Things to Do in North America

No traveler to San Francisco leaves without checking out the stunning views along the Golden Gate Bridge. The iconic, red-orange suspension bridge rises high above the San Francisco Bay and spans 1.7 miles (2.7 km) across, connecting the city’s northernmost point to Marin County. While it’s a major route for Bay Area commuters, the famous landmark attracts visitors from around the world with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the Marin headlands, Alcatraz, and San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Bridge is free to walk and bike across, with a protected, shared walkway for pedestrians and cyclists. Travelers can walk, bike, or bus across the bridge; sail or cruise the waters below it; or fly high above the attraction aboard a seaplane. Visitors can take advantage of photo opportunities on either end of the bridge, enjoy a scenic stroll over the bay, or explore the Welcome Center at the San Francisco terminus to learn about the bridge’s history and shop for souvenirs. It’s possible to combine your visit with sightseeing in the city; admission to Alcatraz; a half-day tour in Sonoma and Napa Valley; or hikes in Marin or on Angel Island. Popular sights in Marin County include seaside Sausalito, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Muir Woods National Monument, home to Northern California redwood trees.

The San Francisco end of the bridge is located in the Presidio and can be reached from all parts of the city by car or public transportation. The bridge forms part of US Route 101 and California State Route 1—take any bridge-bound Golden Gate Transit bus to the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza. By car, take the last San Francisco exit, right before the toll plaza, and park in the southeast parking lot. 

With scenic lookout points on both ends of the Golden Gate, you can pick your backdrop. Capture the bridge in its entirety on a coastal walking tour through San Francisco’s Presidio, where you’ll spot beautiful bridge views from vantage points at Crissy Field, Fort Point, and Baker Beach. To snap a photo from the north end of the bridge, choose a tour that crosses the bridge to the Marin Headlands. While Vista Point is the most popular bridge viewing spot in Marin, it  can get crowded with cars, so take a short hike toward Battery Point and Slacker Hill for sweeping views of the city.

Travel back in time to the Battle of Gettysburg during a visit to the Gettysburg Heritage Center. Interactive exhibits, historic artifacts and technologically advanced displays bring history to life as much for adults as they do for children.

Families will find engaging exhibits and 3-D productions that showcase stories and information about one of the nation’s most famous battles. Travelers will learn what Gettysburg was like before the battle, and how things changed once combat had ended. Tours include an informative movie that examines the three-day battle in-depth.

It’s easy to explore the center solo and visitors who want to commemorate the trip can pick up an informative book, sweatshirt, mug or other Gettysburg-themed item at the lobby gift shop.

The Gone with the Wind Museum in Marietta, Georgia, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the epic novel-turned-movie. Though small, the museum’s rare signature items and memorabilia celebrate the iconic tale and 1939 film. A top piece is the Bengaline silk honeymoon gown worn by Vivien Leigh, who portrayed Scarlett O’Hara in the film. 

Opened in 2003, the Gone with the Wind Museum features an impressive collection of artifacts from Gone with the Wind. Memorabilia from the iconic film lines the halls, and the exhibits transport visitors back to the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. In addition to Leigh’s gown, noteworthy objects include author Margaret Mitchell’s personal copies of the novel, rare publicity pieces, and the personal script of an actress in the film. The gift store sells collector’s items—and, of course, copies of Gone with the Wind.

The museum is located inside of Brumby Hall and Gardens near downtown Marietta, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from downtown Atlanta. Driving is recommended, and there is free on-site parking. If traveling by public transportation from downtown Atlanta, make your way to the Marietta Transfer Center and then take bus 15.

The Gone with the Wind Museum is open from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday. Check the museum calendar for special events and exhibits. Visit early to beat the crowds.

Gone with the Wind Museum visits are self-guided unless scheduled ahead for groups of 15 people or more. For a more comprehensive Gone with the Wind experience, look for tours that bundle admission to the museum with other attractions like the Margaret Mitchell House and the location of the original 1939 movie premiere.

The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas is the star of one of the History Channel’s most popular shows, Pawn Stars. The cast members, and real life owners and operators of the shop, are Rick, the Old Man, Big Hoss and Chumlee, who are known for buying and appraising collectors items, including historic firearms, antique toys, classic cars and much more. A Pawn Stars Tour of Las Vegas is the best way to see the shop and other filming locations from the show. Tour groups can skip the line, get VIP access to the stars, and even see the show getting filmed.

