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1.Hawaii
Kalalau Valley, on Kauai's west side, is more than 3,000 feet deep and provides stunning panoramic views. Waimea is nicknamed "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific."
Men row their Hawaiian outrigger canoe towards Waikiki beach, with Diamond Head in the background. Outrigger canoes are now used for recreation purposes and to ride the waves, but in times past they were the main means of transportation between the Hawaiian Islands.
The sun sets on Honolulu, Hawaii's largest city.
The long, white beach at Waimanalo Beach Park on Hawaii's Oahu island slopes gently into the water, offering lots of opportunity for water recreation.
A shallow reef off Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, protects this beach from big waves, making it ideal for families with children.
10 Best Beaches in USA
Hawaii Global Tourism
US Tourism Video: Hawaii
What to do in Hawaii
Colorful umbrellas block out the sun for visitors to the beachside Mai Tai Bar at the popular Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
The Ionlani Palace stands among banyan and palm tress behind guilded gates decorated with a royal seal in Honolulu. The Iolani palace is America's only official royal residence.
Waterfalls flow in the gardens of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family.
A U.S. flag flies at half mast aboard the USS Arizona Memorial during the ceremony honoring the 64th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 2005 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marks the resting place of many of the battleship's 1,177 crew members who lost their lives during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 by the Japanese. The memorial is the "ground zero" of World War II.
A school of manini fish swim over the coral reef at Hanauma Bay, near Honolulu.
Hanauma Bay is one of the finest stretches of beach in the world.
Australian Luke Egan competes on Oahu's North Shore, one of the best places in Hawaii to ride the big waves.
The beautiful 83-foot tiered Wailua Falls is an easily accessible, must-see waterfall on the island of Kauai. Wailua Falls was first made famous when it was featured in the television show, "Fantasy Island."
The iconic, towering emerald peaks of the 1,200-foot Iao Needle, stand out in Maui's Iao Valley State Park.
Hula dancers welcome the sailing crew of a Hokule'a, a canoe, into Kailua Bay.
People watch from a viewing area as an explosion takes place on Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Legend says the volcano goddess Pele dug fire pits as she traveled from island to island looking for a home with her brothers and sisters. She finally settled at Kilauea's summit, where she lives at Halemaumau crater.
The Dragon's Teeth are bizarre lava formations eroded by wind and salt spray at Makalua-puna Point.
Astronomy observatories are seen on the peak of the snow-covered, Mauna Kea mountain near Hilo, Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano.
Tourists walk through a cemetery past the grave, left, of Father Damien at Kalawao, Hawaii. After cancer patient Audrey Toguchi prayed to Father Damien, known for helping leprosy patients in Hawaii, to help her, and her cancer went away, Pope Benedict XVI approved the case in July 2008 as Damien's second miracle, opening the way for the 19th century Belgian priest to be declared a saint.
Rainbow eucalyptus (Mindanao Gum) trees grow in Keanae, Maui. Once a year, these magnificent trees shed their bark and take on the colors of the rainbow.
An aerial view of La'aloa Beach Park or Magic Sands beach in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The beach is called Magic Sands because when rough surf hits, all of the sand is emptied off the beach and temporarily moved out to sea.
2.Las Vegas
The Bellagio's fountain show entertains visitors nightly. In the background is Bally's Las Vegas, left, and Paris Las Vegas, which has a 50-story Eiffel Tower replica in front. Over 37.5 million people visit Las Vegas each year.
Located in downtown Las Vegas, this exciting pedestrian promenade is home to approximately 16 million lights, making it one of the largest LED screens in the world.
Casion visitors play slot machines at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Jamie Gold, right, of California and Paul Wasicka of Colorado go head-to-head on the final table of the World Series of Poker no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event at the Rio Hotel & Casino on Aug. 11, 2006, in Las Vegas. Gold outlasted more than 8,700 other poker players to win the top prize of $12 million. Wasicka won just over $6.1 million for finishing second.
Performers ride a Volkswagen Beetle across the stage during a preview of "The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil" at the Mirage Hotel & Casino on June 27, 2006, in Las Vegas.
The New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas recreates the Manhattan skyline, complete with replicas of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge.
Las Vegas Tour
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From left, Elvis Presley impersonator Norm Jones plays guitar as Bruce Barnett of Virginia Beach, Va., escorts his daughter Gayle to her wedding ceremony at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Graceland is the oldest wedding chapel in Las Vegas and offers ceremonies with or without Elvis impersonators.
