It’s fitting that the country’s tallest building, the Sears Tower (we haven’t come to terms with the new name either), is in the same city that built the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, demolished in 1931. Chicago’s innovation sparked a worldwide race that continues to redefine city skylines from London to Dubai to Taipei. There’s simply no better way to experience those early architects’ remarkable vision than to stand on The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago, a transparent observation box that suspends you 1,353 feet above street level, on a wisp of glass just one and a half inches thick.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The site of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle and of one of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speeches, Gettysburg National Military Park is a lasting memorial to the devastation caused by, and the reasons for, the war that remade the union. In its successful efforts to fend off encroaching development, Gettysburg also reflects the struggles of many historic sites to preserve the sanctity of their land. nps.gov/gett.
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