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TopClicks
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Travel
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Sights To See
America's Roof - The highest points in the United States are listed here, and guess what--many of these mountains and peaks have webcams on them so you can see the view without ever having to pack your water bottle and trail food.
Angel Island Home Page - What today is a grassy, sunny island in San Francisco Bay was once a U.S. quarantine and detention center, largely for Asian immigrants. The story of their entry and detention in the United States during the 1890s and early part of the twentieth century is not a pretty one. While immigrants could be processed through the East Coast's customs center on Ellis Island in a matter of hours or days, travelers through Angel Island were often detained for weeks or months. More than 70 percent were Chinese. Read about it at this site and its related links.
Castles of the United States - There are lots of castles and castlelike buildings in the United States. King James the Castlefinder and his lady, Princess Patricia, enjoy going to Renaissance festivals, and along the way they like to collect castles. They have quite a list here; is there a castle located near you? Look in the listings for your state. If the castle has a home page, you will find a link to it as well.
Chateau de Versailles - What started out as a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in 1623 has since been rebuilt many times over by various kings. Today the Chateau is both a royal residence and Museum of French History. The structure itself is a grand example of French architecture and landscape art. Within its walls is a diverse collection of French interior design, paintings, and drawings. This site describes the Chateau's history and the contents of the grounds and buildings along with pictures of some of the art and architecture.
Covered Bridges - Why are some bridges covered? To avoid rot, according to Dr. McCain, who also says that the structures were once called "kissing bridges." Take the Northeastern Chester County Driving Tour and read about the renovation of Bartram's Bridge. Stop by the Covered Bridges page today and enjoy your virtual tour of the bridges of various counties in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and New Hampshire.
Elvis Presley's Graceland - Ever heard of Elvisology? Neither had Net-mom until she dropped into this Web site to pay her respects to The King. It includes an official biography, a list of all the recordings and movies, and answers to frequently asked questions about Elvis. There is also lots of trivia, such as this statistic on Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee: "Graceland, Elvis Presley's home and refuge for twenty years, is, today, one of the most visited homes in America, now attracting over 700,000 visitors annually. It is also the most famous home in America after the White House." If only the White House had a jungle room perhaps it would have ranked still higher!
Empire State Building - It's big, it's historic, it's got a big gorilla climbing up it! OK, we were just kidding about that last part--that only happened in the movies. Besides the monkeyshines you remember in King Kong, about 90 other movies have featured the Empire State Building. In case you were wondering, the building is about 1,454 feet (OK, exactly 1,453 feet, 8 9/16 inches), or 443.2 meters, tall, to the top of the lightning rod. There are 1,860 stairs from street level to the 102nd floor. Every year a race is held to see who can climb them the fastest. The course distance is .2 miles. In 1999, the winning time was 10 minutes, 15 seconds.
Eurotunnel Official Web Site - The Eurotunnel (also known as the "Chunnel") goes under the English Channel, between England and France. Actually, there are three tunnels, not just one. Two are for rail travel, while the third is a smaller, service and emergency tunnel. Each is 50 kilometers long (about 30 miles). Cars, trucks, and passengers are loaded onto high-speed trains to make the journey, which takes 35 minutes. This site describes the history of the Eurotunnel as well as its construction--one of the major engineering feats of this century.
Fantastic Journeys: Yellowstone @ Nationalgeographic.com - Hey, what's all that mist up ahead? Wait--it's steam. Hold on, hear that gurgling and rumbling noise? RUN! Oops. This is the Net, isn't it. That's not a real geyser; that's QuickTime virtual reality. That glopping sound you hear is coming from a virtual mudpot. Still, it's pretty exciting to see and hear the various things that can happen when you mix hot water and minerals together. Don't forget to put on your wet suit and dive down into the depths of the Grand Prismatic Spring to see what's below.
Ghosts in the Castle - Wouldn't it be neat to live in a castle? Here's your chance to explore one built in Britain in the 1300s. We took the tour and met a lot of really neat people who are there to protect us, the castle owners. James, the archer, was one. He claims to be able to shoot a steel-tipped arrow more than 100 yards! With a few carefully placed clicks of your mouse on the mouse wandering around on the screen, you will be transported through this marvelous place. Watch for the ghosts, though. Now we're heading back to see what Peter the Jester has up his sleeve.
