Outdoor sights in USA
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Central Park
Like the city’s subway system, the vast and majestic Central Park, an 843-acre rectangle of open space in the middle of Manhattan, is a great class leveler – which is exactly what it was envisioned to be. Created in the 1860s and ’70s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux on the marshy northern fringe of the city, the immense park was designed as a leisure space for all New Yorkers, regardless of color, class or creed. And it’s an oasis from the insanity: the lush lawns, cool forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies of water and meandering, wooded paths providing the dose of serene nature that New Yorkers crave. Olmsted and Vaux (who also created Prospect Park in Bro…
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High Line
For years now, the big buzz in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen has been all about the coming of the High Line, the first section of which finally and officially opened to the public in the summer of 2009. Now you can stroll, sit and picnic 30ft above the city below on what was, since the 1960s, an abandoned stretch of elevated railroad track. The perks thus far are numerous, and include stunning vistas of the Hudson River, public art installations, fat lounge chairs for soaking up some sun, willowy stretches of native-inspired landscaping (including a mini-forest of trees), a cupcake vendor and a thoroughly unique perspective on the neighborhood streets below – especially at t…
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Golden Gate Park
Kid heaven: buffalo, a carousel, playgrounds, miniature trees and paddle boats.
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Buena Vista Park
True to its name, this park founded in 1867 offers sweeping views of the city beyond century-old cypresses to the bay and even Marin County, depending how far you’re prepared to hike up the steep hill. When SF went up in flames in 1906, this was the safe spot where San Franciscans found refuge, and watched the town smolder; on your way downhill, take Buena Vista Ave West to spot Victorian mansions that date from that era. Technically the park closes at sunset, but the romantic views sometimes inspire after-hours cruising.
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People's Park
Just east of Telegraph Ave, between Haste St and Dwight Way, is the site of People's Park, a marker in local history as a political battleground between residents and city government in the late '60s. The park has since served mostly as an unofficial residence for Berkeley's homeless. A publicly funded restoration spruced it up a bit, and occasional festivals do still happen here, but on the surface it's still just a mangy patch of trampled grass.
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Lombard Street
You’ve seen its eight switchbacks in a thousand photographs. The tourist board has dubbed this ‘the world’s crookedest street, ’ which is factually incorrect. Vermont St in Potrero Hill deserves this street cred, but Lombard is (much) more scenic, with its red-brick pavement and lovingly tended flowerbeds. It wasn’t always so bent; before the automobile it lunged straight down the hill. Don’t try anything funny. The recent clampdown on renegade skaters means that the Lombard St thrills featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game will remain strictly virtual, at least until the cops get slack. Until 2008, every Easter Sunday for seven years adults had arrived at the cres…
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Crissy Field
The Presidio's coastal airstrip has been stripped of asphalt and reinvented as Crissy Field, a haven for coastal birds, kitefliers and urban beachgoers. Take a hike for spectacular views of Golden Gate Bridge: see it from below like Alfred Hitchcock for a thrilling case of Vertigo at Fort Point, or see it au naturel on the Presidio's west side at clothing-optional Baker Beach. When the fog rolls in, the Warming Hut serves Fair Trade coffee and organic pastries within walls insulated with old denim.
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Sea Lions at Pier 39
Beach bums took over San Francisco’s most coveted waterfront real estate in 1990 and have been making a public display of themselves ever since, canoodling, belching, scratching their naked backsides and gleefully shoving one another off the docks. Naturally these unkempt squatters became San Francisco’s favorite mascots, and since California law requires boats to make way for marine mammals, yacht owners have to relinquish valuable slips to accommodate as many as 1300 sea lions who ‘haul out’ onto the docks between January and July, and whenever else they feel like sunbathing.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden
One of Brooklyn’s great attractions, this 52-acre garden – most easily accessed from the entrance next to the Brooklyn Museum – features 10,000 plants. The best area is the Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, where you can see turtles swimming by a Shinto shrine. Other gardens are linked by trails. Try to time a visit with the beginning of May for the massive Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival), when trees turn pink and the festival hosts Japanese events such as taiko drumming and staged tales of samurai lore.
