trillium Gap Trail to Mt. LeConte. The road follows Roaring Fork Creek a good part of the way, and the finale is a small waterfall called "The Place of a Thousand Drips," right beside the road.

While most of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail takes you on a narrow and winding one-way road through forested areas where the views are limited, at the beginning of the drive the first and second overlooks present good views of the distant mountain ridges. The best scenery is from the second overlook, marked as the number 3 site on the Roaring Fork Auto Tour.

Take a shady five-minute walk to this forceful waterfall that rushes through a narrow granite chute. The trail is paved and mostly accessible. Easy.

Silver-sided tarpon—huge, prehistoric-looking denizens of the not-so-deep—congregate around the docks at this authentic local marina. Children (and many adults) pay $4.50 for a bucket of sardines to feed them and $2.50 each for dock admission. You can also grab a bite to eat indoors or out; shop at a slew of artisans' booths; or charter a boat, kayak, or other watercraft.