10457 Best Sights in USA

Stellar fruit sources and a winemaker with a light touch have earned Sojourn Cellars high ratings from critics for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons. Founded in 2001, the winery started out producing Cabernet and still makes several from the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, but the well-balanced Sonoma Coast, Petaluma Gap, and Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs capture much of the attention. Comparative tastings at a bungalow just east of Sonoma Plaza explore the subtle variations in the wines caused by climate, terrain, and clone type depending on the grape sources.

Sol Duc Valley is one of those magical places where all the Northwest's virtues seem at hand: lush lowland forests, sparkling river scenes, salmon runs, and serene hiking trails. Here, the popular Sol Duc Hot Springs area includes three attractive sulfuric pools ranging in temperature from 99°F to 104°F. 

Opened in 1924 as the Municipal Grant Park Stadium, the facility was renamed in 1925 to commemorate American soldiers who died during World War I. Just south of the Museum Campus, the building and its massive columns are reminiscent of ancient Greece. It's the home field for the NFL's Chicago Bears and Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire FC, as well as a venue for college games and concerts. A controversial modern glass expansion, which looks like a spaceship that landed on the arena, was completed in 2003. Behind-the-scenes tours feature the Doughboy statue, Colonnades, the field, South Courtyard, visitors' locker room, the suites, and the United Club.

On the southern end of Wasatch Mountain State Park, this activity center was one site for the 2002 Winter Olympics and still hosts the national championship Nordic ski events and other events, including powwows and sheepdog championships. It's open to the public year-round for hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing, as well as biathlon and other events. A beautiful lodge has food concessions, equipment rentals, and a souvenir shop.

For a visit to the wild and weird side, particularly fun for children, head to this "castle" about 45 minutes east of Bradenton through orange groves and cattle farms. Artist and Renaissance man Howard Solomon began building the 12,000-square-foot always-in-progress work out of thousands of aluminum offset printing plates. Inside, you'll find tons of intrigues—everything from a knight assembled with Volkswagen parts to a chair fashioned out of 86 beer cans to an elephant made from seven oil drums. A restaurant serves sit-down lunches in a full-scale model of a Spanish galleon.

This former plantation—one of the country's largest—once claimed 100,000 acres along Lake Phelps, producing rice, corn, oats, peas, beans, and flax. Its sophisticated sawmills handled thousands of feet of lumber from 1785 to 1865. The 800 enslaved people who were forced to live and work here throughout the plantation's 80 years planted and harvested crops and worked as carpenters, brickmasons, cobblers, and weavers. The site, which originally consisted of more than 50 buildings, has nine original 19th-century buildings, and four others have been reconstructed, including slave quarters. The huge grand trees around the grounds plus its out-of-the-way location make it a quiet place for reflection.

A raised boardwalk trail connects Somerset Place to Pettigrew State Park, which has a campground, a boat ramp, and a fishing dock. At 16,600 acres, Lake Phelps is the state's second-largest lake. Thirty submerged dugout canoes were discovered in the 1980s, the oldest dating back 4,400 years. Two canoes are displayed at the visitor center.

Two small white buildings with changing exhibits about island history are clustered with heirloom gardens along Main Street at this Mount Desert Historical Society museum. The larger one isn’t historic but has typical New England architectural touches. Hugging the road just beyond the footbridge over the mill stream—the arched white structure is an iconic spot for a snapshot—the tiny 1780s Selectmen’s Building was the Town of Mount Desert's office for many years. Herb and floral plants from the 19th and early 20th centuries bloom in the gardens. The society's Sound Schoolhouse museum, open by appointment only year-round, is a few miles away on Route 198 ( 373 Sound Dr., Mount Desert).

Named after pop star and area congressman Sonny Bono, the 37,900-acre wildlife refuge on the Pacific Flyway is a wonderful spot for viewing migratory birds. There are observation towers, photography blinds, and platforms, as well as numerous trails through desert scrub and wetlands along which you might view eared grebes, burrowing owls, great blue herons, ospreys, yellow-footed gulls, or any of the 400 species that have been documented on and around California's largest lake.  Though the scenery is beautiful, the waters here give off an unpleasant odor, and the New River, which empties into the sea, is quite toxic.