The $25 million, newly redesigned volcano display in front of the Mirage Hotel & Casino features 150 choreographed FireShooters sending fireballs more than 12 feet in the air and a custom soundtrack created by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain.
Hotels and casinos line the Las Vegas Strip. From thrilling roller coasters to erupting volcanos to art museums, Las Vegas' many attractions appeal to people of all ages and interests.
The Juicy Couture retail store at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is seen before the grand opening February 5, 2009, in Las Vegas.
Visitors take a gondola ride at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
Dina Buell, left, and Carla Giordano, both from California, dance at the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino during Rehab, the resort's weekly pool party, in 2005 in Las Vegas.
Party goers gather for the grand opening of LAX Nightclub Las Vegas in 2007.
The Excalibur Hotel and Casino features a castle motif with newly refurbished hotel rooms.
Visitors are silhouetted against the backdrop of The Bellagio's fountain show on the Las Vegas Strip.
If you build it, will they come? As the largest privately developed project in U.S. history, the new CityCenter complex on the Strip is part destination resort, part urban enclave -- and a major roll of the dice for its owners, MGM Mirage and Dubai World. Its size and style -- four hotels, two residential towers and a 500,000-square-foot "retail district," all designed by world-class architects -- are like nothing else in Vegas and may serve as a sign of the next step in the city's evolution.
What do you get when you combine Elvis Presley with acrobatics, elaborate costuming and state-of-the-art special effects? Why, Sin City's seventh production put on by those fun-loving fabulists at Cirque du Soleil. Viva ELVIS opens on Dec. 18, and will play several nights a week in a specially built theater at the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter. Tickets are $87–$149 for preview performances (through Jan. 28) and $99–$175 thereafter, plus service fees.
Looking for a new perspective on the Strip? If so, then climb aboard the new Cloud Nine Balloon, which offers tethered balloon rides to a height of 500 feet above the ground. Eleven stories high, the balloon carries up to 30 people in a circular gondola and provides a 15-minute panoramic “flight” before being winched back to earth. Daytime rides are $22.50 for adults and $17.50 for children ages 5–12; evening rides are $27.50 and $17.50. Children 4 and younger fly free.
Apparently, CityCenter didn’t use up all the window glass on the planet: just across the Strip, the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open its own skyscraping hotel in early 2010. Managed by Westgate Resorts, the 52-storyPH Towers will feature 1,200 timeshare units along with a health club, meeting facilities and a tropical pool complex with its own sandy beach. As a vacation-ownership resort, it will also offer easy access to the dining, gaming and entertainment facilities at Planet Hollywood.
As seen in this artists rendering, a longtime landmark in downtown Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget is in the middle of a $300 million renovation that promises to add new luster to Glitter Gulch. In November, the hotel opened Rush Tower, a 25-story addition with 500 rooms and suites, several shops and a Chart House restaurant anchored by a 50,000-gallon tropical aquarium. A new pool will connect to The Tank, the hotel’s existing pool complex where a three-story water slide shoots through a 200,000-gallon shark tank. Midwinter rates start at $69.
Hotel32 sits right on the Strip, but you’d never find it unless you knew where to look. That’s because it occupies the 32nd floor of the Monte Carlo resort, a hotel within a hotel for those who want a VIP experience at a reasonable price. Ranging from studios to two-bedroom penthouses, accommodations include roundtrip limousine service to and from McCarran Airport, private check in, butler services and complimentary breakfasts and evening snacks in an exclusive lounge. Special rates start at $170 per night.
Leave it to the folks at the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino to find yet another way for adrenaline junkies to scare themselves silly. Already famous for its sky-high thrill rides, the resort is adding a new one called a Sky Jump that essentially lets guests throw themselves off the 108th floor — fortunately, while being attached to a harness/cable system that stops them before they hit the deck 107 stories below. The ride is modeled after one in Auckland, N.Z., but alas, you’ll have to wait to take the plunge since the Vegas version won’t open until April.
3.Chicago
A view of the Chicago skyline with Lake Michigan in the background from atop the Sears Tower Skydeck observation tower. Completed in 1973, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in the U.S. and a popular location for tourists.
