10457 Best Sights in USA

If you’re heading west on U.S. 290 to Fredericksburg from Johnson City in the warmer months, you’ll inevitably note a large, expansive spread of land flush with vibrant colors. (You may see less of this color in late fall and winter, but the sweeping fields are still hard to miss.) You’re looking at the largest working wildflower farm in the country. Owner John Thomas created Wildseed Farms in 1983 in an effort to share the Hill Country’s bounty with all who visited. The farm has more than 200 acres under cultivation and produces over 88 varieties of wildflower seeds. You can walk the meadows, step into the live butterfly house, and purchase packets of wildflower seeds.

This five-story tower was dedicated in 1937, after a tragic plane crash claimed the life of Will Rogers, America's favorite—and funniest—cowboy. The shrine's viewing deck provides an impressive panoramic view of Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. The tower interior is painted with all manner of Western murals in which Colorado Springs benefactor Spencer Penrose figures prominently, and is plastered with photos and homespun sayings of Rogers. In the chapel are 15th- and 16th-century European artworks.

Stretching 110 miles along the western slopes of the Cascade Range, this forest boasts boundless recreation opportunities, including waterfall exploration, camping, hiking, boating, ATV riding, and winter sports. It extends from the Mt. Jefferson area east of Salem to the Calapooya Mountains northeast of Roseburg, encompassing 1,675,407 acres.

Headquartered about 3 miles east of downtown Long Beach via a bumpy and windy road, this 17,000-acre refuge comprises four main units: the largest is Long Island, an estuarine island with old-growth forest that's reached by kayak or canoe, most easily from the boat ramp across from the smaller East Hills unit, off U.S. 101 about 11 miles north of Ilwaco. The South Bay unit, where the headquarters and a small visitor center are located, consists of wetlands and marshes inhabited by bear, elk, bobcats, and all sorts of birds. Three trails (½ to 2½ miles) traverse it. The Leadbetter Point Unit, which adjoins Leadbetter State Park at the north end of the peninsula, 3 miles beyond Oysterville, is great for bird-watching. Black brants, sandpipers, turnstones, yellowlegs, sanderlings, and knots are among the more than 200 species here. The dune area at the end of the point is closed from March to September to protect the nesting snowy plover. From the parking lot, the ½-mile  paved, wheelchair-accessible Beach Trail leads to the ocean, and a 2½-mile loop trail winds through the dunes along the ocean and Willapa Bay. Several trails along the loop lead to isolated patches of coastline. These trails flood from late fall through early spring, so call the headquarters for guidance at this time.

The collection at this fine museum (moving to a new home in 2027) spans a range of eras and cultures, with American and 20th-century art as two major focuses. Get an inside look at Williams students' experience with Object Lab, a hybrid gallery-classroom curated by faculty to coincide with students' studies.

Sampling first-rate biodynamic vino, including an elegantly balanced Nebbiolo and an aromatic Viognier-Roussanne blend, is just part of the fun of visiting this eco-friendly winery high on a ridge overlooking breathtaking Cowiche Canyon. The property is laced with walking paths and gardens—you can even hike down into the canyon, joining its extensive network of trails. There are food trucks and live music from spring through fall, a great time of year to spread out on a blanket on the property's expansive lawn. There's also a distillery that produces organic grappas and brandies in imported copper stills.

The 4-acre campus of this museum has multiple historic structures, and a fascinating lot of information to impart. The main building houses anthropologist-geologist John Howard Wilson’s collection of prehistoric artifacts from around the world. The John & Phebe Perkins House is a restored 1763 residence originally built on what is now Court Street. The house fell into disrepair until the 1960s, when the Castine Scientific Society had it taken down piece by piece and reassembled on the grounds here. Inside, you can find Perkins family heirlooms and 18th- and early-19th-century furnishings. On the lower level, exhibits in the Perkins Gallery share stories and objects from 19th-century Castine, Penobscot, and Brooksville. The museum shop here features a curated selection of books for all ages, historical maps and prints, souvenirs, crafts, and educational toys.

The Hutchins Education Center offers year-round programs and seasonal exhibits. The Blacksmith Shop holds demonstrations showing all the tricks of this old-time trade. In addition to displays of small traditional boats, the Wood Shop has woodworking demonstrations and a workshop where boats are often under construction. The Bagaduce Engine Company showcases early firefighting memorabilia, including Castine’s 1917 fire alarm, which still works.