Gibraltar Home Page - What a rock! You've seen it in commercials and logos. It's the Rock of Gibraltar at the entranceway to the Mediterranean Sea. Did you know that wild apes roam around on it? They are the only wild primates in Europe, and legend says that something will happen if the apes leave--find out at this site! The history of Gibraltar shows how it has been ruled by many different countries in the past. It has been a British colony since 1704 and has its own internal self-rule.
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District - San Francisco's most beautiful bridge is the Golden Gate. It's not painted gold; it's painted a color called international orange. The name of the bridge comes from the location it spans: the Golden Gate Strait, which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. This site offers history, photos, and answers to trivia questions such as "Has the bridge ever been closed?" The answer is yes: it was closed several times due to 70 mph winds and again a few times for visiting dignitaries.
GORP - National Historic Trails - Ever wondered if you could find any of the old pioneer routes, like the Oregon Trail? You can! To this day, some of the old wagon ruts are still visible, and you can walk in the footsteps of early settlers during the westward expansion of the United States. You'll find maps and detailed descriptions of the Oregon Trail, plus the following: Santa Fe Trail; Trail of Tears; Iditarod National Historic Trail; Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail; Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail; Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail; Nez Perce National Historic Trail; and the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.
Historic Mile - Take a tour of over 50 famous landmarks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You'll visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and see Betsy Ross' House, where some say she sewed the very first American flag. Along the way, stop in at the Pretzel Museum for a quick snack.
Lancaster Priory and Parish Church - Historic Lancaster Priory, UK, - Founded 1094 in a Church existing from 630 AD, with roots in Roman times. The Priory is on a hill, next to Lancaster Castle, in North West England, just south of the Lake District. It is a Church of England Parish Church in daily use. They welcome visitors whether on the Internet, or for real! See also the Royal School of Church Music Northern Cathedral Singers pages on the links page.
Leaning Tower of Pisa - On August 9, 1173, they started building a bell tower in Pisa, Italy. Little did they know that, years later, people would travel from all over the world to wonder at this tower and its famous gravity-defying lean. This Web site is a towering achievement. It offers a real foundation of education and scholarship that you'll enjoy, especially the section on Leaning Tower of Pisa humor. What's new in plans to save the tower? Study the recent news stories, then contact them if you have any tips of your own.
Mount Rushmore - Who are "the four most famous guys in rock"? Well, it's not the Beatles; it's the four American presidents carved into the granite of Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. At this site you can find out why the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are sculpted there, and how the feat was accomplished.
Mount Vernon - The Home of Our First President, George Washington - We know this isn't really in Washington, but it is nearby. And many of Washington's visitors make the short trip to Mount Vernon. Seeing where our first president lived makes him more real to us. Walking up his front steps, lounging on his lawn--these things connect us to a real person instead of a historical figure. Maybe you can't visit Mount Vernon, Virginia, in person, but you can stop in via the Net. At Mount Vernon, you can take a tour, read some astounding facts, and even work out a Washington word search puzzle. You can also learn about archaeology at Mount Vernon and explore related links. The Mount Vernon virtual tour includes the East Front, the large dining room, study, master bedroom, gardens, the Washingtons' tomb, and a slave memorial. Washington was the only one of the Founding Fathers to free his slaves; in his will he gave them their freedom upon his death.
Official Site of the Eiffel Tower - Symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower was finished on March 31, 1889. How tall is it? Well, in 1889 it was 1,024.5 feet (312.27 meters) high, including the flagpole. But in 1994 it grew an antenna and got taller: now it's 1,045.6 feet (318.7 meters) high. Visit this site to learn all about the history of the tower and activities and things you can see at each level. Don't like the color of this famous landmark? Choose to Play with the Tower (in the Summary section) and try various fashion statements of your own. We like the giraffe look or perhaps the cloud camouflage.
