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America the Beautiful

/ 11 PHOTOS

Canyonlands, Utah

Mesa Arch stands as one of many highlights at Canyonlands, which was made a national park in 1964 and now covers 527 square miles. Time and weather have carved mesas, buttes and canyons out of the sedimentary sandstone.

ā€” Nexus02

Redwoods, California

Soaring more than 300 feet high and living for as long as 3,000 years, California redwoods make human history seem like an eye-blink. (The largest specimens were mature when Christ was born.) Here, a passerby travels through Sequoia National Park, on the western flank of the Sierra Nevada range.

ā€” Brian Fellows

The Maine coast

The often rocky, sometimes sandy, coast offers something for everyone. Whether it's a seaside stroll, a dip in the bracing seas, a lobster roll or an elegant meal, the Maine coast provides indelible memories -- and stunning views.

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Washington, D.C.

Within this city beats the heart of American democracy -- the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court. There are monuments to the great -- Washington and Lincoln -- and the lesser-known patriots, who are honored at Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

ā€” Charlie Tasnadi / AP via LIFE

Wrigley Field, Chicago

In the tradition-steeped American pastime of baseball, Wrigley Field remains a standout. With real-grass fields and brick walls covered with ivy in the outfield, the stadium provides the perfect memory-soaked site for listening to the crack of bats and hometown cheers, and savoring peanuts and Cracker Jack.

ā€” Nexus02

Santa Catalina Island, California

Santa Catalina Island's city of Avalon was first developed as a resort in 1887 during an early boom in Southern California real estate. In the 1920s, William Wrigley Jr. poured money and time into the island -- and made sure his Chicago Cubs team did their spring training here. Current residents include bison, descendants of extras shipped in for a 1925 movie, "The Vanishing American."

ā€” Brian Fellows

Mount Rainier, Washington

Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states, with ice and snow covering 35 square miles. The 14,410-foot peak was named in 1792, when British explorer Capt. George Vancouver named it after a friend of his, Rear Adm. Peter Rainier.

ā€” Nexus02

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

The Columbia River Gorge is rife with waterfalls. And then there's Multnomah Falls, falling 620 feet and billed as the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the country. A footbridge, built in 1914 by Italian stonemasons, allows visitors to cross the falls between the upper and lower cataracts.

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Mystic, Connecticut

Located on a tidal river, Mystic thrived as a 19th-century port. Nowadays, it offers glimpses of the past, with classic ships, a whaling museum and a world-class aquarium. And yes, it's where the 1988 movie "Mystic Pizza" was filmed, starring a newcomer named Julia Roberts.

ā€” Nexus02

The San Juan Islands, Washington

Four of the San Juan Islands can be accessed by ferry and are popular summer destinations for nearby Seattle-area residents and other tourists. The islands are rugged, spectacular locales, with towering trees, orcas, bald eagles -- and a calming sense of peace.

ā€” Nexus02

100 places to see in your lifetime

The Tetons in Wyoming grace the cover of Life Book's publication, "America the Beautiful: 100 Places to See in Your Lifetime." The images along the bottom, from left to right, are volcanoes in Hawaii; Block Island, R.I.; and the Grand Canyon.

ā€¢ More about the book on Overhead Bin.

ā€” LIFE
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