Known to Native Americans for centuries, Wind Cave was named for the strong air currents that alternately blow in and out of its entrances. The cave’s winds are related to the difference in atmospheric pressure between the cave and the surface. When the atmospheric pressure is higher outside than inside, the air blows in, and vice versa. With more than 160 miles of known passageways divided into three different levels, Wind Cave ranks among the longest in the world. It’s host to an incredibly diverse collection of geologic formations, including more boxwork than any other known cave, plus a series of underground lakes, though they are located in the deepest parts of the cave not seen on any tours. All tours are led by National Park Service rangers and leave from the visitor center. These tours allow you to see the unusual and beautiful formations with names such as boxwork, cave popcorn, and frostwork. The cave remains a steady 54ºF year-round, so wear closed-toe shoes and bring a jacket or sweater. Tickets are sold at the visitor center and sometimes sell out more than an hour before each tour during summer, so plan accordingly. Check out the park website for the different tours, times, and pricing.

With more than 150 miles of explored passageways (and counting), Wind Cave ranks as the seventh-longest cave in the world, several places behind Jewel Cave, which is also in the Black Hills. Cave tours at Wind Cave range from one to two hours and are first-come, first-served, so it's advisable to arrive early in the morning. If you miss the tour or want something to do afterward or while you wait, don't miss the opportunity to explore the park's surface area, which is one of the most underappreciated yet ruggedly beautiful parts of the Black Hills. You'll likely see some of the park's bison, prairie dogs, and other wildlife, and there are numerous hiking trails.

Please see the Wind Cave National Park chapter for more detailed information.

With its rocky shoreline and strong shore break, Windansea stands out among San Diego beaches for its dramatic natural beauty. It's one of the best surf spots in San Diego County. Surfers love the unusual A-frame waves the reef break here creates. Although the large sandstone rocks that dot the beach might sound like a hindrance, they actually serve as protective barriers from the wind, making this one of the best beaches in San Diego for sunbathing. The beach's palm-covered surf shack built in 1946 is a protected historical landmark, and a seat here at sunset may just be one of the most romantic spots on the West Coast. The name Windansea comes from a hotel that burned down in the late 1940s. You can usually find nearby street parking. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; surfing.

Don't be surprised if someone in tie-dye greets you at the downtown salon of this winery whose labels psychedelic art whiz Stanley Mouse—known for his rock posters and Grateful Dead album covers—designs. The hippie ethos that begat the 1960s back-to-the-land movement survives and thrives in the wines, whose grapes come from vineyards cofounder Phil Coturri manages. Dubbed the "Wizard of Green” by Wine Spectator magazine, Coturri is an expert at organic and biodynamic viticulture. Grenache is a particular jam, but he coaxes the best out of whatever fruit he tends. Hosts pouring rosé, a Rhône white blend, Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, or other wines are happy to explain Coturri's wine-growing philosophy—but only after you've selected some vinyl (classic jazz or rock) to accompany your session.

One of the only museums in the United States devoted to the Asian Pacific American experience provides a sophisticated and often somber look at how immigrants and their descendants have transformed (and been transformed by) American culture. The evolution of the museum has been driven by community participation—the museum's library has an oral history lab, and many of the rotating exhibits are focused on stories from longtime residents. Museum admission includes a guided tour through the East Kong Yick building, where scores of immigrant workers from China, Japan, and the Philippines first found refuge in Seattle (check the schedule, as this is the only way to see this section). The museum also offers weekly guided food tours of the neighborhood along rotating themes.

With white sand and dunes, Wingaersheek Beach is a well-protected cove with both a beach side and a boat side. The white Annisquam lighthouse is in the bay. The beach is known for its miles of white sand and calm waters. Make a required parking reservation online after Memorial Day through Labor Day. The parking lot is accessible and beach wheelchairs are available on request. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The great American landscape painter created many of his best-known works in this seaside home from 1883 until his death in 1910. It's easy to see how this rocky, jagged peninsula might have been inspiring. Access to the historic property, which is on a gated residents-only road, is only allowed via a guided 2½-hour tour with the Portland Museum of Art. Tours depart from the museum’s downtown Portland campus at 7 Congress Square.

Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969) housed his nearly 90,000 objects of American decorative art in this 1,000-acre country estate with a sprawling mansion; his collection, displayed in 175 rooms, is recognized as one of the nation's finest. Its objects, created or used in America between 1640 and 1860, include Chippendale furniture, silver tankards by Paul Revere, and Chinese porcelain made for George Washington. General admission includes a self-guided introductory tour and access to special exhibitions, the garden tram, and grounds. Themed guided tours (reserve in advance; extra fee) allow a deeper look at the ceramics, textiles, furniture, and more. Children are welcome on introductory tours but must be eight years old for themed tours. Surrounding the museum are landscaped lawns and 60 acres of famous naturalistic gardens, including spectacular azaleas in spring, which you visit on a narrated tram ride (weather permitting) or on your own. There are also 25 miles of walking trails. The Enchanted Woods is a fantasy-theme 3-acre children's garden with an 8-foot-wide bird's nest, a faerie cottage with a thatch roof, and a troll bridge. A gift shop and cafeteria are on the grounds.  Allow four hours minimum to explore the museum, gardens, and grounds.

Another of Prosser's crop of younger wineries that have developed a big reputation, Wit Cellars offers tastings in a dapper space in Vintners Village. In addition to producing an eclectic array of superb wines, from a old-world-style Cabernet Franc to a late-harvest Riesling and a port-style Petit Verdot dessert wines, the winery stands out for its exceptionally welcoming staff.

A treasure trove of Texas and regional history, art, heritage, natural history, and science, the Witte is one of the city's best museums. As you enter, walk through the H-E-B Lantern, where a replica of a giant Quetzalcoatlus overhead ushers visitors into the beginning of their journey into Texas Deep Time. The Kittie West Nelson Ferguson People of the Pecos Gallery spans the entire second floor and focuses on the prehistoric hunter-gatherers of Texas. Other demonstrations include encounters with native Texas animals that make the Witte their home and exhibits on how the People of the Pecos created rock art that has survived thousands of years. The Bolner Family Museum Store has exclusive items inspired by the museum's collections and exhibitions.

The park's best picnic venue is on Wizard Island; pack a lunch and book yourself on one of the early-morning boat tour departures, reserving space on an afternoon return. There are no formal picnic areas and just pit toilets, but you'll discover plenty of sunny and shaded spots where you can enjoy a quiet meal and appreciate the astounding scene that surrounds you.

The volcanic eruption that led to the creation of Crater Lake resulted in the formation of this magical island a ¼-mile off the lake's western shore. The views at its summit—reached on a somewhat challenging 2-mile hike—are stupendous.

Getting to the island requires a strenuous 1-mile hike down (and later back up) the steep Cleetwood Cove Trail to the cove's dock. There, board either the shuttle boat to Wizard Island or a Crater Lake narrated tour boat that includes a stop on the island. If you opt for the latter, you can explore Wizard Island a bit and reboard a later boat to resume the lake tour.

The hike to Wizard Summit, 763 feet above the lake's surface, begins at the island's boat dock and steeply ascends over rock-strewn terrain; a path at the top circles the 90-foot-deep crater's rim. More moderate is the 1¾-mile hike on a rocky trail along the shore of Wizard Island, so called because William Steel, an early Crater Lake booster, thought its shape resembled a wizard's hat.

Interactive, immersive, and impactful, this "museum" features a variety of contemporary and experiential art installations grouped under one roof. The highlight is Yayoi Kusama's mirrored Infinity Room, while other exhibits react and play with you thanks to generative light floors, monochromatic lights, and audio tracks on old-fashioned telephones. Visitors can buy beer, seltzer, or soda to take around the museum, and you can also peruse the small gift shop after.

A major venue in the greater D.C. area, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts hosts a wide variety of performances throughout the year in a beautiful outdoor setting. In warmer months popular and classical music, opera, dance, and comedy performances are given in a partially covered pavilion, the Filene Center, and in the Barns at Wolf Trap—two 18th-century barns transported from upstate New York—the rest of the year. Many food concessions are available; picnicking is permitted on the lawn, but not in the fixed seating under the pavilion.

Children's programs are emphasized at the outdoor Theatre in the Woods, including mime, puppetry, animal shows, music, drama, and storytelling. (No food or drink other than water is allowed in the theater.) At any event, allow extra time for parking, and expect a traffic jam after the performance. The 100-plus acres of hills, meadows, and forests here are closed to general use from 90 minutes before to one hour after performances. Parking is free, and on performance nights Metrorail operates a $5 round-trip shuttle bus between the West Falls Church Metrorail station and the Filene Center. The fare is exact change only, and the bus leaves 20 minutes after the show, or no later than 11 pm—but it's almost unheard-of for any show to last longer than that.

