The Smoky Mountains' narrative begins in the prehistoric ages, when two supersized continents collided, forming a range of mountains that is now among the world's oldest. Over a billion years ago, some of the granite here developed at the bottom of an ancient sea and was subsequently elevated when the African tectonic plate banged against the side of North America.

Indigenous peoples have resided in the Smoky Mountains region since prehistoric times, and archeologists have discovered 10,000-year-old hunting projectiles and pottery dating back to 700 BCE. The Cherokee people resided in communities along the river basins when European immigrants came in the 17th century. Until the Trail of Tears pushed them out of the region, the Smokies were at the heart of their huge empire. Lumber firms arrived in the 1900s, nearly destroying the woodlands. Fortunately, a few imaginative people battled for the park's establishment in the 1920s, and it was ultimately completed in 1934.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now America's most visited national park. This is due in part to its proximity to many important cities, including North Carolina's research triangle, Knoxville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and Washington, DC. It's also attributable to the park's early choice to make it eminently drivable, with a combination of roads and hiking paths that appeal to a wide range of nature enthusiasts, from casual history buffs and animal watchers to seasoned backpackers and thru-hikers. The cherry on top is that there are no admission fees or America the Beautiful passes necessary to visit this national park.

Location: 107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Glacier National Park, which rivals any of the United States' most stunning national parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon, is full of craggy peaks sculpted by old glaciers and generated by dramatic geologic thrust faults. Glacier features long ongoing relationships with Indigenous communities, one of the best picturesque parkways in the whole National Parks system, historic "parkitecture" lodges, and 740 miles of hiking trails punctuated by wandering grizzlies and moose.

Many people are astonished to hear that the park has fewer glaciers than other American national parks, such as the North Cascades (with over 300) and Mt Rainier (with over 300). (with 25 on one mountain). The tourists of today may be among the last to view a glacier in the park. According to current estimates, the park might be glacier-free by 2030 if the present warming trends continue.

For an accessible observation point, head to Jackson Glacier Overlook. This popular pull-over, only a short walk from the Gunsight Pass trailhead, provides telescopic views of the park's fifth-largest glacier, which stands near its eponymous 10,052ft mountain, one of the park's highest.

Location: 64 Grinnell Dr, West Glacier, MT 59936

What began in the 19th century with a few paintings brought over from Europe or donated by a few philanthropically inclined robber barons has grown into a gigantic collection of two million works of art spanning 5000 years of history. It's also become one of New York City's most popular neighborhoods. The Met (as it's called) has been immortalized in Leonard Cohen's and Jorge Luis Borges' poetry, has been extensively featured on Gossip Girl and was much missed when it shuttered its doors while the COVID-19 epidemic wreaked havoc on New York City.

The 17 acres of display space at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are filled with treasures that have enthralled visitors since 1870. From ancient Sasanian textiles to Henry VIII's armor, from the world's oldest piano to works by Dutch artists such as Vermeer, from extraordinary quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama to Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's iconic picture Washington Crossing Delaware, there's something for everyone. That's not to mention the always-popular fashion shows, which include everything from embroidered kimonos to modern designers like Marc Jacobs and Comme des Garçons.

Location: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Website: metmuseum.org

Pike Place Market is Seattle in a bottle, a cavalcade of sounds, scents, people, banter, and urban theater scattered generously across a geometrically challenged waterside strip. This fantastic local event, which has been operating since 1907 and is still as busy now as it was on the first day, displays the city for what it truly is: all-encompassing, eclectic, and proudly distinctive.

The market's infrastructure was expanded in 2017, adding vendor space, weather-protected communal spaces, additional parking, and low-income senior housing. If you're coming from downtown, just walk down Pike Street toward the lake; the massive Public Market sign carved against the horizon is impossible to miss. The sign and clock, which were placed in 1927, were among the earliest pieces of outdoor neon on the West Coast.

Stop and view the activity and vibrancy from the top of Pike Street and 1st Avenue. Before entering the market, walk down the cobblestone street, through the continuously gridlocked automobiles (don't even consider driving down to Pike Place), and shake the bronze snout of Rachel the Market Pig, the market's de-facto mascot and governing spirit.

Every year, this life-size piggy bank, carved by Whidbey Island artist Georgia Gerber and named after a real pig, receives around $10,000. The money is put back into market-based social programs. The nearby information booth contains maps of the market as well as general information about Seattle. It also functions as a ticket booth, selling discounted tickets to a variety of acts throughout the city.

Location: 85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101

Central Park is an 843-acre park with undulating meadows, boulder-studded outcroppings, elm-lined paths, manicured European-style gardens, a lake and a reservoir, as well as an outdoor theater, a memorial to John Lennon, an ideal waterside café, and a famous Alice in Wonderland statue.

The 15-acre Sheep Meadow, where thousands of people recline and play on hot days, the Central Park Zoo, and the Ramble's forest-like trails, which are popular with birdwatchers, are all highlights. In the summer, there are free outdoor concerts on the Great Lawn, as well as top-notch plays at the open-air Delacorte Theater's annual Shakespeare in the Park presentations. The Shakespeare Garden, on the west side between 79th and 80th Streets, with its rich vegetation and wonderful skyline perspective, is another suggested visit.