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Governor's Island
For decades, New Yorkers knew Governor’s Island only as an untouchable, mysterious patch of green out in the harbor. As of 2003, ownership of the 172-acre island was transferred from the federal government to both the National Park Service (which owns a 22-acre area) and the Governor’s Island Preservation and Education Corporation, and both were charged with the job and privilege of transforming this well-trod ground into an elaborately designed public parkland. Since then, they’ve done an excellent job, as today’s Governor’s Island draws ferries full of folks throughout the summer who come for the many new draws here. Among the highlights are Picnic Point, an 8-acre patc…
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Will Rogers State Park
Rugged but small, this park sprawls across ranch land once owned by Will Rogers (1875–1935), an Oklahoma-born cowboy turned humorist, radio-show host and movie star. In the late '20s he traded his Beverly Hills manse for a 31-room ranch house and lived here until his tragic 1935 death by plane crash. Following extensive renovations, guided tours allow you to again nose around the Western art and Native American rugs and baskets and marvel at the porch swing right in the living room.
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Mission Dolores Park
The site of quasi-professional Castro tanning contests, free performances by the San Francisco Mime Troupe, a small kids’ playground, free movies on summer nights and a Hunky Jesus Contest every Easter, this sloping park is also beloved for its year-round political protests and other favorite local sports. Flat patches are generally reserved for soccer games, candlelight vigils and ultimate Frisbee, and the tennis courts and basketball hoops are open to all.
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He'eia State Park
He'eia State Park on Kealohi Point, just off Kamehameha Hwy, has a good view of He'eia Fishpond on the right and He'eia-Kea Harbor on the left. The fishpond, an impressive survivor from the days when stone walled ponds of fish raised for royalty were common on Hawaiian shores, remains largely intact despite the invasive mangroves.
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Palisades Park
Perhaps it’s appropriate that Route 66, America’s most romanticized byway, ends at this gorgeous cliffside park perched dramatically on the edge of the continent. Just pretend you don’t see all the beggars. Stretching 1.5 miles north from the pier, this palm-dotted greenway is tops with joggers and people-watchers.
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Font's Point
Font's Point offers a spectacular panorama over the Borrego Valley to the west and the Borrego Badlands to the south. Walking the 4 miles to the point is a good way to really be amazed when the desert seemingly drops from beneath your feet.
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Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is cut in half by 30 miles of freeway and farms. It's at the edges of Tucson but still officially in the city - though you'll never believe it once you're in the middle of this prickly ocean of green cacti.
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Hoyt Arboretum
Prettiest in the fall, Hoyt Arboretum is home to more than 1000 species of native and exotic trees and has 12 miles of walking trails. There's also a popular zoo.
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Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
This 2812-sq-mile preserve, which covers the southern two-thirds of Kodiak Island, all of Ban and Uganik Islands and a small section of Afognak Island, is the chief stronghold of the Alaska brown bear. An estimated 2300 bears reside in the refuge and the surrounding area, which is known worldwide for brown-bear hunting and to a lesser degree for salmon and steelhead fishing.
Birdlife is plentiful: more than 200 species have been recorded, and there are 600 breeding pairs of eagles that nest within the refuge. Flowing out of the steep fjords and deep glacial valleys and into the sea are 117 salmon-bearing streams that account for 65% of the total commercial salmon harvest …
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Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
Though it may appear to be desolate lava rock this national park is worth exploring. It covers 1160 acres of oceanfront and includes fishponds, ancient heiau and house sites, burial caves, petroglyphs, holua, and a restored 1-mile segment of the ancient King's Trail footpath. Visit in the early morning or late afternoon (or when it's overcast), as midday temperatures can be unbearable. Trails cross rough chunks of 'a'a lava, so wear good shoes.
