10405 Best Sights in USA

Named for a Baptist minister who was one of Providence's first settlers, this main artery in the Fox Point district is home to antiques stores, art galleries, and trendy cafés. It also hosts the Coffee Exchange, one of the area's most popular gathering spots. Sidewalk sales are held in the spring and fall. Once home to mainly working-class Portuguese-Americans, the Wickenden Street area has become a popular area for off-campus student housing; Our Lady of the Rosary Church on adjacent Traverse Street still conducts some weekend Masses in Portuguese. Broadway impresario George M. Cohan was born at 536 Wickenden St.; look for his statue at the corner of Governor St.

This triangular little patch of green, donated to the city in 1870 by politician Charles Wicker, is a neighborhood favorite and home to softball fields, a children's water playground, a dog park, and outdoor movies. The handsome central fountain is a great spot for chilling out and people-watching in warm weather.

At the top of the hill behind the capitol, on a rise sometimes known as "Chicken Ridge," stands the former residence of James Wickersham, pioneer judge, delegate to Congress, prolific author, and gutsy outdoorsman. The white New England–style home, constructed in 1898, contains memorabilia from the judge's travels throughout Alaska—from rare Native basketry and ivory carvings to historic photos and a Chickering grand piano that came "'round the Horn" to Alaska in the 1870s. The tour provides a glimpse into the life of this dynamic man.

Dating to 1709, Wickford began as a fishing village, later a modestly busy port, and today retains its Colonial charms with street after street lined with preserved buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a number of former sea captain's homes. One of the oldest Episcopal churches in America, the circa-1707 Old Narragansett Church, was originally located about five miles away but moved to Wickford in 1800. Wickford Harbor is a popular haven for pleasure boaters, and the calm waters also attract kayakers and standup paddleboarders. Fresh fish can still be bought off the town dock at the end of Main Street, and a pair of small bridges over tidal coves help define the pleasantly walkable shopping area on Brown Street. Several walking trails access undeveloped areas on the outskirts of town, and the town beach is a short walk or bike ride south along scenic route 1A. Wickford hosts Daffodil Days in the spring, the Wickford Art Festival in July, Wicked Week Halloween festivities late October, and the Festival of Lights in December.

Round-trip, Widforss Trail is 9.6 miles, with an elevation change of only 200 feet. Allow five to six hours for the hike, which starts at 8,080 feet and passes through shady forests of pine, spruce, fir, and aspen on its way to Widforss Point, at 7,900 feet. Here you'll have good views of five temples: Zoroaster, Brahma, and Deva to the southeast, and Buddha and Manu to the southwest. You are likely to see wildflowers in summer, and this is a good trail for viewing fall foliage. It's named in honor of artist Gunnar M. Widforss, renowned for his paintings of national park landscapes. Moderate.

At the source of several of Ouray's famed springs, this European-style spa and inn features rock-hewn vapor caves with a steamy soaking pool. In addition, there's a small outdoor pool, fed by continuously flowing hot-spring water. Massages and other treatments are offered at the spa. This is a strictly no-smoking facility, and no children under five are allowed in the caves.

In eastern Arizona, at the Wigwam Motel—where the basic rooms are inside 30-foot-tall wood-and-concrete tepees—you'll see a vast collection of classic cars, from a '59 Chevy Impala to a '51 Studebaker Land Cruiser in the parking lot.

This 85-acre hollow with picnic tables and a waterfall is a good place for a casual hike along a marked 1.6-mile loop trail that passes through a rare maritime oak-holly forest and winds along and over Dundery Brook. The trail passes a boulder dedicated to Queen Awashonks, who ruled the local Sakonnet tribe during the early Colonial period.

After President William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the nation's 26th president in the library of this Greek Revival mansion. You can take guided tours and view exhibits and gardens. Architectural walking tours are also available. The site underwent a major yearlong renovation in 2008 to rebuild the carriage house and to update and add exhibits.

Contrasting views of the Hill Country and the downtown skyline make it worth the winding country road trip to this gorgeous nature preserve just west of town. Wander among the 227 acres on a network of walking trails or take a guided tour offered on weekends (by reservation only). The cool folks at the on-site research center (partnered with local St. Edward's University) offer numerous outdoor-oriented classes, nighttime stargazing sessions, and even live concerts by local and touring musicians. Reservations to hike the basin trails are not required on weekdays but highly recommended on weekends. Staff closes the gates whenever the parking area is full.

Formerly Wild Blueberry Land and built to resemble a giant blueberry, this museum's deep-blue geodesic dome is a can't-miss landmark along U.S. 1. Exhibits focus on the native plant’s ecosystem; the canning of the fruit during the Civil War to help feed soldiers; local blueberry farmers; and research efforts to improve management of the wild crop. The gift shop sells items like candles and socks with a blueberry theme or design; books about Maine wild blueberries and the culture it feeds; and foods made with the fruit, such as blueberry jam, vinegar, pie, and chocolate truffles. Outside, look for the wild blueberry patch in the native pollinator garden. 

Part of the Wild Horse Pass resort, this place includes 500 slots, live poker, blackjack, and keno.

