10457 Best Sights in USA

Tangier is a Virginia island in the Chesapeake Bay named by Captain John Smith. This largely unspoiled fishing village with quaint narrow streets also happens to be the soft-shell crab capital of the nation. There's a small airport here for private planes, and it also can be reached by the Chesapeake Breeze ship of Tangier Island. The ship departs at 10 am and returns at 3:30 pm daily, cruising 1½ hours each way. There are Chesapeake Bay cruises that stop here as well, and ships that leave from Onacock, Virginia, and Crisfield, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. The island has several restaurants serving lunch. From the intersection of highways 360 and 646, drive 1 mile, then turn left on Highway 656 (Buzzard's Point Road), which leads to the dock. Reservations are required.

Once land claimed for Queen Elizabeth by Sir Walter Raleigh, this park's amenities include golfing, boating, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and a large swimming pool with waterslides. There is also a dog park, campground, and an arboretum filled with plants native to the Carolina Piedmont. The Tanglewood Festival of Lights, one of the largest holiday-lights festivals in the Southeast, runs from mid-November to early January.

Two slides are better than one, but this attraction doubles that with four slides that mimic the snaking trunks and twisting roots of puka trees. The tubes alternate in color (green and blue), and they alternate in experiences from channels that are completely enclosed for the entire run to tracks that are enclosed until they suddenly reveal the open air and use your speed to send you up on a high-banked turn. So take it for a spin. Or two. Or four. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairways and exit the splash pool unassisted.

Tanner Creek, which once flowed through the area, lends its name to this unusual urban wetland park that's surrounded by soaring modern condo towers. Today the creek flows underground, and this quiet, man-made oasis and spring with alder groves was built in the middle of the Pearl District as a reminder of what the area was once like. The Artwall was created using hundreds of upright railroad tracks and hand-painted fused glass.

Be rewarded with spectacular scenery on this 18-mile round-trip trail that takes you through desert scrub, oak, alligator juniper, and pinyon pine at the 6,000-foot peak, where views of the surrounding mountain ranges from both sides of the ridge delight. Difficult.

A few minutes and a world away from Waikiki and Honolulu, this scenic drive shaded by vine-draped trees has frequent pullouts with views of Diamond Head and the ewa (western) side of Honolulu. It's a nice change of pace from urban life below. At Puu Ualakaa State Wayside (Tantalus), stop to see the sweeping view from Manoa Valley to Honolulu. To start the drive, go to the Punchbowl cemetery (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific), and follow Tantalus Drive uphill. You'll spot wild chickens, darting mongoose (the squirrels of Hawaii), and maybe the occasional wild boar along the road as you drive.

With two floors of exhibition space, the shows here can spread out. Look for innovative modern work in a variety of media, by the likes of Olafur Eliasson, Uta Barth, Ernesto Neto, Lisa Oppenheim, and Sarah Sze, who represented the United States at the 55th Venice Biennale.

In 1774, Judge Tapping Reeve enrolled his first student, Aaron Burr, in what became the first law school in the country. (Before Judge Reeve opened his school, students studied the law as apprentices, not in formal classes.) This school is dedicated to Reeve's achievement and to the notable students who passed through its halls, including three U.S. Supreme Court justices. There are multimedia exhibits, an excellent introductory film, and restored facilities.

Although it's not on par with larger facilities in Tampa and Clearwater, this is certainly an entertaining and interactive attraction. There are some good exhibits, including a 120,000-gallon shark tank complete with a coral reef. (Divers feed the sharks several times daily.) Also look for tropical fish exhibits and a tank where you can touch baby sharks and stingrays.

Without driving the back roads, you can taste the wines of nearly 100 area vintners (craft beers, too) while taking in fantastic bay views. Bottles are available for purchase, and food is served from 11:30 until closing.

A heroic-scale bronze sculpture of three Native Americans on horseback driving 14 bison off a cliff is the centerpiece of Tatanka: Story of the Bison, on a ridge above Deadwood. The attraction, owned by Dances with Wolves star Kevin Costner, also includes an interpretive center; Lakota guides explain Plains Indian life circa 1840.

