1

Library of Congress

Image: Vincent Yuan @USA

Of course—the beating heart of American knowledge! As the largest library in the country and the world , it holds millions of books, rare manuscripts, and historical treasures.

Its grandeur isn’t just in its collection. Take the Thomas Jefferson Building: with its elaborate ceilings, marble columns, and frescoes, stepping inside feels like walking into a cathedral. Ever wanted to see an original Gutenberg Bible? This is the place.

2

New York Public Library

Image: Ran Ding

Patience and Fortitude stand guard—those are the two iconic stone lions flanking the entrance. The New York Public Library’s main branch is a true city landmark.

Step inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, with its grand marble-lined halls and sweeping staircases. Don’t miss the Rose Main Reading Room —an awe-inspiring space adorned with murals, chandeliers, and rows of inviting wooden tables.

3

Boston Public Library

Image: Wendy Wei

A library so impressive it feels like it should charge an admission fee—but lucky for us, it doesn’t! Established in 1848, it was the first large free municipal library in the United States.

It’s home to Bates Hall, a stunning reading room with soaring barrel-vaulted ceilings and warm oak tables—a dream setting for book lovers.

4

Seattle Central Library

Image: Sylvia Yang

A sharp contrast to the historic beauties on this list, but no less worthy of inclusion. The Seattle Central Library is a futuristic masterpiece.

Designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, its bold glass-and-steel exterior is impossible to miss. Inside, multi-level platforms create a space that feels more like a sci-fi movie set than a traditional library.

5

Geisel Library at the University of California, San Diego

Image: Jeremy Huang

Named after none other than Dr. Seuss himself (real name: Theodor Geisel) and his wife, Audrey, this library looks like something straight out of a sci-fi novel.

Its unique Brutalist-meets-futuristic design makes it one of UCSD’s most recognizable landmarks. It houses an extensive collection—but let’s be honest, the main draw is the building itself. It’s an architectural oddity that feels both retro and futuristic at the same time.

6

George Peabody Library

Image: Elijah Hail

Some libraries feel grand, but this one feels magical . Tucked away in Baltimore, the George Peabody Library is known for its soaring atrium, lined with six stories of cast-iron balconies adorned with gilded accents.

The library’s collection specializes in 19th-century literature—but honestly, most visitors come just to soak in its beauty. It’s a book lover’s dream come to life.

7

Iowa State Law Library

Image: Muhammed A. Mustapha

Hidden inside the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, this library is a Victorian-era gem —think spiral staircases, intricate ironwork, and rows of leather-bound books stretching to the ceiling.

It may be lesser-known than others on this list, but it perfectly illustrates how libraries can be both functional and visually captivating. This setting alone makes you not mind so much having to do legal research.

8

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Image: Tim Bish

This is no ordinary library—as you can plainly see. It’s an architectural marvel . Located at Yale University, the Beinecke Library is famous for its translucent marble panels, which bathe the interior in a soft, golden glow.

9

Morgan Library & Museum

Image: mana5280

Walking into the Morgan Library feels like stepping into a European palace—pure Gilded Age opulence with ceiling frescoes, carved wood, and velvet drapes.

Originally J.P. Morgan’s personal book collection , it is now a New York City landmark and museum showcasing rare manuscripts, original works by Dickens and Austen, and even handwritten music by Mozart!

10

William W. Cook Legal Library

Image: Mathew Schwartz

Some law libraries are dull and purely functional. This is not one of them. Located at the University of Michigan, the Cook Legal Library is a Gothic gem with towering stained-glass windows, massive oak tables, and cathedral-like reading halls.

The architecture alone makes studying law feel a bit more poetic, but it’s also one of the finest academic law libraries in the country.

11

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries

Image: Cameron Stewart

This one looks like a place to learn witchcraft and sorcery, doesn’t it? Part of the University of Washington in Seattle, the Suzzallo and Allen Libraries feature a Reading Room that is a Gothic architectural masterpiece, with soaring ceilings and stained-glass windows .

1

Yellowstone National Park

Image: Johanna Persson

National parks and motorhomes are a match made in America, and no list of this kind would be complete without mentioning Yellowstone National Park, the oldest park in the country and a very popular RV destination for all the right reasons.

