10457 Best Sights in USA

Other wineries purchase about 90% of the grapes the Balletto family grows on 800-plus acres, with the remainder destined for its own label's wines. The house style—light on the oak, high in acidity, and low in alcohol content—yields food-friendly wines. Sipping Pinot Gris, rosé of Pinot Noir, or a brut rosé sparkler on the outdoor patio can feel transcendent on a warm day, though the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs steal the show. The winery also makes Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Zinfandel.

The town may be three hours from the nearest commercial airport, but Ballroom Marfa is smack-dab in the middle of the world of contemporary art—visual arts, film, music, and performance. As the name implies, the gallery was converted from a 1927 former dance hall, and it has 4,500 square feet of indoor exhibition space and 6,000 square feet of courtyard. The intellectual impact generated from Ballroom events like Marfa Dialogues has garnered interest from institutions in major cities of the world. This is a heady place with a mission to provide a platform for expressions that may not find a home in more traditional gallery or museum settings.

Mission District artists have transformed the walls of their neighborhood with paintings, and Balmy Alley is one of the best-executed examples. Many murals adorn the one-block alley, with newer ones continually filling in the blank spaces. In 1971, artists began teaming with local children to create a space to promote peace in Central America, community spirit, and (later) AIDS awareness; since then dozens of muralists have added their vibrant works. The alley's longtime popularity has grown exponentially thanks to its Instagram appeal. Once you're done at Balmy Alley, head a couple blocks west on 24th Street to another prominent alley of murals on Cypress Street (also between 24th and 25th Streets).   Be alert here: the 25th Street end of the alley adjoins a somewhat dangerous area.

Built in 1875, Baltimore City Hall consists of mansard roofs and a gilt dome over a 110-foot rotunda, all supported by ironwork. Inside you can get tours of the chambers and view exhibits on Baltimore's history. Directly across the street is City Hall Plaza, on what was originally the site of the Holliday Street Theatre. The theater was owned and operated by the Ford brothers; they also operated Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., where President Lincoln was assassinated. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was first publicly sung here.

President Street Station offers a glimpse of the violence and divided loyalties that the war caused in Maryland, a state caught in the middle. Originally the Baltimore terminus of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad, the relocated station, built in 1849, contains exhibits that depict the events that led to mob violence. It began when troops from the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment bound for Washington, D.C., walked from this station to the Camden Station (near Oriole Park). In what would be the first bloodshed of the Civil War, four soldiers and 12 civilians were killed; 36 soldiers and a number of civilians were wounded. The riot lasted for several hours and inspired the secessionist poem "Maryland, My Maryland," today the state song.

Baltimore is proud of its blue-collar roots. The fascinating and kid-friendly Baltimore Museum of Industry is housed in an 1865 oyster cannery and features interactive exhibits covering the city's rich industrial heritage. Tour a circa 1900 belt-driven machine shop, learn how oyster canning revolutionized the food industry, and see a garment loft as it would have looked in early 20th-century Baltimore. The print shop, featuring a working Linotype machine, contains drawers of tiny, touchable letters that were used to create lines of text. The Maryland Milestones gallery highlights world-changing inventions such as the gaslight, the passenger railroad, Noxzema cream, and the umbrella. Just don't call these museum pieces "relics"—on the weekends, volunteers fire up the machines and give live demonstrations. It's a sight to behold and well worth the half-mile walk south of the Inner Harbor along Key Highway.

This often-overlooked museum lets you travel back to an era when streetcars dominated city thoroughfares. A film traces the vehicle's evolution, there are beautifully restored streetcars to explore, and, best of all, you can take unlimited rides.

Stop by the sweeping, all-glass center for information on the city, brochures, tickets, and hotel and restaurant reservations.

In the old city hall building, this museum depicts the area's early history, including Native American artifacts, logging, fishing, cranberry farming, and the disastrous 1936 fire that destroyed the city. The well-stocked gift shop has books, knickknacks, jewelry, myrtlewood, and other little treasures.

