10455 Best Sights in USA

This 29-acre family attraction has waterslides, water cannons, and waterfalls.

Wet Prong Trail follows a ridgeline to the drainage of the Wet Prong of Buffalo Creek and parallels the creek for much of the trail's length, crossing smaller tributary streams on its way. The trail can be soft and muddy in places, and growth can be dense. At 1.4 miles, Blair Springs Hollow Trail connects. At 3.7 miles McCoy Hollow Trail connects. The trail ends at a junction with Collie Ridge Trail and Buffalo Creek Trail. 4.6 miles. Moderate. Note: Wet Prong Trail forms a 19.1-mile loop with First Creek Trail and McCoy Hollow Trail that can be accessed from either First Creek Trailhead or Temple Hill Trailhead.

Beginning in 1743 Wetherburn's Tavern offered refreshment, entertainment, and lodging and may be the most accurately furnished building in Colonial Williamsburg, with contents that conform to a room-by-room inventory taken in 1760. Excavations at this site have yielded more than 200,000 artifacts. The outbuildings include the original dairy and a reconstructed kitchen. Vegetables are grown in the small garden.

A handful of benches and tables near drinking water, a covered kiosk, and restrooms make this a pleasant spot for lunch in the Wetherill area.

This 12-mile mountain road, stretching from the Far View Center to Wetherill Mesa, has sharp curves and steep grades (and is restricted to vehicles less than 25 feet long and 8,000 pounds). Roadside pull-outs offer unobstructed views of the Four Corners region. At the end of the road, you can access Step House, Long House, and Badger House.

The late owner, philanthropist Chauncey Stillman, envisioned his property as a grand European estate and fully realized his dream. The Georgian-style brick mansion surveys formal gardens inspired by the Italian Renaissance, complete with resident peacocks, fountains, a sculpture garden, and a dramatic view of the Catskills. The house has an important collection of paintings assembled by the owner. The stable block houses the carriage museum and a collection of coaching memorabilia.

West of the Virginia Kendall Area, the 4.6-mile Wetmore Trail, made up of old farmers paths and logging roads, now serves as a corridor for horseback riding, hiking, and dog-walking (dogs must be kept on a leash). Part of a larger trail network that includes Tabletop Trail and Langes Run Trail, the trail is at its peak in the spring, summer, and fall. Moderate.

A dramatic exterior mural depicting several types of whales welcomes you into a world that is all about these behemoth beauties. Visitors will find models of whales and large whale skeletons, recordings of whale sounds, videos of whales, and information about the plight of the three local orca pods. Head around to the back of the first-floor gift shop to view maps of the latest orca trackings in the area.

This small waterside park sits in the trees 4 miles east of Sitka right off Sawmill Creek Road. Boardwalk paths lead to five viewing platforms and steps lead down to the rocky shoreline. A gazebo next to the parking area contains signs describing the whales that visit Silver Bay, and you can listen to their sounds from recordings and an offshore hydrophone.

This small park on a traffic island across from St. John's Episcopal Church is the site of the Chief Kyan totem pole, now in its third incarnation. The current replica, carved by Israel Shotridge, was erected in 1993 and then restored and re-raised in 2005. The original was carved in the 1890s, but over the decades it deteriorated and it was replaced in the 1960s. The 1960s edition is housed in the Totem Heritage Center.

If you've been hankering to walk across some of that famed, pavement-smooth stuff they call slickrock, the hike to Whale Rock will make your feet happy. This 1-mile round-trip adventure, which culminates with a tough final 100-foot climb and features some potentially dangerous drop-offs, takes you to the very top of the whale's back. Once you get there, you are rewarded with great views of Upheaval Dome and Trail Canyon. Moderate.

Here in the most famous whale-watching town in Oregon, this helpful little information center perched on a oceanfront bluff in the heart of town is a valuable resource, whether you're looking for tips on the latest sightings during the peak winter and spring migratory seasons or you simply want to learn about these amazing creatures. The center is staffed with state park naturalists who regularly give talks and can answer your questions, and there's an observation deck that offers fantastic views—you might see some of the roughly 20,000 gray whales that migrate up and down the coast each year, plus humpbacks, orcas, and a wide variety of seabirds and other sea mammals.

You can float on an inner tube along a gentle river, plunge down one of five waterslides, hang five on the Akua surf simulator, or bodysurf in the large wave pool at Whale's Tale. There's plenty here for toddlers and small children, too.

This 21,000-square-foot monument to gracious living was built in the 1920s as the private residence of a northern couple attracted by the area's waterfowl hunting (the home was given its current name by the second owner). After having been abandoned, sold, and vandalized, it was renovated and opened for tours in 2002. Inside the ornamental art nouveau structure, a floral motif is evident in Tiffany lamps with flower detailing and mahogany woodwork carved with water lilies. The home is on 39 waterfront acres inside Currituck Heritage Park and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Even if you don't tour the mansion, it's worth a sunset visit to walk the waterfront yard and grounds.

