1

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Image: GraceHues Photography

The sugar maple produces the sap that becomes maple syrup, a North American staple. Its hardwood is also prized for furniture and flooring.

Native to the northeastern U.S. and Canada, sugar maples support both culinary traditions and forestry industries. They can live for over 200 years and are crucial to fall foliage tourism.

2

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Image: Tina Xinia

White oak wood is valued for barrels, furniture, and flooring due to its strength and natural rot resistance.

Historically, it was used in shipbuilding during colonial times. White oak forests also support diverse wildlife, and their acorns feed deer, squirrels, and birds.

3

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Image: Aimee Summers

This tree’s wood is aromatic and naturally repels moths, making it a good choice for closets and storage chests.

Red cedar oil was also used in medicine by Native Americans. Its dense wood has been extensively used for fence posts and small-scale construction.

4

American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)

Image: Marta Reis

Once dominant in eastern forests, the American chestnut was devastated by blight in the early 20th century.

Its wood was lightweight yet strong, ideal for furniture and building. The nuts were a staple food for wildlife and humans alike. Breeding programs now aim to restore it.

5

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Image: benjamin lehman

Ponderosa pines dominate the western U.S. and are a major timber source.

Their wood is used for construction, paper, and fuel. Native Americans also used the bark and resin for medicinal purposes and ceremonial practices.

6

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Image: Edmond Lau

Red maples are adaptable trees that provide timber and spectacular fall colors.

Like the sugar maple, their sap can also produce syrup, and the wood is used in furniture and flooring. The species thrives in wetlands, supporting a wide range of ecological diversity.

7

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Image: Ulrike R. Donohue

A key timber species, the noble Douglas fir is used for construction, plywood, and paper.

It’s also one of the most popular Christmas trees. Native Americans used the bark and needles for medicinal purposes.

8

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Image: Ross Domke

Black walnut produces edible nuts and dark, durable wood for furniture and gunstocks.

Its wood is highly prized by woodworkers for fine cabinetry. The nuts support wildlife, while the husks can be used for natural dye.

9

American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Image: Heather Wilde

American sycamores are found along rivers and lakes, stabilizing soil and preventing erosion.

Their large, patchy bark makes them visually distinctive. Historically, their wood was used for butcher blocks, furniture, and veneers.

10

White Spruce (Picea glauca)

Image: Joel Cross

White spruce supports timber, paper, and pulp industries in northern forests.

Its wood is lightweight yet strong, ideal for construction and musical instruments. Spruce forests are also critical habitats for migratory birds and wildlife.

1

Grand Canyon Railway

Image: Kurt Hänel

Can you imagine looking at the Grand Canyon National Park from aboard a train? You can do this, by taking the Grand Canyon Railway, which departs from Williams, Arizona, 30 miles west of Flagstaff.

This train travels past forests of ponderosa pines and parts of the Sonoran Desert into the heart of Canyon country, where you’ll spend the day exploring and hiking before boarding your return trip—just in time for sunset.

2

The Rocky Mountaineer

Image: Taylor Brandon

The spectacular views of Western Canada, along with the red rock wonders of Colorado and Southern Utah can be fully appreciated through the nearly all-glass cabins of the Rocky Mountaineer.

This luxurious train takes passengers from Denver to Moab, Utah, where they are treated to fine dining and cocktails while enjoying the majestic views.

3

Amtrak California Zephyr

Image: Levi Meir Clancy

Travelers aboard the California Zephyr can enjoy a 51-hour journey from Chicago to San Francisco that traverses through the magnificent landscapes of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and northern California .

The ride passes through the Rocky Mountains, travels by the canyons of Colorado’s Western Slope, and spends an entire half-day on a trek through the Sierra Nevada, complete with views of Donner Lake and the Truckee River.

4

Cass Scenic Railroad

Image: Josh Nezon

The Cass Scenic Railroad was originally built in 1901 to transport lumber through the mountains of West Virginia . Today, it helps preserve the legacy of America’s locomotive history. The railroad offers two routes, including a four-and-a-half-hour round-trip journey to Bald Knob —the highest summit of Back Allegheny Mountain at 4,842 feet.

5

Amtrak Empire Builder

Image: Max Bender

The Empire Builder earns its name by traveling along major portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail. This 46-hour train departs daily from Chicago and traverses through Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana , before concluding in either Seattle or Portland .

Passengers on this less-crowded route can enjoy views of the Mississippi River and the North Dakota plains, as well as the stunning scenery of Glacier National Park in Montana.

6

Amtrak Southwest Chief

Image: Ezra Jeffrey-Comeau

The long road from Chicago to Los Angeles can be traveled in great style and comfort aboard the Southwest Chief. The train traverses more than 2,000 miles, passing through Illinois farmlands, the Mississippi River, the red mesas of New Mexico, and the Mojave Desert .

This 40-hour ride can be taken in its entirety or partially, but no serious view collector should miss the most scenic stretch, which spans Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California, including Raton Pass—a National Historic Landmark along the Santa Fe Trail.

7

Cape Cod Central Railroad

Image: Melanie Hughes

This short, two-hour round trip is available only from May through October , immersing travelers in distinctive New England landscapes , including cranberry bogs, salt marshes, dunes, and woodlands.

