Add these must-visit spots in the U.S. to your book-it list

Surrounded by spectacular wide-open vistas, rolling hills and snowcapped mountains, the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Mont., is the real-life shooting location for the Dutton Ranch on the Paramount series. Book a stay in the same cabin where Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) lived, and explore the working barns and corrals where John (Kevin Costner) takes care of serious family business.

Built over two active freeway tunnels, the 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops (opening in July) will have postcard-worthy views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the downtown skyline—along with trails, meadows dotted with native plants and walkable waterfront access for the first time in 80 years.

When you feel the need (the need for dessert, that is), pop into the new High-Pie shop in Oceanside, Calif., located in the fictional home of Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (Kelly McGillis), the love interest of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) in the original 1986 movie. Order fruit-filled hand pies or minipies topped with fresh mascarpone ice cream.

Families can really dance with the stars at Great Wolf Lodge this summer. As part of the kid-friendly resorts' 25th birthday, husband-and-wife dance duo Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Allison Holker Boss are leading the Splash & Dance Pool Party, an energetic waterside event which includes fun dance lessons—in and out of the water!—and learning a TikTok-ready routine choreographed by the So You Think You Can Dance couple. 

It may look like snow, but White Sands National Park is actually blanketed in supersoft gypsum mineral powder. Hike, sled and make sand angels in the glistening, wavelike dunes that engulf 275 sq. miles of New Mexico desert.

In an effort to renovate public basketball courts around the country, nonprofit Project Backboard partners with local artists to reimagine the surfaces into colorful, one-of-a-kind—and playable!—murals.

It's a glitzy, Dolly-themed wonderland at Nashville's White Limozeen, named for and inspired by her hit 1989 album. Sip cocktails (like a Frozen Lychee Mar-Tea-Ni made with green tea-infused vodka) under fringed hot-pink umbrellas, lounge in the rooftop pool, and take selfies in front of a 10-ft.-tall Dolly sculpture made of pink chicken wire.

There may be a disagreement about who first created the famous Minnesota regional sandwich (both Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club in Minneapolis claim to have invented it in the 1950s). But there's no argument that a core of hot, melty cheese stuffed into a juicy beef patty makes the burger legendary.

The playful Bernese mountain dog welcomes guests as they arrive, hosts story time with kids and even helps with airport pickups.

The Algoquin, N.Y.C.

Named after onetime resident John Barrymore's greatest stage role, this sweet cat is the 12th feline to live at the hotel since the 1920s.

Look out for this very good boy's floppy ears as he dashes around the lobby to meet and play with visitors.

Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Va.

During "Cocktails With Cupcake" receptions, the friendly miniature horse tours the lobby looking for pets, snuggles and snacks.

Erin and Ben Napier have transformed their small town of Laurel, Miss., making over its charming homes one by one over six seasons of their HGTV series. They've also turned the area into a popular destination for fans, who stroll the historic district, snack around Scotsman Food Truck Park and visit the couple's two shops: Laurel Mercantile and Scotsman General Store.

The South meets Southeast Asia in Houston, where the fusion of Cajun and Vietnamese flavors was born. At Crawfish & Noodles, where owner-chef Trong Nguyen, who moved to Texas from Vietnam as a teenager, tosses Louisiana-style boiled crustaceans in a buttery bath of ginger, lemongrass and peppery spices. The popular restaurant was recently featured on the latest season of Top Chef.

Hold on tight! At Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, the new Pantheon coaster scales 180 ft. up into the air, drops down a sharp 95-degree angle and hits speeds up to 73 mph. Plus, it features four different launches—one of which rockets riders backward!

Shhhh! With its big-leaf maple trees, lichen-covered canopies and moss-draped logs, the Hoh River valley in Washington's Olympic National Park is one of the quietest spots in the contiguous 48 states.

The country star is bringing his honky-tonk eatery to the Grand Bazaar Shops. The four-story venue will feature a rooftop bar and a central stage for concerts.

Inspired by her country farmhouse in New York, Stewart's soon-to-open restaurant at Paris Las Vegas will give diners a glimpse of how she lives, decorates and entertains at home.

At his upcoming spot at Bally's, the James Beard Award winner and legendary host of PBS's Yan Can Cook will offer dishes like Peking duck and noodles from China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Designed to look like a luxe Parisian courtyard, the Bravo star's French restaurant at Paris Las Vegas is filled with velvet banquettes, crystal chandeliers and windows with rainlike effects.

Food is a family affair at the MGM Grand. Kevin Jonas Sr., father of the Jonas Brothers, opens his ode to his grandmother's North Carolina-style cooking.

During a 30-minute hike on Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks Trail near Moab, Utah, you can touch three sets of well-preserved prints that date back to the Jurassic period.

Nestled within the Pocono mountains of northeast Pennsylvania, the Lodge at Woodloch's new Snow Room lets spa goers feel the wellness benefits of a frigid ice bath—but without the shock. The space, decorated with flake-covered trees and benches, allows crisp, cold air to quickly cool the body in a gentle and pampering way.

B.Y.O.B. (bring your own board) to Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines, an 88,000-sq.-ft. space with Olympic-caliber courses, a ¼-mile-long promenade and a skateable sculpture.

Located about an hour outside Louisville, the bucolic area of lush bluegrass fields and grazing horses boasts some of the world's best bourbon makers and distilleries—including Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon served in mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby.

You can't help but feel happy at Pharrell Williams and restaurateur David Grutman's Strawberry Moon, a pastel-hued island oasis in Miami's Goodtime Hotel. Soak in the cool South Beach vibes while feasting on Mediterranean mezzes, pizzas and kebabs—like grilled fish skewers with a fiery Yemenite herb sauce.