Opened in the fall of 2008, this Randall Stout-designed faceted-glass structure soars amid the surrounding mountains, the contemporary architecture striking a balance with its natural location. Formerly known as the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Taubman, with its new 81,000-square-foot home, quadruples its previous exhibit space, housing 19th- and 20th-century American art, modern art, and small special collections of European and ancient Mediterranean art. Norah's Café serves light fare throughout the day.

You can visit the site of a Washoe Indian settlement and walk self-guided trails through meadow, marsh, and forest at this U.S. Forest Service center. Forest Service naturalists organize discovery walks and evening programs in summer, and you may see spawning kokanee salmon digging their nests in fall. By 2024, extensive repairs should be completed to the Stream Profile Chamber, the Rainbow Trail's underground display with windows right into Taylor Creek.

The 160-mile Taylor Highway runs north from the Alaska Highway at Tetlin Junction, 12 miles east of Tok. It's a narrow rough-gravel road that winds along mountain ridges and through valleys of the Fortymile River. The road passes the tiny community of Chicken and ends in Eagle at the Yukon River. This is one of only three places in Alaska where the Yukon River can be reached by road. The Top of the World Highway starts off the Taylor and leads to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The route is far more scenic, and shorter, than the alternative of taking the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse and then turning north, but it's another of those stretches for which it's good to make sure your insurance policy covers towing and windshield replacement. The highway is not plowed in winter, so it is snowed shut from fall to spring. If you're roughing it, know that the Bureau of Land Management also maintains three first-come, first-served campsites (as all BLM campsites are) on the Taylor Highway at Miles 49, 82, and 160; the last is located at the end of the road in Eagle.

In the mid-19th century, when Italians started to migrate to Chicago, about one-third of them settled in and around Taylor Street, a 12-block stretch between Ashland and the University of Illinois at Chicago. It is best known for its Italian restaurants, though Thai food, tacos, and other ethnic options are here, too.

With its not-quite-nostalgic name, this sports and concert arena opened in 1995 to the chagrin of diehard local sports fans who occasionally still grieve the crusty, original Boston Garden it replaced. Today, the TD Garden is home to the NBA's Boston Celtics and NHL's Boston Bruins teams, hosts 200 events every year, and seats nearly 20,000. During the offseason, see international touring musicians and bands, Disney on Ice, wrestling events, and Boston's famed Beanpot tourney.

Six-passenger rafts zip along green slopes in one of the world's longest family white-water raft rides. Since its original construction, it has doubled its speed of departure onto its twisting, 1,200-foot channel of rushing water, which ends with a refreshing waterfall dousing. This ride is a good place for kids too big for Tike's Peak to test more grown-up waters. Those who are pregnant or have heart, neck, or back problems should avoid this one. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to the ride. This ride is great for the whole family: there aren't age or height requirements (beyond "no infants"), tubes seat four to six people, and lines move quickly.

This is definitely not your typical gentle river. The water's fairly shallow, but a strong current means life vests are required (and that's on top of the inner tube you're riding). There are several things to like about this attraction, and one of those is its duration: Other rides are as short as 10 seconds; this one lasts a good six minutes. In addition, the river flows through various areas of the park, traveling beneath bridges and passing rides and restaurants, from Hammerhead Beach to the volcano and Rainforest Village. For people with disabilities: A pool lift and a sloped entry make it easier for guests in wheelchairs to transfer into the water.

Time-travel back to the days when the Napa Valley "lifestyle" revolved around a family rolling up its collective sleeves to grow grapes, make wines, and present them in a modest setting—these days on a patio between the crush pad and small estate vineyard. The first Tedeschi arrived in the valley in 1919 from Pisa, Italy, and the grandparents of the current winemaker, Mario, and general manager, his amiable brother Emilio, purchased the Calistoga property, then an orchard, in the 1950s. Mario makes the Northbrook red blend from Cabernet and Petite Sirah grown on-site, with fruit for Viognier, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and other wines from Napa Valley sources and beyond. Call for same-day appointments.