At the park's northern end is Kaloko Fishpond. Further south, 'Aimakapa Fishpond, is the largest on the Kona Coast. Separated from the ocean by a stone wall, fish were raised in these ponds until distributed by the ali'i. Mangrove,…
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Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Assateague Island, a beautiful 37-mile-long island off the eastern shore of Maryland, preserves a rare stretch of undeveloped seashore, one of the most pristine and picture-perfect spots on the mid-Atlantic coast. As an undeveloped barrier island, it provides a sharp contrast to the overdeveloped beach resorts that dominate the coast. Besides its natural appeal, the island is home to a legendary herd of wild ponies, whose dramatic silhouettes race across the dunes. The National Park Service manages most of the protected national seashore; the southern end of the island is Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. A bridge accesses the northern portion of the island, but r…
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Tuolumne Meadows
Beyond Tioga Rd, about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows is the largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra. It provides a dazzling contrast to the valley, with its lush open fields, clear blue lakes, ragged granite peaks and domes, and cooler temperatures. If you come in July or August, you'll find a painter's palette worth of wildflowers decorating the shaggy meadows.
Tuolumne is far less crowded than the valley, though the area around the campground, lodge store and visitors center does gets busy, especially on weekends. Some hiking trails, such as the one to Dog Lake, are also well traveled. Remember that the altitude makes breathing a lot harder than in the …
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Drive for hours across the desert just to see a cave? But it’s not just any cave; it’s a truly astonishing and immense system of caves, one of the world’s greatest. Once visitors get a glimpse, even the most skeptical are impressed. A visit is, without a doubt, a highlight of any Southwestern journey. But wait, there’s more. The cave’s other claim to fame is the 250,000-plus Mexican free-tail bat colony that roosts here from April through to October. Visitors flock here at sunset to watch them fly out to feast on a smorgasbord of bugs. The park covers 73 sq miles and includes almost 100 caves. Visitors can take a 2-mile subterranean walk from the cave mouth to an under…
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Pipiwai Trail
The Pipiwai Trail runs up the 'Ohe'o streambed, rewarding hikers with perfect views of the upper waterfalls. The trail starts on the mauka side of the visitor center and leads up to Makahiku Falls (0.5mi/800m) and Waimoku Falls (2mi/3.2km). Or take a little shortcut by picking up the trail from the pedestrian crossing at the highway. To see both falls takes about two hours return. The upper section is muddy, but boardwalks cover the worst bits.
Along the path, you'll pass large mango trees and patches of guava before coming to an overlook after about 10 minutes. Makahiku Falls, a long bridal-veil waterfall that drops into a deep gorge, is just off to the right. Thick gree…
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Kualoa Regional Park
The 153-acre Kualoa Regional Park on Kualoa Point provides an expansive vista of offshore islands and inland mountains. In ancient times Kualoa was once one of the most sacred places on O'ahu. When a chief stood on Kualoa Point, passing canoes lowered their sails in respect. There are picnic tables, rest rooms, showers and a lifeguard. Camping is allowed from Friday through Sunday. The children of chiefs were brought here to be raised.
It may also have been a place of refuge where kapu (taboo) breakers and fallen warriors could seek reprieve from the law. Because of its rich significance to Hawaiians, Kualoa Regional Park is listed in the National Register of Historic Pla…
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Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
This stunning waterfront complex of 28 buildings, a few gardens and several museums is easily the island’s top attraction. Made from a lovely, 19th-century Greek Revival old sailors’ home, it almost saw the wrecking ball until Jackie Onassis and her big sunglasses intervened in 1976. The complex consists of the main ‘Snug Harbor’ site (now affiliated with the Smithsonian), which fills the Main Hall, the central building as you enter from the road. Here you can see temporary exhibits and the excellent Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, home to changing exhibitions of modern art. Behind the front five buildings, you’ll find several attractive gardens, including the super…
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