Two lions guard the entrance to The Art Institute of Chicago along Michigan Avenue. The institute was founded in 1879 as both a museum and school.
Austin Hilsmier, then 3, from Chicago, looks back at his mom as he plays in Crown Fountain at Millennium Park.
Visitors to Chicago's Millennium Park pass by the Millennium Monument
Tourists gather under Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" sculpture in Millennium Park.
Chicago City Tour
Chicago DownTown view from sky
A man jogs along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago.
The Chicago Botanic Garden features 23 beautiful gardens and three native habitats set on 385 acres of rolling hills and tranquil lakes. The garden is open year-round.
Visitors check out the three-million gallon Oceanarium exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium. The Oceanarium is the largest indoor marine mammal facility in the world and one of the few aquariums in North America to display Pacific white-sided dolphins and beluga whales. Cutting edge innovations introduced by the Shedd over the years has helped change the experience for visitors at aquariums around the country
Chicago - Best city in the world
The Evanston Historical Society, at the Charles Gates Dawes House in Evanston, Illinois. The chateauesque mansion of former U.S. vice-president Charles Gates Dawes, is three-and-a- half stories, has 25 rooms, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 11 fireplaces. This national historic landmark's exhibits focus on Evanston history.
Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, this renowned educational institution is rich in history and architecture.
Two cyclists pedal along Lake Michigan in Chicago, during the early morning hours. Chicago has earned the reputation as a bike friendly city.
4. Tennessee
The largest showboat in the world, the historic 300-foot-long General Jackson cruises along the Cumberland River.
Concert-goers enjoy an act at the 2006 CMA Music Festival June 8, in Nashville, Tenn.
Buffer Mitch Trentel finishes a guitar at the Gibson custom shop in Nashville. Gibson guitars are touted as the best in the world.
Musician Tim Hadler stands holding his guitar outside Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a country music bar in Nashville, Tenn.
U.S. Tourism Video: Tennessee
The Beauty of East Tennessee
Scenes Around Knoxville, TN
State Capitol & War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. At the memorial, a statue of a lone warrior stands high above the plaza steps. Close by, is a black marble memorial wall with the names of Vietnam veterans from Tennessee.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum illustrates country music's story through a treasure trove of historic video clips, recorded music, exhibits, live performances, public programs, live satellite radio broadcasts, on-site dining and more.
Gaylord Opryland Resort Atrium is noted as America's largest non-casino resort. Spread across nine acres, this wonderland includes a natural indoor atrium with rivers, walking paths, lush landscaping, and waterfalls year-round.
One of America's most famous musical streets, Beale Street is located in the heart of downtown Memphis and is 3 blocks of more than 30 nightclubs, restaurants and retail shops.
Set in the city's historic Overton Park, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is the region's oldest and largest museum. Its collection of paintings, prints and sculptures spans the 13th through 20th centuries and represents cultures from virtually every continent.
Located at the Lorraine Motel, site of the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the National Civil Rights Museum presents interactive audiovisual displays, life-sized replicas and actual artifacts to present an emotionally charged history of the American civil rights movement.
Taken at Sun Studio, this famous photo features some of the greatest performers in Rock'n'Roll history: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Knoxville Jazz Festival
Alex Bugnon - Live - Harlem On My Mind
More famous musicians' photos at Sun Studio.
Restored antique trolley cars ramble along the Main Street Mall and scenic Riverside Drive, connecting downtown area attractions, hotels, restaurants, and shops.
The Pyramid Arena, situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, is one of the most uniquely designed structures on earth and hosts assorted entertainment and sporting events. A tribute to the city's Egyptian namesake in Egypt, this 32-story, 22,500-seat, is the third largest pyramid in the world.
This full-scale replica of the Mississippi River is just one of the many, popular points of interest found at the Mississippi River Park and Museum. The "island" also features an 18-gallery, interactive history museum, amphitheater, gift shops and restaurants.
5.Texas - Dallas, Houston....
Big Tex greets over 3 million visitors to the State Fair of Texas each year. The State Fair is held annually at Fair Park, located near downtown Dallas.
A project is under way to turn the banks of the Trinity River -- here reflecting the Dallas skyline -- into the nation's largest urban park.
An athlete competes in a bull-riding event at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, which runs April through October in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite.
