Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
More than 3 miles of tranquil and natural beach run along the shoreline of Pawleys Island. The surrounding architecture consists only of beach cottages and low-lying resorts, so it's a peaceful retreat. Lack of crowds allows for bicycling on packed sand, shelling, or napping on a hammock. Note that there aren't any lifeguards. Amenities: parking (limited; on side streets). Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.
A popular destination since the late 19th century, Piedmont Park is the perfect place to escape the chaos of the city. Tennis courts, a swimming pool, a popular dog park, and paths for walking, jogging, and rollerblading are part of the attraction, but many retreat to the park's great lawn for picnics with a smashing view of the Midtown skyline.
In 1946, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers (the music group for which the town is named), Russ Hayden, and various other entertainers invested in Dick Curtis' dream of building a "living breathing movie set." The result was Pioneertown, an 1880s-style Wild West town on 32,000 acres, surrounded by mesas and rock formations. Its main street featured a mix of false-front buildings (jail, bathhouse, etc.) and fully functioning businesses including a bowling alley, motel, saloon, and post office. More than 50 films/shows including Cisco Kid were made there in the 1940s and '50s.
Although some photo shoots and productions still happen there, most folks roll into town as tourists to grab drinks at the reopened bar; look at the movie memorabilia in the small museum; catch a concert at Pappy + Harriet's; meet the mayor (which is usually a goat, horse, or dog); or shop for pottery, vintage duds, and skin-care products in the shops that now fill many of the wood-and-adobe structures on the pedestrian-only lane. Weekends are especially bustling, with staged gunfights, drive-in movies, food carts, and comedy shows.
With how seamlessly the Presidio Tunnel Tops landscape flows from the Presidio's Main Parade Lawn downhill to Crissy Field, it's almost impossible to envision the two not being connected. Yet, that was always the case until this impressive 14-acre green space with 1.8 miles of winding walking paths was completed in 2022. It's a park that is both function (bringing together two important areas atop a highway tunnel) and form (beautifully designed by James Corner Field Operations, the same firm that designed New York City's acclaimed High Line elevated park).
The Presidio Tunnel Tops are a marquee destination for many reasons, but there's no escaping that the park is best known for its panoramic view of the Golden Gate Bridge. There's plenty more to do, from grabbing lunch from a visiting food truck or letting kids explore the impressive 2-acre Outpost playground that tells the Presidio's extensive history and evokes its natural habitat. There are three lawn areas for picnicking, a Campfire Circle where ranger talks are given, and 200,000 plants to gaze at.
Altogether, it's a fun breath of fresh air—and it's hard to believe that you're literally on top of the busy 101 highway. After exploring the Presidio Tunnel Tops, make sure to head over to their lesser-known "above the highway" park sibling, Battery Bluff. This park doesn't have the activities or amenities that makes the Tunnel Tops such a draw, but it's worth a visit for the views and to see the four preserved historic gun batteries.
A must for rail enthusiasts and families with kids, this is one of North America's most intact early roundhouses (maintenance facilities). You can hop aboard a steam train for a 40-minute journey—bring the dog if you'd like. The docents entertain guests with tales about the history of locomotion. Listen to the original rotor and pulleys in the engine house and take in the smell of axle grease. Walk through a genteel passenger car with dusty-green velvet seats and ornate metalwork, where Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper filmed a scene in High Noon. When offered, Polar Express excursions at Christmastime sell out quickly.
From the base of Gateway Arch National Park's Grand Staircase enjoy strolls along Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard, the 1.5-mile riverfront promenade that stretches from the landing for the riverboats at the south end to the Laclede's Landing historic site at the north end. The promenade hosts outdoor activities and events throughout the year and is the hub not only for the seasonal riverboat cruises but also Arch helicopter rides. A bike path along the riverfront promenade serves as the hub of the River Ring, a network of trails developed by Great Rivers Greenway ( greatriversgreenway.org). To the north, the Mississippi Greenway provides a 12.5-mile trail, connecting downtown St. Louis to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, a historic Route 66 landmark.
This expansive green space runs alongside the Hudson River—hence its name—and offers a welcome dose of tranquility from 72nd to 158th Street, as does the park's south extension, from about 59th to 72nd Street. Walking and biking paths dot the entire park, among them the broad Promenade between 83rd and 96th Streets. The park's original sections were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux of Central Park fame and laid out between 1873 and 1888. Riverside Park also includes the soaring white marble Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (at 89th Street), dedicated to New Yorkers who served in the Civil War, and the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial Plaza (at 80th Street), dedicated in 1947. The 79th Street Marina, with its café, visiting yachts, and permanently moored houseboats, is closed for renovations to make the marina climate resilient and expand access for boaters.
