10457 Best Sights in USA

Kids scramble up several steps tucked between faux-rock formations, where a lifeguard sits to supervise their slide into Blustery Bay. The incline is small, but the thrill is great for young kids, who whoosh into the bay (sometimes into the arms of waiting parents). These two scaled-down versions of the Storm Slides are geared to kids shorter than 60 inches.

Kids really burn up energy going up the steps and down the slides repeatedly. Parents should be prepared for their wanting to ride over and over again.

Adjoining the small waterfront community of the same name, this scenic 66-acre park has a campground with cabins in the woods and picnic tables on the low grassy bluff above Padilla Bay, a national estuarine sanctuary. Canoers and kayakers take note: Padilla Bay runs almost dry at low tide, when water is restricted to a few creeklike tidal channels.

This pocket of early-19th-century brick row houses, near Arlington and Piedmont streets, is a fine, mellow neighborhood (Edgar Allan Poe was born here) that's actually Boston's smallest officially recognized neighborhood. Its window boxes and short, narrow streets make the area seem a toylike reproduction of Beacon Hill. Note that, owing to the street pattern, it's difficult to drive to Bay Village, and it's easy to miss on foot.

You can visit this 125-acre park over and over again and have a different experience each time. After enjoying refined gardens with statues and century-old trees, you may find yourself lost in a ramble of free-growing woods or the maintained trails of the Connetquot River. Keep walking north, and you'll come across a working farm. The arboretum, 8 miles east of Bay Shore, also boasts one of the largest collections of conifers on Long Island. The grand 1886 shingle-style mansion overlooks a great lawn that sweeps down to the river. The first floor of the house, including a charming café that offers high tea, is open to the public.

Baylor University. The oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Texas, Baylor University is also the oldest Baptist university in the world. The 450-acre, tree-covered campus features the Bear Habitat, where Baylor's two live North American black bear mascots live; the Martin Museum of Art, which rotates exhibits throughout the year; and a new memorial to the Immortal 10, a group of Baylor students who died when their bus collided with a train in Round Rock while en route to a basketball game in Austin in 1927.

This estate houses the MFAH's decorative arts collections and lets you step back in time to witness the elegant lifestyle of the first half of the 20th century. Noted Houston philanthropist and collector Ima Hogg donated the 28-room mansion, complete with period pieces dating back to the 1600s, to the Museum of Fine Arts. Be sure to take the time to wander through the beautifully manicured gardens—you'll feel as if you're strolling the grounds of a French château. The woodland trails are especially wonderful, like something out of a fairy tale. Guided and self-guided tours of the mansion must be scheduled in advance (no reservations are necessary in order to tour the gardens).

A bayou is a natural inlet, usually a slow-moving, narrow waterway that emerges from the swamp at one end and joins a larger body of water at the other. This bayou—the only one remaining in New Orleans—borders City Park on the east and extends about 4 miles from Lake Pontchartrain to just past Orleans Avenue. It is named for John the Baptist. June 23 (St. John's Eve, and therefore the day before his feast day) was the most important day in the year for voodoo practitioners, and it was notoriously celebrated on the bayou's banks in the 1800s. The first European settlers in the area, most likely trappers, coexisted with Native Americans here beginning in 1704, and this is the waterway that ships coming from the Gulf of Mexico used to deliver goods into the city center. Today, the bayou is still a popular destination among New Orleanians, whether for tradition's sake—as is the case for the famed Mardi Gras Indians, who gather here for their annual celebrations—for a festival such as the Bayou Boogaloo in May, or simply for a relaxing afternoon of fishing, canoeing, or picnicking along the grassy banks. Scenic biking and walking trails run alongside the waterway all the way to the lake. Follow them and you'll discover a little-known island, a fort in ruins, and the graceful old homes of picturesque Moss Street that morph into the dazzling waterfront mansions of Bancroft Drive.

The story of New Iberia's Spanish colonial roots and the role of Bayou Teche in helping nurture Cajun culture are on display in this small, well-organized museum, housed in a historic building that was once a grocery. Interactive exhibits cover the area's history, its colorful characters, and its culture. The museum's interior layout is based on the snakelike curves of Bayou Teche itself. Visitors can admire a depiction of the French explorer LaSalle, the man who claimed Louisiana for King Louis XIV, by famed muralist Robert Dafford.

In 1973, teenager Mario Bazán traveled north from Oaxaca, Mexico, intending to earn money to start a business back home. Five decades later, he's still in the Napa Valley. After rising through the ranks as a vineyard laborer and foreman, Mario opened his own management company, now overseeing a few hundred acres of vines. He and his wife Gloria, who is from Michoacán, founded Bazán Cellars in 2005. Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, and Pinot Noir set up the stars, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hop aboard the Belle of Cincinnati,Mark Twain, or River Queen for a lunch, dinner, or sightseeing cruise on the Ohio River around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Sightseeing cruises run $15, lunch cruises are $32, and dinner cruises are $45–$50. The regular schedule runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. BB Riverboats occasionally offers out-of-town cruises to places like Louisville or Rising Sun, Indiana.

