10457 Best Sights in USA

Here, a 2,200-foot-high flat-topped lava butte rises 1,000 feet above Banks Lake, the 31-mile-long irrigation reservoir filled with water from Lake Roosevelt by giant pumps and siphons. Water is distributed from the south end of the lake throughout the Columbia Basin. The state park has campsites, three cabins, a swimming area, and boat ramps. In summer it's popular with boaters and anglers, and in winter there's Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.

In South Anchorage, coffee's next wave is brewing. SteamDot Coffee and Espresso Lab treats coffee lovers to quite the coffee-brewing show at its "slow bar." This is not the place to go if you're in the mood for syrup-heavy espresso drinks. SteamDot is all about the flavor of coffee.

The former steel-and-coal–carrying behemoth churned through the Great Lakes for 55 years before retiring in 1980. State of the art when she put to sea in 1925, the ship is now a museum displaying how ships were once built, replete with a brass and oak pilothouse and an extravagant dining room. The William G. Mather is within walking distance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Great Lakes Science Center, which owns the ship and has plans to build an enclosed passageway connecting it to the museum.

Built in 1872, Stearns Wharf is Santa Barbara's most visited landmark. Expansive views of the mountains, cityscape, and harbor unfold from every vantage point on the three-block-long pier. Although it's a nice walk from the Cabrillo Boulevard parking areas, you can also park on the pier and then wander through the shops or stop for a meal at one of the wharf's restaurants.

Mountain crafts and artwork are displayed—and much of them are for sale—at this cultural hub that promotes and pays tribute to the people and traditions of Graham County, including the native Cherokee. During summer, the Appalachian Evening Concert Series brings the region's best folk and bluegrass musicians to perform in the center's restored historic theater.

Photos, exhibits, and memorabilia pay tribute to western New York's steel workers and what was once the largest steel plant in the world, Bethlehem Steel. The museum is open only three days a week from 10 to 2.

Open year-round, the center, part of the park's headquarters, has restrooms, a small post office, and a shop that sells books, maps, and postcards. There are fewer exhibits than at comparable national park visitor centers, but you can view an engaging 22-minute film that describes the lake's formation and geology and examines the area's cultural history. The building was closed for structural renovations in 2022 but is expected to reopen in 2023.

The 161-mile Steese Highway follows the Chatanika River and several other creeks along the southern part of the White Mountains. The highway eventually climbs into weatherworn alpine mountains, peaking at Eagle Summit (3,624 feet), about 100 miles northeast of Fairbanks, before dropping back down into forested creek beds en route to the town of Central. From Central you can drive the 30-plus miles on a winding gravel road to Circle, a small village on the Yukon River. The highway is paved to Mile 81 and is usually in good shape. A possible exception is in winter, when Eagle Summit is sometimes closed due to drifting snow. Be aware that most rental car companies don't allow vehicles on the road, and that cell service is basically nonexistent after about 50 miles. 

For those who want to immerse themselves in nature for several days at a time, the Steese National Conservation Area and the White Mountains National Recreation Area have opportunities for backcountry hiking, skiing, fat-tire biking, and paddling. Both areas have road-accessible entry points, but you cannot drive into the Steese Conservation Area. The White Mountains Recreation Area has limited camping facilities from June to November; reservations are not accepted. Winter adventurers can snowmachine, ski, snowshoe, or fat-tire bike out to 12 public-use cabins and two shelters; none are accessible by car.

Prints, masks, drums, sculptures, baskets, and jewelry by local Native artists fill the space of this elegant Belltown gallery near Pike Place Market. Alaskan and Arctic art is also on display, including beautiful sculptural pieces carved from ivory, wood, and soapstone.

Founded by fourth-generation farmers who have been growing fruit in the Wenatchee foothills since the 1890s, Stemilt Creek has developed a sterling reputation for its Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other Bordeaux-style wines. The tasting room in downtown Wenatchee is in the Pybus Public Market.

