10457 Best Sights in USA

In the warmer months, the resort transforms itself into a mountain amusement park, with attractions such as the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster, ziplines, and a climbing wall. Visitors take a chairlift up the mountain to the Alpine Slide, then hop aboard special sleds that carry them down 3,000 feet of winding concrete and fiberglass track at speeds controlled by each rider. The gravity-propelled Alpine Coaster (which operates year-round) zooms through aspen-lined twists and turns at speeds up to 35 mph. Two ziplines offer a high-flying adrenaline rush as riders strap into a harness suspended from a cable. In addition to the climbing wall, there's a miniature golf course, trampolines, an adventure zone for younger children, and some of the West's best lift-served mountain biking and hiking.

This 27-mile road provides a perfect introduction to the park. You can drive it in an hour, but allow at least half a day so that you can explore the many sites along the way, including Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliff along the 2-mile section known as Ocean Drive. Park Loop Road is served seasonally by the free Island Explorer buses—and given the summertime crowds, consider hopping on. Traffic is one-way from near the Route 233 entrance to the Stanley Brook Road entrance south of the Jordan Pond House. While most of the road is closed from December through mid-April, Ocean Drive is open to vehicles year-round, as is a small section that provides access to Jordan Pond from Seal Harbor. Off-season, you can still bike and walk on the road; it's also used for winter activities, weather-cooperating.

Exceeding 130,000 acres and regularly running tens of thousands of head of cattle, Parker Ranch is an impressive and compelling backdrop for the scenic town of Waimea. It was established in 1847 by a sailor from Massachusetts, John Palmer Parker, who was permitted by the Hawaiian ruler King Kamehameha I to cull vast herds of out-of-control cattle; thus, the ranch was born. It later grew into the empire it is today, and the foundation started by Parker's descendants supports community health care, the arts, and education, as well as a commitment to sustainability. In addition to taking self-guided tours of two of the ranch's historic homes—Hale Mana and Puuopelu—you can also visit Parker Ranch Center, the town's largest shopping and restaurant complex. The Round Up club, founded by Parker Ranch employees, holds rodeos year round.

Opened in November 2012, the new Parrish Art Museum, originally established in Southampton in 1898, blends perfectly with its surroundings. A work of art itself, this massive yet subdued 34,440 square foot, elongated Herzon & de Meuron-designed barn blends modern clean lines with a traditional country look. Its seven sky lit galleries are filled with impressive collections highlighting Eastern Long Island greats including William Meritt Chase and Fairfield Porter, as well as exhibitions by world-renowned artists representing all media. There's also a full calendar of lectures, workshops, concerts and children's programs. Fun, family-friendly music programs take place outside during the summer. Juried art exhibitions hang on the walls during the year.

While touring the idyllic west side of Paso Robles, take a break from wine tasting by stopping at Pasolivo. Find out how the artisans here make their Tuscan-style olive oils on a high-tech Italian press, and test the acclaimed results. If you're in downtown Paso Robles, stop by Pasolivo's urban tasting room at 1229 Park Street.

At the southern tip of St. Pete Beach, one of the area's most popular beaches epitomizes Old Florida. It skirts the west end of historic Pass-a-Grille, a charming neighborhood with stylish yet low-key mom-and-pop motels and restaurants. There's a sunset celebration each night at a pavilion/snack shop on the stretch of beach between the ends of 9th and 10th Avenues. On weekends, check out the Art Mart, an open-air market showcasing the work of local artists. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; windsurfing.

Climb aboard the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier—which contains the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum—as well as the destroyer USS Laffey. The carrier's flight deck features stunning views of the harbor and city skyline and up-close views of 25 airplanes and helicopters from throughout the last century of American warfare. A life-size replica of a Vietnam support base camp showcases naval air and watercraft used in that military action.

Sophisticated single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are the trademarks of this respected winery that hosts guests at a fashionable single-story former residence 3 miles southeast of Sonoma Plaza. A Wine Country adage holds that great wines are made in the vineyard—the all-star fields represented here include Hyde, Durell, and Gap's Crown—but the wine-making team routinely surpasses peers with access to the same fruit. You can sample wines on the vineyard-view back patio in good weather. One tasting focuses on current releases, and the other incorporates older vintages. Appointments are required; call for same-day.

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. 

