Princeton, New Jersey, the home of Princeton University since 1756, is one of the most famous college towns in the world. The university, with its massive endowment and long history, has made the town of Princeton an exciting place to visit. The Princeton University Art Museum owns over 72,000 works of art, displaying everything from Latin American folk art to Italian Renaissance paintings. The school also hosts dance, theater, and performance art at the Lewis Center and other assorted venues.

The first time you go to New York, go ahead and be a sight-seer—everyone should visit the Statue of Liberty, the Met, Times Square, etc. But on a return trip, pick a neighbourhood and go deep. You’ll find hole-in-the-wall bars, great delis, quirky shops… exploring the non-touristy side of New York is an incredibly rewarding experience for a traveller.

Known as New York's tough neighbour with a major international airport, Newark is a destination in its own right. The city is undergoing revitalisation efforts and its attractions include several large parks, art galleries and architecturally significant buildings. The Newark Museum is a complex of art and science exhibits, a mini-zoo, a planetarium and more. Theatre, music and dance performances take place at venues such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Newark Symphony Hall.

Queens is the most ethnically diverse area of its size on Earth, which means there's a little something for everyone. Chow down on Indian food, sit in on a traditional Irish pub music session, and dance the night away at a Puerto Rican nightclub, all of it located within a few subway stops. Queens is also the home of the Mets and the US Tennis Open, and the former home of the New York World's Fair, now Flushing Meadow-Corona Park, and Paramount Pictures, now the Museum of the Moving Image.

Famous as the home of Yankee Stadium, elevated trains, and dense apartment blocks, the Bronx is also the greenest of New York City's boroughs. Visit the gorillas at the famous Bronx Zoo or wander through the 50-acre forest at the New York Botanical Garden. Pick up some gourmet foods on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's Little Italy, and have a picnic at Van Cortlandt Park, which features two square miles of boating, horseback riding, tennis, and the oldest public golf course in the United States.

Atlantic City draws tourists by the car- and bus-load, topping more than 20 million visitors per year! Stroll along the famous Boardwalk with its numerous amusements and eateries or visit the historic Absecon Lighthouse and the new Wheel at Steel Pier. Several championship golf courses are within a 30 minute drive to attract golf enthusiasts. In summer, the local free beaches are popular with families. Beach bars are peppered throughout the resort and you can dig your toes in the sand and enjoy your favourite cocktails. Water-based activities include parasailing, charter fishing and dolphin-watching cruises. Casino hoppers have 9 establishments to choose from and there is something for everyone's taste. Those who remember Atlantic City in its pre-gambling days can wax nostalgic with a taste of saltwater taffy and iconic rolling chairs which have been Atlantic City favourites for over 100 years.

New Buffalo is a Lake Michigan beach getaway convenient to Indiana and Chicago. The large, broad public beach is the main attraction, but you can also explore downtown New Buffalo's shopping and dining options. Or, if you feel like taking a chance, the Four Winds Casino Resort has 130,000 square feet of gaming space. Owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, its design evokes their heritage.

Shop, eat, and enjoy the feeling of going back in time to a simpler era as you groove to the vibes of downtown Mendocino’s hippy past and quaint New England style architecture. Find a secluded bluff, and listen to seals splashing and barking. Visit the Mendocino Art Center, started by San Francisco artists in the 1950s. Enjoy a Mendocino Theater Company performance. Stop in historic Ford House, which doubles as city museum and Mendocino Headlands State Park visitors center. Mendocino Headlands State Park winds around Mendocino Bay, and is a wildlife corridor linking coast and inland areas. Savor the spring wildflowers. In July the Headlands and city are home to the Mendocino Music Festival. Groove to the ocean views, blowholes, wave tunnels, sea arches, grottos, and tide pools as you hike the beaches and cliff trails. Along the Mendocino Headlands Trail, watch for old cross-ties from the oxen-powered railway that dumped lumber to ships below the bluff. Drive 2 miles north of Mendocino to Russian Gulch State Park for rock fishing, swimming, skin diving, tide pools, bicycling, a 36-foot high waterfall, and a Devil's Punch Bowl of churning water. Savor spring rhododendron blooms at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Take the family on the half-day Skunk Train roundtrip from Fort Bragg to inland Northspur. Bird watch at Cleone Lake, a tidal lagoon in MacKerricher State Park, 3 miles north of Fort Bragg. Enjoy MacKerricher’s wheelchair accessible nature trail, Ten Mile beach, fishing, hiking, jogging, horseback riding, and bicycling. Take the kids to Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park. Tee off at the 5,458-yard, 9-hole coastal golf course at Little River Inn, which also offers llama treks. Take the family to Little River State Park and Van Damme Beach State Park, which are near Little River Airport (KLLR). Kids love the recently renovated Point Arena Lighthouse, because they can climb to the top.

Dominated by its colossal 13th-century cathedral and situated nearby the Battle of the Somme memorials, Amiens pairs historic monuments with the youthful energy of a university town. Les Hortillonnages d'Amiens (floating market gardens), Jules Verne House, and the bars and restaurants of Quartier St-Leu add to its appeal.

With its towering Gothic cathedral and the Monts Dômes volcanoes looming on its horizon, Clermont-Ferrand paints a striking picture. The Auvergne capital is more than just a pretty place though—it’s also a cultural hub, full of cafe-lined plazas, gourmet restaurants, and live music venues.

Poised on the edge of the Venetian lagoon, Jesolo is one of Italy's most popular beach resorts, with millions visiting each year. A favourite with families, Jesolo offers up theme and water parks, an aquarium, and an 8-mile (13-kilometre) golden beach.

Porto Seguro is as vibrant as any part of Brazil.  A schooner will take you from the bank of the city's Buranhem River 15 miles out to the Recife de Fora Marine Park for an exploration at sea.  A city stairway will guide you up to the Cidade Historica to take it all in from above, alongside Capoeira demonstrations.  And the Passarela Do Alcool, a street fair filled with craft baskets, restaurants and enthusiastic performers will invite you to participate in Brazil's cultural tradition.

Giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, endangered jaguars and clouds of butterflies are among the attractions at this World Heritage-designated park that marks the border between Brazil and Argentina. By foot or by raft, explorers can view one of the world's most stunning waterfalls, Iguazu Falls. Among the park's 270 waterfalls, spectacular Devil's Throat combines 14 falls and generates a "perpetual rainbow" in good weather.

The largest island along Brazil's coast and, literally, a “beautiful island,” Ilhabela offers visitors almost 40 kilometres of pristine beaches and a tropical island's worth of hiking trails, waterfalls and even a nascent party scene. At 207 kilometres from the city of São Paulo, Ilhabela can get crowded, so try to get your beach time in during the work week.