James Logan may not be a household name, but he was a seminal figure in pre-Revolutionary America. Equal parts visionary, opportunist, and rogue, he was secretary to William Penn and managed the daily affairs of the colony. Logan, who went on to hold almost every important public office in the colonies, designed this 1730 Georgian manor himself and named it for his father's birthplace in Scotland. He used it to entertain local luminaries and Native American tribal delegates. It was also where he kept one of the area's first libraries, at a time when books were looked upon with suspicion. British General Howe claimed Stenton for his headquarters during the Battle of Germantown. The Stenton mansion is a well-curated, stately affair filled with family and period pieces; the site also includes a kitchen wing, barn, and Colonial-style garden. Starting on the hour at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm, the guided 45-minute tour interprets the life of three generations of the Logan family and the life of the region from the 1720s through the American Revolution. Stenton has one of the best interiors of any of the Germantown homes.  Tours are offered April to late December, Tuesday–Saturday, noon–4.

So named because of a crumbling prehistoric stairway leading up from the dwelling, Step House is reached via a paved (but steep) trail that's ¾ mile long. The house is unique in that it shows clear evidence of two separate occupations: the first around AD 626, the second a full 600 years later. The self-guided tour takes about 45 minutes.

Named for the songwriter who penned "Swanee River," this 120-acre island park is the southwestern entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and offers trips to the headwaters of the Suwannee River, Billy's Island—site of an ancient Indian village—and a turn-of-the-20th-century town built to support logging efforts in the swamp. The park is home to hundreds of species of birds and a large cypress-and-black-gum forest, a majestic backdrop for one of the thickest growths of vegetation in the southeastern United States.

The ColorCoaster, a 27-foot-high kinetic structure in constant motion, is the centerpiece of this hands-on museum with exhibits organized by age. Visit the Energy Lab, where youngsters learn about wind, water, and solar power while splashing around the extensive water play area. The Light Gallery has colorful LED displays; Studio K has a green screen and video feed for real-time "newscasting"; and for babies and toddlers, Tot Town is a safe place where they can play with toys and puzzles, "cook" in a play kitchen, and learn about animals on Old MacDonald's Farm.

The Steppingstone Museum is a 10-acre complex of seven restored turn-of-the-20th-century farm buildings plus a replica of a canning house. Among the 12,000-plus artifacts in the collection are a horse-drawn tractor and an early gas-powered version, manual seeders and planters, and horse-drawn plows. A blacksmith, a weaver, a wood-carver, a cooper, a dairymaid, and a decoy artist regularly demonstrate their trades in the workshops.

This day-use park dotted with picnic tables is named after an army officer who lost a battle in 1858 against Native Americans at nearby Rosalia. The lieutenant colonel and other survivors sneaked away at night—a retreat historians think was permitted by their adversaries. The hike to the summit of the 3,600-foot-high butte rewards hikers with panoramic views 200 miles in the distance. Paragliding and hang gliding are popular pastimes here, along with bird-watching and nature photography.

Starting from the North Cascades Visitor Center, this popular introductory stroll follows a short 300-foot path over a boardwalk to a lookout above the forested Picket Range peaks. Easy.

Enter Warwickshire, a 1585 English village spread across a wooded hillside, and spend the day as an Elizabethan. Costumed improvisational troupes beckon you to join them for a rollicking round at the dunking pond, courtly dancing, discourse at the village "well," or cheering at the jousting field, where men astride strong steeds play medieval games. Artisan booths feature Elizabethan-style caps and clothing, handmade musical instruments, and jewelry. The festival, about an hour north of the city, is held for seven summer weekends starting in early July.

An aerial gondola whisks guests up a 300-foot hill to a whitewashed Greek Mediterranean–style winery with sweeping Napa Valley views. A self-guided tour allows guests to delve into the wine-making process. Or not. On a sunny day, the valley vistas can be mighty distracting. Sterling, which released its first vintage in 1969, makes waves for its Cabernet Sauvignons, like the top-of-the-line Iridium and another from Diamond Mountain; Chardonnays, a crowd-pleasing Malvasia Blanca, and sparkling wines are among the lighter bottlings. For a more fulfilling visit, choose a tasting of upper-tier wines.