Architecture fans should make time for a trip to see one of the city's most striking buildings. Designed by César Pelli, this structure rises 60 stories to a crownlike top. The main attractions are three monumental lobby frescoes by the world-renowned local painter Ben Long—their themes are making/building, chaos/creativity, and planning/knowledge. Also in the tower are the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and the restaurants, shops, and exhibition space of Founders Hall.

Dallas's tallest building, at 920 feet, is visible for miles at night, thanks to the green argon tubing that outlines its 72 stories. Visitors can access Downtown's maze of underground tunnels from the building's basement. The tunnels, a welcome climate-controlled escape, include dozens of restaurants, delis, drugstores, gift shops, and florists.

Bannack was Montana's first territorial capital and the site of the state's first major gold strike, on July 28, 1862, at Grasshopper Creek. Now this frontier boomtown has historic structures lining the main street, and picnic and camping spots. It was here that the notorious renegade Sheriff Henry Plummer and two of his deputies were caught and executed by vigilantes for murder and robbery. A re-creation of the gallows on which Plummer was hanged still stands. Rumors persist that Plummer's stash of stolen gold was hidden somewhere in the mountains near here and never found. Bannack Days, the third weekend in July, celebrates life in Montana's first territorial capital with plenty of exciting reenactments and pioneer-theme events.

Brook Bannister's appreciation for his mother's wine-industry achievements inspired him to, as he puts it, forsake his career as a furniture maker "to keep her dream alive." That dream, which Martha "Marty" Bannister initiated in 1989, was to make layered, graceful, age-worthy wines. Brook continues this tradition with the core lineup of Chardonnay, Riesling, several Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandel, supplemented in recent years by wines from lesser-known grapes like Ribolla Gialla. The gallery-style tasting room, opened more than a century ago as a bank, is an enchanting space to learn more about this multigenerational labor of love.

More than 50 enormous banyan trees with aerial roots dangling from their limbs were planted along the road, mostly during the 1930s but also after World War II, by visiting celebrities. Names such as Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt appear on plaques affixed to the trees. A scenic loop beginning at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo ( 93 Banyan Dr.) makes a nice walk, especially in the evening when thousands of mynah birds roost in the trees.

Offering one of Acadia National Park’s more unique experiences, Bar Island is only accessible by foot during a three-hour window when low tide exposes a ½-mile bar of sand, gravel, and rock connecting Bar Island to downtown Bar Harbor. If you forget to check the tide charts during the busy season, a stream of folks heading down Bridge Street from the West Street Historic District will let you know it's time to head over. But always make sure to check the tide charts before setting out, because once covered by rising tidal waters it’ll be another nine hours before the land bridge is again exposed. The entire Bar Island trail offers an easy 1.9-mile round-trip hike; on the island you can enjoy views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay and check out ruins of old homes. Easy.

The 1,200 vintage and modern motorcycles comprise what is considered the largest motorcycle collection in America, if not the world. Bikes from 20 countries represent 200 different manufacturers. Also find the largest collection of Lotus racecars in the world here. Birmingham, Alabama, native George Barber grew the array after racing and modifying Porsches in the 1960s. He started collecting and restoring classic sports cars in 1989 and then turned his attention to two-wheelers. The Barber Motorsports Park next door features a 2.3-mile road course that hosts an IndyCar series and the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama.

This rust-tinted spaceship of an arena with a lawn for a roof houses the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA's New York Liberty, and hosts events from concerts to family shows to boxing. With a capacity hovering around 17,000, Barclays Center also has plenty of room to offer concessions courtesy of local restaurateurs, including Fuku, Parm, and Federoff's Cheesesteaks.

Pull over for boiled peanuts, a jar of gumbo or strawberry jam, or perfect watermelons at this working farm's roadside stand on St. Helena Island.

For a nice family hike, try the 1.3-mile path from the Sun Point parking area. It leads to a spruce and Douglas fir woods; cross a log bridge over Baring Creek and you arrive at the base of gushing Baring Falls. Easy.

