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 historic Fraunces Tavern played a prominent role before, during and after the American Revolution. The edifice was a headquarters for George Washington, a venue for peace negotiations with the British and housed federal offices during the early days of the republic. Downstairs is a tavern, and a museum is located upstairs. Exhibits include a lock of hair and a tooth from George Washington.
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The Freedom Crossing Monument on the Niagara River in Lewiston, New York. Dedicated on Oct. 14, 2009, the monument honors the bravery of fugitive slaves seeking freedom in Canada and the local volunteers who assisted them. It highlights the historical significance of the Niagara River as a critical escape route on the Underground Railroad during the mid-19th century.
It was the first project the Niagara River Greenway Commission endorsed, with planning and fundraising conducted entirely by volunteers from the Historical Association of Lewiston, Inc., which conceived the project in 2006. The town of Lewiston helped fund the $230,000 via the New York Power Authority’s Niagara River Greenway Plan, supplemented by the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and the KeyBank Foundation.
Freedom Plaza, located adjacent to the N.J. Transit Metuchen train station, is dedicated to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Its walls list the names of the more than 700 New Jersey residents, including 13 from Edison and Metuchen, who died in the terrorist attacks.
Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment district located in historic downtown Las Vegas. It is home to North America’s largest video screen, measuring 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. The zone is also home to a trio of states for free nightly concerts and SlotZilla, an 850-foot long Zipline and a 1,750-foot long Zoomline that launch riders from a 12-story slot-machine themed takeoff platform.
When Mark Anthony Cooper found himself $100,000 in debt in 1857 and his company, the Etowah Iron and Manufacturing Co., was about to be auctioned, he turned to his friends for help. With the help of 38 friends, Cooper raised $200,000 and purchased back his company. But, he didn’t forget his friends, and in 1860, after he repaid the debt, Cooper built a monument to thank them. The monument was originally erected on the town square of Etowah where his iron company was located. In 1864, the monument survived the wrath of Union soldiers led by Gen. William T. Sherman. In 1927, as the federal government was poised to create Lake Allatoona, the monument was relocated to nearby Cartersville. Three decades later, the monument was moved to the banks of Lake Allatoona to make room for more parking spaces in downtown Cartersville. In 1999, the monument moved to its current location in downtown Cartersville and the aptly renamed Friendship Plaza.
Philadelphia-based Baldwin Locomotive Works built Gainesville Midland No. 116, which sits in Jefferson, Georgia, as a memorial to the Gainesville Midland Railroad. The Gainesville Midland bought the class C-3 2-8-0 locomotive from the Central of Georgia Railway, which ordered it in about 1906. The Gainesville Midland used the steamer until its retirement in 1958 following a crack in its boiler. The locomotive is on display outside of Jefferson High School. The railroad donated it to the city in 1959.
Galleria degli Uffizi is arguably the most famous art museum in the world. It makes sense considering Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance in the 14th century. The museum is located in the Historic Centre of Florence and opened as a museum in 1769. Among its famous works of art is Sandro Botticelli’s 15th century “Birth of Venus.” It also houses works by Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze (Gallery of the Academy of Florence) is home to Michelangelo’s famed David statue and is the second most visited art museum in Italy. The museum dates to 1784 and has been home to the David sculpture since 1873. In addition to its most famous work of art, the museum houses paintings by Florentine artists, many from 1300-1600.
Arizona artist Barbara Grygutis created the Garden of Constants, located at the College of Engineering. The garden, installed in 2004, features two main elements: 10 large number sculptures numbers and symbols set into the pavement. The Ohio State University Percent for the Arts commissioned the sculpture. The work is located outside of Dreese Lab, home to the Computer and Information Science and Electrical Engineering departments.
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The General Grant National Memorial is the final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia. The memorial is the largest mausoleum in North America and honors the man who credited with ending the bloodiest conflict in American history as Commanding General of the Union Army. After his Presidency, Grant settled in New York City and died of throat cancer on July 23, 1885. He was laid to rest in New York City on Aug. 8, 1885. More than a million people attended the parade and dedication ceremony of Grant’s Tomb on April 27, 1897.
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