Don’t miss these attractions when traveling to a new destinations. Some of them are hidden gems, some of them are better known, but they all will leave you amazed!
Alabama: Dismals Canyon Conservatory. Night hiking at the conservatory is a rare gem. The canyon lights up with tiny glow worms, called Dismalites. Take a guided tour & let the Dismalites light the way.
Alaska: Go flightseeing. It’s sightseeing, from 40,000 feet. Fly over the mountains and glaciers in Alaska from the warmth of a plane or helicopter.
Arizona: London Bridge. Drive across the original London Bridge. The bridge was opened in 1831 and put up for sale in 1968. Lake Havasu City, became the proud owner of the historical piece.
Arkansas: Garvan Woodland Gardens. The botanical gardens of University of Arkansas are tucked away in the Ouachita Mountains. Travel to see the picture-perfect and serene nature at the gardens.
California: Snorkel with Leopard Sharks. Leopard sharks visit La Jolla, California in August to give birth. Grab your gear and swim with the creatures!
Colorado: Paint Mines Interpretive Park. Thousands of years ago Native Americans came to this park for clay for their pottery. Today, the park still exists, and provides a unique experience for travelers. Colorful sandstone formations fill the park, with colors and shapes rising from the land all around.
Connecticut: Connecticut Wine Trail. The Connecticut Wine Trail encompasses over 25 different winery destinations. Spend a day or two enjoying the farms & fields as well as the historic area around the trail.
Delaware: Sunset Dolphin Paddleboard Excursion on Delaware Bay. Get a paddleboard lesson in the Delaware Bay. Lessons take place at sunset, and the guide will lead you around the bay—you might even see a dolphin or two!
Florida: South Beach Art Deco District. The South Beach Art Deco District features faint, pastel structures with great neon accents. Walk the strip and reminisce of old- school movies like Scarface.
Georgia: Tallulah Gorge. Six waterfalls, and ample hiking space, Tallulah Gorge isn’t a place to pass up. Locals call it Tallulah Gorgeous because of its break-taking natural beauty.
Hawaii: Hana Road. A scenic stretch of highway that runs through forests and along the ocean. The road will lead you to Hana, a town that is said to have maintained the traditional Hawaiian culture.
Idaho: Shoshone Falls. This waterfall, outside of Twin Falls, beats out Niagara by a long shot! A beauty that can’t be passed up.
Illinois: Cahokia Mounds. This United Nations World Heritage site contains the remnants of the largest prehistoric Native American civilization in the United States. You can climb the mound, and learn about what life was like AD 1050-1200.
Indiana: Massachusetts Avenue Food Tour. This food tour guides hungry tourists through the commercial corridor between Lockerbie and Chatham Arch, two of the most historic neighborhoods in the area. The strip of restaurants is a combination of local favorites and new hot spots.
Iowa: Field of Dreams. Remember the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams? You can visit the ball park that was built just for the movie. During the summer, you can even catch a game there!
Kansas: The Big Well. The largest hand-dug well in the US sits below a museum exhibiting the town’s history. Greensburg suffered a tragic tornado in 2007 that destroyed all but a few buildings, and of course the well. Today, visitors can tour the museum and descend into the well.
Kentucky: Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Waverly Hills, in its origin, was a hospital for those suffering from tuberculosis. Many died in the hospital because their “cure” for the disease was fresh air and a positive attitude. Today, Waverly Hills is a haunted attraction that stages horror shows and ghost tours.
Louisiana: The Singing Oak. During the summer, the oak provides much needed shade from Louisiana heat. Wind chimes hang from the tree branches, providing relaxing and harmonious tunes. Visitors walk away a little more relaxed than when they arrived.
Maine: The Beer Trail. Do you love beer? Follow Maine’s beer trail and try beers from over 80 different breweries! Of course, this isn’t going to happen in a day, they allow you to keep track via a passport, and you can be rewarded with prizes.
Maryland: Crystal Grottoes Caverns. The pamphlet on their site says it best: The cavern has more formations per square foot than any cave known to man. At 54 degrees year-round, it’s the most naturally kept cavern in the world.
Massachusetts: Singing Beach at Manchester-By-The-Sea. Yes, you read that right, singing beach. It’s said that the sand “sings” here. While most report that it’s more of a squeaking noise, there’s a melodic thrill to the whole experience.
Michigan: Kitch-iti-kipi. Michigan’s largest freshwater spring fills with 10,000 gallons of water per minute. Beautiful landscaping around the area draws tourists here for a little relaxation.
Minnesota: The Soap Factory. The Soap Factory is an independent art gallery, that inherited its former tenant’s name. Keeping the vintage wooden beams & floorboards, it’s a historic piece of town you won’t want to miss.
Mississippi: Rowan Oak. Author, William Faulkner’s, estate encompasses peace and serenity, surrounded by four acres of beautiful gardens. Today, the house is owned by the University of Mississippi. You can tour the grounds, maintained the same as Faulkner did years ago.
Missouri: World’s Largest Fork. Their signage says it best- Welcome to the world’s largest fork, standing 35 feet, made of polished stainless steel and signifying the home of The Food Channel. Please enjoy it and be safe, but stay on the concrete.