A Tribute to Texas
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Dallas Delivers
The view of Dealy Plaza from the Sixth Floor Museum in the former Texas School Book Depository. The site, from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy, is dedicated to Kennedy's life and legacy.
A center for blues and jazz early in the century, Deep Ellum had become a warehouse district by the 60s and 70s. But the artists returned, and an the area is once again a hotspot for arts and entertainment.
Cowboys move a herd of Texas longhorns along the Trinity River Bottoms. Once a major stop along the Preston Cattle Trail, the Dallas area still has a number of working ranches.
An aerial view of downtown Houston.
The RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival is an annual ballooning event near Johnson Space Center involving a weekend of hot air ballooning, arts and crafts, live entertainment, sky-diving exhibitions and food. Aug. 25-27, 2006.
Houston, TX, US - Part 1
Downtown helicopter Houston
Framed by the native bayou woodlands, the Diana Garden at Bayou Bend provides a magnificent vista from the north terrace of the house.
Hermann Park, presented to the City of Houston by George Hermann in 1914, is Houston's most historically significant public green space. The park rests on 401 acres in the heart of the Museum District.
As the official visitors center for Johnson Space Center, this theme park for space fans features actual spacecraft, flight simulators and a guided tram tour of NASA and Mission Control.
Located north of Houston in Spring, Augusta Pines Golf Club hosted the PGA Champions Tour (formerly the Seniors Tour) in 2004 and 2005.
Founded in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is the largest art museum in the Southwest. The encyclopedic collection of the MFAH numbers more than 51,000 works and embraces the art of antiquity to the present.
Just 50 miles south of Houston, Galveston is Texas' most beautiful, entertaining & historic island. Visitors to this splendid tropical paradise are treated to 32 miles of sun-drenched beaches, direct access to four major cruise lines, miles of historic Victorian architecture, countless exciting attractions, 20 square blocks of shopping on Galveston's Historic Downtown Strand and much more..
Kemah, on Galveston Bay, is a spectacular waterfront destination with themed restaurants, the Boardwalk Inn hotel, amusement rides, dancing fountains, mid-way games and retail shops.
San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution - it is a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
The World Famous San Antonio River Walk offers a variety of attractions and activities including riverboat rides, live music, hotels, museums, art galleries, shopping.
Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin Texas
San Antonio River Walk, Alamo & Tower of the America
Mission San Jose was founded in 1720 by the famed Father Antonio Margil de Jesús, a prominent Franciscan missionary in early Texas. It was built on the banks of the San Antonio river several miles to the south of the earlier mission, San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo). Mission San Jose is an active parish. Visitors are welcome to attend mass on Sundays
The Witte Museum is San Antonio 's premiere museum featuring scientific and historical exhibits for the whole family. The H-E-B Science Treehouse offers four levels of fun and experimentation with Energy, Air Power, Simple Machines, Eco-Science, Weather, and Sound Waves.
Housed in what was the home of the late Marion Koogler McNay, the McNay Art Museum was the first modern art museum in Texas. Founded in 1950, the McNay focuses primarily on 19th- and 20th- century European and American art, and opened to the public four years later. It's collection of prints and drawings is one of the finest in the Southwest.
This Roman Catholic Church, is dedicated to Ste. Thérèse de Lisieux of the Child Jesus, and bears her nickname, 'The Little Flower' of Jesus. It is distinguished as one of only a handful of church buildings in North America (and one of only three in the state of Texas) bearing the papal designation of 'basilica' - a treasury of art, master craftsmanship and relics.
Urban monumental sculptor Sebastian was commissioned by the Association of Mexican Entrepreneurs of San Antonio to create this 50-ton red steel structure. Created in Mexico, it was shipped to San Antonio in six pieces and was presented to the City of San Antonio as a gift from the Association.
6.Alaska
Located in Mendenhall Valley, the Mendenhall Glacier is a massive glacial system that stretches 120 miles. It is approximately 12 miles long, and 1.5 miles in width at the face. It is located 12 miles from downtown Juneau.
A bald eagle dives for dinner in one of the many remote lakes within the Tongass National Forest. With almost 17 million acres, the Tongass is the nation's largest national forest covering most of Southeast Alaska, surrounding the famous Inside Passage.
Experience the panorama of Juneau and the Inside Passage from 1,800 feet above the city on the Mount Roberts Tramway, one of the most visited attractions in Southeast Alaska.
