ONE OF the best ways to learn history is to submerge into it. How, you may ask? The time machine is far from being invented. That’s not a problem for someone who knows where to look for the right places.
History is not only books and accounts we read about the events and people. It’s the preservation of historical sites that benefits the community the most. It’s much more than just saving old buildings and the environment of a specific area for aesthetic purposes because it has economic, cultural, and educational benefits for people. It’s also important for developing critical thinking and studying many other disciplines.
Visiting historical places benefits everyone. Regardless of your degree, age, and status, it is important to reconnect with the past to understand how to build the future. Grab your backpack, manage the question “can someone help me to do my homework for me on Essaypro,” and plan your trip to the West of the US. Don’t forget to manage all your tasks and responsibilities to focus on your journey without getting distracted.
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California
Everyone knows about Alcatraz for its prison’s fame. The experience of visiting the Island doesn’t compare to watching documentaries and other media describing the history and events that happened here. You might want to purchase tickets beforehand to secure your visit there.
The Island has the first lighthouse built on the Pacific coast and a fortification that turned into a government military prison until 1933. However, what makes Alcatraz important is the Native Americans’ history who lived in the lands long before Europeans discovered America.
- Sign up for programs and tours available upon your arrival. You get to access unique historical footage while being in the heart of the past;
- Attend evening ferry rides along docks;
- Attend hiking routes down the Agave Trail;
Grand Canyon, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is worth visiting more than once. Its breathtaking scenery and majesty make you fall in love with hiking routes, camping, and getting away from your daily routine. Yet, it has to offer much more than nature.
The Grand Canyon is more than six million years old, but the first European explorers saw it in the 1540s, led by the native Hopi tribe. In 1858 US explorer Joseph Christmas Ives began his expedition along the Colorado River and mapped the landscape. Benjamin Harrison declared federal protection to the Grand Canyon in 1893, and ever since the location has been attracting people from all over the continent.
- Visit Yavapai Observation Station, a geology museum that documents the Grand Canyon’s formation;
- Attend Tusayan Museum and Ruins, the village built over eight hundred years ago by the native Pueblo tribe;
- Attend Desert View Watchtower designed by Mary E. J. Colter back in 1932;
- Sign up for the Grand Canyon Historic Village tour, where you can see numerous parks, historic districts like Train Depot, El Tovar hotel, the Buckley O’Neill Cabin, and other sights;
Tucson, Arizona
Arizona is the heart of many historical landmarks and places to explore. You might want to start with the capital, just like any history student, when visiting the state, but you should always give other cities a try, too. One of the most history-rich towns in Arizona is the city of Tucson, the oldest inhabited area in the country.
You would be pleasantly surprised how many sights you can discover there. It has beautiful settlers’ architecture, the complex history between the Natives and Settlers, Spanish religious sites, and many other things to mark.
- Pay attention to Old Tucson, the set for many old movies in the Wild West genre;
- Walk around Barrio Historico, the neighborhood in downtown Tucson, to admire its Sonoran architecture;
- Attend San Xavier del Bac Church, one of the oldest churches in the United States, executed in Mexican Baroque style;
Cody, Wyoming
Cody’s name originates after the legendary William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who invested greatly into the place. Even though you are not staying in the original setting but the reconstructed town, it still counts as authentic as it can be. It’s a gateway to Yellowstone National Park that allows you to experience the true West.
Now it’s the number one tourist attraction with plenty of locations to discover. Prepare to walk a lot and visit each stop that will come along your way.
- Visit Heart Mountain Interpretive Center which is located close to Cody to learn about the Japanese American experience during WWII. Not the brightest page in history books, but a must to understand the complex American past, with a lot of artifacts, oral histories, and exhibits;
- Attend Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir, the part of Shoshone Projects, the first concrete dams in America;
- Don’t miss Wild Bunch Gunfighters show that takes place every evening;
- Also, take Trolley Tour through the city that will tell you more about the town;
Honolulu, Hawaii
The first native settlement in Honolulu was as early as the twelve centuries, and Europeans discovered it only in 1778. The city grew into a seaport and was used to export whales and sandalwood. In 1893, the US annexed the kingdom of Hawaii.
The place is famous for Pearl Harbor and the attack of the Japanese military on it during WWII. Now it’s a blossoming tourist town and the best place to learn about US history.
- It’s a must visiting Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace built by the first Catholic missionaries in 1827;
- Attend Pu’u o Mahuka Heiau, the national historic landmark and a sacred site for original native settlers;
- Learn the history of the native people of Hawaii and visit once a royal residence Ali’iolani Hale, which now hosts Hawaii’s Supreme Court. It’s open for visitors to learn about Hawaii’s history;
- Another place to read and learn more about Hawaii’s culture and history is ‘Iolani Palace;
Denver, Colorado
Colorado is rich with its Wild West history of exploration and expansion of lands. The state has numerous forts and railways that settlers built when arriving in the mountains. Denver is no exception, and it has a unique perspective to offer.
You may learn about the Arapaho tribes, the first travelers from Georgia to local territories, Mexican American student movements, and many other events that took place here. The city experienced a lot of growth and downfalls during its lifetime, and it is a good place to live and travel to today.
- Visit 16th Street Mall, which opened in 1982. It holds the same atmosphere as back in the days;
- Attend the Brown Palace Hotel, which was built in 1892;
- Visit Denver Mint, established back in 1863 and rebuilt in 1906;
- Denver has a house of Molly Brown, the survivor of the Titanic tragedy. The house is executed in Victorian era style and has a museum dedicated to Mrs. Brown;
- A must-see is Red Rocks Amphitheatre, ten miles away from the city. It is a unique construction that hosted its first performance in 1906;
The Bottom Line
The Wild West is an endless canvas of stories and events that defined American history. It’s hard to imagine the US today without the history of the Gold Rush, coal mines, and bullfights.
Almost every city holds something unique to see and acknowledge. Don’t hesitate to start with some more popular places and then proceed to fewer known sites.