This vineyard, known for its high-quality reds, was the first commercial vineyard in Arizona, planted in the early 1970s as an experiment by Dr. Gordon Dutt, former agriculture professor at the University of Arizona. It's still going strong with Gordon's granddaughter, Lori, at the helm.

Rare East Asian trees and plants thrive in this 67-acre woodland garden just north of downtown Glen Ellen. The colors throughout are most vibrant in spring, but year-round a visit here makes for a pleasant break from wine touring. The garden hosts more than a hundred permanent and migratory bird species.

It's tough to resist stopping for at least a glass at this winery’s bluff-top tasting room or adjacent patio—the Pacific views practically demand it. The Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and a Sauvignon Blanc stand out among the small-lot cool-climate wines, some from grapes grown less than 5 miles from the ocean.

Franciscan friars established the northernmost of their 21 California missions in 1823. Exhibits at the mission, the centerpiece of Sonoma State Historic Park, and nearby related sites convey a sense of life during the era of Mexican rule over California. The Sonoma Barracks, a half block west of the mission at 20 East Spain Street, housed troops under General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who controlled vast tracts of land in the region. General Vallejo's home stands a few blocks farther west.

Dating to the mission era, Sonoma Plaza is surrounded by 19th-century adobes, atmospheric hotels, and the swooping marquee of the Depression-era Sebastiani Theatre. A statue on the plaza's northeastern side marks the spot where California proclaimed its independence from Mexico on June 14, 1846. On summer days, the plaza is a hive of activity, with children blowing off steam in the playground, couples enjoying picnics from gourmet shops, and groups listening to live music at the small amphitheater. The stone city hall is also here. The 1906 structure’s four sides were purposely made identical so that none of the plaza's merchants would feel that city hall had turned its back to them.

After an ill-fated attempt to make chocolate wine, founder Bill Reading’s notion of adding dark-chocolate essences to Port became Deco Port, the first hit of this small winery on downtown’s southern edge. Reading followed up Deco by adding hazelnut essences to what's now called Duet Sherry. Individual Ports made from Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo rosé, and Zinfandel are among the other crowd-pleasing wines you can taste in the warehouselike space where some are made and all are aged.

Built in 1912, this large, white, barnlike structure just south of the Hammer Slough is the headquarters of an organization devoted to keeping alive the traditions and culture of Norway. Petersburg's Norwegian roots date back to 1897, when Peter Buschmann arrived and founded the Icy Strait Packing Company cannery. As his business and family flourished, others arrived to join them, many of Norwegian descent. By 1920, they and the area's Tlingit residents had established a year-round community of 600 residents. The hall, its red shutters decorated with colorful Norwegian rosemaling designs, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Outside sits a replica of a Viking ship that is a featured attraction in the annual Little Norway Festival each May. On the building's south side is a bronze tribute to deceased local fishermen.

Sony Pictures Studios (formerly the MGM Studios), where movie magic from The Wizard of Oz to Spider-Man was made, offers two-hour weekday walking tours to dive into their rich TV and blockbuster film history. (If game shows are your thing, you can also be a part of the studio audience for Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune for free by booking tickets online at  on-camera-audiences.com.)

The distinguished house on the grounds of this 18th-century plantation is the earliest (1703) post-in-ground structure known to exist in the United States; in place of a foundation, cedar timbers driven straight into the ground support it. The house is a sampler of architectural styles and interior design from the last two centuries. On the grounds of this National Historic Landmark are other buildings from the 18th through early 20th century: a Colonial customs warehouse, a smokehouse, a "necessary" (an outhouse), and a restored slave cabin from the 1830s. The house also has Colonial Revival gardens and nature trails overlooking the Patuxent River. Admission, which is less for children, includes a tour.

If you want to take a relaxing break from the tourist excitement in Put-in-Bay, this is a good place to start. Here you’ll find 33 lakeside acres of fields and woodland, as well as a picnic area, cabins, and a campground—if you do decide to stay the night, note that you’ll be sharing your abode with other creatures including songbirds and a couple of types of harmless snake. Popular activities at the park include fishing and boating, and you can rent a variety of watercraft from private vendors in the area.

If your idea of a good beach day involves empty stretches of sand, unobstructed views, plenty of privacy, and the sound of crashing waves, then you should test the waters at the south end. As its name suggests, the south end is located at the southern tip of the island where Tybee's Back River meets the Atlantic Ocean.  Riptides and strong currents are prevalent here, so use extreme caution when swimming and obey all signage.