The Cape Cod Excursion train offers an amazing sightseeing tour of the Cape’s natural attractions, including the charming Cape Cod Canal.

8

Amtrak Coast Starlight

Image: Lukas Robertson

This 35-hour journey between Los Angeles and Seattle departs daily and stops in some of the West Coast ’s greatest cities, including Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Portland .

The southern half of the route features long stretches of the Pacific Ocean shoreline before moving inland to the valleys of the state’s agricultural heart, eventually reaching the snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Mountains. The observation lounge on the train offers the best views in the house.

9

Amtrak Adirondack

Image: Robert Macleod

The final Amtrak train on this list is the Adirondack. This route runs from New York City to Montreal, departing from the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station. The 10-hour ride takes its passengers along the Hudson River up to Albany then passes through Saratoga Springs and Lake Champlain before arriving in Canada .

It is highly recommended to take this route in the fall during peak foliage season to watch New England’s changing autumn colors pass by your window.

10

Napa Valley Wine Train

Image: Daniel Salgado

Imagine being able to drink wine from the beautiful wineries in Napa Valley without worrying about who is going to drive. That is exactly what passengers of the Napa Valley Wine Train can do.

Originally built in 1865 by a local millionaire to transport visitors to a spa resort in Calistoga, the train now offers travelers the chance to sip local vintages from a luxurious railcar while passing vaunted vineyards on a three-hour round-trip journey .

1

Levi Strauss

Image: Eric Prouzet

Although his name will forever be associated with American business pioneers, Levi Strauss was not born in the United States. That's right! The inventor of the iconic blue jeans was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1829. In 1847, he came to America along with his siblings in search of new opportunities, settling in New York. Eventually, he moved to San Francisco, where his famous company would be founded.

2

Irving Berlin

Image: Sandra Grünewald

While he can be considered one of the most American of Americans, Irving Berlin was actually born in Russia. That's right; the legendary composer and lyricist was born in 1888 in what was then the Russian Empire, and his family immigrated to the US when he was just a child. How lucky for us! Can you imagine life without classics like "White Christmas," "God Bless America," and "There's No Business Like Show Business"? Neither can we!

3

Alexander Graham Bell

Image: Carlos Eduardo

Although he became a naturalized US citizen in 1882, Alexander Graham Bell was born in 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He arrived in the United States in 1871, where he worked as a teacher and researcher. It was in America, in 1876, that he made his most famous invention: the telephone.

4

Elizabeth Taylor

Image: Color Crescent

Elizabeth Taylor, our Cleopatra, wasn't born in the United States. As you probably know, she saw the world for the first time in England in 1932 and moved to America in 1939, just before World War II started. But here's an important detail: Her parents were American! So, she was a US citizen from birth; she just happened to be born overseas.

5

Alfred Hitchcock

Image: Usha Kiran

Yes, Alfred Hitchcock was born in England, but we probably wouldn't have had the pleasure of enjoying cinema classics like Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963) if he hadn't come to live and work in America. Although he was already a successful director in his home country, Hitchcock decided to come to the United States in 1939, drawn by the promise of Hollywood's growing film industry.

6

Audrey Hepburn

Image: Paige Johnson

Although she became an American citizen in the 1950s and won our hearts on the big screen, the legendary Audrey Hepburn was actually born in 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. In 1945, she settled in England, where she began taking ballet classes and started landing modeling and acting roles. Finally, in 1951, she came to America to star in the Broadway production of Gigi .

7

Isaac Asimov

Image: Phillip Glickman

Science fiction as we know it wouldn't be the same without the incredible work of Isaac Asimov. However, we may never have had the opportunity to enjoy his brilliant writing if his family hadn't immigrated to America. Asimov was born in 1920 in Petrovichi, Russia. His parents decided to move in 1923, just a year after the Soviet Union was established. At only 3 years old, he arrived in the US, and by the age of 8, he was a full American citizen.

8

Charles Chaplin

Image: Mimi Di Cianni

The unforgettable Charlie Chaplin was born in London in 1889. Before he turned 20, he arrived in the US as a young performer with a vaudeville company. Here, he found fame and became a global icon of silent film. Surprisingly, even after living and working here for over 40 years, he never officially became an American citizen, but Americans embraced him wholeheartedly all the same.

9

Albert Einstein

Image: WikiImages

Albert Einstein, one of the most famous scientists in the world, was born in Germany. And he chose to be American! He was born in Ulm, Germany, on March 14, 1879, and later became a US citizen in 1940.

His first trip to America was in 1921, when he came to New York as a renowned scientist. Then, in 1933, he returned for good and accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where his former house still stands.

10

Joseph Pulitzer

Image: Jorien Loman

Joseph Pulitzer revolutionized the press in America and around the world, but before becoming a renowned US citizen, he lived in Hungary, the place where he was born in 1847. At the age of 17, he left Europe in search of greater opportunities and arrived in the US in 1864. Here, he went on to become a pioneering journalist and newspaper publisher, even giving his name to the prestigious awards honoring excellence in journalism and the arts.