Diversions June 26, 2014

Top U.S. Destinations Highlight History

The travel site TripAdvisor has unveiled the winners of its Travelers’ Choice awards for attractions, highlighting the top landmarks and parks in America and around the globe.
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More than 900 winners highlighted lists for the U.S., Asia, Australia, Canada, China, Europe, India, Mexico, South America, the South Pacific and the U.K. Votes came from millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers.

Many of the top American landmarks and parks spotlight historical significance. Among the top U.S. attractions:

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  1. Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
  2. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, Washington, District of Columbia
  3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
  4. Alcatraz, San Francisco
  5. U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
  6. Cloud Gate, Chicago, Illinois
  7. Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Washington, District of Columbia
  8. New York Public Library, New York, New York
  9. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah, Georgia
  10. Korean War Veterans’ Memorial, Washington, District of Columbia

The top 10 U.S. parks (most of which, oddly, are in large cities):

  1. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado
  2. Central Park, New York, New York
  3. Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois
  4. The High Line, New York, New York
  5. Boston Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
  6. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
  7. Balboa Park, San Diego, California
  8. Bryant Park, New York City, New York
  9. Forsyth Park, Savannah, Georgia
  10. Falls Park on the Reedy, Greenville, South Carolina

The top landmarks in the world include Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru; Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; the Taj Mahal, Agra, India; the Great Cathedral and Mosque, Cordoba, Spain; St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy; Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia; Bayon Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia; the Church of Our Savior of Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg, Russia; Gettysburg; and the Ancient City Walls, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Garden of the Gods, Central Park, Millennium Park and the High Line also make the list of the world’s top parks. Others include Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada; Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, Australia; Guell Park in Barcelona and Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain; Ibirapuera Park, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, France.

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