Salem's world-class museum celebrates superlative works from around the globe and across time, including American art and architecture, Asian export art, photography, and maritime art and history, as well as Native American, Oceanic, and African art. With a collection of 1.8 million works, housed in a contemplative blend of modern design, PEM represents a diverse range of styles; exhibits include pieces ranging from American decorative and seamen's art to an interactive Art & Nature Center and photography. While there, be sure to tour the Yin Yu Tang house. This fabulous 200-year-old house dates to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) of China. The museum brought it over from China in sections and reassembled it here.

A 67-foot-tall white concrete arch anchors this unusual park established in 1931 to commemorate the peaceful border between the United States and Canada. In fact, it's one of the only places where residents of either country can mingle and stroll together without a passport. Located beside Blaine's Interstate 5 border crossing, about 16 miles west of Lynden, this verdant park with contiguous, roughly 20-acre sections in both countries contains colorful gardens, ponds, pathways, and a playground, and it affords sweeping views of Semiahmoo Bay. 

Short of hiking up to the rugged High Peaks, this picturesque picnic area is the best place to catch a glimpse of them (off to the west). You might spot hawks and other birds as well. The area has restrooms and a few picnic tables, and drinking water is available.

Here you'll also find the beginning of a section of the Bench Trail that's been graded and resurfaced for wheelchair accessibility—it winds through a shady stand of oak.

Pearl Harbor is still a working military base as well as Oahu’s most visited attraction, consisting of five distinct destinations. Managed by the National Park Service, the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and USS Arizona Memorial make up the national memorial, where exhibits tell the story not only of the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but also of the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, World War II battles in the Aleutian Islands, and the occupation of Japan after the war. The history continues at three privately operated sights: the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (whose centerpiece is the USS Bowfin), the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

A valid government-issued photo ID is required to enter the base. You can walk to the visitor center or the submarine museum from the parking lot, but access to the USS Arizona requires a ferry ride (and ticket reservations via  www.recreation.gov), and access to other sites, including the USS Missouri and the aviation museum, requires a shuttle bus trip. Advance reservations are required to access USS Arizona Memorial. There are no same-day tickets except rare standby spots.

No bags of any kind except clear stadium ones—not even small purses—are allowed at any of the sights, though cameras, cell phones, and wallets can be hand-carried. A bag check is available. Children under four can visit the submarine museum, but for safety reasons, they are not allowed on the USS Bowfin itself.

Between 8th and 20th Streets in the downtown area, Pearl Street is the city's hub, an eclectic collection of boutiques, bookstores, art galleries, cafés, bars, and restaurants. From 11th and 15th Streets is a pedestrian mall, with plenty of good people-watching and some of the most outrageous street performers you'll ever see. Regulars may include fire-eating contortionists, a man who plays the piano while hanging from his feet in a tree, and steampunk-style street bands.

Think Maine is cold in the winter? Try the Arctic, where two of Bowdoin’s most famous alumni, Admiral Robert E. Peary (class of 1877) and explorer Donald B. MacMillan (class of 1898), spent considerable time. As a result, the college has both an Arctic Studies program and this museum, which is in the imposing neo-Gothic Hubbard Hall.

Although controversy rages regarding whether it was Frederick Cook (in 1908) or Peary (in 1909) who first made it to the North Pole (or whether either man ever made it there at all), the museum has some of the principal artifacts from Peary's expedition, including his notebook page that reads “The pole at last!!!” and the American flag that he unfurled upon reaching it. Among the many interesting things you'll learn is that Peary’s assistant, an African American named Matthew Henson, was the only other man with him when he reached the pole—and Henson was actually in the lead.

MacMillan, who made more than 30 trips to the Arctic over the course of almost 50 years, extensively documented both the region and its peoples. He also named one of his expedition schooners after the college. (The Bowdoin is now the flagship training vessel of the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine). The museum's collection includes many of his photographs and films, as well as memorabilia, artifacts, and historical and contemporary Inuit, Yup’ik, and Iñupiat art. Rotating exhibitions have showcased everything from changing Arctic climate conditions to Inuit music to traditional kayak construction.

