Where to go, what to see? Here are some ideas

1. Brooklyn Bridge, New York; finished in 1883, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S., stretching 5,989 feet over the East River.

2. Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.; built 1848-84; stands 555 feet 5 1/8 inches tall.

3. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Mo.; at 630 feet the tallest monument in the U.S.; finished 1965.

4. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Calif.; was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1937.

5. Statue of Liberty, New York; a gift from France, it was dedicated Oct. 28, 1886.

6. The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas; construction started in 1724; a critical battle in the Texas Revolution took place on March 6, 1836.

7. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.; the palatial home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, built between 1919 and 1947.

8. Hoover Dam, Nev.; when finished in 1935, it was the world's largest electric power producing facility and the world's largest concrete structure.

9. Sears Tower, Chicago; the tallest building in the U.S.; finished in 1973. With TV towers it is 1,705 feet tall.

10. Mesa Verde, Colo.; the home of Ancestral Pueblo people from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Contains some 600 cliff dwellings.

10 PRESIDENTIAL PLACES

1. New Salem, Ill.; Lincoln's formative years.

2. The Hermitage; Nashville, Tenn.; home of Andrew Jackson.

3. Monticello; Charlottesville, Va.; home of Thomas Jefferson.

4. Mt. Vernon, Va.; home of George Washington.

5. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum; Independence, Mo.; home of a "people's president."

6. Sixth Floor Museum; Dallas, Texas; where John F. Kennedy was shot.

7. Lawnfield; Mentor, Ohio; home of James A. Garfield.

8. General Grant National Memorial, New York City; aka Grant's Tomb.

9. William J. Clinton Library; Little Rock, Ark.; newest presidential library.

10. National First Ladies Library, Canton, Ohio; information on all first ladies.

A YEAR OF QUIRKY FESTIVALS

1. Winter Festival, St. Paul, Minn.; January/February; hey, there's all this snow here, anyway.

2. Faux Film Festival, Portland, Ore.; March; who says they don't make weird movies anymore?

3. Vermont Maple Festival, St. Albans, Vt.; April; where the sap runs.

4. National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough, Tenn.; April; you won't believe your ears.

5. Rattlesnake Roundup, Freer, Texas; May; more snakes that you can shake a stick at.

6. Duct Tape Festival, Avon, Ohio; June; wear it, sculpt it, craft it, imagine it.