This 10,000-square-foot Victorian mansion, built in 1886 for hatmaker and philanthropist John B. Stetson, is regarded as Florida's first luxury home. Though the mansion is now a private residence, tours allow you to marvel at the wood parquet floors, intricate interior carvings, and 10,000 panes of original leaded glass windows. You'll also learn about the Gilded Age mansion's rich history, including famous visitors and a "contractor" named Thomas Edison, who installed his friend Stetson's electricity. In November and December, the mansion is decked out with one of the most elaborate Christmas decoration displays in the country.

Unlike the museum on the Mall, which is divided into smaller galleries with dense history and science exhibits, the Udvar-Hazy Center, its annex, displays large aircraft and spacecraft, hung as though in flight throughout two vast, multilevel hangars. This focus makes the center more appealing for families with kids who may not be old enough to take in detailed historical narratives but will certainly be in awe over the marvelous planes. It is also much less crowded than the Mall museum, with room to move. Gaze upon historic aircraft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the sleek, supersonic Concorde; and the Enola Gay, which, in 1945, dropped the first atomic bomb to be used in war on Hiroshima, Japan. Walk alongside space shuttle Discovery, and browse displays of astronaut paraphernalia, including space food and space underwear! If you want to visit the museum while you are waiting for a flight or connection at Dulles, the Fairfax Connector Bus 983 runs daily between the museum and airport for $2 (SmarTrip card or cash); the trip takes 15 minutes.

Historical artifacts in the Stevensville Museum include the belongings of early settlers, particularly the missionaries who came to convert the Native Americans of the West. Other exhibits provide an overview of the area's original cultures (Salish, Nez Perce, and Lemhi Shoshone), background on Lewis and Clark's two visits, and a look at later residents, from orchard farmers to today's cybercommuters.

From the early 1900s, this was the western terminus of the old Queen Anne's Railroad Company system.

This 1876 Victorian home is one of the few in the King William Historic District open for touring. Not only was its eclectic architecture—a blend of French Second Empire and Italian Villa styles—copied by other well-to-do San Antonians, but the estate was the city's first to have a telephone (1881) and among the first to install electric lights (1894). Completed in 1876, the house, occupied by lumber magnate Edward Steves, also has a slate mansard roof and delicate floral stenciling on the ceilings. The home is set up as it would have looked at the time it was occupied, with the same fixtures. Admission includes a self-guided tour.

Stewart Beach Park has a bathhouse, amusement park, bumper boats, miniature-golf course, and a water coaster in addition to saltwater and sand. It's open weekdays 9 to 5, weekends 8 to 6, from March through May; weekdays 8 to 6 and weekends 8 to 7, from June through September; and weekends 9 to 5 during the first two weekends of October.

Three stone structures meant to mimic Scottish ruins coaxed into modernity form this complex with public and private tasting spaces and a bright outdoor patio. The attention to detail in the ensemble's design mirrors that of the wines, whose grapes come from estate and coveted outside sources. Several of winemaker Blair Guthrie’s recent Cabernet Sauvignons have received high-90s scores. Guthrie also makes a sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay whites, a rosé of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and Pinot Noir, Rhône-style, and Zinfandel reds.

Catch a live rodeo Friday and Saturday nights to watch competitive bull riding, roping, barrel racing, and more. The rodeo draws locals, families, tourists, couples on dates—all folks who want to experience some cowboy culture.

The recalls the prosperity brought to the city in 1902 when two major Chicago meat packers, Armour and Swift, set up plants here to ship meat across the country in refrigerator cars. You can witness a cattle drive here today; cowboys on horses lead a city-owned herd of about a dozen longhorns down East Exchange Avenue every day at 11:30 am and 4 pm, weather permitting. Between their walks, the cattle can be viewed in their pens behind the Livestock Exchange Building.