On the National Register of Historic Places, Pebble Hill is the only plantation in the area open to the public. The sprawling estate was last home to sporting enthusiast and philanthropist Elisabeth "Pansy" Ireland Poe, who specified that the plantation be open to the public upon her death (in 1978). The property dates to 1825, although most of the original house was destroyed in a fire in the 1930s. Highlights of the current two-story main house include a dramatic horseshoe-shape entryway, a wraparound terrace on the upper floor, and an elegant sunroom decorated with a wildlife motif. The second story now serves as an art gallery displaying the Poes' large sporting art collection. Surrounding the house are 34 acres of immaculately maintained grounds that include gardens, a walking path, a log-cabin school, a fire station, a carriage house, kennels, and a hospital for the plantation's more than 100 dogs (prized dogs were buried with full funerals, including a minister). The sprawling dairy-and-horse-stable complex resembles an English village.

At the very end of Route 130, this lighthouse at the tip of the Pemaquid Peninsula looks as though it sprouted from the ragged, striated granite outcroppings on which it stands. Most days in the summer you can climb the tower to the light. The former keeper's cottage is now the Fishermen's Museum, which displays historic photographs, scale models, and artifacts that explore commercial fishing in Maine. The original fog bell and bell house are also here. Restrooms and picnic tables are available.

This 90-minute tour transports you belowground and back through Pendleton's history of gambling, girls, and gold. The Underground Tours depict town life from more than a century ago (when 32 saloons and 18 brothels were operating in full swing) to the 1953 closure of the Cozy Rooms, the best-known bordello in town. The Underground Tour eventually resurfaces, climbing the "31 Steps to Heaven" to those Cozy Rooms where madam Stella Darby reigned. The secret gambling lairs, opium dens, and bathhouses that lie directly below the pavement will give you a whole new perspective of the streets of Pendleton. Reservations are required.

Pendleton's most significant source of name recognition in the country comes from this mill, home of the trademark wool plaid shirts and colorful woolen Indian blankets. This location is the company's blanket mill; there's also a weaving mill in the Columbia Gorge town of Washougal, Washington, near Portland and about three hours west of Pendleton. If you want to know more about the production process, the company gives 20-minute tours on weekdays at 11 am and 3 pm; reservations are suggested. The mill's retail store stocks blankets, towels, and clothing with good bargains on factory seconds in the back room.

This is considered one of the world's finest archaeological and anthropological museums and research institutes—and would likely be a bigger draw to the city if its location next to a hospital megaplex made it easier to visit. The vast collection includes a large Egyptian sphinx, numerous mummies, a crystal ball once owned by China's dowager empress, some of the oldest writing known to humanity—Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets—and 4,600-year-old golden jewels from the royal tombs of Ur (modern-day Iraq). Other collections focus on artifacts from Africa, Asia, Central and North America, ancient Europe, and more. Much revamped (and still revamping), the museum mixes in contemporary culture to connect the past to the present, such as with Native American tribes, who helped reimagine the North American galleries. Two of the main Egyptian galleries will be closed until about 2027, but some Egyptian highlights remain on view in other rooms. The museum specializes in tours like Ancient Alcohol or Global Guides, where guides are native to the area they are speaking about. You can download self-guided tours like Amazing Artifacts from the museum's website, where you can also check out what events might be happening during your visit. The koi pond and gardens out front are free to enter and a great hideaway to enjoy a snack and a little respite.

Tucked into a residential section of The Nations, Pennington Distilling Co. is known for its small-batch spirits—award-winning Tennessee whiskey, vodka, crafted cocktails, and boozy coffee—and the friendly experts who guide the distillery tours and tastings with care. Run by Nashville natives Jeff and Jenny Pennington, the distillery also offers immersive experiences like blend-your-own-bottle activities and craft cocktail classes. The hour-long tour does include a tasting, though tastings are offered separately.

The nation's first art school and museum (founded in 1805) displays a notable collection of American art that ranges from the Peale family and Gilbert Stuart to Andrew Wyeth and Faith Ringgold. Fox Hunt by Winslow Homer and The Artist in His Museum by Charles Willson Peale are two famous works. PAFA's most prized work, The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins, depicts Samuel D. Gross, a celebrated 19th-century surgeon, presiding over an operation; the masterwork is co-owned with the Philadelphia Art Museum. The striking 1876 Gothic revival building was designed by Philadelphia architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt with a multicolor stone-and-brick exterior and an interior in rich hues of red, yellow, and blue; in time for America's 250th birthday, there's a new installation from its permanent collection. Until then, changing exhibitions in different mediums are presented in the adjacent modern Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building, an 11-story facility that holds classrooms and studios for continuing education and certificate students. Between the two buildings is the pedestrian Lenfest Plaza featuring Paint Torch, a 51-foot-tall sculpture of a paintbrush by Claes Oldenburg. The Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Art Museum may get more visitor attention, but art lovers will appreciate this special place.

