Papahanaumokuakea, Hawaii, USA

PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA, HAWAII, USA

The euphoniously named Papahanaumokuakea is a Marine National Monument in the NW Hawaiian islands considered sacred by Native Hawaiians, who believe all life springs from there, and that spirits return there after death. It consists of 583,000 square miles of ocean, surrounding 10 islands and atolls. It is one of the world's largest protected areas, with numerous species.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Independence Hall, USA

INDEPENDENCE HALL, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

This iconic Philadelphia edifice is where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted. Built in 1753, it has served the state of Pennsylvania as well as the nation. A forerunner to the League of Nations, itself a forerunner to the U.N., was also founded here. A nearby building houses the famously-cracked Liberty Bell.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Yosemite National Park

YOSEMITE (California, USA)

This U.S. national park in California features granite cliffs, waterfalls, sequoia groves, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. The sculpted domes of the main valley (the most visited part) are the most recognizable scenes. It was first set aside by Lincoln in 1864 and expanded thanks to John Muir in 1890. Roughly 4,000,000 visit its scenic grandeur every year.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Statue of Liberty

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY (New York, New York, USA)

TexProperly "Liberty Enlightening the World" (or casually "The Lady in the Harbor") was a gift from the people of France for America's first centennial. Arriving in pieces starting in 1876, she began welcoming immigrants in 1886. She stands 151 feet high (excluding the pedestal, which Americans paid for; France paid only for the statue herself).t

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Taos Pueblo

TAOS PUEBLO (Taos, New Mexico, USA)

This ancient New Mexican village, split by a small stream, is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US. The multi-storied buildings were probably built between 1000 and 1450; the land taken by the US government in 1908 and returned in 1970 included sacred Taos Mountain and Blue Lake, whence the people believe they originated.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Brooklyn Bridge

THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE (Brooklyn, New York, USA)

A wonder in its day and an icon of NYC today, this 1883 hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge was the longest such bridge in the world at the time; it was also the first structure to span the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Renovated several times since, it now carries only foot and bicycle traffic and passenger vehicles.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Ciudad Colonial

CIUDAD COLONIAL (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

This historic neighborhood in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas. Christopher Columbus's brother Bartholomew founded it; after a 1502 hurricane it moved to the present site with help from Diego, Columbus's eldest son. It was the jump-off point for further conquest of the Americas.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Hoover Dam

HOOVER DAM (between Arizona and Nevada, USA)

Stretching 1,244 feet across the Colorado River from Arizona to Nevada, it stands 726.4 feet high; its Lake Mead impounds up to 3,250,000 cubic yards of water. Once known as Boulder Dam, its name honors the president who got it started. Thousands built it 1931-1936; over 100 died doing so. It provides power for parts of three states; a million tourists visit each year.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Cahokia Mounds

THE CAHOKIA MOUNDS (Illinois, USA)

The site of a pre-Columbian Native American city (c. 1050-1350 CE) in SW Illinois across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. About 80 mounds remain of a once much-larger city; around 1100 CE, it covered about 6 square miles, and may have had a population larger than London's at the time (14,000-18,000 people).

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Grand Canyon

THE GRAND CANYON (Arizona, USA)

Arizona's Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and in places over a mile deep, allowing geologists to "read" nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history. It is considered sacred by native peoples of the area; it has been the favorite of Presidents; and the river may have run there for up to 6 million years.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

Brimstone Hill Fortress

BRIMSTONE HILL FORTRESS (St. Kitts and Nevis)

This well-preserved fortress on a steeply sloping hill on the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts (in the nation of St. Kitts and Nevis) was designed by British military engineers and built by enslaved Africans. Once considered impregnable--"The Gibraltar of the Caribbean"--it is one of the best-preserved historical fortifications in the Americas.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Panama Canal

THE PANAMA CANAL (Panama, Central America)

This "wonder of the modern world" joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, dividing North and South America. Considered one of history's most difficult engineering projects, its system of locks eliminated the need for shipping "around the Horn" of South America. France began the work in 1881; the U.S. finished it in 1914. It is now controlled by the Panamanian government.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Golden Gate Bridge

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE (San Francisco, California, USA)

This 1.7-mile suspension bridge (longest and tallest in the world when opened in 1937) spans the mile-wide strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. One of the "Wonders of the Modern World," it symbolizes both the city and California State, and carries vehicles (on US Highway 101), cyclists, and pedestrians.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Transcontinental Railroad

THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD (Missouri River to San Francisco Bay)

The first railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans was built between 1863 and 1869. From the existing East Coast rail network at the Missouri River, it stretched 1,912 miles (3,077 kilometers) to San Francisco Bay. Construction began at both ends--east and west--and met in Utah at Promontory Summit, where a ceremonial "Golden Spike" was driven.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)

The Empire State Building

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING (New York, New York, USA)

Bearing New York state's nickname, this 1931 Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, at 1,454 feet tall was the world's tallest building for nearly four decades. At this writing it is #49. On a clear day, you can see six states from the observatory: NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA, and DE.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)