All other Mt. Rainier hikes pale in comparison to this stunning 93-mile trek, which completely encircles the mountain. The trail passes through all the major life zones of the park, from the old-growth forests of the lowlands to the alpine meadows and goat-haunted glaciers of the highlands—pick up a mountain-goat sighting card from a ranger station or visitor center if you want to help in the park's effort to learn more about these elusive animals. Wonderland is a rugged trail; elevation gains and losses totaling 3,500 feet are common in a day's hike, which averages eight miles. Most hikers start out from Longmire or Sunrise and take 10–14 days to cover the 93-mile route. Snow lingers on the high passes well into June (sometimes July); count on rain any time of the year. Campsites are wilderness areas with pit toilets and water that must be purified before drinking. Only hardy, well-equipped, and experienced wilderness trekkers should attempt this trip, but those who do will be amply rewarded. Wilderness permits are required and the campsite reservations are highly competitive; you can enter an optional lottery for early access to the reservations system. Difficult.

It's not all wine in these parts: this outstanding whiskey maker produces fine spirits from a bourbon recipe that dates back generations. You can tour the beautiful, modern distillery with its towering grain silo and tall windows, sampling the straight bourbon and rye whiskeys that have earned numerous awards. Across the parking lot in the endearingly offbeat Hollywood Tavern, you can sip whiskey cocktails, feast on well-crafted gastropub fare, and—occasionally—listen to live music on the shaded patio.

This campus of four impressive, historic museums consists of the 1675 Damm Garrison House, the 1813 Hale House (home to abolitionist Senator John P. Hale from 1840 to 1873), the 1818 Woodman House, and the 1825 Keefe House, which contains the excellent Thom Hindle Gallery. Exhibits focus on Early American cooking utensils, clothing, furniture, and Native American artifacts, as well as natural history and New Hampshire's involvement in the Civil War.

This impressive facility displays numerous large tanks and many more smaller ones filled with fish and shellfish from the waters of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Rooms are small, but they are crammed with stuff to see. Magnifying glasses and a dissecting scope help you examine marine life. Several hands-on pools hold banded lobsters, crabs, snails, starfish, and other creatures. The stars of the show are two harbor seals, on view in the outdoor pool near the entrance; watch their feedings, most days, at 11 and 4.

Promoting the work of local artists since 1916, this cultural center has several different gallery spaces that host concurrent exhibits. The Main Gallery has monthly group exhibits, while the Phoebe and Belmont Towbin Wing is devoted to art from the permanent collection. There's also a gallery devoted to works by young artists. You can't miss the charming building, with its entrance set off by tall red shutters.

While the venue gets its name from a well-known WXPN-FM program, and WXPN is housed in the same building, World Cafe Live is in fact a separate entity, even though aesthetically it hews to the XPN sound of acoustic, independent, and world-beat contemporary music. There are two live concert spaces, the larger of which, Downstairs Live, can pack in up to 650 concertgoers. There's a menu, but the food is so-so—better to eat a good meal elsewhere and then come for the show. If you can land gratis tickets via online pre-registration, XPN’s “Free at Noon” is a wholly unique concert experience—notable artists break the routine, performing stripped-down lunchtime sets for an intimate crowd. Adele, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, the Pixies, and the Pretenders are just a few of the big names who have graced the daytime stage. The upstairs venue is more of a drop-in place to listen to quality, mostly local bands.

Called "The Avenue" by Palm Beachers, this half-mile-long street is synonymous with exclusive shopping. Nostalgia lovers recall an era when faces or names served as charge cards, purchases were delivered home before customers returned from lunch, and bills were sent directly to private accountants. Times have changed, but a stroll amid the Spanish-accented buildings, many designed by Addison Mizner, offers a tantalizing taste of the island's ongoing commitment to elegant consumerism. Explore the labyrinth of nine pedestrian "vias" off each side that wind past boutiques, tiny plazas, bubbling fountains, and bougainvillea-festooned balconies; this is where the smaller, unique shops are. The Worth Avenue Association holds historic walking tours on Wednesday at 10:30 am during "the season" (December through April). The $25 fee benefits local nonprofit organizations.

One of the most popular photo sites on the Outer Banks is the 60-foot granite airplane's tail that pays tribute to Wilbur and Orville Wright, two bicycle mechanics from Ohio who took to the air here on December 17, 1903. A sculptured replica of their WrightFlyer and stone markers showing the exact points and distances soared help you experience the historic day humans first made powered flight—and the multiyear, trial-and-error process the perseverant brothers endured leading up to it. Informative talks by National Park Service rangers also help bring the event to life. The museum and visitor center uses historical artifacts, reproductions, and displays to dive into the lives, legends, and flight process of the brothers.