A favorite of barefoot children, this fountain shoots cool jets of water upward of 50 feet. Built in 1972 between the Fleet Center and Natural History Museum, the fountain offers plenty of room to sit and watch the crowds go by.

Hugging the park's western border, this 1925 Willis Polk–designed structure houses gorgeous Depression-era murals by Lucien Labaudt of familiar San Francisco scenes, while verses by local poets adorn niches here and there. Stop by the ground-floor Golden Gate Park Visitor Center to see the murals and gift shop, then consider indulging in a microbrew upstairs, ideally at sunset. The restaurant here, renovated in 2021 and with a refreshed menu that includes more seafood, is open for lunch and dinner. The ocean views are spectacular.

This upscale stretch along Downtown's waterfront is the epicenter of St. Pete's cultural revival and serves as the city's restaurant row. Tons of pricey shops and alfresco eateries line the east side of this blocks-long promenade, giving it a European feel. Highlights include the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art and Bella Brava. Dazzling waterfront parks, which are often packed during the area's many weekend festivals, flank the drive's west side.

Don't pack the beach umbrella, mats, and cooler for this one—just your snorkel gear, when the seas are calm. This beach—named after neighboring restaurant The Beach House, located along the road to Spouting Horn—is a small slip of sand during low tide and a rocky shoreline when it's high; however, it is conveniently located by the road's edge, and its rocky edge and bottom make it great for snorkeling. (As a rule, sandy-bottom beaches are not great for snorkeling. Rocks provide safe hiding places and grow the food that fish and other marine life like to eat.)

A sidewalk along the coastline on the restaurant side of the beach makes a great vantage point from which to peer into the water and look for honu, the Hawaiian green sea turtles. It's also a very popular gathering spot to watch the sun set. You can park in the tiny public lot across from the beach.  Make reservations for dinner at The Beach House in advance, and time it around sunset. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing.

Works by African American artists from the Savannah area and around the country are on display in this building, which once housed the first school for African American children in Savannah. On permanent exhibit are more than 230 wood carvings by renowned folk artist Ulysses Davis.

This charming museum has exhibitions on the history of the beach communities, the St. Johns River, the fishing and shrimping industry, and the area's early settlers. Its gift shop is a good place to find Florida souvenirs of every variety, from tasteful histories of the area to pure kitsch. The adjacent historical park features a 1911 steam locomotive, railroad foreman's house, and the Mayport Depot. An on-site beaches visitor center is open Thursday through Saturday.

Some New Englanders believe that wealth is a burden to be borne with a minimum of display. Happily, the early residents of Beacon Street were not among them. They erected many fine architectural statements, from the magnificent State House to grand patrician mansions. Here are some of the most important buildings of Charles Bulfinch, the ultimate designer of the Federal style in America. See dozens of bowfront row houses, the Somerset Club, and the William Hickling Prescott mansion.

This well-known beach, also known as Leucadia State Beach, is a popular locals’ hangout. Located down a windy dirt path laden with switchbacks, its entrance is hidden below sea cliffs on a one-way residential street giving the beach an air of exclusivity. With plenty of space to spread out here, you won’t have to infringe on sun-worshipping neighbors. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; surfing; swimming; walking.

This seasonally opened picnic area is located just past the entrance to Sieur de Monts along the one-way section of the Park Loop Road. Trees shade most of its 35 sites. A restroom is available.

Encounter black bear, elk, sheep, and wolves at this drive-through wildlife park just outside Rapid City, which has been entertaining guests for more than 40 years. There's also a walk-through wildlife center with red foxes, porcupines, badgers, bobcats, and lynx. The Babyland area features bear cubs and young otters.

The park's most pleasant picnic area, shaded by live oaks, sits alongside a seasonal creek. It's a convenient spot to picnic before or after a hike to the reservoir via the Moses Spring or Rim trail. The nearby Bear Gulch Day Use Area has bathrooms and drinking water.

This 23-mile round-trip drive offers superlative views of Longs Peak (14,259-foot summit) and the glaciers surrounding Bear Lake, winding past shimmering waterfalls shrouded with rainbows. You can either drive the road yourself (open year-round) or hop on one of the park's free shuttle buses.

The virtually flat nature trail around Bear Lake is an easy, 0.6-mile loop that's wheelchair and stroller accessible. Sharing the route with you will likely be plenty of other hikers as well as songbirds and chipmunks. Easy.

Just west of the town of Olema, this welcoming center is a perfect point of orientation for trails and roads throughout the region's unique and diverse ecosystem. It offers a rich glimpse of local cultural and natural heritage with engaging exhibits about the wildlife, history, and ecology of the Point Reyes National Seashore. The rangers at the barnlike facility share their in-depth knowledge about beaches, whale-watching, hiking trails, and camping. Restrooms are available, as well as trailhead parking and a picnic area.

Drive through 3 miles of ponderosa pine forest in this wildlife park to observe black bears up close in their natural environment, all from the comfort of your car. You can also walk through a zoo setting to see animals including otters, beavers, reindeer, porcupines, wolves, and bobcats, more than half of which were rescued. It's a good stop for families who need a detour on the way to the Grand Canyon's South Rim, one hour away.