10405 Best Sights in USA

Completed in 1923 and built to accommodate the area's growing number of Italian immigrants, this church is the oldest continuously operating Italian American church in Chicago. Its Romanesque Revival style was popular with the famous church architects Worthman and Steinbach, and its interior is filled with statues and striking stained-glass windows. 

If the crowds become overwhelming, and you have access to a vehicle, consider a visit to the Shrine of St. Thérèse, "out the road"—it's a peaceful site that's perfect for quiet contemplation. Built in the 1930s, this beautiful stone church and its 15 stations of the cross are the only structures on a serene tiny island accessible via a 400-foot-long pedestrian causeway. Visitors enjoy the Merciful Love Labyrinth, the black-granite Columbarium, and the floral gardens along the Good Shepherd Rosary Trail. Sunday services are held at 1:30 pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For those wishing to explore the area for more than a few hours, the shrine offers a lodge and four rental cabins that run the gamut from rustic to resplendent. A round-trip taxi ride may cost $60 or more.

Costumed guides share fascinating tales at Shriver House, the home of George and Henrietta Shriver and their two children, revealing what civilian life was like during the Civil War. After George joined the Union troops and his family fled to safety, the home was taken over by Confederate sharpshooters during the Battle of Gettysburg. You can visit their attic nest, where two of them were killed during the battle, and get a look at Shriver's Saloon in the cellar. 

The park's shuttle and transit buses are a more informal, cheaper, and independent way to experience Denali. These buses are green-painted, converted school buses while the formally narrated tour buses are tan. While these trips are not formally narrated, the majority of bus drivers enjoy sharing information with riders, and the buses are equipped with speakers. Transit buses offer the freedom to disembark virtually anywhere along the road system and explore the park for yourself. Catching a ride back is as simple as returning to the road and waiting for the next transit bus to come by. Note that full buses will not stop, so it's possible to wait for an hour or more for your ride back. Like the narrated tours, transit buses are operated by Doyon/Aramark and bookings are made through the concessionaire. Reservations are not required, and about a quarter of the seats are saved for walk-ons. But if you're visiting during peak season, it's best to make reservations ahead of time to ensure availability. Schedules can be found on the National Park Service's Denali website; departure times are relatively reliable although they can fluctuate during the summer.

Fort Worth is an appropriate setting for this private collection of art celebrating the American West, with pieces that capture the emotion, movement, and landscape of the frontier. The gallery affords space and appropriate lighting for up to 39 pieces at a time. (The late Sid Richardson's collection includes more than 100 paintings.)

The River District has become a haven for independent galleries, including this space for edgy, up-and-coming visual artists, musical acts, films, and theater. Once an abandoned post office circa 1933, it was transformed by Florida Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization, in the early 2000s. Even if your taste runs more to classical works than contemporary, a visit is worthwhile for the neoclassical revival facade: eight towering coral-rock Ionic columns give way to swaths of intricately detailed window screens. The friendly staff is happy to answer questions about the building's history.

Sierra Nevada, one of the country's largest national craft breweries, situated its East Coast brewery and distribution center on a 190-acre site on the French Broad River. The beautifully landscaped complex includes a good restaurant, tasting room, gift shop, and hiking and biking trails. Sierra Nevada offers the best brewery tours in the region, ranging from a 45-minute brewhouse tour to a three-hour Beer Geek tour.

Tours book up quickly, so reserve as far in advance as possible.

Stop by this tasting room inside a high-ceilinged former theater in Snoqualmie's Old Town to sample a selection of exceptional wines, most of them made with Bordeaux and Rhône varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from top vineyards around throughout the Columbia Valley. Appetizers, including cheese and meat boards, are available, and there's live music most Friday and Saturday evenings. Sigillo has a second tasting room in Chelan.

Because of the nearby petroglyphs, this is the park's most popular picnic site. Its many picnic tables, sprinkled around paloverde and mesquite trees, can accommodate large groups.

The most impressive petroglyphs, and the only ones with explanatory signs, are on the Bajada Loop Drive in Saguaro West. An easy five-minute stroll from the signposted parking area takes you to one of the largest concentrations of rock carvings in the Southwest. You'll have a close-up view of the designs left by the Hohokam people between AD 900 and 1200, including large spirals some believe are astronomical markers.