Montana: Ringing Rocks of Montana. You read that right, this area is filled with rocks that make music. Near Butte Montana, a pile of rocks turns into music. Slightly different pitches sound from the thousands of rocks in the formation when hit with a hammer.
Nebraska: Monowi, Nebraska. This town is the most literal sense of “small town America.” Monowi is population ONE. Elsie Eiler serves as the proprietor of the town’s only private business, the Monowi Tavern; the owner of the library and she’s the town’s mayor. In her governmental role, she pays herself taxes and renews a liquor license to herself.
Nevada: Fly Geyser. This alien looking geyser on the edge of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is actually manmade…by accident. It’s a must see!
New Hampshire: Thompson Falls. This 150-foot, seven-tiered, cascading waterfall is one of the hidden gems of the White Mountains.
New Jersey: Luna Parc. Artist, Ricky Boscarino, has transformed this cabin in the woods into a colorful dreamscape influenced by several different mosaic artists. It’s an image right out of Wonderland.
New Mexico: House of Eternal Return. An immersive environment that’s part haunted house, part choose-your-own-adventure, and part jungle gym. Filled with art, bright colors and spectacular views, you won’t want to pass up on this!
New York: 9/11 Memorial. There’s hundreds of sights to see in New York; thousands of restaurants to eat at. Only one of these sights will resonate with you as a memory that lasts a lifetime. Visit the waterfalls on the footprint of the Twin Towers. Take a second to let the world stop around you, and remember where you were on that day.
North Carolina: Whirligig Park. The park is a creation of public art or “whirligigs,” created from individual vision and traditional art form. More than 30 pieces stand in the park for interpretation by the public.
North Dakota: Enchanted Highway Sculptures. A drive down Highway 21, or “Enchanted Highway”, these days is filled with giant metal sculptures made by Gary Greff. The sculptures are all created to represent North Dakota’s cultural and historical roots.
Ohio: Crystal Cave. Crystal Cave is the world’s largest geode. The geode was discovered when a winery operator attempted to dig a well for his winery. Take a winery tour, and get to tour the underground geode.
Oklahoma: The Center of the Universe. Downtown Tulsa harbors the “Center of the Universe.” If you stand in the middle of the circle and make a noise, the sound is echoed back several times louder than it was made.
Oregon: Thor’s Well. The huge hole is only about 20 feet deep, but is one of the most dangerous natural wonders in the world! The site is most memorable at high tide when water just seems to disappear into the well.
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens are a folk-art environment, gallery space and nonprofit organization showcasing hundreds of pieces of mosaic art.
Rhode Island: Neutaconkanut Hill Park. The park is an 88-acre wilderness located in Providence. It overlooks downtown Providence as well as the bay. Walking trails & freshwater springs fill the park and make for quite the peaceful adventure.
South Carolina: The Angel Oak Tree. This tree is said to be one of the oldest living organisms east of the Mississippi River. It stands 65 feet tall, 28 feet wide and the largest branch is 187 feet long. It’s said its almost 500 years old, and has survived every kind of weather.
South Dakota: Firehouse Brewing Co. This is South Dakota’s oldest operating brewery, and it happens to be housed inside a historic firehouse. The Brewery preserved Rapid City’s first fire brigade’s equipment.
Tennessee: Fireflies of the Great Smoky Mountains. You’ve heard of synchronized swimming, but what about synchronized fireflies? The Great Smoky Mountain is inhabited by thousands of fireflies who blink in unison, lighting up the mountains throughout the summer.
Texas: Hamilton Pool. It’s a natural spring formed in the limestone bedrock and fed by an underground river, which also feeds the small tributaries and lush flora surrounding the pool. Waterfalls routinely fall from the lip of the overhang, and splash to the bottom with summer swimmers.
Utah: Homestead Crater. Think giant hot tub. When driving through Midland, Utah, you’ll see a mysterious bulge in the ground; under the bulge you’ll find a giant hot spring filled with clear blue water.
Vermont: Rock of Ages Granite Quarry. Tour the world’s largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry, view the plant where gravestones are made, and roll a ball down the outdoor granite bowling alley.
Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg. This historic area is a picturesque view of Britain’s 18th century capital and includes restored building and costumes. The different perspectives of history, whether it be Native American, black or white, are all brought together for visitors.
Washington: Mystery Soda Machine. An old vending machine serves up beverages for only 75 cents. No one is quite sure who stocks the machine, but everyone is amazed by the “mystery” button. A man spent five dollars in change, pressing only the mystery button, and he received six different brands of soda.
West Virginia: Kenova’s Pumpkin House. Every year, the former mayor of Kenova takes his historic home and turns it into a Halloween sight. He takes three weeks and 3,000 pumpkins and lights up the whole street.
Wisconsin: House on the Rock. A uniquely structured house filled with thousands of collections. The collections include 269 carousel animals, 182 lanterns and 20,000 lights.
Wyoming: Morning Glory Pool. The beautiful blue water was created by thermophilic bacteria, which over the years has caused the edge of the pool to grow and turn yellow and red. Occasionally, the pool erupts in a geyser.