During the summer, you can do anything from fishing to camping in Central Park without ever leaving Manhattan, or you may follow in the footsteps of innumerable movie characters and visit the Victorian Bow Bridge, which crosses Central Park Lake and links Cherry Hill and the Ramble. Nearby, the magnificent Bethesda Fountain borders the lake, and the Loeb Boathouse, which rents rowboats and serves lunch, is a popular attraction.

Location: 59 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall, Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Broadway, and Ellis Island are just a few of the must-see sites in New York City. The most renowned crossroads in the United States is Time Square, which is located in Midtown Manhattan at Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Commercial businesses, entertainment venues, hotels, and restaurants call it home. Times Square has also been dubbed "The Crossroads of the World", "The Center of the Universe", and "The Heart of The Great White Way". Every year, almost 50 million people, largely tourists, pass through the crossroads.

When The New York Times relocated its offices to Times Square in 1904, it was renamed Longacre Square. The renowned New Year's Eve event in Times Square, where the "ball is dropped" at midnight, has been staged since 1907. Every December 31, save during World War II, the yearly celebration attracts over a million guests. The area became seedy during the Great Depression but was revitalized in the 1990s. At ABC's Times Square Studios, "Good Morning America" is broadcast live. Times Square is famed for its dazzling advertising displays and neon and LED lights jumbotrons.

Location: 1560 Broadway Ste 1001, New York, NY 10036

One World Observatory, which spans three levels at the summit of the Western Hemisphere's highest structure, provides breathtaking panoramic views of Manhattan's crystal garden of skyscrapers. On a clear day, you'll be able to view all five boroughs and sections of neighboring states, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, which from this vantage point atop the One World Trade Center appear to be little toys.

The breathtaking view of New York is unveiled until when the screens displaying an introduction film fade away, unveiling the view via massive picture windows. From above, you may get a sense of how everything comes together and plan the rest of your New York tour.

The setting has a strong resonance. In the shadow of the modern One World Trade Center, which stands 408 feet (124m) taller than the original towers, the footprints of the old World Trade Center towers can be seen, which are now preserved as the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

Location: 117 West St, New York, NY 10007

Tulum is one of Mexico's most popular archaeological sites, and for good reason: it's breathtaking. The ruins are perched on cliffs overlooking blue waters that stretch as far as the eye can reach. True, the constructions are little in contrast to other Maya metropolises. Tulum, on the other hand, catches your imagination like no other, conjuring images of pre-Columbian traders arriving in boats packed with goods, and the Maya laborers who greeted them, both gazing out at the same breath-taking views.

Tulum was first settled in 564, but it wasn't until 1200–1521 that it became a major port town, commanding marine trade down the Caribbean coast to Belize. The fortified city, with its houses painted in sparkling red, blue, and yellow, and a ceremonial fire blazing atop its seashore watchtower, astounded the Spanish conquistador Juan de Grijalva when he sailed through in 1518.

Tulum is a small archaeological zone surrounded entirely by massive stone walls. The entrance is on the north side of the building. You can see everything in a couple of hours if you start at the coastal structures and go clockwise across the complex, or longer if you remain for a swim. The south wall serves as an egress.

Location: tulumruins.net/tulum-location/

In West Texas, what's the hottest ticket? A ticket to one of McDonald Observatory's thrice-weekly Star Parties in Fort Davis. The Observatory and its telescopes are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the distant Davis Mountains, where the sky is among the darkest in the continental United States. This means that tourists may see stars, planets, constellations, and meteors in their full dazzling brilliance at night, unaffected by artificial light from cities and suburbs. Staff members point out and discuss famous stars and constellations during the two-hour Star Parties. After the discussion, telescopes are available for sky watching.

The Observatory, which houses three of the world's greatest telescopes, is also a popular daytime visit. Several times a week, guided tours of the research telescopes are available. Daytime visitors can safely observe the sun via filtered telescopes at the visitor center during solar observing programs. Visitors who do not want to participate in a tour or discussion can purchase a general entry ticket, which includes a self-guided visit of Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes' summits. The visitor center exhibit gallery and gift store are included in the standard entrance ticket.

Location: 3640 Dark Sky Dr, Fort Davis, TX 79734

The aspirations of some of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century took flight all the way to the moon and back on this 140,000-acre campus...and then were defunded and grounded on Earth. But the spirit of possibility that has always pervaded Kennedy Space Center – and that continues to motivate NASA to seek Mars and beyond – is still strong at this, one of Florida's most popular tourist destinations. Learn about the challenges of astronaut training and, of course, sample astronaut ice cream.

A visit to the Kennedy Space Center is inspiring for anyone who is even remotely interested in space or a die-hard sci-fi aficionado. Start with the Early Space Exploration exhibit, then take the 90-minute bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center (where you'll find the best on-site cafe), and finish with the incredible Atlantis exhibit, where you can walk beneath the heat-scorched fuselage of a shuttle that traveled more than 126,000,000 miles through space on 33 missions.

Location: Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953