Even for those inured to the Elvis myth, a visit to Graceland is by far the best way to begin to understand the exuberant cross-cultural heritage of country, blues, gospel, soul and rock that put Memphis and its favorite son on the world's musical ma..

Overlooking the calm blue waters of Biscayne Bay, this ornate Italian Renaissance-style villa and its formal gardens embody the fantasy winter retreat of their builder, Illinois entrepreneur James Deering. Vizcaya took 1,000 workers more than two yea..

Fun, feisty and infinitely appealing, the market has maintained its earthy egalitarianism while a modern city has grown up around it. An abundance of farm-fresh vegetables, seafood and flowers dazzles the eye and tempts many a traveler to take bags o..

Housed in a glass-fronted pavilion on Independence Mall, the Liberty Bell was crafted in London's Whitechapel Foundry in 1751, but developed a crack soon after its arrival in Philadelphia and had to be recast by local metalsmiths John Pass and John S..

This sun-blasted realm of stone, sand and wide-open spaces stretching along California's eastern border with Nevada has the lowest elevations and highest temperatures in the Western Hemisphere. Far from population centers and major highways, Death Va..

Exotic and endangered animals from around the globe find safe haven in this 1,800-acre park of rolling grasslands in the heart of San Diego County. Created and operated by the San Diego Zoo, it is both a major tourist attraction and conservation cent..

Occupying the lower tip of the peninsula formed by the Ashley and Cooper rivers-named for Anthony Ashley Cooper, one of the English Lords Proprietor-Charleston's historic district encompasses the area specified in the original 17C city plan, called t..

This expansive, mega-entertainment complex on the Cumberland River about 9mi northeast of downtown Nashville encompasses the world's longest-running live radio show, the Grand Ole Opry. After occupying the Ryman auditorium for nearly 30 years, the Op..

Named for the snow that blankets the area during most of the year, these massifs, dominated by Mt. Washington (6,288ft) of the Presidential Range, are characterized by rounded summits and deep, U-shaped notches. Scenic roads, including the magnificen..

Virginia's 18C colonial capital has been painstakingly re-created on this 173-acre town site that includes 88 original shops, houses, and public buildings and hundreds of reconstructed colonial structures on their original sites. The restoration proj..

This sprawling six-building complex, generally referred to by the acronym LACMA, is the nation's largest art museum west of Chicago. Housing a broad collection ranging from Egyptian and pre-Columbian art to contemporary works, LACMA is also the city'..

This extraordinary small museum gained international stature with its three-fold 2001 expansion by Philip Johnson, who also designed the initial International-style building in 1961. The original first floor is devoted to late oilman-publisher Amon G..

A showcase building (1972) and remarkable survey collection have made the Kimbell one of the finest small public art museums in the world. Architect Louis Kahn made innovative use of natural light, enabling curators to subtly rearrange generous space..

The highest volcano and fifth highest peak in the contiguous United States, 14,410ft Mount Rainier dominates the landscape of central Washington. The national park now preserving the volcano encompasses 235,612 acres. A half million years old, the Mo..

This outstanding four-floor museum requires two days to see properly. On the main floor are a planetarium and IMAX theater. The Paleontology Hall exhibits over 450 fossil specimens chronicled by time and location. Adjacent to the Welch Chemistry Hall..

One of the world's foremost collections of 20C art, with an emphasis on Surrealism, is presented here. Established in 1987 for the collection of John and Dominique de Menil, the museum exhibits only a small part of more than 15,000 paintings, sculptu..

Headquarters of the California mission chain during its expansive early years, the Carmel mission resonates with the visionary spirit of its founder, Padre Junípero Serra, whose remains are interred here in the church sanctuary. The stately old chape..

Renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt used 500,000 cubic feet of American, African and Italian marble in the lavish 1892 "cottage" that he designed for millionaire yachtsman William K. Vanderbilt. The classical portico is supported by four..

The Breakers is an opulent 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palace (1895), designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Outfitted with French and Italian stone, marble and bronze, red alabaster and gilded plaster, it was used as a summer retreat for the family ..

Built in 1723, "Old North" earned its place in history during the Revolution. Here, on the evening of April 18, 1775, the sexton displayed two lanterns in the steeple to signal the departure of the British from Boston to Lexington by boat, ..