The park offers several RV-friendly campgrounds, and there are plenty of options to choose from in the surrounding towns as well. For drivers looking for an amazing scenic drive, take the Beartooth Highway, which will lead you to Yellowstone’s Northeast entrance. This roadway has been dubbed "The most beautiful in America" and is also known as the "Highway in the Sky."

2

Outer Banks

Image: Sergio Martínez

The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina , offering some of the East Coast’s most impressive and scenic beaches. With numerous RV parks throughout the islands, each with its unique charm, this location is an RV paradise.

Hike the largest dune system on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, kayak the peaceful waters of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, or take a ferry ride to Ocracoke Island’s rustic village. The Outer Banks has activities for everybody and infrastructure to provide all the necessary comfort.

3

Acadia National Park

Image: Marek Konopnicki

Acadia National Park is another gem on the RV roadmap of the U.S. Located primarily on Maine’s Mount Desert Island , the largest island off the coast of Maine, the park is sometimes referred to as the "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast."

Aside from being home to the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the U.S., the park features several different habitats, offering plenty of plants and animals to see. Acadia has four campgrounds within the park, three of which are RV-friendly.

4

California

Image: Fabian

The entire state of California makes for an incredible RV road trip , offering an endless supply of natural beauty, from towering redwood forests to dusty deserts to breathtaking seascapes and shorelines.

RV travelers can start their journey just northeast of San Diego and follow a clockwise loop, visiting the coast first and exploring the state's inner beauties later.

5

Joshua Tree National Park

Image: Mariana Brás

Joshua Tree National Park features some of America’s most beautiful landscapes, set along the sun-blasted frontier of the Mojave and Colorado deserts . That countryside includes remarkable monzogranite formations and boulders, such as Skull Rock, as well as multiple mountain ranges.

Year-round camping is available in this area, although the summer heat may not be for everyone. There are several campgrounds in the park, ranging from well-developed to primitive options and beyond.

6

Rocky Mountains

Image: Luke Porter

A road trip around the Rocky Mountains in a motorhome is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that any RV camper would love to add to their wishlist. These mountains stretch over 3,000 miles from New Mexico to British Columbia, offering a lifetime's worth of exploration opportunities.

Drivers could spend weeks at Yellowstone and Grand Teton alone, but the entire route is packed with amazing scenery and comfortable RV parks, ranging from primitive sites to lush locations with premium amenities.

7

New England

Image: Rodrigo Curi

New England is an excellent region for an RV road trip. Its balanced blend of forests, rocky seascapes, colonial history, and gorgeous seaside towns offer plenty of opportunities for adventure, sightseeing, relaxation, and more.

A possible route could start in upstate New York, heading east and north into the parks of upper New England, and then heading south along the coast after Acadia for some breathtaking ocean views.

8

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Image: lucas Favre

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina, containing expansive forests and mountainous terrain . This southern wonder features hiking trails, including parts of the greater Appalachian Trail, and a vast array of plant and animal life to explore.

The area is a popular RV destination, and there is no shortage of camps along the way, offering rest and comfort for happy campers.

9

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Image: Vladimir Kudinov

The majestic state of Colorado is filled with breathtaking landscapes , and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is no exception. The Gunnison River sculpted this vertical terrain of rock over thousands of years , creating many picturesque paths for hikers of all skill levels to explore.

During the winter, the sloped hills become a great destination for cross-country skiers. After a long journey in the wilderness, visitors can return to their RV at the South Rim Campground, which welcomes thousands of guests each year.

10

Sedona

Image: Julian Ackroyd

Located where the Colorado Plateau drops down to Arizona’s deserts, Sedona is world-famous for its red rock formations and vibrant communities. RV campers can also visit the Grand Canyon , which is situated not too far to the north .

Sedona is filled with RV parks and campgrounds, and ample public lands in the area offer a multitude of primitive camping opportunities.

1

Where is the Statue of Liberty really located?

Most of us have always associated the Statue of Liberty with New York City. It’s on postcards, movies, souvenirs, and more. But technically, the famous statue stands in New Jersey’s waters.

The statue itself sits on Liberty Island, which legally belongs to New York, even though it’s actually closer to Jersey City than to Manhattan. Under an 1834 agreement between the two states, New York kept ownership of Liberty and Ellis Islands, while New Jersey retained control of the surrounding waters. So while the Statue of Liberty is officially New York property, it’s technically sitting on New Jersey’s side, something that still surprises many Americans today.