This popular 4-mile drive climbs 800 feet along a winding forest road that offers glimpses of Jackson Lake and Mt. Moran. At the top, park and follow the well-marked path to one of the park's best panoramas. From 7,593 feet above sea level, your gaze can sweep over all of Jackson Hole and the 40-mile Teton Range. The views are particularly dramatic at sunset. The road is not appropriate for long trailers and is closed in winter.

Set on a hilltop just outside of Leavenworth, with gorgeous views over the valley, this winery is a must-stop for wine lovers. There's a tasting room where you can sample wine and learn more about the award-winning wines that Silvara makes with grapes sourced from more than a dozen Washington state vineyards. Outside there's an expansive patio with tables and firepits for socializing over wine, cheese, and other light bites. For an especially unique experience, reserve one of the clear dome "igloos" for your group.

The unusual mansard-roof Italianate-style Henry B. Ailman House, built in 1881, serves as headquarters for the Silver City Museum, whose main gallery mural of the mining and ranching community circa 1882 provides a good overview of the area's colorful history. Displays include pottery and other relics from the area's ancient (and now extinct) Mimbres and Mogollon cultures, as well as a nice lot of items from the heyday of the mining era. From the museum's tower you can catch a grand view of the eclectic architecture around town. The store carries Southwest-themed books and gifts, and the museum also has a local-history research library.

One of Branson's biggest draws for families, Silver Dollar City boasts 30 rides and attractions, ranging the mild Happy Frogs kiddie ride to some pretty intense roller coasters. Those looking to maximize the fear factor won't want to miss the chance to take a ride on the WildFire, a loopy coaster that reaches speeds of up to 66 mph. Other popular rides include the American Plunge, a five-story splash ride, and the recently added Outlaw Run, the world's steepest wooden roller coaster. Off-season visitors should note that most of the rides close when temperatures drop below 35°F.

Hidden amid old-growth Douglas firs in the foothills of the Cascades, this is the largest state park in Oregon (8,700 acres). South Falls, roaring over the lip of a mossy basalt bowl into a deep pool 177 feet below, is the main attraction here, but 13 other waterfalls—half of them more than 100 feet high—are accessible to hikers. The best time to visit is in the fall, when vine maples blaze with brilliant color, or early spring, when the forest floor is carpeted with trilliums and yellow violets; in winter you can cross-country ski. Cabin and lodge accommodations are also available.

Vermont lakes don't get more picturesque than this gem across the street from the Barnard General Store. Plus, it's open for swimming, boating, fishing, and camping.

This historic estate on the 1,200-foot southern slopes of the Rattlesnake Hills often some of the best valley views in Zillah. With both a large deck and well-manicured lawn with a soothing fountain, the winery stands out for its Cabernet Sauvignon, sweet and dry Rieslings, Roza red blend, and Chardonnay.

The first review of this winery’s debut 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon declared the wine not all that good and overpriced at $6 a bottle. Oops. The now-celebrated Bordeaux-style blend, still the only Napa Valley Cab bearing the winery's label each year, evolved into a cult favorite, and founders Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer received worldwide recognition for aging their wines exclusively in American oak barrels. Tastings take place in a hospitality center constructed of reclaimed stone and other materials from a 19th-century flour mill. At-the-bar pours for walk-ins include the current Napa Valley Cabernet and its Alexander Valley counterpart, made at Silver Oak's Sonoma County facility. You’ll need a reservation for elevated sessions involving library wines or food pairings.