The mystique of wolves is powerful and Wild Spirit is one of the few places where you can see them up close, in large enough enclosures that allow them to behave somewhat naturally. The staff at Wild Spirit are focused on educating the public about the dangers of trying to keep these animals, even hybrid wolf dogs, as pets. Camping is allowed on the premises, if you have a hankering to listen to wolf howls, but it's primitive. Guided tours are offered at noon and 3  pm. The gift shop also sells snacks; it closes after the last tour. The on-site Howling Wolf Grill offers hot food on limited days.

In this park's cultural preserve you can visit the homes, barns, workshops, and bunkhouse of a 19th-century dairy farm. Nature has reclaimed most of the ranch land, and native plants and wildlife have returned to the 7,000 acres of forest, grassland, canyons, estuaries, and beaches. Hike, bike, or ride horseback on miles of ocean-view trails. Dogs aren't allowed at Wilder Ranch.

Also called the Bus Depot, this center just inside the park entrance is where you can reserve campgrounds and bus trips into the park. If you arrive after 7 pm, campground reservations are made at the Riley Creek Mercantile until 11 pm. There's also a coffee stand—your last chance for a cup of joe unless you bring the makings for campsite coffee with you.

The main stop to secure backcountry and climbing permits for North Cascades National Park and the Lake Chelan and Ross Lake recreational areas, this office has maps, a bookshop, and nature exhibits. If you arrive after hours or during winter, there's a self-register permit stop outside.

Located behind Olympic National Park Visitor Center, this facility provides all the information you'll need for a trip in the park, including trail conditions, safety tips, and weather bulletins. The office also issues camping permits, takes campground reservations, and loans bear-proof food canisters.

What is now the Wilderness Road Regional Museum was once lodging for settlers making their way west on a Native American route that went from Pennsylvania through the Cumberland Gap. The man who founded the town of Newbern built this house in the same year, and the structure has since served as a private home, a tavern, a post office, and a store. Today the house contains antique dolls, swords and rifles, an old loom, and other artifacts of everyday life. A self-tour map of Newbern, the only Virginia town entirely within a National Register of Historic Places district, is available at the museum.

One of the longest—and smoothest—mountain coasters in the South, this exhilarating ride extends 3,160 feet and reaches 27 mph in one continuous drop. There's also a high ropes adventure course.

The grand, Queen Anne–style Victorian home with a dramatic five-story circular tower was owned by the Suckley family for more than 140 years. The last family member to occupy the estate was Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, a distant cousin and close confidant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (The movie Hyde Park on Hudson was based on their relationship). The main floor interiors were designed by New York City decorator Joseph Burr Tiffany, a cousin of the famed stained glass artist. Noted landscape architect Calvert Vaux designed the grounds, which have Hudson River views. There are weekend house tours around Christmas.

Off the west shore of Flathead Lake, the lake's largest island is an ideal day-trip to hike, swim, and watch wildlife. An extensive trail system through one of the last short-grass prairie ecosystems in Montana provides an opportunity to get some exercise and see rare plants, bald eagles, truly wild horses, and full-curl bighorn rams. The only way to reach it is with a boat rental. Big Arm Rentals and Rides (in Big Arm) rents kayaks and power boats, or you can take one of their three daily shuttles.

Although wildlife-viewing is a possibility on any excursion, several tours are geared specifically toward this purpose, including the Spasski River Valley Wildlife and Bear Search, which entails a bus trip to a nearby meadow, and the Whale and Marine Mammals Cruise to Point Adolphus. Bears are sighted about 70 percent of the time, according to staff, and with whales, that figure climbs to 100 percent (if they don't spot any, you get a refund). Both excursions take about 2½ hours. If you've got more time, the 5-hour Whales, Wildlife and Brown Bear Search allows you to do both tours back-to-back.

An 8.4-mile round-trip trail leads from the Charcoal Kilns (enormous stone structures that were used to create the charcoal needed to extract lead and silver from ore mined in the area) through pinyon pine and juniper woodlands up to Wildrose Peak, a 2,200-foot ascent from the trailhead. Various Death Valley views unfold along the way, and the sweeping vistas from the 9,064-foot peak include Panamint Valley and, on clear days, Mt. Whitney. Difficult

This producer of mostly Spanish varietals, including a homegrown Syrah and Tempranillo, offers tastings on weekends from 11 am to 4 pm and by appointment.

The museum showcases the life and work of Austrian physician, scientist, and writer Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957), who believed that all living matter and the atmosphere contain a force called orgone energy. The hilltop Orgone Energy Observatory exhibits biographical materials, inventions, and equipment used in his experiments, whose results were disputed by the Food and Drug Administration and other government agencies. Stone faces the exterior of the boxy 1949 structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A mid-century gem inside and out, Reich's second-floor study, library, and laboratory look as they did in his day, with original sleek modern furniture. The observatory deck has magnificent countryside views. Trails lace the largely forested 175-acre property, known as Orgonon, which has a year-round waterside vacation rental cottage. Reich's tomb sits next to one of his inventions, a cloud accumulator.

Near Fort Worth's museums, this partially restored coliseum–and–stock pen complex was named after the humorist and Fort Worth booster, who described the city as "where the West begins" (and Dallas as "where the East peters out"). The center boasts an equestrian arena that's used for horse and livestock shows. Will Rogers is host to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo every January.