Guidebooks are annoying. Just because some editor who doesn’t know me tells me which restaurant is the best or what attraction is a must-see doesn’t make it a must-see attraction. Sightseers’ Delight is dedicated to the weird, the quirky and the fun. After all, traveling is fun.
If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong.
All of the places highlighted in this ever-growing database are great. Sightseers’ Delight has visited them all. We think you should make a point to see every one of them. But, this is not a guidebook. Just a webpage to help you plan your next adventure.
The Plaza of Champions in Kirkland, Washington, was created in 1988 to honor and recognize groups and individuals in the Kirkland area who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in their chosen field and contributed in a significant way to the city of Kirkland.
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President George W. Bush, using the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906, created the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument on Dec. 5, 2008. The centerpiece of the monument is Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. The monument is also home to the Battleship Missouri, the last battleship commissioned by the United States and was the site of the Japanese surrender on Sept 2, 1945, marking the end of World War II.
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The Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum is located in former mill manager’s house located next to what was once Hawaii’s largest working sugar factory. The museum, located in the historic plantation town of Puunene, Maui, showcases the history of Hawaiian sugarcane plantations and how the industry shaped the community.
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Haleakalā National Park is perhaps the crown jewel of Maui. The 33,265-acre national park is a popular destination for tourists wanting to watch the sunrise on the island, even though clouds often obscure the view. At the center of the park is the dormant Haleakalā (East Maui) Volcano. The volcano last erupted more than 400 years ago, likely between 1480 and 1600 AD.
The Old Lahaina Courthouse opened in 1860 and remained in service until the 1970s when the Lahaina Civic Center was built. Architect William D’Esmond restored the courthouse in 1925. Today, the courthouse is home to a museum, art galleries, a visitor center and a community meeting room. Among the artifacts on display is the last Flag of Hawaii to fly over the courthouse.
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Waiʻanapanapa State Park is a 122-acre state park in Hana, on Maui. It is located at the end of Waiʻanapanapa Road off Hana Highway, 53 miles east of Kahului, Maui. Waiʻanapanapa means “glistening fresh water” in the Hawaiian language, referring to nearby fresh water streams and sparkling pools.
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Carl Henry is often said to have proposed turning a section of Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth streets in the Russian Hill section of town into the series of switchbacks that it is today. While the street’s title of “World’s Crookedest Street” may be open to debate (see Vermont Street elsewhere in town), its popularity as a tourist attraction hasn’t waned in the roughly eight decades since the street was reconfigured to its current design.
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The Volunteer Firemen Memorial in San Francisco was erected in Washington Square in 1933. The monument, which features a sculpture of three firemen, including one carrying a woman, atop a base, was founded by Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an honorary member of Knickerbocker Volunteer Fire Company No. 5.
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The Rock is more myth than reality. Still, the former federal penitentiary attracts more than 1 million visitors annually as a museum. Some of the country’s most notorious criminals were incarcerated on The Rock at one time or another. Several tried to escape, but none were successful. Or, were they? Even though the prison closed in the 1960s, its stories about remain legendary to this day.
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Two days after the massive earthquake of April 18, 1906, ruptured gas lines caused much of San Francisco to burn. Firefighters in many instances were unable to extinguish flames as fire hydrants had no water. However, firefighters vowed to make a stand at the intersection of Church and 20th streets. Miraculously, water flowed from a fire hydrant near the intersection and every April 18, the fire hydrant receives a new coat of gold paint.
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