10457 Best Sights in USA

Toward sunset, when this monolith is free of shadow, the red sandstone seems to catch on fire. From the highway, Courthouse Butte sits in back of Bell Rock and can be viewed without any additional hiking or driving.

For information on the eastern half of the wilderness, contact Custer National Forest.

Although there's not a lot to see inside, this gargantuan complex does have a one-room visitor center with a historical timeline, photo displays, and a video, all highlighting the nation's agricultural roots, current policies, and future challenges.

Dolphin Cove is a huge freeform pool where a few dozen Atlantic bottlenose dolphins skim around and nose up to the edge to be fed fish ($5 a tray) by generous guests. Once or twice a day, trainers will come out to host a scheduled feeding. Often a SeaWorld guide will offer a commentary about the dolphins' behaviors and remind everyone that the pool's residents enjoy having their sides rubbed and petted. Who doesn't? Be sure to walk to the far end of the lagoon where the walkway descends to a grotto to reveal an underwater view of the dolphins, providing an entirely new perspective that is both fascinating and entertaining—it's almost as if you're diving with the dolphins. For people with disabilities: This attraction is completely accessible to guests using wheelchairs. On your way to or from a show, come see the dolphins. If it's crowded, go shopping until the crowds disperse.

Although largely overshadowed by the more magnificent attractions, this large pool, which has been here since the park opened in 1973, continues to please guests by allowing them to watch dolphin moms and babies (with birth dates posted on signs) play and leap and splash. They say you can even observe the dolphin calves learning to communicate with their moms through clicks and vocalizations. Although you can't get close enough to pet or feed them, you can see them from just a few feet away. A host is usually on hand to answer questions. A popular answer? "No, you can't take one home." Hint: if you just have to touch a dolphin, head over to Dolphin Cove in the Key West section. For people with disabilities: Fully wheelchair accessible. Get ready to lift up small kids so they can see into the pool.

They're amazing animals, of course, and on this hour-long tour you'll be able to participate in a training session, touch a dolphin, and use hand gestures to prompt behaviors. From $59 adults, $39 children.

In 1776 Dorchester Heights hill commanded a clear view of central Boston, where the British had been under siege since the preceding year. Here George Washington set up the cannons that Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller turned soldier, and later secretary of war, had hauled through the wilderness after their capture at Fort Ticonderoga. The artillery did its job of intimidation, and the British troops left Boston, never to return. The view of Boston from the site is magnificent. Sadly, the tower is not open to the public, but the lovely park grounds are a destination on their own on a warm day.

El Bruno's, a better-than decent Mexican restaurant that's right on the highway at the far north end of town.

Shops and cafés pack this pleasant neighborhood centered on College Avenue, just south of the U.C. campus. You'll know you're here when you spy the historic Elmwood theater, near College and Ashby Avenues, or notice the long line snaking outside nearby Ici Ice Cream, at 2948 College. Check out the architectural details of pre–World War II storefronts and the century-old shingled houses that line the tree-shaded streets.

Your senses will immediately perk up as you enter this upscale market that has everything to go, from impeccable sushi to decadent gelato. Outside, you can find a terraced garden—the only place to sit—that winds up four levels and ends at the Imperial Tea Court.

A mass of ice that caps the Kenai Mountains, the Harding Icefield covers more than 1,100 square miles, and oozes more than 40 glaciers from its edges and down the mountainsides; Exit Glacier is the most accessible part of the ice field. Just outside Seward, if you hike a mile up the paved trail that starts at the parking lot, you'll find yourself at the terminal moraine of Exit Glacier. Look for the marked turnoff at Mile 3.7 as you enter town, or you can take the hourly shuttle from downtown ($15 round-trip). There's a small walk-in campground here, a ranger station, and access to the glacier. The hike to the ice field from the parking lot is a 9-mile round-trip that gains 3,000 feet in elevation, so it's not for the timid or out of shape. But if you're feeling up to the task, the hike and views are breathtaking. Local wildlife includes mountain goats and bears both black and brown, so keep a sharp eye out for them. Due to recent ice fall at the toe of the glacier, the entire toe is currently off-limits.

There are several entrances to this 12,000-square-foot birdhouse—three of which access the aviary from beneath waterfalls falling beside the Wind-Away River (otherwise, you can walk in from the beach). However you arrive, you will enter a sanctuary populated with more than 250 small exotic birds, including darting hummingbirds, tiny finches, and honeycreepers. In the large-bird sanctuary, you get up close to perched toucans and wandering peacocks, red-legged seriema, and other colorful winged creatures that stand as tall as 4 feet. Look for attendants who have carts filled with complimentary fruit and feed that you can use to attract the birds. It's a beautiful experience—especially when a bird hops onto your shoulder to say hello. Get the camera ready. For people with disabilities: A pathway through the aviary accommodates wheelchairs. Come early in the morning when the birds are most active.

Moss Beach's biggest attraction is the spectacular Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a 3-mile stretch of bluffs and tide pools that occupy 32 acres. Since the reserve was protected in 1969, scientists have discovered many new aquatic species. The best time to visit is during a zero or negative low tide, when you're likely to find crabs, anemones, urchins, and sea stars. Volunteer naturalists are around to answer questions on the weekends. Self-guided tours available, but pets are not allowed.