Ryan and Megan Glaab, the husband and wife owner-winemakers behind Ryme, make a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Franc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the real story here is their quest to craft food-friendly wines from unsung white (Fiano, Greco, Ribolla Gialla) and red (Aglianico, Frappato) Italian grapes. The Glaabs also make "His" and "Hers" Vermentinos in wildly different styles. That they source fruit from respected vineyards and keep prices low is a credit to their talent and ingenuity. A weathered board-and-batten structure attached to their cinder block winery serves as a tasting room, though good weather finds most guests sipping in the shade of the front patio’s arbor.
On a bluff in rural Cornish with views of Vermont's stately Mt. Ascutney, this pastoral property celebrates the life and artistry of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a leading 19th-century sculptor with renowned works on Boston Common, Manhattan's Central Park, and Chicago's Lincoln Park. In summer you can tour his house (with original furnishings), studio, and galleries, and year-round it's a pleasure to explore the 150 gorgeous acres of lawns, gardens, and woodlands dotted with casts of his works and laced with 2½ miles of hiking trails. Concerts are held Sunday in July and August.
Tremendous geological upheavals pushed through the Earth's surface eons ago, forming a giant oval-shape dome of rock about 80 miles long and 30 miles wide, giving rise to the name "swell." Over the years, the harsh climate beat down the dome, eroding it into a wild array of multicolor sandstone and creating buttes, pinnacles, mesas, and canyons that spread across nearly 1 million acres—an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Swell offers visitors spectacular sights similar to those in Utah's national parks but without the crowds. In the northern Swell, the Wedge Overlook peers into the Little Grand Canyon with the San Rafael River below, for one of the most scenic vistas in the state. The strata at the edges of the southern Swell are angled nearly vertical, creating the San Rafael Reef. Both are known for fantastic hiking, canyoneering, and mountain biking. As recently as 2018, proposals have been made to designate the Swell a national monument; until then, the San Rafael Swell remains one of the little-known natural wonders of the American West.
Interstate 70 bisects the San Rafael Swell and is the only paved road in the region. Although there are many off-road opportunities, the main gravel road and many of the graded dirt roads through the Swell are accessible to two-wheel-drive vehicles. The Swell is about 25 miles south of Price (typically considered the main gateway to the Swell), and the setting is so remote that it's essential you bring whatever supplies you might need, including plenty of water, food, and a spare tire. For directions on how to access the San Rafael Swell viewing area from Green River, turn to the Green River section of the Moab and Southeastern Utah chapter. Always keep your wits about you, as flash flooding can be deadly, especially in the Swell's narrow slot canyons.
Robert and Laura Schermeister, the husband and wife behind this winery known for aromatic, densely flavored single-vineyard wines, conduct tastings in a small space within a historic Glen Ellen building or on a nearby patio facing Sonoma Creek. Robert makes vegan-friendly unfiltered wines that include a Viognier white, an intriguing Bordeaux-blend rosé, and Grenache, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon reds, intervening as little as possible once fermentation (with native, not commercial, yeasts) begins. Either Robert or Laura, perhaps both, will conduct your tasting. Their romance began after he charmed her over a bottle of his Pinot Noir. It's best to make an appointment because this highly regarded winery with a small annual output temporarily closes when the wines run out.
Massed granite ledges meet crashing waves at Schoodic Peninsula's tip, off the loop road at the end of Arey Cove Road. Dark basalt rock slices through pink granite, to dramatic effect. Look east for a close view of Little Moose Island; a bit farther away to the west for a sidelong view of Mount Desert Island; and south for an inspiring open ocean view. There are bathrooms and a good-size parking area.
Sandstone bluffs tower above this popular beach, whose long fishing pier was, unfortunately, demolished in 2023 following devastating winter storm damage. The 1.5-mile walk north to adjacent New Brighton State Beach in Capitola is one of the nicest on the bay. Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.
A much-loved 20-acre site at one end of the 12South neighborhood, Sevier Park is the site of festivals and a weekly farmers' market on Tuesdays from May through late October. The park opened in 1948 and features trails, a creek, two playgrounds, a shelter, picnic tables, and a historic mansion (currently undergoing renovation). The updated community center was opened in 2014 and offers $3 drop-in fitness classes, including yoga. There are also tennis and basketball courts, as well as bike rentals. It's open from 6 am until dark.
Known as the “Heart of Acadia,” this multifaceted part of the park memorializes George Dorr, Acadia’s first superintendent. On land he donated to Acadia at the base of the mountain now bearing his name, the ranger-staffed seasonal Nature Center has exhibits about park conservation and serves as a visitor center. Steps from here is the level path through Wild Gardens of Acadia, where 400-plus native species—all labeled—are grouped to simulate park habitats like meadows, bogs, and mountaintops. Six "memorial paths,” their creation paid for by wealthy rusticators and most predating the park, begin at Sieur de Monts (Acadia’s original name). Don’t let “paths” fool you: most are steep, challenging trails with stone-cut stairs; many ascend mountains, and all connect with other trails. There’s also a trailhead for the easy, mostly level Jesup Path and Hemlock Path Loop, a 1½-mile round trip that follows a boardwalk through woodland and crosses the Great Meadow. Part of a wetland that's being restored to bring back native species, it's distinguished by The Tarn, a shallow pond and landmark nearby on Route 3. While Acadia is synonymous with the great outdoors, two historic octagonal structures entice at Sieur de Monts: the namesake domed springhouse and the Mediterranean-style original home (temporarily closed) of the Abbe Museum ( www.abbemuseum.org); exploring the history and culture of Maine’s Wabanaki nations, its main location is in downtown Bar Harbor.