At this ranch with a contemporary-barn tasting room and vineyard-view patio, you can sample Sauvignon Blanc, velvety Pinot Noirs, and other wines paired with award-winning artisanal cheeses made on the premises from goat and sheep milk. Engaging farmstead tours pass through the barn and by the creamery; the adorable animals win most guests' hearts. Reservations are required for the tour and suggested for tastings, though walk-ins for the latter are accepted when possible.

On a stroll-able campus that feels like a mini–New England village, this fine museum just off Main Street explores the centuries-long maritime culture of the Penobscot Bay region and the Maine coast. Exhibits of artifacts and paintings are spread throughout six buildings, most dating to the first half of the 19th century; a former sea captain's home is appointed with period furnishings. The story of Maine's long connections to the sea can be traced in photos of local ship captains, model ships, lots of scrimshaw, navigational instruments, and objects brought home from world-spanning voyages. Exhibits of vintage tools speak of the area's history of logging, granite mining, and ice cutting. Outstanding marine art includes a notable collection of works by Thomas and James Buttersworth. There are also engaging exhibits just for kids.

An "engineering marvel" is how experts describe this beautiful, cable-stayed, 2,120-foot-long Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. As one approaches, the bridge appears in the distance like the towers of a fairy-tale castle. The observatory, perched near the top of a 437-foot-tall tower and accessed by an elevator, is the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. Don't miss it—the panoramic views, which take in the hilly countryside and the Penobscot River as it widens into Penobscot Bay, are breathtaking.

This über-high-design architectural masterpiece on Biscayne Bay is a sight to behold. Double-story, cylindrical hanging gardens sway from high atop the museum, anchored to stylish wooden trusses that help create this gotta-see-it-to-believe-it indoor-outdoor museum. Large sculptures, Asian-inspired gardens, sexy white benches, and steel frames surround the property. Inside, the 120,000-square-foot space houses multicultural art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Most of the interior space is devoted to temporary exhibitions, which have included the likes of Ai Weiwei: According to What? and Grids: A Selection of Paintings by Lynne Golob Gelfman. Even if you aren't a "museum type," come check out this magnum opus over lunch at Verde, the museum's sensational waterfront restaurant and bar.

Although there are faster ways to get from Mount Rushmore to the southern Black Hills, this scenic drive in the Black Hills is a more stunning route. Take U.S. 16A south into Custer State Park, where bison, bighorn sheep, elk, antelope, and burros roam. Then drive north on Highway 87 through the Needles, towering granite spires that rise above the forest. Highway 87 finally brings you to U.S. 16/U.S. 385, where you head south to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Because the scenic byway is a challenging drive (with one-lane tunnels and switchbacks) and because you'll likely want to stop a few times to admire the scenery, plan on spending two to three hours on this route. Stretches of U.S. 16A and Highway 87 may close in winter.

Scramble along a narrow canyon wall to reach the largest and best-known petroglyphs in Mesa Verde. If you pose for a photo just right, you can manage to block out the gigantic "don't touch" sign next to the rock art. A map—available at any ranger station—points out three dozen points of interest along the trail. However, the trail is not open while Spruce Tree House is closed; check with a ranger for more information. Moderate.

In 2017, heavy winter rains caused an old concrete bridge built in 1968 to crack and slip downhill at Pfeiffer Canyon, in the heart of Big Sur. Engineers deemed the old bridge irreparable, and auto and pedestrian access to Highway 1 south of the bridge was cut off indefinitely. CalTrans quickly made plans to construct a new, $24-million bridge to span the deep canyon. Normally, such a massive project would take at least seven years, but CalTrans accelerated the project and completed it in less than a year. The new bridge—a 21st-century engineering marvel—stretches 310 feet across the ravine without the need for column support. It's made of 15 steel girders, each weighing 62 tons and connected by steel plates holding 14,000 bolts.