10457 Best Sights in USA

Half a dozen picnic tables are scattered under cottonwoods south of the convenience store. Half a mile away at Daniels Ranch there are two tables and a grill. Wood fires aren't allowed (charcoal and propane are).

Down by the Rio Grande, this short, ¾-mile loop trail packs a powerful wildlife punch. The village is one of the best spots in the park to see rare birds, and other wildlife isn't in short supply either. Keep a lookout for coyotes, javelinas (they look like wild pigs), and other mammals. This is a good trail for kids, so expect higher traffic. Restrooms are nearby, and the trail can be done in less than an hour. The first ¼ mile is wheelchair accessible. Easy.

At this seasonal center you take in the videos of Big Bend's geological and natural features at the minitheater and view exhibits on the Rio Grande.

Rio Grande Vineyard & Winery, just over 4 miles south of Old Mesilla, is worth a look. The comfortably appointed tasting room has a fine view of the Organ Mountains, and proprietor Gordon Steel is congenial and informed.

This artifact of Flagstaff's logging heyday is near Northern Arizona University. The centerpiece is a mansion built in 1904 for Michael and Timothy Riordan, lumber-baron brothers who married two sisters. The 13,300-square-foot, 40-room log-and-stone structure—designed by Charles Whittlesley, who was also responsible for El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon—contains furniture by Gustav Stickley, father of the American Arts and Crafts design movement. One room holds "Paul Bunyan's shoes," a two-foot-long pair of boots made by Timothy in his workshop. Everything on display is original to the house. The inside of the mansion may be explored only by guided tour (hourly on the hour); reservations are suggested. You can explore the exterior on a self-guided tour.

The highlight of a visit here is the magnificent 20-acre garden filled with semitropical vegetation and the sort of vistas that, at least in south Louisiana, only a salt dome can offer. An excellent café looks over Lake Peigneur and provides a restful and picturesque spot for refreshments after exploring the gardens. Be on the lookout for the peacocks—if you're lucky, one of the males will open his feathers for you. Also on the grounds is the Joseph Jefferson Home, a highly idiosyncratic mansion that combines Steamboat Gothic, Moorish, and French-plantation styles. It was built as a country home for stage actor Joseph Jefferson in the mid-19th century and is open for 40-minute tours. There is also a peaceful bed-and-breakfast on the grounds.

Glide underwater (no need for a wet suit) through a winding tunnel exhibit that's longer than a football field, where sharks of all kinds and exotic marine creatures, including poisonous lionfish, moray eels, and an octopus, swim over and around you (or below you, if you spring for the glass-bottom boat tour). Children can examine horseshoe crabs and stingrays in touch tanks, and two of the newer residents are a pair of two-toed sloths. There are also add-ons, like the up-close 30-minute, $90 Penguin Encounter. Admission discounts are available when combined with the price of Ripley's Ocean Boulevard attractions.

This 1.4-million-gallon saltwater aquarium highlights the wonders of the underwater world. You can get up close and personal with a penguin, pet a stingray, share space with 12-foot-long sharks swimming in overhead tunnels, and stick around for the dive and feeding shows. Groups that include 10 or more children can schedule a sleepover with the sharks!

The first thing you’ll notice when visiting Branson’s branch of Ripley’s Believe it or Not is the museum’s unusual facade, with long fissures designed to look as though the whole place has been cracked in an earthquake. This unusual design is a nod to the 1812 earthquake, which supposedly caused the Mississippi to reverse its flow. From there, things only get weirder. Inside, you’ll witness a number of unbelievable oddities, ranging from a two-headed taxidermied calf to so-called shrunken heads. The replica of Rome’s Colosseum made entirely of playing cards isn’t really an oddity, but is certainly a display of some serious talent.

Gatlinburg has several "mountain coasters" (gravity-controlled, single-car coasters), including options at Anakeesta and Ober Mountain. But to experience one without a huge time commitment—and that the operators claim goes a little bit faster, thanks to banked turns—this smooth double track is a winner that loops through the forest and tops out at 35 mph. There's also a mountain glider, where riders descend while suspended from a track in a harness.

A 10-foot-square section of the Berlin Wall, a pain-and-torture chamber, two African fertility statues that women swear have helped them conceive—these and almost 200 other oddities (shrunken heads included) speak for themselves in this museum-cum-attraction in the heart of tourist territory on International Drive. The building itself is designed to appear as if it's sliding into one of Florida's notorious sinkholes. Give yourself an hour or two to soak up the weirdness, but remember: this is a looking, not touching, experience; it might drive antsy youngsters—and their parents—crazy. Buy tickets online ahead of time for discounts.

The Baltimore outpost of the museum that celebrates all things unusual has plenty of shrunken heads, lizard men, automated dinosaurs, and castles made from toothpicks—although it would be nice if more weird things from Maryland were featured. A mirror maze with LED lights is dizzying fun. The 4D Moving Theater has moving seats and digital effects. Separate admission fees for the Mirror Maze and 4D Moving Theater.

In a cottonwood grove adjacent to St. Mary Lake, this area has tables, restrooms, and drinking water in the summer.

In 1760 George Washington's brother Charles built as his home what later became the Rising Sun Tavern, a watering hole for such patriots as the Lee brothers (the only siblings to sign the Declaration of Independence); Patrick Henry, the five-term governor of Virginia who famously said, "Give me liberty or give me death"; and future presidents Washington and Jefferson. Two male indentured servants and a "wench" in period costume lead a tour without stepping out of character. Guests will learn how travelers slept and what they ate and drank at this busy institution.

Local ingredients take the spotlight at this family-owned brewery, with sprawling indoor and patio spaces and even bigger list of seasonal creations (like blueberry sour ales and Marzen-style lagers) and year-round beers like Ishmael, a malty and sweet ale. There's also wine and kombuchas on offer.

Run by the Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association, this gallery helps to promote works by its 30 artist members through group and solo exhibitions, and other programming. Along with this gallery, the RIVAA manages another exhibition space, the Octagon Gallery within the Octagon Building, once the entrance of a hospital that's now part of an apartment complex. The latter spot features art by both RIVAA members and international guest contributors—including painters, sculptors, photographers, computer artists, graphic designers, ceramists, and installation artists.

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.