America the Beautiful

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• More about the book on Overhead Bin.