At low tide, the waters recede to expose a stunning system of sandbars that are great for shelling and spotting sea life. Check the tides to make sure you don't get stranded on the sandbars. This is one of Tybee's prettiest beaches, and is worshipped by locals for its seclusion. There are no restaurants in the immediate vicinity, so it's a good idea to bring a cooler packed with snacks and beverages. Parking is tough—just two very small metered lots. In high season, arrive on the early or the late side, when crowds are thinner. Amenities: parking (fee). Best for: sea kayaking; sunset; walking; windsurfing.

This two-mile public beach on the southern end of the island is part of San Juan Island National Historical Park. Amenities: parking (free); toilets. Best for: solitude; walking.

Perched high up on a dune, a large open-air pavilion at the east end of Palmetto Park Road offers a panoramic view of what's in store below on the sand that stretches up the coast. Serious beachgoers need to pull into the main lot a quarter mile north on the east side of A1A, but if a short-but-sweet visit is what you're after, the 15 or so one-hour spots with meters in the circle driveway will do (and not cost you the normal $15 parking fee). During the day, pretty young things blanket the shore and windsurfers practice tricks in the waves. Quiet quarters are farther north. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This very popular and accessible 3-mile stretch of Atlantic-facing beach is backed by high dunes. The protected salt pond cove is good for families on one side, while big waves on the other side draw surfers. Amenities: toilets; lifeguards; parking (no fee). Best for: surfing; sunrise; walking.

There are fine street- and beach-level promenades at Carlsbad State Beach, where people come to surf and swim at Ponto and Tamarack beaches. On the bluff, there's overnight camping for self-contained RVs ( 800/444–7275) and tents (  From $50 with $8 reservation fee). Farther north at the foot of Tamarack Avenue is Carlsbad State Beach. You can't camp here, but there's fishing and jogging trails and the beach has separate swimming and surfing sections. In summer, the south swell creates good surf when other San Diego beaches are bereft. The cement walkway that borders the beach continues into downtown Carlsbad, which has plenty of restaurants. Carlsbad State Beach has a paid parking lot on Tamarack Avenue and at South Ponto. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Get up close and personal with more than 5,000 creatures at this waterfront attraction, where exhibits invite you to journey through distinctive habitats. Step into the Mountain Forest and find water splashing over a rocky gorge as river otters play. Enter the open-air Saltmarsh Aviary to feed stingrays and view herons, diamondback terrapins, and puffer fish; gaze in awe at the two-story, 385,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank, home to sharks, jellyfish, and a loggerhead sea turtle. Kids love the touch tank, and the Sea Turtle Recovery exhibition makes the celebrated sea turtle rehabilitation hospital accessible to all visitors.

This lovely center is South Carolina's official folk art headquarters and showcases the work of more than 300 South Carolina artists. Located in an eight-room Victorian cottage, its backyard features the occasional outdoor sculpture. Look for jewelry, sculptures, glass, woodwork, quilts, and sweetgrass baskets. The loomed shawls and silk scarves make great gifts.

Exhibits in this refurbished textile mill explore the state's natural history, archaeology, and historical development. An iron gate made for the museum by Philip Simmons, the "dean of Charleston blacksmiths," is on display, as is an exhibit on South Carolina's astronauts and artifacts associated with the state's cotton industry and slavery. Newer exhibits are geared toward the younger set, including a 4D theater and nature-oriented rotating films shown in the planetarium.

Paddlers planning a one-way canoe day trip from Bannister Bridge Canoe Access will take out here, and it's also the primary access point for out-and-back paddles into the swamp.

One of the only local wineries to produce their wine on-site, South Coast is all about the experience, with tastings and tours (by reservation) that end with a wine-cheese pairing with a "wine tree" of five blends. The wine list features estate-grown and -made Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Black Jack Port. The award-winning Group Therapy has spicy notes of Grenache, the earthy character of Zinfandel, and the acidity of Sangiovese. Be sure to try their bourbon-barrel wine. The winery also operates a hotel, spa, and restaurant.

With some 43,000 titles, the collection offers fun beach reads and an escape from rainy days along the shore. Adult programs feature classes, speakers, and movies on various subjects, from computer instruction to birding in Delaware. Teens have their own section, and younger kids are treated to weekly storytime readings.