St Augustine has grown up and around the González-Alvarez House, and so the home stands as an architectural time capsule of the city’s evolution. The two-story coquina stone house, built in the years after the English burned the city in 1702, is now a registered National Landmark with elements that typify the city’s varied occupants. Early Spanish colonial elements such as the house’s orientation to take advantage of winds and tabby floors—blend with later changes. A second story was added during the British colonial period, and a framed second floor porch and glass windows were included during the second Spanish period prior to statehood.

Though archaeological evidence suggests the site has been occupied since the 1600s, the current home dates to the early 1700s. Its “oldest house in America” title has been contested and has since reverted to the “oldest surviving Spanish colonial house in Florida.” Regardless, visitors to the Gonzalez-Alvarez House will find plenty of unique historical elements here including some of its resident’s possessions: chipped Romanesque statues, simple wooden furniture, clothing, an ornately carved four-poster bed and a British tea setting. Outside, a replica coquina colonial kitchen features a brick hearth and period cooking implements. The larger Oldest House Museum Complex includes an ornamental garden and two separate museum buildings: the Mauncy Museum detailing the history of the country’s oldest city, and the Page L. Edwards Gallery’s rotating exhibits.

Jutting out from the side of a Jasper National Park cliff, the elevated, glass-bottomed Glacier Skywalk is an exhilarating—if somewhat unnerving—way to experience the epic, untouched landscapes of the Canadian Rockies. From this vantage point, the view of the park’s ice-hatted peaks and glacial valleys is nothing short of spectacular. 

At the Glacier Skywalk, make your way along the 1,312-foot (400-meter) Discovery Trail to the Discovery Vista. Here step out onto a curving, open-air observation platform where only a transparent pane of glass underfoot separates you from the Sunwapta Valley floor—918 feet (280 meters) below. 

You can purchase an admission ticket and make your own way to the nearby Glacier Discovery Center, from where a shuttle bus transports you to the Glacier Skywalk. Alternatively, visit as part of an organized day tour from Jasper, Banff, or Calgary. Day tours typically combine visits to the Glacier Skywalk with the Athabasca Glacier, part of the breathtaking Columbia Icefield. One-way day tours, running from Jasper to Lake Louise (and vice versa), Banff to Jasper (and vice versa), and Jasper to Calgary are also available. 

The Glacier Skywalk experience begins at the nearby Columbia Icefield Discovery Center in Jasper National Park, Alberta. To get there, drive 2.5 hours north from Banff  or 1.5 hours south from Jasper along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). Free Glacier Skywalk–bound shuttle buses depart from the Discovery Center every 15 minutes. There is no parking at the Glacier Skywalk.

The Glacier Skywalk is open from May through mid-October. The best time to come is directly after opening or in late afternoon, around the bulk of the visitors. 

On a clear day, you will be able to see a portion of the Columbia Icefield, one of Canada’s biggest expanses of glacial ice. The North Glacier of Mt. Athabasca is also visible, as is Mt. Kitchener. If you have a sharp eye, you may even be able to spot bighorn sheep and mountain goats roaming below. 

The oldest landmark in Toronto, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is also one of the earliest lighthouses built on the Great Lakes. Though what was once a critical navigational beacon is no longer operational, visitors still enjoy viewing and taking photos of the 1808 lighthouse. The inside only opens for special events.

This Lighthouse, located on Centre Island in the Toronto Islands, can only be reached via ferry. The grey stone building with a bright red door sits in a meadow surrounded by trees. Visitors aren’t generally permitted inside but can view and photograph it from the outside. The lighthouse can also be spotted on a sightseeing cruise of the Toronto Harbour, which offers panoramic views of the Toronto skyline and Toronto Islands. 

The Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is on Centre Island, part of the Toronto Islands. If you want to see it up close, you need to take the ferry from the Mainland Ferry Docks in Toronto to Centre Island. Follow Avenue of the Islands south to Lakeshore Road. It’s about a 1.1-mile (2 kilometer) walk from the ferry station to the lighthouse.

You can only visit Centre Island by ferry in spring, summer, and fall. All facilities at Centre Island are closed from late October until mid-April. In the off-season, ferries only go to Ward’s Island. Fall foliage, beginning in September, makes for dramatic lighthouse photos.

Some people, spurred on by stories and local lore, believe the lighthouse is haunted. The first lighthouse keeper, John Paul Radelmüller, is said to have been murdered by two soldiers from Fort York who were looking for beer. The story goes that Radelmüller was buried in pieces around the lighthouse, and that his ghost still roams the island.