This quiet beach on a narrow sand spit allows visitors a unique opportunity to experience both the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. The 2½ miles of the ocean side is great for surfing and other water sports while the bay side, accessible via foot tunnel under Highway 75, has calmer, warmer water and great views of the San Diego skyline. Lifeguards and rangers are on duty year-round, and there are places for biking, volleyball, and fishing. Picnic tables, grills, and firepits are available in summer. The beach is close to Loews Coronado Bay Resort and the Coronado Cays, an exclusive community popular with yacht owners. You can reserve RV sites ($85 beach; $65 inland) online. Four day-use parking lots provide room for up to 1,000 cars. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Lake City used to be at the northern tip of the Silver Thread Scenic Byway, which has now been extended north to its intersection with U.S. 50 at Blue Mesa Reservoir, for a total of 117 miles. From Lake City, the byway (also called Route 149) travels south 75 miles to South Fork, climbing over Slumgullion and Spring Creek passes. The route then overlooks the headwaters of the Rio Grande before dropping into the lush Rio Grande Valley. Along the way, you'll see plenty of old gold- and silver-mining camps and spectacular North Clear Creek Falls.

The splurge at Silver Trident is on the decor: this tasteful downtown space doubles as a Ralph Lauren Home Collection showroom where everything’s for sale. It’s a fittingly ritzy setting for subtly delicious Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, Pinot Noir (winemaker Kari Auringer's strong suit), and Bordeaux-style reds (also quite good). You can taste current releases without food, though most guests opt for a pairing with gourmet potato chips or Detroit-style pizzas. Visits are by appointment. Walk-ins are often possible.

Drive about 20 minutes north of Coeur d’Alene on Highway 95 and you'll reach the Northwest’s largest theme park, with dozens of thrill rides, a wooden roller coaster that ducks underground, and the adjoining Boulder Beach Water Park. A steam locomotive choo-choo’s through Main Street daily, past life-size Garfield and Odie mascots and through the surrounding woods, which in October become a scene for a Halloween “Scarywood.” There are rides for younger kids, too, and various entertainments. In the summer, the water park is swarming with families and sunbathing college kids. For the brave, there is the Aftershock hanging coaster—a 65-mph drop that will peel your eyelids back.

A nondescript hangar five minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport is home to what's been dubbed the most impressive racing car collection on the planet. Dr. Fred Simeone spent half a century amassing a fleet of more than 75 vehicles that tell the sweeping story of racing history. You can see them in action during regular “demo days,” which happen once a month on Saturdays when staffers fire up a selection of the antique roadsters and take them out for some air.

This 8-acre nature preserve on the edge of Miami's busiest urban neighborhood is one of the last remnants of Brickell's natural tropical hardwood hammock. It conserves 162 plant species, most of which are native to the area, such as the strangler fig and gumbo-limbo tree. The park features lovely bike and walking trails, as well as a recreation center and plenty of intriguing historical plaques along the way.

Of the redwood hikes in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, this flat, easy, 1-mile loop through an incredibly dense forest is the best fit if you have only an hour or so. The trailhead is a short hop off U.S. 199 between Crescent City and Hiouchi, and interpretative signs tell a bit about the diverse flora—you'll encounter hemlocks, huckleberries, and many ferns along this route. Easy.

Bisecting the Boardwalk Trail loop, the wide Sims Trail runs a straight line through the swamp on an elevated causeway. It's a pleasant walk that sees fewer crowds than the Boardwalk loop, and it's the fastest route to access the wilderness trails deeper in the park. Easy.

Frustrated after a losing streak in the casinos? This Town Square spot offers a “rage room” (in which customers pay to smash stuff to smithereens), axe-throwing, and splatter-paint experiences. Talk about a way to work out a bit of aggression. You can smash for as few as 20 or as many as 30 minutes, or you can organize smash parties for four, six, or more; there even are Date Nights because "the couple that smashes together stays together." Axe-throwing sessions run from 30 minutes to 2 hours (no experience necessary, and there are specials on Throwdown Tuesdays!). Up to six people can splatter-paint canvases in two sizes, so you get a souvenir to take home. Team-building events and birthday parties also are available.

Guides lead 45-minute tours, up and down many stairs, through this lovely turn-of-the-20th-century castle on Dark Island. The castle, originally known as the Towers, was built as a summer home for Frederick G. Bourne, president of the Singer sewing-machine company. Famed American architect Ernest Flagg modeled the four-story, 28-room structure on a Scottish castle, giving it all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies. To get here, take a boat from Alexandria Bay. Empire Boat Lines and Uncle Sam Boat Tours include Singer Castle in their sightseeing cruises.