Old Sturbridge Village - Do you think it would be fun to live in the past? Why not visit the nineteenth century and see how you like it? You can experience the sights and sounds of this re-created New England village by taking a virtual visit. Let's visit the blacksmith shop--can you hear the clang of the hammer on the anvil? Listen for the team of horses pulling a sleigh. Why not stroll over to the confectionery shop for some horehound drops or rock candy? Got a question? Ask Jack in the Kids Club, where you'll also find puzzles. If you visit the real Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, you'll find a fascinating living history museum, where all the kids and other villagers dress, talk, and act like they are living in 1830.
ParkNet: Gateway to the National Park Service - The U.S. National Park Service administers everything from Abraham Lincoln's birthplace national historic site (Kentucky) to Zion National Park (Utah). Between those two sites in the alphabet are hundreds of other monuments, parks, battlefields, trails, seashores, and other places of special importance to Americans. Search the Visit Your Parks area by name, location, or theme.
Places of Peace and Power - Anthropologist and photographer Martin Gray has visited over 1,000 places of religious and spiritual pilgrimage. This resource offers many of his photos and writings about the sites, as well as a calendar listing of Gray's upcoming slide shows and appearances. See and read about Stonehenge, Mount Olympus, the Golden Temple, places in Jerusalem, and many more. Be sure to read what you'll have to go through if you want to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland!
Roadside America - Your ticket to all of the wonderful and wacky attractions that await you once you leave the interstate and venture onto America’s highways. This site (based on the popular book of the same name) has updated info on all those roadside curiosities that have your kids yelling: "Let’s stop there!"
Sistine Chapel Extended Tour - The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy, is considered to be one of the most incredible works of art in human history. It was painted by Michelangelo in the 1500s. It took him many years to paint it. Take the tour and download the lovely images.
Statue of Liberty - This is part of the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. It was written by Emma Lazarus, and you can learn more about the statue's history at the official National Park Service site.
Tower of London - The Traitor's Gate. The Bloody Tower. The Ceremony of the Keys. The Crown Jewels. What an incredible history this building has. The Tower of London has been a treasury, a prison, and a government building for a thousand years. It is said that if the ravens that inhabit the Tower green ever leave, the Commonwealth of Great Britain will fall. You can take a tour of the Tower and its grounds right here. But don't scare the ravens!
USDA Forest Service Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness Resources - America's national forests belong to you, but when was the last time you visited one? To find out where they are and how to visit them, check the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service guide, which lists every national forest, grassland, and park in the country. Click on any one of them to learn all about the area, including what kind of wildlife you can see and what there is to do, whether it's fishing, skiing, biking, kayaking, or camping. Once you've decided where you'd like to go, reserve your spot by downloading a reservation application.
Washington National Cathedral - On the highest point in Washington, D.C., is a beautiful interfaith cathedral. It is decorated with 107 carved stone gargoyles and untold numbers of grotesques. A grotesque is like a gargoyle, except it has no pipe inside and the water runs over the outside of the carving. The cathedral also has wonderful stained glass windows inside. The western rose window contains over 10,500 pieces of glass! Along the inside aisle is another window commemorating the flight of Apollo 11. It holds a real piece of moon rock. In addition to many U.S. presidents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Indira Gandhi have spoken from the pulpit. Helen Keller is among the famous Americans buried beneath the cathedral.
Welcome to the White House - Besides a tour of the White House, you can learn a lot about President George W. Bush and the First Family. This is also a gateway to information about the executive branch of the U.S. government, its cabinet offices, and independent agencies. Don't miss the White House for Kids tour.
Westminster Abbey - This London landmark has been the site of every British coronation since 1066. Many kings and queens are entombed at the Abbey, notably Elizabeth I. You'll also find Chaucer's grave in the Poets' Corner, along with those of other famous English authors, including Lewis Carroll. The Abbey has been the scene of numerous royal ceremonies, including royal weddings and other occasions. The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, was held at Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997. Admire the inspiring Gothic architecture as you wander around with the other tourists at this site.
World's Largest Roadside Attractions - Want to plan a summer vacation trip that will allow you to visit the World's Largest Clam, the World's Largest Ukrainian Easter Egg, and the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock? No problem. This Web site has all the details you'll need! (By the way, you'll be visiting Pismo Beach, California, Vegreville, Alberta, and Wilmot, Ohio.)
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