Yosemite National Park’s Glacier Point affords an incomparable bird’s-eye view over Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls, all with very little physical effort involved. The small Geology Hut, to the side of the paved trail leading to the main overlook, shows how the valley has changed over the course of the last 10 million years.

As one of the most spectacular (and easily accessible) scenic overlooks in Yosemite, Glacier Point almost always features on guided tours of the park. Single- and multi-day tours depart from California cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many tours offer visitors the option to hike down 4-Mile Trail from the overlook to Southside Drive—a much easier alternative than the ambitious hike up.

While it’s possible to hike to Glacier Point from the Yosemite Valley floor, it involves a strenuous 3,200-foot (975-meter) ascent. It’s much easier to drive or take a bus from the Yosemite Valley Lodge (formerly the Yosemite Lodge). During winter, a 10.5-mile (17-kilometer) cross-country skiing trail leads to the overlook.

Glacier Point is open throughout the year, though it’s accessible by road or trail only from late May through October or November. During the rest of the year, you have to ski to get there.

Stargazing at Glacier Point

With no city lights within miles, Yosemite National Park enjoys dark skies perfect for astronomical observation. During the summer months (June to August), amateur astronomers gather at the Glacier Point Amphitheater on Saturday nights for star parties. Bring along a star chart and join in the stargazing fun.

If you like your tasting glass to sparkle, save time in your wine country itinerary for a visit to Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. Located in the Carneros region of Sonoma County Wine County, Gloria Ferrer was the first sparkling wine house to plant roots in the area back in the early 1980s. Most of the 335-acre estate is dedicated to Pinot Noir.

Guests have a number of options depending on how much time they have to sip. Daily 40 minute tours present a winery history and an introduction to the traditional méthode champenoise sparkling wine-making process used at the winery. Food and wine pairing tours lasting 90 minutes are also offered by appointment.

The winery’s Vista Terrace comes with photo-worthy wine country views. On a sunny day, it’s the place to sip and stay awhile.

Spanning more than 60 miles (95 kilometers) in and around San Francisco, Golden Gate National Recreation Area is home to beaches, former military posts, hiking trails, and historic landmarks—including the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and architecture lovers will all find something to delight them at the various sites.

 

Part of the National Park Service, GGNRA encompasses most of the Pacific coastline and the San Francisco Bay waterfront in San Francisco and neighboring Marin County. The park is rich with major attractions, including Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods National Monument, the Presidio of San Francisco and Fort Point (at the southern base of the Golden Gate Bridge), Ocean Beach, and Fort Mason. The Presidio, Crissy Field, and Fort Mason offer grassy areas where you can enjoy a scenic picnic. Outdoor activities abound as well: in San Francisco, the best way to experience a swath of the GGNRA is an outdoorsy tour such as biking across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, or taking an urban hike through the Presidio or along the coast to the Cliff House.

 

 

In San Francisco, the MUNI bus system and light rail lines service most of the GGNRA’s top sights. To check out locations in Marin, you’ll want your own car to travel along Highways 1 and 101. Most key sights have free or paid parking lots, which are typically open from sunrise to sunset.

The Golden Gate NRA is open and lovely year-round; sights’ hours vary. For many attractions, especially Alcatraz and Muir Woods—two of the area’s most popular—go in the early morning to beat the crowds. Perhaps surprisingly, in San Francisco July and August can bring fog and cooler temperatures to the coast. The best chance of sunshine and warm, dry weather is in September and October. Winter often offers a mix of rainy and clear days.

 

Despite its name, San Francisco’s biggest urban park is not part of the Golden Gate NRA, but it’s adjacent to Ocean Beach and just a few blocks from the Cliff House and Sutro Baths. Stretching nearly half the width of the city, Golden Gate Park features world-class museums, a Japanese tea garden, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, a golf course, lakes, bike and walking trails, lush lawns for lounging, two windmills, and even a bison paddock.

The historic Government House has played many roles in the state of Florida since being built more than 400 years ago. During the colonial period of the 16th century, it served as the official residence and offices of the Spanish governors of Florida. The mansion was then rebuilt in 1710 after being destroyed by British forces. British governors of East Florida ruled from the structure during the American Revolutionary War, often throwing lavish parties. In 1821, history was made here when the Spanish governor turned over the control of Florida to the United States.

Once a part of the new nation, it served as a U.S. post office, courthouse, and customs building before opening as a museum in 1991. The structure itself holds centuries of history, though its exhibits go into further detail the significance of the house and the area. Many archaeological artifacts, including Spanish gold and Native American canoes, tell the stories of the multiculturalism that influenced Florida and St. Augustine as it is today.

