A list of our top 12
hidden gems that we feel are worth a look
if you are anywhere in the area.
You may not know the names of these but you
certainly won't forget them...
On a scorching June Sunday in 1876,
thousands of Indian warriors converged on a grassy
ridge rising above the valley of Montana's Little
Bighorn River. On the ridge five companies of
United States cavalry,including officers and troopers,
fought desperately but hopelessly against many
times their number. When the guns fell silent
and the smoke and dust of battle lifted, no soldier
survived. Little Bighorn Battlefield National
Monument memorializes the epic Battle of the Little
Bighorn fought on June 25-26, 1876.
Few fully know the intense and rugged
beauty of the North Cascades – jagged peaks,
deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and over 700
glaciers. North Cascades National Park Service
Complex contains the heart of this mountainous
region in three park units which are all managed
as one and include North Cascades National Park,
Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation
Areas.
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan
Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the
Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this
basin is one of the world's great natural wonders
- the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here,
great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed
275 square miles of desert and have created the
world's largest gypsum dune field.
#4)
Lincoln's New Salem
Reconstructed village
where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic
Site, about 2 miles South of Petersburg and about
20 miles Northwest of Springfield, is a reconstruction
of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his
early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent in
New Salem formed a turning point in his career.
Although he never owned a home here, Lincoln was
engaged in a variety of activities while he was
at New Salem. He clerked in a store, split rails,
enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster
and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was
elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834
and 1836 after an unsuccessful try in 1832.
#5)
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is about
10 miles east of New London in southeastern Connecticut.
Mystic Seaport is the largest and
most comprehensive maritime museum in North America.
Here you can sail or row exact replicas of our
traditional wooden boats, cruise in our antique
steamboat, participate in formal classes, ride
a horse-drawn carriage, star gaze in our planetarium,
or spend the day climbing aboard ships or just
meandering along beautiful riverfront gardens.
Step out of your world and into
ours. Explore early New England in the company
of farmers, craftsmen, and fascinating characters.
Celebrate yesterday's proud traditions on your
remarkable journey into America's past.
#7)
Temecula Valley Wine Country
One hour from Los Angeles,
Orange County, and San Diego. Winetasting tours...
Situated between 1,400 and 1,600
feet above sea level, Temecula Valley's 3,000
acres of vineyards provide ideal conditions for
growing premium wine grapes. A dry, moderately
warm daytime climate, evenings cooled by breezes
from the Pacific Ocean 22 miles to the west, and
well-drained decomposed granite soils combine
to create wines with fresh, distinctive varietal
flavors and superb structure. Twenty award-winning
wineries flourish in Temecula Valley, offering
their delicious, locally made wines at affordable
prices.
Come and wander through the Dinosaur
Age, imagining the Earth when it was inhabited
by the fierce predator Tyrannosaurus rex or the
gazelle-like Dryosaurus. Travel back in time and
see life-size replicas of the creatures that lived
two hundred million years ago. These creatures
are presented in a natural outdoor environment
that includes sound. With just a little imagination
you will believe you have truly traveled back
in time to observe these creatures as they once
existed.
The mission of the Buddy Holly Center
is to be a catalyst for the advancement of music
and the arts. Exhibitions and programs reflect
the diverse cultural characteristics of the region
and encourage interaction between artists and
the community. The Center collects, preserves
and interprets artifacts relevant to Lubbock's
most famous native son, Buddy Holly, as well as
to other performing artists and musicians of West
Texas.
Mammoth Cave National Park was established
to preserve the cave system, including Mammoth
Cave, the scenic river valleys of the Green and
Nolin rivers, and a section of south central Kentucky.
This is the longest recorded cave system in the
world with more than 360 miles explored and mapped.
Hearst Castle is one of the largest
of approximately 5,000 historic house museums
in the U.S., with one of the most sophisticated
guided tour programs in the country. The movie
Citizen Kane was
loosely based on the life of William Randolph
Hearst, one of the richest and most influential
tycoons in American history and the Hearst Castle
is the home he built for himself and his mistress
where he hosted both entertainment and political
royalty of the era.
#12)
Valparaiso Popcorn Festival
Just an hour east of
Chicago in beautiful Valparaiso, Indiana
The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival
has been named the “Best Festival of the
Region” by The Times readers for the past
9 years! It all began in 1979, and the inception
of the idea to bring a festival to the city. Who
better to salute than Valparaiso’s native
Orville Redenbacher and POPCORN! Since that first
festival 26 years ago, Valparaiso has continued
to honor the man who became America’s Popcorn
King. The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival continues
to offer family-fun activities for all ages with
over 500 food and craft booths, kid’s games
and rides, a 5-mile run (popcorn panic) and a
5K walk, live entertainment, and THE NATION’S
ONLY POPCORN PARADE! Scheduled annually on the
Saturday after Labor Day, the Valparaiso Popcorn
Festival is located in beautiful downtown Valparaiso,
Indiana.