2

Canada is not always north

Because of the way maps have always looked to us, most Americans grow up thinking you always have to travel north to reach Canada; we even call it "our neighbor to the north." For almost everyone, that’s true… except the people in Detroit, Michigan.

Thanks to the curve of the Detroit River and the city’s unusual location, the Canadian city of Windsor actually sits south of Detroit. That means when drivers cross the bridge from Detroit into Canada, their compass literally points south, even though they’re entering "The Great White North."

3

Daylight Saving Time isn't for everyone

Most Americans are used to Daylight Saving Time: clocks move forward one hour on the second Sunday in March and back again on the first Sunday in November. But two "rebel" states refuse to follow the rest of the country.

We’re talking about Hawaii and Arizona, which stay on Standard Time year-round. Hawaii skips Daylight Saving Time because its tropical location means daylight hours barely change between summer and winter. Arizona, meanwhile (except for the Navajo Nation), stopped observing it in 1968 because of the state’s extreme desert heat. During a 1967 trial run, they found that an extra hour of evening sunlight actually increased energy use, so Arizona decided it simply wasn’t worth it.

4

Maps distort Alaska

For generations, the maps hanging in American classrooms have tricked us about the true size of Alaska.

On many US maps, Alaska is squeezed into a small box in the corner, making it seem only slightly bigger than states like Texas or California. But the reality is shocking: Alaska covers about 663,300 square miles, making it so enormous that you could fit Texas, California, and Montana combined inside it. The distortion happens because flat maps shrink and compress distant areas to make them fit neatly on the page. In real life, though, "The Last Frontier" is far more vast than we think.

5

Maine is not located where we thought

If someone asked, "Which is the easternmost US state?" most Americans would probably answer Maine without even thinking twice. But surprisingly, that’s not actually correct.

While it’s true that Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous US, when all 50 states are included, the answer surprises many: the easternmost state is actually Alaska. How is that possible? It turns out that Alaska’s Aleutian Islands stretch so far west that they cross the 180th meridian into the Eastern Hemisphere, meaning part of Alaska is technically farther east than Maine.

6

Is California always west of Nevada?

If you were standing in California and needed to travel to Nevada, you’d probably assume you’d have to head east. But geography has a surprise here, too.

Believe it or not, Reno is actually about 86 miles farther west than Los Angeles. But how could a city in Nevada be farther west than a city on the Pacific coast? The answer is in California’s curved coastline. Because the coast bends inward so dramatically, Los Angeles sits farther east than most people realize, while Reno stretches surprisingly far west.

7

Not all deserts are hot

When most Americans picture a desert, they imagine blazing sun and unbearable heat, but not all deserts in the US fit that image.

The huge Great Basin Desert, which stretches across much of Nevada and parts of Utah, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming, is classified as a cold desert. In fact, during winter, its temperatures can plunge below freezing, with heavy snowfall covering the landscape. The lowest official temperature ever recorded in the area was on January 8, 1937: an incredible -50 °F.

8

Almost all of the US is privately owned

Many of us grew up assuming that most land in the United States is privately owned. And in much of the East, that idea is accurate. But for the West, the reality is different.

In the Western United States, about 47% of the land is owned by the federal government . And when you add state-owned land, the share of public land becomes even larger. Some states are especially striking: in Nevada, about 87% of the land is public, while in Utah, it’s around 75% .

9

The most populous state

The incredible New York City is the most populous in the United States, with about 8.48 million residents, and there’s no doubt about that. Maybe that’s why many people naturally assume the state of New York is also the most populated, but it isn’t.

That distinction actually belongs to the state of California, with around 39.35 million residents , compared to roughly 20 million in New York state.

10

Which state is closest to Africa?

As we’ve seen, flat maps can distort how we think about distance and size. Because of that, many Americans assume Florida is the US state closest to Africa. But that’s actually not true.

Because of the Earth’s curvature, the US state closest to Africa is actually Maine. The northeastern tip at Quoddy Head is about 3,154 miles from El Beddouza, Morocco. By comparison, Florida’s eastern edge (around Singer Island) is roughly 4,085 miles from the African coast near Guerguerat, Western Sahara.