In 1964, the Colorado River’s roaring waters needed to be harnessed, so the towering 710-foot-tall (216 meter) Glen Canyon Dam was built. The resulting 186-mile-long (299 kilometer) Lake Powell, the second largest man-made lake in the US, took 17 years to fill to capacity. Today, the dam provides hydroelectric power to the American West.

 

The Glen Canyon Dam is located within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, where some 3 million tourists visit each year for outdoor fun. Guided tours of the dam give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering marvel, while the Carl Hayden Visitor Center offers interactive exhibits and a relief map of the Glen Canyon region.

 

Combine your visit to the dam with a rafting trip along the Colorado River or a tour of Antelope Canyon.

 

 

Tours of the dam depart from the Carl Hayden Visitor Center off Highway 89 in the town of Page, Arizona. The easiest way to get there is to drive or join a guided tour from Page, Sedona, Flagstaff, or the Grand Canyon.

 

The best time to explore the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and enjoy the waters of Lake Powell is during the fall season, when weather is mild and crowds are thin. Dam tours take place throughout the year and are a good option to escape the heat on a summer afternoon or during the odd monsoon shower.

 

Glen Canyon Dam isn’t the only point of interest within this national park. Visitors can go boating on Lake Powell, learn about Mormon pioneer life at Lees Ferry Historic District, or visit Rainbow Bridge, one of the world’s largest natural bridges. Those craving a wilderness adventure can opt to explore Escalante or the Orange Cliffs.

The 1,000-plus acres (412 hectares) of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park are home to museums, picnic sites, lakes, golf, hiking and biking paths, concerts, and more. From the attraction-laden east end to the wilder west side where bison roam, the park offers plenty of ways to relax, get a culture fix, exercise, or gather with friends.

 

Sitting between the Richmond and Sunset districts, Golden Gate Park stretches about 50 blocks across San Francisco from Ocean Beach on the western edge to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. The de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences are the two main cultural institutions (with entrance fees) and sit conveniently near each other at the Music Concourse. The Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Shakespeare Garden, National AIDS Memorial Grove, and Stow Lake are other popular attractions in this tourist-heavy section of the park. Moving west toward the Pacific Ocean, the park spreads out with more trails (both paved and dirt), a 9-hole golf course, disc golf, meadows that host annual music festivals, windmills, and even a bison paddock. Park Segway tours and bike rentals are the top ways to explore.

 

 

The No. 5 bus on the city’s Muni network stops at entrances to the park on the northern edge, along Fulton Street. Taxis and ride-sharing vehicles are allowed to pull up in front of the de Young and California Academy of Sciences for drop-off only.

 

San Francisco offers mild weather most of the year, so the park is enjoyable nearly every day (just be sure to wear layers). Music lovers may want to visit for the annual Outside Lands Music Festival in August or the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in October. Beware the city’s famous fog, affectionately known as Karl, which rolls in from the ocean in July and August, giving San Francisco its chilly summers.

 

The most unusual thing about this city park is its bison paddock, home to a herd of American bison since the 1890s. Stumbling upon the animals is a delightful surprise for many visitors who make it to the western section of the park. To find the meadow, head along John F. Kennedy Drive just west of Spreckels Lake. Hopefully you’ll catch them near the fence, but know that they’re not always in view.

Goleta is a small coastal town west of Santa Barbara, CA. The town has a mild climate with temperatures typically within 10 degrees of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and warm winds, making this a pleasant place to live or vacation. The town hugs the coast providing plenty of opportunities for enjoying the beach as well as swimming and other water activities. The nearby Santa Ynez Mountains make for a picturesque backdrop. They are also the source of the warm, or sometimes even hot, winds that blow in occasionally. 

Many of Goleta's residents commute into Santa Barbara to work at a variety of companies or at the University of California Santa Barbara. The town is also known for its Monarch Butterflies. In October each year the butterflies return to Goleta from their summer home and congregate in massive colonies in the Eucalyptus trees in the Goleta Butterfly Grove. 

What began as the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory in the 1890s is now a multilevel retail square across the street from San Francisco’s Aquatic Park. The red brick structure is recognizable by its clock tower and large “Ghirardelli” sign, which make excellent photo backdrops for visitors who come to shop, dine, and eat ice cream.  

 

Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, Ghirardelli Square is home to a selection of upscale stores, restaurants, and even a brewery and a wine-tasting room. The staple of the square, however, is the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. 

