Much has been made, recently, about the "New Seven Wonders of the World." Well, I have decided that there are many man-made wonders around the globe, so many that there should probably be a list for each country. So, here goes.
I am beginning with the USA since I know it best. The following are my picks as the Seven (Man-made) Wonders of the USA. After checking out the list, look for my photo album which is soon to follow.
1. Mount Rushmore, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The colossal sculpture of four US Presidents (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt), was carved between 1927 and 1941 by Gutzon Borglum, along with many workers. It is now preserved as National Monument.
2. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California. The iconic bridge was completed in 1937 and was, at the time, the longest suspension bridge in the world (it is now 8th). It spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay and has become the enduring symbol of the city.
3. Gateway Arch, St Louis, Missouri. This gleaming silver parabola is more appropriately known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and commemorates, primarily, the Louisiana Purchase and its subsequent stimulation of westward expansion in the US. It was designed by noted architect, Eero Saarinen and engineer, Hanskarl Bandel.
4. Empire State Building, New York, New York. For many years the world’s tallest building, this 102-story Art Deco masterpiece was built in 1931. Even though many buildings now outrank it in height, it still maintains an aura and mystique which make it one of the "Big Apple’s" most visited tourist attractions.
5. Hoover Dam, just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Also known as the Boulder Dam, this was recognized as one of the most ambitious engineering achievements of all time. The construction of the dam (completed in 1935) created Lake Mead and its upper surface is a road connecting Nevada and Arizona.
6. Washington Monument, Washington, District of Columbia. Although construction began in 1848, the granite and marble obelisk was not completed until 1884, due to the intervention of the Civil War. It stands 555 feet tall and is, by law, the tallest structure in America’s capital. It is dedicated to America’s first president, George Washington.
7. Statue of Liberty, New York, New York. This world-famous icon has greeted immigrants and visitors to America since 1886. It was a gift to the United States from France, sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi with its interior designed by Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame). The statue rises about 300 feet (including its pedestal) on Liberty Island in New York harbor and can be visited from either Battery Park on Lower Manhattan Island or from Liberty State Park, in Jersey City, New Jersey
Other US wonders which were considered:
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina
Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia
Crazy Horse Memorial, Black Hills of South Dakota
Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois
Space Needle, Seattle, Washington
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana
USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
