Lake Tahoe
Good for hikes in summer and skiing and snowshoeing in winter; there's also a sledding hill.
Must-see attractions in North America
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Outer Banks
In the late 1580s, three decades before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a group of 116 British colonists disappeared without a trace from their…
Banff Town
This 2.3km loop trail begins near the Cave & Basin National Historic Site and meanders through one of Banff’s most important areas of natural marshland…
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Rio Grande Valley
A self-proclaimed birder’s paradise, this 2088-acre refuge is one of the valley’s most beautiful spots. Lakes, wetlands and subtropical thorny forest…
Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park
Vancouver Island
Home to some of BC's eldest residents, the old-growth spruce and cedar trees in this magnificent but remote park frequently exceed 1000 years of age. With…
Moku‘ula Island & Mokuhinia Pond Site
Lahaina
Until the 20th century, one of the most sacred sites in Hawaii was located on what now is a grassy field. Much of this land was wetlands, which included…
Disneyland Resort
Fantasyland is filled with the characters of classic children’s stories. If you only see one attraction here, visit it’s a small world, a boat ride past…
Big Sur
Named after the farmer who first planted artichokes in California, this oft-overlooked park is a trail-laced pastiche of grassy meadows, ocean bluffs and…
Canyon Pintado National Historic District
Northern Colorado
It's well worth adding a few hours to the trip between Grand Junction and Dinosaur National Monument in order to spend a few moments communing with these…
Central Washington
Swimming, boating and fishing entertain summertime visitors to Lake Wenatchee, 23 miles north of the city of Wenatchee (and actually much closer to…
South Bay Beaches
Strolling down Hermosa Beach’s Pier Ave on a summer weekend, you’re immediately struck by two things: everybody’s wearing flip-flops, tiny tees and a tan,…
Chiapa de Corzo Archaeological Site
Chiapas
On a trade route between the Pacific and the Gulf, the sprawling Chiapa de Corzo settlement had close ties to neighboring Maya and Olmec cultures. At its…
King's Chapel & Burying Ground
Boston
Puritan Bostonians were not pleased when the original Anglican church was erected on this site in 1688. The granite chapel standing today – built in 1754 …
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Logan Circle, U Street & Columbia Heights
The largest Catholic house of worship in North America can host 6000 worshippers. It is an enormous, impressive, but somehow unimposing edifice, more…
Tolowa Dunes State Park & Lake Earl Wildlife Area
North Coast & Redwoods
Two miles north of Crescent City, this state park and wildlife area encompasses 10,000 acres of wetlands, dunes, meadows and two lakes, Lake Earl and Lake…
Greater Orlando
San Francisco, themed heavily around the city as the site of the massive 1906 earthquake and the inspiration behind the 1974 film Earthquake, is home to…
Anchorage Region
Near Wasilla, the town of Knik boasts a rich sled-dog history, since it's the home of many Alaskan mushers (and checkpoint 4 on the race route). For more…
Provincetown
Overlooking Race Point Beach, this Cape Cod National Seashore visitor center has displays on dune ecology and a rooftop observation deck with an eye…
Centro Histórico
The Centro Cultural de España always has a variety of cutting-edge art exhibitions going on, such as 'Vibraciones' where visitors 'listened' to music…
Hudson Valley
Rangers lead interesting hour-long tours around Springwood, the home of Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) who won a record four presidential elections and led…
Jardín Botánico El Charco del Ingenio
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel's 88-hectare botanical garden is also a wildlife and bird sanctuary. Pathways head through wetlands and magnificent areas of cacti and native…
Wallowa Mountains
High above Snake River, the Hat Point fire lookout tower (elevation 6982ft) offers great views. On each side of the canyon, mountains soar toward 10,000ft…
Southeastern Connecticut
The gleaming towers of this mammoth resort casino – the largest outside Vegas – rise above the forest canopy of Great Cedar Swamp. Built on the ancestral…
Yellowstone National Park
One of the few places where you can take a legal soak in Yellowstone is Boiling River, halfway between Gardiner and Mammoth. From the parking area by the…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
The state's first capitol building burned down in 1855, and a domed classic Roman edifice was built to replace it. Unfortunately, that building also…
Montréal
This 245-hectare forest reserve holds Montréal’s largest grouping of native Canadian trees – fragrant junipers, cedars and yews – but also exotic species…
El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
LA didn’t spring from the head of Hollywood directors; it was a full-blown community a good century before DW Griffith showed up. A short stroll northwest…
Ohio
The Hocking Hills claim some of the country’s darkest skies, which is why this astronomy park provides an amazing opportunity for earthlings obsessed with…
Washington, DC
Devoted to architecture and urban design, the museum is housed in a magnificent 1887 edifice modeled after the Renaissance-era Palazzo Farnese in Rome…
Montréal
Located about 35km west of the city, Cap-St-Jacques is arguably the most diverse of Montréal’s nature parks, with a huge beach, more than 40km of trails…
Northwest Territories
Spanning a chunk of northern Yukon, part of the Northwest Territories and bordering Alaska, the tundra and craggy British Mountains of 94,500-sq-km…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
A true SF survivor, the Palace opened in 1875 but was gutted during the 1906 earthquake. Opera star Enrico Caruso was jolted from his Palace bed by the…
Montréal
Montréal’s circus mecca resides in the working-class St-Michel district, and is a great place to see a show. This innovative complex (from the French…
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Southern Arizona
Three miles south of Tubac, this pink-and-cream edifice shimmers in the desert like a missionary's dream. In 1691 Father Eusebio Kino and his cohorts…
Old Montréal
Although this neighborhood, perfectly packed into a few easily navigable streets, has no sites per se, it's a nice area for lunch or for shopping for…
Pioneer Valley
For a peek at Amherst's colorful past, make your way to the West Cemetery, between Triangle St and N Pleasant St. Here you'll find the graves of Amherst's…
Padre Island National Seashore
Corpus Christi Area
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie beyond Corpus Christi city limits are protected within the Padre Island National Seashore…
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Sacramento & the Central Valley
This artificial lake was formed by the USA's tallest earth-filled dam, rising 770ft above the Feather River. There are boat-in, floating campsites…
Financial District & Lower Manhattan
The world's tallest building upon completion in 1913 (it was only surpassed in height by the Chrysler Building in 1930), Cass Gilbert’s 60-story, 792ft…
Marfa Mystery Lights Viewing Area
West Texas
Ghost lights, mystery lights…call them what you want, but the Marfa Lights, flickering beneath the Chinati Mountains, have been capturing travelers’…