On sunny days, the plaza bustles with people sprawled around the fountain and on benches, taking in the scene.  Most hop-on hop-off San Francisco tours include a stop at or near Ghirardelli Square; a Segway tour is another popular way to see it.

 

 

Ghirardelli Square is located between Polk, North Point, Beach, and Larkin streets, just a few blocks west of Fisherman’s Wharf. City buses 19, 30, and 47 stop next to the square, while the Powell–Hyde cable car turnaround at Hyde and Beach streets is one block away.

 

The square itself is open every day from late morning to late evening, though the hours of restaurants and shops vary. Festivals and outdoor movie screenings are held throughout the year; particularly popular is the annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, which typically takes place the second weekend of September. If you’re visiting during the holidays, go at night to enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree. 

 

Once you have your chocolate fix, don’t leave the area without popping across the street to explore Aquatic Park on the waterfront of San Francisco Bay. You can admire views of Alcatraz Island, watch bold locals swimming in the water, or visit the art-deco Maritime Museum.

The Gibbes Museum of Art hosts Charleston’s finest collections of art in a fabulous Beaux Arts building in Charleston’s Historic District. With over 10,000 works of fine art, it is here that you can see various glimpses into not just Charleston’s past, but into the Colonial American past as a whole. Featured exhibits include Mary Whyte’s gallery entitled Working South, and Vaughn Sills’ stunning collection of photographs documenting African American folk gardens and their creators.

The Gibbes Art Museum prides itself on its fine art collection and makes an effort to assure that either the paintings displayed or the artists themselves have some connection to Charleston. Laid out chronologically, the Gibbes Museum is two and a half floors of 17th to 21st century artistry culminating in the large stained glass dome, itself worth a few minutes of seated enjoyment.

A tour of the Gibson guitar factory offers a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into making guitars by one of the world’s most recognized instrument brands. Visitors get a glimpse at the production process, from buffing to painting, of the 65 or so guitars completed in the factory each day.

It seems fitting that the home of the blues would also be the home of an American classic guitar, the Gibson. Tour the Beale Street facility to experience a working factory where luthiers (string-instrument builders) craft some of the world’s best guitars. Learn about binding, neck-fitting, painting, and tuning from a guide. 

For a comprehensive look at the Memphis music scene, combine your visit to the Gibson guitar factory with a city sightseeing tour with stops at the blues clubs of Beale Street, the Orpheum Theatre, and the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum. 

If you’re driving to the factory, you’ll find a paid parking lot on MLK Avenue. It’s also possible to take one of the green Memphis Area Transit Authority buses to the Beale Street stop.

The factory offers several tours throughout the day, but it’s a good idea to book ahead of time to get the slot you want. Tours tend to sell out on weekends and holidays, especially during the busy summer months.

Gibson has a history dating back to 1902, when it was founded by Orville Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company invented the archtop guitar and today produces one of the world’s most famous guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. Introduced in 1952, this guitar has been used across music genres, from rock and blues to country and jazz. 

This popular historical attraction located in the heart of the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston is home to four floors of furniture, artifacts and decor that date back to the 1800s. Visitors can explore this popular attraction on guided tours that detail the life and times and the famous Gibson Family. The home is essentially untouched, making it the perfect place to see how early aristocratic Americans lived.

Travelers can venture through the formal dining room and learn about the Italian Renaissance style that’s evident throughout the home. The brownstone and red brick façade was designed by the iconic architect Edward Clarke Cabot and remains one of the city’s most pristine nods to a long gone era of a life gilded in family heirlooms and European style.

When you first enter the dry expanse of Goblin Valley State Park, you’d be forgiven for looking out and thinking there’s really nothing there. Upon closer inspection of the landscape, however, you realize this empty desert void is filled with a curious, geologic beauty that’s equal parts captivating and strange. Here in the middle of the Great Basin Desert—miles from seemingly everywhere—sandstone spires referred to goblins rise silently up from the Earth. Carved by 170 million years of wind and water erosion, this mushroom dotted, light brown landscape is an inland sea of boulders and pinnacles seemingly frozen in time. Discovered only in the 1920s by ranchers looking for cattle, the site is now protected as part of a fascinating Utah State Park. Walk amidst the towering spires and look at the striated lines, where millennia of torment from nature’s fury have formed what we see today. Or, to spend an evening amidst the hoodoos and beneath a banner of stars, reserve a spot at the desert campground where the enveloping silence of the Martian landscape helps you drift off to sleep.