Things to Do in Usa

This boxy, modern 12-story office building in Midtown was designed in 1963 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche and engineer John Dinkeloo; the duo’s local projects include renovations to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History. Completed in 1968, the Ford Foundation Building is renowned for its tree-filled glass atrium, which sparked a trend of splashy indoor public spaces in Manhattan office buildings.

The Ford Foundation, created in the 1936 by automotive engineers Henry and Edsel Ford, makes considerable grants to interests in education, the arts and Third World development. Their headquarters were designed to illustrate their community involvement, and the L-shaped building, made largely of organic weathering steel, manages to integrate its garden surroundings and employ an open interior plan that encourages both employees and administrators to interact with one another.

Located in Manhattan at 175 Fifth Avenue and Broadway, the Flatiron Building is a groundbreaking skyscraper. Built in 1902, it encompasses 22 stories and 307 feet. While not the tallest skyscaper in New York, it’s dramatic Beaux-Arts facade makes it a popular attraction, especially with photographers. What also makes it unusual is, unlike other early skyscrapers in New York that looked like rising towers, the Flatiron building showcases a concept from the Chicago school that divides the facade into a base, shaft and capital, which makes sense as it was designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. The name of building stems from its resemblance to a cast-iron clothing iron. Interestingly, back then the building’s unique shape was thought to create intense updrafts that would lift women’s skirts passing on 23rd Street. If a man tried to sneak a peak, police should shout “Hey! 23 skidoo!” This is thought to be where the phrase comes from. The Flatiron Building is so iconic, the neighborhood, Flatiron, was named after it, and now attracts design buffs and creative consumers looking to browse its art and design-related shops. Don’t forget to take in the skyline from behind the adjacent Madison Square Park, as it’s one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city.

Fort Adams State Park is one of Newport’s most popular playgrounds. In summer, locals and visitors alike come to swim, fish, sail, play soccer, and picnic on its 105 acres, all against a panoramic backdrop of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. The park is also the site of Fort Adams, a sprawling 1820s fort that you can see on a guided tour, and the Museum of Yachting, which is housed in 19th-century stone barracks.

In August, the park hosts the famous Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival, both of which feature performances from up-and-coming artists to big names. On the southern end of park is Hammersmith Farm, the childhood home of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis; she and President Kennedy also hosted their wedding reception here.

Featuring over 23 miles (37 kilometers) of pristine beach, visitors will have plenty of opportunities to swim and sunbathe. The Fort Lauderdale beachfront offers a wide number of experiences, like wind surfing, jet skiing, boating, snorkeling, deep sea fishing and scuba diving. If you’d rather stay on land, jogging, cycling, rollerblading and beach sports like volleyball and Frisbee are worthwhile beachfront options.

Spend some time in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, known for its scuba diving offerings and pier where you can watch fishermen reeling in fresh catch. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is another top experience when exploring Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront, and can be accessed via the pedestrian tunnel under A1A. This park has a tropical-feel and offers chances to kayak, fish and cycle. And of course, visiting the beaches themselves is a must, like the family-friendly Deerfield Beach, trendy Fort Lauderdale Beach and adventure-focused Hallandale Beach.

In terms of accommodation, there are a number of Fort Lauderdale beachfront hotels, including the Atlantic Resort & Spa, a luxury boutique hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway; the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel; and the beachfront Ocean Sky Hotel and Resort.

There are also a number of restaurants on the waterfront. After you eat, stroll down the Boulevard to peruse the many boutique shops or grab a drink at a tiki bar.

Portland is often lauded as one of the best cities in America for green spaces, due in no small part to 5,100-acre Forest Park, the largest urban forested area in America. Based on the landscaping advice of the legendary Olmstead Brothers (the design firm behind New York's Central Park), Forest Park was originally proposed as an expansive city park in the late 1800s; however, potential preservation costs and oil speculation kept it from becoming public land until the late 1940s.

Situated in Northwest Portland on the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains, the park's towering conifer canopy, basalt rock formations, rushing streams and plentiful wildlife make it a magnet for birdwatchers and nature photographers. 62 species of Coast Range-native mammals can be found here, as well as over 100 different species of birds, including the rare pygmy owl.

With 80 miles of fire roads, trails and paths, Forest Park is also enormously popular with hikers, runners, bikers and equestrians. The longest loop in the park, the 30-mile Wildwood Trail, is linked to various routes along the Columbia River, the Willamette Greenway and both Southeast and Southwest Portland.
 

The perfect place to take the entire family for an afternoon, the Florida Aquarium offers exciting views of nature within the comfort of an air-conditioned building. Home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals, the aquarium offers 200,000 square feet (23,000 square meters) worth of fun and adventure.

If just walking around the expansive building and enjoying the amazing wildlife isn't enough, the aquarium also has additional opportunities for more in depth exploration. Some of these family friendly attractions include a Swim with the Fishes Tour, Penguins : Backstage Pass opportunity, and a Wild Dolphin Ecotour.

If you ever want to head outside, the 2-acre "Explore a Shore" water adventure zone provides opportunities for the kids to cool off with water games while parents can relax under the shade of the Tampa Tribune Cantina bar and grill.

Nothing says laid back quite like Flamingo Las Vegas’ 15,000-square-foot Margaritaville Casino. Located within the resort at Flamingo, this marriage between a Las Vegas casino and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand creates a uniquely fun energy. The casino includes 22 gaming tables, 220 slot machines and the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar.

Elsewhere in the resort are more than 1,600 other slot machines, including a multi-line two-cent progressive game that is a favorite with guests. The first craps roll on the Las Vegas Strip happened in the Flamingo casino, and tossing a pair of hot dice is a popular pastime here. Blackjack, mini baccarat, Caribbean stud, roulette, Pai Gow poker and other table games are also found on the casino floor. A comfortable poker room lures gamblers as well.

When the casino becomes a bit too much to handle, step out into Flamingo’s wildlife habitat. This open-air courtyard is a relaxing, popular and free attraction that many visitors overlook. In the wildlife habitat, guests wander among a flock of Chilean flamingos, swans and ducks. Several turtles and koi splash around the water fixtures. All of the critters are well cared for by a team of experts that are employed by the resort.

Set in Capitol Hill in a unique building that blends Streamline Moderne and Greco Deco, this independent research library contains the world’s largest collection of William Shakespeare’s printed works. Endowed by Shakespeare memorabilia collector Henry Clay Folger (a former chairman of the Standard Oil Company and a member of the Folger Coffee family), the library was opened 316 years to the day after the Bard’s death, on April 23, 1932.

In addition to its permanent collections and rotating art exhibits, the Library houses the three-tiered, Elizabethan-style Folger Theater, which each season stages three of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as literary readings and lectures.