The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the USS Arizona during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 by Japanese imperial forces and commemorates the events of that day.
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle, the lavish estate of William Randolph Hearst, stands near San Simeon, California, between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Donated to California in 1957, it’s now a State Historical Monument and National Historic Landmark open for public tours. Hearst named it “La Cuesta Encantada” (“The Enchanted Hill”), but often referred to it simply as “the ranch.” The architecture reflects Hearst’s admiration for European styles, with the main house resembling a 16th-century Spanish cathedral and the outdoor pool area featuring a Roman temple front. Hearst adorned the estate with art, antiques, and even entire ceilings imported from Europe and Egypt.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, linking San Francisco with Marin County. Completed in 1937, it held the record for the world’s longest suspension bridge span at 4,200 feet. Its distinctive orange vermilion color, officially known as international orange, was chosen for visibility in fog and harmony with the surroundings. Rising 746 feet, its towers surpass the height of the Washington Monument. The bridge has five lanes and towers that taper from base to top, emphasizing their 500-foot height above the roadway. Coit Tower, another San Francisco landmark, shares the city skyline with the Golden Gate Bridge, which sees 118,000 vehicles daily, alongside pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Aerial Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, launched in September 1963, links the Coachella Valley floor to near San Jacinto Peak’s summit. It’s located in Palm Springs, California. Before its construction, access to the mountaintop required a lengthy hike from Idyllwild. Today, it’s a prominent attraction. The journey takes eight and a half minutes from the Valley Station at the base. It ends at the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. The tram climbs North America’s steepest mountain face, showcasing diverse life zones and significant geological transitions. At the Mountain Station, temperatures can be 40°F (25°C) cooler than in the desert. Visitors can explore trails, enjoy burro rides, or engage in winter snow activities.
The view at the top can stretch northward for more than 200 miles (300 km) on a clear day, all the way to Mount Charleston north of Las Vegas. Views to the east and west can stretch as far as 75 miles (120 km); the Salton Sea is plainly visible to the southeast.
Hoover Dam
Construction began in 1931 and Hoover Dam was completed in 1936. It still stands tall as an engineering marvel high above the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. Hoover Dam attracts over 7 million visitors from around the new world every year feeding vast tourism into the Las Vegas Nevada and Arizona economy. The building of Hoover Dam took the brilliance of over 200 engineers to pull off what many deemed as almost impossible. And it was the fortitude of over 7,000 dam workers that endured amazingly harsh conditions and extreme dangers to complete Hoover Dam almost two years ahead of schedule.