A cruise ship floats on Auke Bay near Juneau, Alaska. The summer sky is still bright at 11:00 p.m.
Princess Cruise Lines goes to Alaska
Scenic Tours Canada & Alaska Tours Part 1 of 3
Scenic Tours Canada & Alaska Tours Part 2 of 3
Scenic Tours Canada & Alaska Tours Part 3 of 3
Take a scenic flight over the 1,500 square mile Juneau Icecap. Flight-seeing tours are the only way to see the glaciers and fields that make up the fifth-largest ice field in the Western Hemisphere.
A humpback whale shows its fluke during a dive while a fishing boat cruises by. Humpbacks may be seen at any time of year in Alaska, but during spring, the animals migrate back to Alaska where food is abundant. Whales seen in Alaska during the summer months are from Hawaii.
Less than 2,000 visitors last year, but almost 500,000 caribou each spring and fall. In other words, the only crowds you’ll experience at Kobuk will likely have antlers and four legs apiece. In fact, this roadless expanse, just north of the Arctic Circle, is so remote that the U.S. Geologic Survey still hasn’t named some of its river drainages. But for those who are prepared for a true wilderness experience, rafting the Kobuk River, hiking the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes or climbing among the Baird and Waring ranges that ring the park can be the adventure of a lifetime.
A winter view of the Anchorage skyline with the Chugach Range in the background. The Chugach Range forms a 300-mile crescent outside the town of Valdez, Alaska, east of Anchorage.
Denali, North America's tallest mountain at 20,320 feet, is visible from Anchorage even though it's 140 miles to the north.
Mel Leskinen, left, talks as Albert Whitehead walks his pet reindeer Star along 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, Feb. 2, 2005. Half of the nation's population thinks most of Alaska is covered in ice and snow year-round. One out of every eight believe that the 49th state is either a separate country, a U.S. territory, a commonwealth or just aren't sure. Thanks to a poll commissioned by Gov. Frank Murkowski, Alaskans know a bit better the misperceptions Americans have of their neighbors to the north.
A windsurfer rides the wind as he jumps across waves in the Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage, Alaska on May 18, 2006.
Mitch Seavey mushes past a patch of open water on the Yukon River after leaving Ruby, Alaska on Friday, March 12, 2010 during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Jeff King works on his team as Lance Mackey walks in from the checkpoint as they prepare to leave Unalakleet, Alaska, on Sunday morning, March 14. King, who had been leading much of the race but was overtaken Saturday, has said this is his last Iditarod.
Colleen Robertia passes snow dogs as she pulls into the Takotna checkpoint on Thursday.
An iceberg from the Portage Glacier is locked in the frozen Portage Lake south of Anchorage, Alaska in this Jan. 6, 2004 photo. The glacier, which is a major Alaska tourist destination near Anchorage's southern edge, has retreated so far it no longer can be seen from a multimillion-dollar visitors center built in 1986.
Tom Melius, with the Fish and Wildlife Service, left, Lisa Pajot, second left, and Gary Bullock, second from right, with the Bird and Treatment and Learning Center, and Pat Lampi, with the Alaska Zoo release a bald eagle in Anchorage Alaska Sept. 25, 2006. The eagle was cared for by the Bird and Treatment and Learning Center after it lost its tail feathers and was released after the feathers grew back.
Two snowmobiles collide, knocking one rider off, as they race around the track during the Fur Rendezvous Sno-X races in Anchorage, Feb. 26, 2005. The 17-day winter festival includes the World Championship Sled Dog races, dog weight pull, snow sculptures and other events to break up the long Alaska winter.
7.Seattle
The Experience Music Project and the Seattle Space Needle share acreage on the Seattle Center Grounds.
Boats move in and out of the Bell Harbor Marina, with the Seattle skyline as a backdrop.
Visitors watch as boats make the transition from the fresh water of Lake Washington and Lake Union to the salt water of Puget Sound through Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, Seattle's Scandinavian neighborhood.
Seattle Travel Guide
Seattle Slideshow
The downtown Seattle Art Museum, designed by architect Robert Venturi, opened to rave reviews in 1991.
Modern apartments and condos sit on the hill above houseboats on Lake Union. The small Houseboat Tour takes passengers on a one-hour trip around the lake showing off the homes.
Seattle's Pike Place Market is world-famous for its fresh seafood and produce, and its lively arts and crafts scene.