The 13-mile round-trip (with 3,200 feet of elevation gain) trail begins at Mahogany Flat Campground, which is accessible by a rough dirt road. The steep and at some points treacherous trail winds through pinyon, juniper, and bristlecone pines, with excellent views of Death Valley and Panamint Valley. Ice axes and crampons may be necessary in winter—check at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. It takes a minimum of six grueling hours to hike to the top of the 11,049-foot peak and then return. Difficult.

A refreshing stop for wildlife viewing, this 1,300-acre wildlife conservation property is intended to inspire, educate, and demonstrate conservation in action. Situated along 3 miles of the Bitterroot River, about 8 miles north of Hamilton, the refuge is home to otters, beavers, spotted frogs, and salamanders, as well as pileated woodpeckers, birds of prey, waterfowl, whitetail deer, and many native plants. Although most of the refuge is off-limits to the public (except by appointment), any visitors can take a stroll on the 1½-mile walking trail along the Bitterroot River. An education center conducts numerous conservation programs for the public. To get here, take Route 269 (Eastside Highway) to Quast Lane and follow the signs.

This is a karst region, a landscape where dissolving bedrock creates disappearing streams, springs, caves, and (sometimes massive) sinkholes. One such karst sinkhole is Cedar Sink, open for exploration via the Cedar Sink Trail. As a collapse feature, it acts as a window into geologic processes still going on deep beneath the earth. We see hidden streams emerge in the bottom of the sink and then hide again . . . only to form more sinkholes at Turnhole Bend farther along their route. Sinkholes of this size can form their own microclimate inside, encouraging the unseasonal growth of wildflowers.

Adjacent to Sam Hicks Monument Park, this museum focuses on Temecula Valley history, including early Native American life, Butterfield stage routes, and the ranchero period. A hands-on interactive area for children holds a general store, photographer's studio, and ride-a-pony station. Outside there's a playground and picnic area. A walking tour ($5) of Old Town Temecula is given every Saturday 10–11:30, departing from the Temecula Valley Museum.

The human-made Town Lake has turned downtown Tempe into a commercial and urban-living hot spot, and attracts college students and Valley residents of all ages. Little ones enjoy the Beach Park, and fishermen appreciate the rainbow trout–stocked lake. You also can rent a boat and tour the lake on your own.

This unique Gothic-revival synagogue on Monterey Square houses the third-oldest Jewish congregation in the United States; its founding members settled in town only five months after the establishment of Savannah in 1733. The synagogue's permanent collection includes documents and letters (some from such notables as George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson) pertaining to early Jewish life in Savannah and Georgia, as well as a 15th-century Torah, the oldest Torah in North America.

The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is impossible to miss from the Beltway near Silver Spring. One of its white towers is topped with a golden statue of the Mormon angel Moroni. It's closed to non-Mormons, but a visitor center provides a lovely view of the mammoth white-marble temple and runs a film about prophet Joseph Smith and an interactive exhibit hall. Tulips, dogwoods, and azaleas bloom in the 56-acre grounds each spring. In December locals of all faiths enjoy the Festival of Lights—650,000 of them—and Nativity scenes.

Family portraits and period furnishings fill this 1798 Greek Revival home built for General Abraham Ten Broeck, a former Albany mayor. The tour takes you through the house and well-kept gardens.

Just across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center site, the “Ten House” firehouse is officially known as Ladder Company 10 and Engine Company 10. On the morning of September 11, 2001, firefighters on duty here were among the first to respond to New York’s terrorist attacks. The companies lost six heroes that day. The “Ten House Bravest Memorial” stands inside the firehouse to commemorate their ultimate sacrifice and that of other Ten House heroes. Around the corner on Greenwich Street, the 56-foot-long bronze bas-relief FDNY Memorial Wall serves as a tribute to 343 firefighters who perished on 9/11.