For a glimpse of the Napa Valley before things got precious, head up Spring Mountain to the vineyard Stu Smith purchased in 1970 and still farms. His low-tech winery is a family affair: brother Charlie has made Smith-Madrone's critically acclaimed wines for more than four decades, and son Sam is Charlie's assistant. Blissfully informal outdoor tours and tastings of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling wines take place by appointment three days a week, starting at the weather-worn no-frills redwood barn where Charlie makes the wines. He mostly lets the grapes do the talking, but profound wisdom underlies his restraint: these food-friendly wines are marvels of acidity, minerality, and flavor. The view across the valley to Howell Mountain is often fantastic.
This rails-to-trails masterpiece runs 22 miles from downtown Greenville to Travelers Rest, with ample waypoints and scenic views along the way. Reedy Rides rents modern cruisers for $30 per half day. Three miles out of town, the backyard seating at Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery fills up on weekends with bikers grabbing gourmet sandwiches after a morning workout. If you push all the way to Travelers Rest, walk the charming downtown strip and fuel up for the return trip with a chili-rubbed tuna or cowboy rib-eye taco from Farmhouse Tacos.
The sought-after consultant Thomas Rivers Brown oversees the collector-quality Cabernets of this winery on Diamond Mountain's northern slope. The Voir Dire Cabernet Sauvignon (one owner practices law), the luxury brand's layered and silky flagship, comes from the property's oldest vines. Younger plantings produce fruit for the friskier Hawk's Prey Cab and mellifluous Merlot, with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah wines coming from a high-elevation estate in Sonoma County's Moon Mountain District. Tastings, some involving food, are held in a red replica barn with Mt. St. Helena views; Brown and on-site winemaker Andy Jones ply their craft inside a contemporary high-tech facility nearby. Two restored structures, one a schoolhouse, date to the 19th century. Appointments, always required, are best booked a week or more ahead.
Most visitors stumble on this stunning performance venue thanks to its national and international musical acts—and indeed, it's an ideal size and structure for that with a 3,000- to 8,000-person capacity; it's spacious but not too big to enjoy the show. But that's just the beginning of what the peninsular, waterfront spot offers, from ice-skating in the winter to local craft fairs throughout the year. And on select Thursdays and Fridays from 4 pm till sunset in the summer, entry is free, dogs are welcome, and live music and lawn games are on offer with some of the city's best food trucks lining up to feed the happy crowd.
This leafy park is a favorite spot, year-round, for the neighborhood locals who lunch on the benches, picnic in the central green spaces, and put on impromptu jazz concerts. There's a year-round farmers' market by the southwest corner on Sunday, and an annual Halloween dog-costume event. It wasn't always so rosy in the park, though: in 1988, police followed then-mayor Ed Koch's orders to evict the many homeless people who had set up makeshift shelters here, and homeless rights and anti-gentrification activists fought back with sticks and bottles. The park was reclaimed and reopened in 1992 with a midnight curfew, still in effect today.
A red fairyland of slender spires and buttes, the Valley of the Gods is a smaller version of Monument Valley. Approximately 15 miles west of Bluff, you can take a pretty drive through this relatively unvisited area on 17-mile-long Valley of the Gods Road, which begins on U.S. 163 and ends on Highway 261. The road is unpaved but should be drivable as long as it's dry.
Just a 10-minute walk south of downtown, Vancouver's formerly industrial waterfront has been reborn as a handsome, contemporary mixed-use development flanked by a beautifully landscaped promenade and V-shape, cantilevered Grant Street Pier, which is suspended over the Columbia River by cable stays. The $1.5 billion project opened in 2018 and will expand over the years—potentially to include a public market. Other key features include a 7.3-acre Waterfront Park with imaginative public art installations, a sweeping grassy picnic area, a small urban beach, an amphitheater, and direct access to the Columbia River Renaissance Trail, an existing 5-mile paved multiuse track that connects additional parks, restaurants, and public art along the north shore of the Columbia River. Nearly a dozen prominent Washington wineries (Maryhill, Brian Carter Cellars, Pepper Bridge, Airfield Estates, and Barnard Griffin among them) have opened tasting rooms here, along with several restaurants and two hotels (an AC Hotel by Marriott and a Hotel Indigo). Especially when the sun is out, this festive district's restaurant terraces, pathways, and pier fill up with friends, families, and onlookers of all ages.