To look at a marvelous Venetian Renaissance–style structure, head to this church, built by Flagler in 1889 as a memorial to his daughter Jenny, who died during childbirth. In addition to Jenny, this is the final resting place for Flagler himself; his first wife, Mary; and their granddaughter Marjorie. The dome of this stunning sanctuary towers more than 100 feet and is topped by a 20-foot Greek cross.

Celebrated Southern author Flannery O'Connor lived in this austere Charlton Street home from her birth in 1925 until 1938 when the family moved to Milledgeville, Georgia. The beautifully renovated home includes oddities like the "kiddie coop," a cage for children designed by O'Connor's father. In fall, the home hosts a reception with lectures by academics and experts discussing different aspects of O'Connor's life and work. Events are free and open to the public.

For nature lovers, the main attractions of the Flathead Indian Reservation are fishing and water recreation on numerous lakes and streams and bird-watching in Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. A tribal fishing license is required, and is available at most licensing agents.

The Queen Anne–style mansion helps visitors imagine what life was like for the wealthy in late-19th-century Astoria. It rests on parklike grounds covering an entire city block and has been gorgeously restored, with its three-story octagon tower visible from throughout town. It was built for George Flavel, an influential Columbia River bar pilot and businessman who was one of the area's first millionaires. Visits start in the Carriage House interpretive center.

Colorado's first military post was established here in 1858 to protect settlers in the San Luis Valley, which was then part of the Territory of New Mexico. The legendary Kit Carson once served here, and the six original adobe structures are still standing. The fort features a re-creation of the commandant's quarters from Carson's era, as well as period military displays, and a rotating local folk-art exhibit.

The 23-acre site in Presidio County contains a thick-walled adobe fort and trading post that dates back to pioneer days. There are exhibits, a ½-mile nature trail, picnic sites, guided tours, and a store. The park is day-use only. The fort also doubles as the western visitor center for Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Coral stone ruins are all that remain at the site that served mostly as a prison; however, the ruins are actually not the real leftovers from the fort. They were constructed as a set for the 1961 movie The Devil at 4 O'Clock. The real fort was built from 1831 to 1832 after sailors, angered by a law forbidding local women from swimming out to ships, lobbed cannonballs into town the previous year. The fort was finally torn down in the 1850s and the stones were used to construct the new prison. Cannons raised from the wreck of a warship in Honolulu Harbor were brought to Lahaina and placed in front of the fort, where they still sit today at the Lahaina Harbor flagpole.

This once-dated attraction continues to undergo a major rejuvenation. There are still fun elements from the original "Old Florida" (admittedly somewhat kitschy), but there's much that's new and exciting, too. The timing is appropriate—in 2013, the park celebrated the 500th anniversary of Ponce de León's arrival. The 15-acre waterfront site is also the location where Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, in 1565, established the first and oldest continuous European settlement in what's now the United States. Excavations have also shown it was the site of a Franciscan mission to the Timucuan Indians. The park includes a replica of the mission, a Timucuan village and burial grounds, a boatyard in which a 16th-century-style boat is being constructed, and a three-story watchtower with broad, panoramic vistas of the bay, inlet, and Mendez Settlement field. Other highlights include cannon firings; a working blacksmith shop; Navigators Planetarium; a gift shop; a small, elegant café; and the springhouse where you can still quench your thirst from "the fountain of youth."

Lion and tiger habitats, the Giraffe Savannah, and a 4-acre mixed-species area called the Serengeti Crossing that showcases zebras, ostriches, warthogs, and wildebeests keep this zoo roaring. The Tropical Forest, with its Western Lowland Gorilla environment, is a big draw, and kookaburras, emus, and kangaroos populate the Outback Trail. From May to September butterflies flit and flutter at Butterfly Landing, where docents are on hand to answer questions and give advice on attracting the colorful insects to your own garden. Franklin Farm entices children with sheep, goats, and other farm animals. In winter, call in advance to find out which animals are braving the cold. The park, 4 miles from downtown, is reached by Bus 16 from the Forest Hills (Orange Line) or Andrew (Red Line) T stops; there's plenty of parking.

The oasis has a tropical theme and its lush landscaping is akin to a rain forest. Part of the experience is wading through a crystal-clear spring to reach an island populated by some outrageously cute marmosets (which are contained on the island thanks to a convenient moat). Swim a little farther and come nose-to-nose with otters, which frolic behind a nearly invisible wall of acrylic. Beyond the menagerie and beneath a canopy of cooling vegetation, there are watery trails to explore. It truly is a seductive setting and effortlessly evokes that soothing Discovery Cove experience.

The zoo's most striking exhibit is its tropical rain forest, where you'll encounter exotic birds along paths and bridges. Elsewhere at the zoo live tigers, sloth bears, sea lions, tule elk, camels, elephants, and siamang apes. The facility has a high-tech reptile house and there's a petting zoo.

Locals say this place has the best whoopie pies in the Bangor area, and its yeasty breads are equally prized. The bakery and restaurant are run by three Franciscan friars, one of whom spent time in various highly regarded culinary programs.

At this site are the remnants of a Revolutionary War fort whose American defenders were massacred in 1781 by British troops under the command of the American traitor Benedict Arnold. The 134-foot-tall Groton Monument is a memorial to the fallen; you can climb it for a sweeping view of the shoreline. The adjacent Monument House Museum has historic displays.

For information on the western half of the wilderness, contact Gallatin National Forest.

At an adjacent dock, the offers riverboat cruises and shuttles to PNC Park and Heinz Field (home of major league baseball's Pirates and the NFL's Steelers, respectively).