Built around 1900 by ranchers and miners to hold water for cattle and mining operations, the dam now collects rainwater and is a good place to spot wildlife such as the elusive bighorn sheep.

Catch a show at the area's oldest not-for-profit theater, which opened in 1953. Performances ranging from classics to innovative new works are staged Thursday through Saturday evening and on Sunday afternoon. And, once again, productions are being staged at the historic Hanover Tavern.

Owners Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard offer a variety of fine wines, including excellent Merlot and Cabernet. The art gallery adds class to the wine-tasting experience.

Spring Mountain Road winds past oaks and madrones and, in springtime, sprays of wildflowers to this winery's lofty east-facing hillside setting. Most tastings are held outside to take advantage of views across the northern Napa Valley rivaling those from a balloon. Barnett's winemaker, David Tate, makes restrained balanced wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot from the steeply terraced mountain estate and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from prestigious vineyards. Quietly dazzling, the wines will draw your attention from those vistas. Tastings are by appointment.

The panoramic view of Hollywood alone is worth a trip to this hilltop cultural center. On the grounds you’ll find the 1921 Hollyhock House, a masterpiece of modern design by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was commissioned by philanthropist Aline Barnsdall to be the centerpiece of an arts community. While Barnsdall's project didn't turn out the way she planned, the park now hosts the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery, which provides exhibition space for visual and performance artists.

Wright dubbed this style "California Romanza" (romanza is a musical term meaning "to make one's own form"). Stylized depictions of Barnsdall's favorite flower, the hollyhock, appear throughout the house in its cement columns, roof line, and furnishings. The leaded-glass windows are expertly placed to make the most of both the surrounding gardens and the city views. On summer weekends, there are wildly popular wine tastings and outdoor movie screenings. Self-guided tours are available Thursday through Sunday from 11 to 4.

This coaster stars the Great Goofini, stunt master—a perfect fit for Fantasyland's Storybook Circus area. The twisting, turning roller coaster "flight" takes you high above the circus fun. It's perfect for young children's first thrill ride if they are 35 inches or taller. Circus props and theme posters tell Goofini's tale with references to some of the short films of Goofy's heyday. For people with disabilities: You must be able to walk a few steps from your wheelchair to board the ride. Service animals are not permitted.

Curved support beams swoop upward to a central peak at this winery, whose tasting space is as dramatic as the hospitality is down-home. The room sits amid a vineyard containing organically grown Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and several other grapes. The founding family's deep Mendocino roots and early adoption of sustainable practices are among the topics discussed at indoor and outdoor tastings.

Along the south bank of the Santa Fe River, the barrio—its name means "District on the Other Side of the Water"—is one of America's oldest neighborhoods, settled in the early 1600s by the Tlaxcalan Indians (who were forbidden to live with the Spanish near the Plaza) and in the 1690s by soldiers who had helped recapture New Mexico after the Pueblo Revolt. The historic district was named a National Historic Landmark in 1968 and is a great place to experience Santa Fe's unique history of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American cultural influence. Plaques on houses on East De Vargas Street will help you locate some of the important structures. Check the performance schedule at the Santa Fe Playhouse on De Vargas Street, founded by writer Mary Austin and other Santa Feans in 1922.

Grape growing at Bartholomew Estate, surrounded by a 375-acre park with 3 miles of trails (no fee to hike), dates back to an 1840s vineyard a Native American man planted during California's Mexican era. These days, the park's nonprofit foundation makes Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, and other wines mostly from vines it farms organically. Tastings often take place on an oak knoll overlooking some of them, with Sonoma Valley as the bucolic backdrop. You can also purchase a bottle and picnic in a separate grove.  On Fridays and weekends, a talented caterer prepares Mediterranean appetizers (order ahead) that pair well with the wines. 

This rock garden beside the Housatonic River (the Native American name means "river beyond the mountains") is a National Natural Landmark, with 5 miles of hiking trails passing through fields of wildflowers. The 277-acre site has a visitor center and a museum, as well as the state's largest cottonwood trees.