With shelves specifically arranged in a non-linear formation, the main lobby of the Seattle Central Library.
A visitor to the new Seattle Central Library views an art installation set into an escalator wall in downtown Seattle.
A stunning arch with usable space connects old and new exhibit areas at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Set in the heart of downtown Seattle, the center is within easy walking distance of more than 6,000 hotel rooms.
Parasailing on Puget Sound, with SAFECO Field (home to the Seattle Mariners) and the Qwest Field (home to the Seattle Seahawks) in the background.
Seattle Center's Monorail was built for the 1962 World's Fair, making the one-mile trip between the fairgrounds (now the Seattle Center campus) and the downtown retail district in less than two minutes. The Experience Music Project museum is in the background
The majestic Mount Rainier watches over pleasure boats on Puget Sound.
8.Portland, Oregon
South Waterfront Park runs 1,000 feet along the bank of the Willamette River and provides direct public access to the river throughout the year.
Alpenglow on snow-covered Mount Hood, the site of North America's longest ski season, which is an average of 345 days per year.
Pink rhododendrons are pictured beside a tranquil water fall. The Oregon's state flower is the Oregon Grape.
TRAVEL PORTLAND
Slice of Life...Portland
Portland Oregon Travel Tips and Sites
Streaking fog blankets an old growth forest in the Columbia River Gorge near Portland, Ore.
Visitors view Multnomah Falls from the Benson Bridge in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Multnomah Falls plummets 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain, and is the second highest year-round waterfall in the U.S.
Visitors watch a sea lion swim in an underwater viewing area in Portland's Oregon Zoo.
An aerial view of downtown Portland, aka the Rose City.
9.Disneyland
Originally covered with orange groves and made up of parcels of land owned by 17 different people, Walt Disney purchased 160 acres in Anaheim to build his dream of a place where parents and children could have fun -- together.
In front of an early rendering by Disney legend Peter Ellenshaw, Walt Disney unveils his plans for Disneyland to a national television audience during the premiere of "Disneyland," the television show, on October 27, 1954.
Circa 1955, Crowds are seen walking around the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, Calif.
Disneyland Progress 1955 - Part 1
Disneyland Progress 1955 - Part 2
Visiting Disneyland (in HD)
Downtown Disney is a promenade that offers shopping, dining and other activities. The avenue shown here leads to both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure.
The original submarines from the Disneyland Submarine Voyage, a popular attraction for many years at the California theme park, have been extensively refitted for the 21st Century adventure of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. The attraction now takes explorers on an undersea voyage where they'll have close encounters with the fish characters from the Disney-Pixar movie, "Finding Nemo."
Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, poses with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto, in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle during a press preview of Euro Disneyland, now called Disneyland Paris, in Marne La Vallee, France. The site opened in 1992.
Larger-than-life replicas of prehistoric sea creatures combine with giant aquariums of exotic fish in the lounge area of "T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, at the Downtown Disney Marketplace in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 600-seat restaurant, operated by Landry's Restaurants, combines table-service dining and retail in an interactive prehistoric environment built around water, fire and ice
Dumbo the Flying Elephant takes riders over Fantasyland, and lever controls let them fly at their desired altitude.
Walt Disney World's It's a Small World ride is a great option for youngsters, and lets visitors sing along with the famous song while visiting countries around the world. Hong Kong Disneyland opened the classic boat ride in 2008 in an attempt to boost sluggish attendance at the theme park.
Villainous pirate Barbossa is hot on the trail of the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow in Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The classic attraction re-opened following an extensive 3-month enhancement and featuring new characters and elements from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.
Fireworks explode over The Sleeping Beauty Castle as part of the "Remember ... Dreams Come True," the biggest fireworks display in Disneyland's history. The display took place during the Disneyland 50th Anniversary Celebration back in 2005.
Ghosts dine inside Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Disney classifies the ride as gentle, but warns younger children could be frightened by its special effects.
Singer Miley Cyrus performs at the "Miley's Sweet 16 Share the Celebration" party at Disneyland in October, 2008.
Fans of the "Indiana Jones" movies can travel back to 1935 and tour the mysterious Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Visitors to Disneyland can walk through Sleeping Beauty Castle and see 3-D scenes from the classic film, originally released in 1959.
Disneyland Halloween Fireworks