The museum preserves the fascinating, unique former hillside home and studio created by the \"Dean of American Craftsmen,\" who was best known for sculptural wooden furniture that influenced artists and designers. Wharton Esherick (1887–1970) shaped a new, organic aesthetic in decorative arts by bridging art with furniture. The site, a National Historic Landmark for Architecture, houses 200 examples of his work—paintings, woodcuts, wooden furniture, and sculptures. The compact studio-home, in which everything from the light switches to the spiral staircase is hand-carved from wood, is one of his monumental achievements. You can see it only by booking a small-group tour in advance. A campus architecture tour, including a separate workshop, is offered occasionally. Although you can see the tiny visitor center and part of the 12-acre grounds when the site is open, there's not much to experience without a tour. The building is not fully accessible to people with mobility issues.

On upper Whatcom Creek, Whatcom Falls Park (reached via Lakeway, east from I–5) features a creek with a number of pretty waterfalls; one has a popular local swimming hole, although the water is very cold. Trails lead down creek and up the creek to Scudder Pond and Bloedel Donovan Park.

For those who want the quintessential Gulch photo op, head to artist Kelsey Montague's Instagram-famous mural right off 11th Avenue South. The sprawling 20-foot white wings are filled with little design nods to the Music City like guitars, along with dreamy abstractions that add to the ethereal feeling. There's even a smaller set of wings that are perfect for kids or pets, so everyone can get their perfect shot. The line can get long, especially during the weekends, so this is a great way to kill some time while you're waiting for a restaurant table nearby. 

Wheatland was the home of James Buchanan, the only U.S. president from Pennsylvania, who served from 1857 to 1861. A National Historic Landmark, the restored 1828 Federal-style mansion and outbuildings display the 15th president's furniture just as it was during his lifetime. A one-hour tour, departing from the LancasterHistory museum, includes a profile of the only bachelor to occupy the White House; a movie; and access to the arboretum on the grounds. There are holiday candlelight tours with costumed guides.

Now a 75-acre park and living history museum with numerous historic structures and a country store selling snacks, toys, and farm-related gifts, this verdant oasis and still-working farm on Little Cottonwood Creek in suburban Murray was settled in 1898 and is one of the only pioneer-era farmsteads left in the metro area. Activities here include cow-milking, observing the farm animals, tours of the impressive Victorian homestead (which is packed with farming implements and artifacts), and wagon rides and easy hikes on an extensive trail network. A very popular farmers' market is held here on summer Sundays. There's no charge to walk around the property, but tours and various activities have small fees.

At the intersection of Calumet Avenue and Cullerton Street is another of the area's great mansions, which was nearly replaced by a parking lot before it was saved and painstakingly restored in the late 1990s. Today it's a boutique hotel with the same name.

You can get a taste of Victorian high life at the Queen Anne–style Wheeler/Stallard House Museum, which displays memorabilia collected by the Aspen Historical Society and features revolving historical exhibits. Your admission fee also covers entrance to the Holden/Marolt Ranching and Mining Museum (open summer only), a hands-on exploration of Aspen's past housed in an old ore-processing building on the western edge of town.

Once the American Rose Society Headquarters, the 13-acre garden within Whetstone Park has more than 11,000 rose bushes; an herb, daffodil, and perennial garden; plus specialized collections of miniature and heritage roses. It's one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States.

Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Viognier are the specialties of this boutique appointment-only winery with a tasting room inside a 19th-century French-style château. Hamden McIntyre, whose other Napa Valley wineries include the majestic Far Niente Winery in Oakville and Inglenook in Rutherford, designed this less showy yet still princely 1885 structure. Its tree-shaded patio is a civilized spot to enjoy a flight in good weather. The influence of winemaker Jamey Whetstone's mentor Larry Turley, known for velvety Zinfandels, is most evident in the Pinots and the Syrah (there's also a Cabernet Sauvignon), but their élan is Whetstone's alone.

From this park 2 mi north of Niagara Falls you get great views of the giant whirlpool that occurs in this part of the Niagara River. A sharp turn in the river is responsible for the swirling waters. Steps and trails lead down 300 feet into the gorge, where you may fish. It's a nice place for a picnic while watching the cable car from the Canadian side glide hundreds of feet above the whirlpool.

Twenty saloons and bordellos once lined this stretch of Montezuma Street, along the west side of Courthouse Plaza. Social activity is more subdued these days, although live music pulses every evening, and the buildings have been beautifully restored. The historical bars provide an escape from the street's many boutiques.

The second floor of the historic Parker House has transformed into a sleek tasting room for Vermont's premier rye whiskey distillers, offering single pours or sample flights of three, from the flagship 10 Year to the grain-to-glass FarmStock to the experimental—and expensive—Boss Hog series.

Also known as the Nott House, this imposing Greek Revival mansion with Doric columns is furnished with the belongings of four generations of the Perkins-Nott family, whose patriarch, then the wealthiest merchant in town, built the house in 1853. Guided tours are offered from mid-July through mid-October, and showcase the fine items the family gathered in its global travels—including hand-painted wallpaper from Paris. The house also serves as a gathering place for village walking tours. It is owned by the Kennebunkport Historical Society, which has several other historical buildings, including an old jail and schoolhouse, a mile away at 125–135 North Street.

The White House Visitor Center is a fantastic way to get an orientation before visiting the White House and an excellent alternative for those who could not get tickets. Displays, artifacts, photos, videos, and interactive exhibits recount the life and times of America's most famous house, providing behind-the-scenes insight into the workings of the White House. Afterward, go for a walk around the grounds of the President's park for the iconic views of the White House.